29 August 2010 & 5 September 2010

My Friends,

Unlike Any Other Texts We Will Ever Hear
Recently I participated in a meeting with several directors of agencies and ministries of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Though it was not on the agenda, one participant proposed a discussion of the preparation, in our parishes, for the introduction of the revised translations of the prayer texts of Mass in Advent of 2011. All agreed the discussion would be valuable and it was. I mentioned that in the last few months I have begun this preparation here, and not simply with a comparison with the present texts and the revised texts. Rather my emphasis is, and continues, to be on laying a foundation, by first revisiting and deepening our individual and collective appreciation of the meaning of the mystery we celebrate in every Eucharist. That is fundamental. The following reflection comes from the United States Bishops Committee on Divine Worship. It is part of their initiative preparing for the revised translations and has that same fundamental emphasis. It is about hearing the Word of God at Mass.

"When the Scriptures are read in the Church, God himself is speaking to his people and Christ, present in his own word, is proclaiming the Gospel. These words from the General Instruction of the Roman Missal assert something profound! When the Sacred Scriptures are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people, and Christ, present in His own word, proclaims the Gospel. This really is a profound truth that we need to ponder and make our own.

"The words of Sacred Scripture are unlike any other texts we will ever hear, for they not only give us information, they are the vehicle God uses to reveal himself to us, the means by which we come to know the depth of God's love for us and the responsibilities entailed by being Christ's followers, members of his Body. What is more, this Word of God proclaimed in the liturgy possesses a special sacramental power to bring about in us what it proclaims. The Word of God proclaimed at Mass is 'efficacious' that is, it not only tells us of God and God's will for us, it also helps us to put that will of God into practice in our own lives.

"How, then, do we respond to this wonderful gift of God's Word? We respond in word and song, in posture and gesture, in silent meditation and, most important of all, by listening attentively to that Word as it is proclaimed. Following each reading we express our gratitude for this gift with the words 'Thanks be to God' or, in the case of the Gospel, 'Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.'
"The Gospel is the highpoint of the Liturgy of the Word. The readings from the Old Testament tell us of God's promises and his preparation of his people for the coming of his Son; the epistles and other pre-Gospel New Testament readings offer the reflections of St. Paul and other contemporaries of the Lord on the life and message of Christ; in the Acts of the Apostles we have a history of the early Church. We believe that all Scripture, the Old and New Testaments, is inspired by the Holy Spirit, but the Church has always given special honor to the Gospel because in the Gospel we have the words and deeds of Christ himself.

"What then must we do to properly receive the Word of God proclaimed at Mass? We must listen with reverence to the readings from God’s word. The key word in all of this is listening. We are called to listen attentively as God's Word is proclaimed. We should listen as we would if Christ himself were standing at the pulpit because, in fact, it is God who speaks when the Scriptures are proclaimed.

"The Word of God, then, calls for our listening and our response in silent reflection, as well as in word and song. Most important of all, the Word of God, which is living and active, calls each of us individually and all of us together for a response that moves beyond the liturgy itself, and transforms our daily lives, leading us to engage fully in the task of making Christ known to the world by all that we do and say."

Responsible Stewardship
Often you hear me say that "our numbers are small but your hearts are great". Over and again, this parish of some 63 households demonstrates that with your generous contribution of your financial resources and also of your time and talent in the multiple facets of parish family life. This week we highlight your extraordinary generosity in support of the mission and ministry of the parish through your stewardship of material resources.

The fiscal year of the Archdiocese of St. Louis runs from July 1st till June 30th. At the end of each fiscal year, every parish presents to the Archbishop a financial report of the parish, as well as its proposed budget, which must be balanced, for the coming year. Pastors are required, as well, to publish a financial report, in a given format from the Finance Office of the Archdiocese, to parishioners. This report is in Column 3 of the bulletin today. For the fiscal year just ended, thanks to your responsible stewardship, our mission and ministry was funded without a deficit again this year. In large measure you have made that possible. So also have the benefactors, on whose shoulders we stand, and whose generosity created a reserve fund of nearly $500,000, which generates interest income available for supplemental use.

Thank you for your generous stewardship, financially, and with your investment of time and talent for the good of us all and the benefit of all whom we serve in our diverse outreach initiatives! Thanks be to God for inspiring and sustaining you in your generosity. We are greatly blessed!

Grace Abounding
On Sunday, September 19, 2010, all who serve in any of our parish ministries -- at Mass or in Parish Life -- will be recognized at Mass with a formal blessing asking that God's grace permeate the service they provide and giving thanks for the good that God accomplishes through them.

After the 10:30 Mass refreshments will be served in the parish hall, and representatives of these various ministries will be available to provide information and invite others, not yet involved, to serve God, and God's good people, in a ministry here.

At 12 noon, then, Dr. Jim Kelhoffer, professor of Sacred Scripture at St. Louis University, will give the second of his three presentations on the Bible. Those present for the first presentation recognized quickly that Dr. Kelhoffer speaks about the Bible from the head and from the heart.
On September 19, then, grace will be abounding here! Plan to be present!

Mark Your Calendar
The committee planning our celebration of the Sesquicentennial of the Dedication of the Church continues work on all of the details of the celebration. The committee includes Greg & Laura Griffin, Angie Heavener & Bob Rothluebbers, Greg & Marsha Harwood, Bob Eigenrauch, and Honorary Chairs of the Sesquicentennial Celebration, Lorraine Dowling & John Hackett. Parish resource members assisting are Bill Clifford, John McGuire, Theresa Hebron, Sandy Morris, Don Massey, Nettie Moore, Murry Velasco and Dan O'Brien.

The church was dedicated on Sunday, November 4, 1860 by Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick. On Saturday evening, November 20, 2010, Archbishop Robert Carlson will celebrate the Sesquicentennial of the Dedication beginning with Mass at 5 o'clock and followed by a reception in the parish hall.

All are invited. All are welcome. Mark your calendars now. The celebration will not be complete without you!

In Brief
On Labor Day, Monday, 6 September 2010, Mass will be celebrated at 7:10 in the morning. The parish office will be closed in observance of the holiday.

Best blessings to Dorris Hebron, a matriarch of this parish, as she celebrated, on 21 August 2010, her 90th birthday. May the years to come be many and grace full! Thanks be to God for building us up as we baptized Lucille Maeve Pasqualucci, first-born of Maureen & Jeff Pasqualucci, during the 10:30 Mass on Sunday, 22 August 2010.

Now we "wait in joyful hope" for the blessed event in the lives of Kelly & Matt Kelsey and Dorothy & Brian Alfon as they each anticipate, in coming months, the birth of their first-born. We witness, again, proof positive in flesh & blood, that love creates life!

From Monday, 13 September 2010 through Friday, 17 September 2010, all Priests of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, will be with Archbishop Carlson for a convocation of priests held every three years. We gather at a facility in the Lake of the Ozarks, one of the few large enough to accommodate our numbers and our needs. The convocation is partly a retreat giving us chance to pray together and to reflect on our priestly life and ministry. It is partly a continuing education seminar with presenters from around the country addressing us on timely theological and pastoral topics. And it is partly a welcome time to enjoy solidarity & fraternity as priests.

In years past, during this convocation our Capuchins, Father Simon and Father Canice gladly provided pastoral service and celebrated daily Mass. Without them, and as of this writing, there are no religious order priests available to celebrate the 7:10 daily Mass Monday through Friday of convocation week. If this does not change I will personally inform the 6-10 people regularly present for 7:10 Mass so that all can plan accordingly.

Faithfully,
Monsignor Delaney