From Father George's Desk 8/10/25

The great scripture scholar, St. Jerome, once said, “The Scriptures are shallow enough for a babe to come and drink without fear of drowning and deep enough for theologians to swim in without ever reaching the bottom.”   Each week our Scripture readings at Mass give us much to reflect upon, not only during the homily or for the time we are at Mass but throughout the week.  It is a good spiritual practice for all of us to spend some time in prayer and reflection with the Sunday readings throughout the week. 

 The readings on this Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time are especially rich in this regard.  Three sentences in today’s readings really jump out at me.  The Letter to the Hebrews tells us “Faith the is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.”  And in today’s gospel, Jesus counsels, “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”  But it is the final line of the gospel that really grabs my attention every time I hear it: “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”  What an awesome call as disciples of the Lord!  We have all been entrusted with so many wonderful gifts: faith, family, relationships, freedom, material blessings, skills and talents, our very lives.  How faithful and prudent are we with what has been entrusted to us?  The beginning of good stewardship is to be aware of all that has been entrusted to us.  Then we must strive to know the Master’s will and pray for the grace to act accordingly each and every day. 

 As summer vacation season begins to wind down and families are preparing for another school year, we are looking forward to resumption of a more active parish schedule as well.  Many parish ministries that slowed down or went on hiatus for the summer will be resuming after Labor Day and others are looking for new members.  To raise awareness of all the ministries in our parishes and to encourage more parishioners to get involved, planning is underway for a Ministry Fair this October; more details will be coming soon.  Now is the ideal time to consider your gifts and how the Spirit is calling you to use them for the good of our parish.  In that spirit, I share with you a stewardship thought for the week from To Be a Steward: A Summary of the U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral Letter on Stewardship: “Stewards of God’s gifts are not passive beneficiaries.  We cooperate with God in our own redemption and in the redemption of others.  We are also obliged to be stewards of the Church—collaborators and cooperators in continuing the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, which is the Church’s essential mission.  This mission—proclaiming and teaching, serving and sanctifying—is our task.  It is the personal responsibility of each one of us as stewards of the Church.  All members of the Church have their own roles to play in carrying out its mission: parents, who nurture their children in the light of faith; parishioners, who work in concrete ways to make their parishes true communities of faith and vibrant sources of service to the larger community; all Catholics, who give generous support—time, money, prayers, and personal service according to their circumstances—to parish and diocesan programs, and to the universal Church.”

 On Friday the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Even though the dogma of the Assumption was officially promulgated by Pope Pius XII only 75 years ago, the origins of this feast can be traced back to at least the fifth century.  In the Eastern tradition of the Church, today is celebrated as the Dormition, or “sleeping” of Mary, indicating that she did not die but was taken to heaven as if asleep.  Today’s celebration calls us to reflect upon Our Blessed Mother as the Hope of All Christians.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church quotes Pius XII’s 1950 apostolic constitution, Munificentissimus Deus, “Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death.”  The Catechism then goes on: “The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians” (#966).

 Our Lady of the Assumption is the patroness of the Diocese of Greensburg, making Friday our diocesan feast day.  Let us pray in a special way today, through the intercession of our patroness, for our bishop, priests, deacons, religious men and women, and all the laity throughout the four counties of our diocese.  Together, may we grow in the virtues of faith, hope, and love.  May we grow more united each day with Jesus Christ, our Head, and with one another, that Christ will be truly present among us and that we may truly be Christ’s presence in the world.

 “’Extreme Unction,’ which may also and more fittingly be called ’Anointing of the Sick,’ is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death.  Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has already arrived.” [The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, #73]    All too often we think of the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is only for those at the point of death, however, this foundational teaching statement of the Second Vatican Council reminds us otherwise.  The Church’s Code of Canon Law directs pastors “to see to it that the sick are supported by this sacrament at the appropriate time”. [Canon 1001]   To that end, on September 6 we will be introducing a quarterly Anointing Mass, which will alternate between our parishes.  These Masses will not only provide more chances to celebrate the Sacrament of Anointing of Sick but also presents a wonderful opportunity raise the awareness and understanding of the sacrament.