Pastor’s Notes for September 22-23, 2018

Jesus was known as the ‘son of the carpenter,’ and yet, we don’t know for a fact that Jesus ever worked in that trade. It seems reasonable that he would have worked alongside Joseph learning the family trade during the many ‘silent’ years before His public ministry at 30. I wonder if in addition to furniture, farm implements, and housewares, Jesus ever built an actual house. We may never know. Yet, we do know Jesus definitely build a Church upon the faith of Peter and the Apostles, if not a physical building. These days the Church now has a very definite physical presence in our community and communities around the world. Since the first centuries, in home churches and catacombs, Catholic Christians have been building physical structures in which to gather, to pray, to worship, to celebrate the Mass. From the third century on, when free, public Christian worship was first permitted, the Church has built many and marvelous churches in which to praise God.

This weekend, in a special way, we recall the construction and consecration of our own church building under the patronage of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. While our structure is not as grand as the St John Lateran Basilica in Rome, the readings we are using for this weekend’s Masses, our space is exceptional in that it is our home, our church, our place of worship. It is here that so many of you have experienced some of your most important and vital moments of life: Baptism, First Communions, First Reconciliations, Marriage, Funerals, weekly Mass and Christian community. It is here we are a Holy Family together. As such, let us thank God for our beautiful church, and more importantly, for the Blessed Church of Christ in which we are One Holy Family.

Holy Family Catholic Church-School was dedicated on September 19, 1954. The first Mass was celebrated on May 10, 1954. The convent (Day Activity Center) was completed in 1955. The first Rectory (Parish Office Building) was built in 1957. Let us also pray for the repose of the souls of the first two pastors of Holy Family, now deceased: Monsignor Louis Marchino and Father Gerald Burkert.

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I hope all will be joining us this weekend, Saturday, Sept 22, for the Parish Pitch-In Picnic after the 5p Mass to celebrate our church building and our Church community.

Information session for the Sacrament of Confirmation Preparation Program for all sophomores will be on Sunday, Sept 30 at 4:30p in the Cafeteria.

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Pray for us.

~ Fr. Gries

Pastor’s Notes for September 15-16, 2018

“Faith Alone” (sola fide) is an often quoted tag line by our Protestant brothers and sisters in Christ. By this, they mean that one’s own works or deeds play no meaningful or substantive role in one’s salvation. We Catholic Christians have never held to such a belief. It was put forth for the first time in Christian history by Martin Luther just before 1517. As such, Catholics are sometimes accused of believing we ‘earn our salvation’ by our deeds and works contrary to what the Scriptures clearly state. Well, no. Catholics do not believe in earning salvation by our deed or works. We cannot do so. Our salvation comes from Christ. Yet, we do believe we can cooperate with God’s free gift of Grace within us and manifest our Faith in Christ by our outward deeds and works. And we believe these outward deeds and works are beneficial for our salvation.

St Paul speaks quite forcefully and persistently about the importance of faith as necessary for salvation. St Paul speaks quite forcefully and persistently about the lack of value of ‘works (of the Law)’ for salvation. By works, St Paul was referring specifically to works of the Mosaic Law (Old Testament Jewish practices in terms of Temple sacrifice, Circumcision, dietary practices and the like). A broader reading of those locations where he mentions ‘works’ makes this truth clear. St Paul’s Letter to the Romans is Paul’s theological masterpiece. In it, he speaks most eloquently about the role of faith for the Christian salvation. “For we consider that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Roman 3:28). This verse is often cited to substantiate “Faith Alone.” But the word “alone” is noticeably absent. Faith indeed justifies, but that does not rule out any role for an active lived faith manifested by outward works of charity and mercy for Christ in others motivated by God’s Grace.

I mention this since our weekend readings include a selection from the Letter of James as our second reading. It is in the James that we find the only instance in Scriptures where the phrase ‘faith alone’ is found. “See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24). Is it any wonder why Martin Luther lobbied to remove the Letter of James entirely from the Canon of the Bible (something he in fact did with seven other Old Testament books)?

Catholics don’t earn salvation by our deeds, but faith apart from deeds too leaves one lacking salvation. There are several great verse-by-verse explanations to this common objection on the Catholic Answers website:

https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/by-faith-alone

https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/arent-we-saved-by-faith-alone

https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/when-faith-alone-meets-scripture-alone

https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/the-disasters-of-by-faith-alone

https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/by-faith-alone-part-ii

If you ever need solid Catholic responses to challenges to our Catholic Christian Faith, I would highly recommend Catholic Answers found at www.catholic.com.

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Last Altar Server Training to be held in church on Thursday, Sept 20 (3:15-4:30p)

Parish Pitch-In Picnic after the 5p Mass next Saturday, Sept 22.

Information session for the Sacrament of Confirmation Preparation Program for all sophomores will be on Sunday, Sept 30 at 4:30p in the Cafeteria.

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Pray for us.

~ Fr. Gries

PASTOR’S NOTES for Aug 18-19

“Taking part in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, which is the source and summit of the whole Christian life, they offer the Divine Victim to God, and offer themselves along with It. Thus both by reason of the offering and through Holy Communion all take part in this liturgical service, not indeed, all in the same way but each in that way which is proper to himself. Strengthened in Holy Communion by the Body of Christ, they then manifest in a concrete way that unity of the people of God which is suitably signified and wondrously brought about by this most August Sacrament.” (Lumen Gentium – Constitution on the Church, 11)

Another translation reads ‘font and apex’ in place of ‘source and summit,’ but the meaning is clear. The Eucharist is the beginning of our Christian life, the destination of our Christian life, and the culmination of our Christian life. Why? The Eucharist is Jesus Christ. The Eucharist is the True Presence of Jesus Christ – Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. The Eucharist Sacrifice is the re-presentation of the saving work of our Lord – His suffering, death, and resurrection. The Eucharist is our sharing on earth in the Wedding Feast of the Lamb in heaven. Christ in the Eucharist is the place from which all Grace flows, for in the Eucharist is the presence of God. It is in the Eucharist that we receive ‘true food’ and ‘true drink’ unto eternal life (Cf Jn 6:55ff).

During Mass, this Eucharistic focus is properly upon the Altar where the Eucharist is offered and made present. Outside the specific celebration of the Mass, however, it is in the Tabernacle that Christ’s Presence is reserved, revered, and respected. The Eucharist prolongs Christ’s Real Presence among us – “Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt 28:20). To remind us here at Holy Family of this central focus upon Christ in the Eucharist, in the coming weeks, we will be relocating the Tabernacle beneath the main crucifix and directly behind the altar – central in our worship and central in our lives.

I will host an information session for the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) on Tuesday, Sept 4 @ 7p in the Parish Office Building. If you are interested in joining the Catholic Church or simply learning more about the Catholic Faith please attend. If you have interest in being involved as a sponsor or catechist, please contact me.

I will host an information session for the Sacrament of Confirmation Preparation Program on Sunday, Sept 30 at 4:30p in the DAC. We will be finished in time for 6p Mass. I ask all sophomore candidates to be accompanied by at least one parent to the meeting. I am also looking for a few volunteers who could help with a monthly Confirmation meeting on Sunday evenings. This could include setting up, refreshments, clerical, possible presenters or group discussion leaders, please let me know.

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Pray for us.

~ Fr. Gries

This Sunday marks my first month at Holy Family as pastor, and a very full first month of ministry it has been! No two days have been the same, unless every day being full of new routines, people, and things to learn can be considered the same. I’ve managed to ‘unpack’ most of my boxes of physical belongings and have settled into the rectory (very nice!) and office. Overall, I am slowly starting to get settled into my new “holy” family.

A huge help in this transition has been the Holy Family parish and school staff. Holy Family is blessed, and I doubly so, to have such a capable and competent staff who have put up with my many questions, suggestions, puzzled looks, and (did already mention) questions. They are a patient bunch, and I am very grateful for their help in smoothing the transition. You, the parishioners, too have been very welcoming. I thank those of you who continue to introduce yourself every time we meet, even though we’ve “met” several times already. It is a huge help as I try to put names and faces and families together. Please keep it up.

The Holy Family Catholic School & Preschool year is off to a good start. It is great to see the many smiling faces of students returned and teachers hard at work to “fold and shape” them into the great person’s God created them to be. The 1954 school wing renovation was finished just in time for classes. It was a wire finish. The teachers, and many volunteers, did great work to get the rooms ready for students. Their work and dedication did not go unnoticed. Thank you to the many parishioners who spearheaded the project – I’ll not try to name them for fear of overlooking a key contributor – but thank you. Koetter Construction has done a fabulous job. Plans are forthcoming for an Open House celebration.

I had the opportunity to meet with the Liturgical Committee. Next weekend, Aug 11-12, we will have Training Sessions for all current, and any newly interested, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion following all the weekend Masses. If you are interested and have never been an EMHC before, and you have been Baptized, Confirmed, received First Holy Communion, and are in a sacramental Marriage (if married), please consider this your invitation. Lector training will be the following weekend.

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Pray for us.

Fr. Gries