Dear Parish Family,
At each Mass we pray for the Second Coming of Christ. Do we really mean it? We know that when Christ comes again, He "comes to rule the earth with justice" as our Psalm response declares. While many of us are more than ready to have justice meted out to our foes, we may be reticent to accept justice for our own sins and iniquities. We may easily stay stuck in a victim mentality where we refuse to accept responsibility for the injustice of our own actions, and cover over our sins by blaming others or convincing ourselves that we deserved or earned the right to come out on top. We may find it difficult to come to the Lord for conversion of heart, to accept responsibility for our own actions, or to let go of the pain and vengeance that comes from being wounded by sin.
As we consider our longing for Christ to come again, I would suggest we consider Him in His Second Coming as a Merciful Judge. Christ will judge us at the end of our earthly lives justly and truthfully. There's no sugarcoating for sin. Christ will reveal to us the truth of who we are and the truth of the saint we were called to be. How can we not grimace at the difference between the two? We must have courage in remembering that this truth of who we were created to be and the truth of who we have become is wrapped in God's merciful love. Indeed, the act of Christ's Judgment is defined by mercy which meets us as sinners and transforms us into saints. We need to accept in faith both Christ's judgment and His mercy.
In the first reading, the prophet Malachi gives us the image of the sun of justice sending forth rays that both heal and burn up. As the Merciful Judge, Christ Himself is the Sun of Justice whose light both burns up sin and heals wounds. Once more we must approach the question: "Do I really mean it when I ask Christ to come again?" With faith in God as Merciful Judge, we will respond affirmatively and permit God to do His purifying and healing work in our lives. Without this faith, we will hide our sins from God's merciful judgment. Our sins will not be destroyed, and we will not be healed. Origen of Alexandria wrote, "By the same power of its heat, the sun that melts wax likewise hardens clay." As we prepare for the end of the liturgical year and prepare to welcome Christ in Advent and Christmas, we must strive to make our hearts like wax which melts before the love of God and not like clay which hardens in the light of Christ.
Faithfully United Stewardship Program - Thank You!
As we wind down our Faithfully United Stewardship program, I want to thank all who participated in sharing prayer intentions and recommitted to prayerfully and financially supporting our parish. My own experience was one of great gratitude and increased giving of my own time, talent and treasure to Jesus Christ. I was so humbled to hear stories of parishioners sacrificing in order to give to the mission of Christ through our parish efforts, and to pray for your intentions. Many intentions were for our loved ones who were sick and who are not practicing their faith. These prayer intentions were wrapped in so much love and compassion that you made my heart melt when I prayed over your intentions. God hears your prayers and wants to bring life and healing to all our places of darkness and pain. Let's continue to trust in Him.
Catholic Charities Follow-Up
I want to make a final appeal for Catholic Charities as we approach the end of the year. Catholic Charities collections were down this year throughout the diocese and the ministries of Catholic Charities will take a hit as a result. Since we did not meet our parish goal yet for this year, I want to ask that you remember Catholic Charities in your holiday giving. Your assistance will provide direct assistance to the 400,000 individuals served by Catholic Charities each year.
Anointing Masses Nov 19-20
Next weekend, we will celebrate the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick at all of our weekend Masses. Those eligible for receiving the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick include those who are seriously ill in body, mind, or spirit; those preparing for surgery; those diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses or awaiting a diagnosis for one of these illnesses; and those who are experiencing the debilitating effects that come with old age. If you have only a minor illness that does not fit into one of the above categories, please know you are in our prayers as a Church family, even if you cannot be a candidate for Anointing of the Sick at this time. If you or your loved one is in need of anointing, please bring yourself and them to one of our Masses. If you are unable to attend these Masses on that weekend, please reach out to our parish office to schedule a time for Fr. Spisak or me to schedule a time to anoint you or your loved one.
Attention Certified Public Accountants and Financial Planners - Assist with Angel Scholarship Fund:
If you are or know of a CPA or CFP in our parish, please contact me this week ([email protected]). I will host a CPA/CFP strategy meeting on Monday, November 21 at 6:30 pm in the St. Mary Community Room (off of the Gathering Space).
At this meeting, I’d like to share more about the new tax credit scholarship program through the state of Ohio, how it can help our school families with tuition assistance, lower the parish subsidy to the school, and how YOU can help our families make their contribution this year. The tax credit is a dollar-for dollar offset of tax liability for an individual (up to $750) or family (up to $1,500). The Catholic Community Foundation processes contributions for this tax credit through the Angel Scholarship Fund. St. Mary School can be designated as a recipient of this tax credit scholarship. This is a new tax credit this tax year, and I am excited to share more with you!
Visit https://stmarychardon.org/asf for more info.
I am yours in Christ,
Fr. Scott Goodfellow