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2017 Archived Pastor's Notes

- Worship & Liturgy

The Greatest Gift

Special Edition for December 24 and December 31, 2017

             Christmas gifts can be very memorable – both to give and to receive. What is the greatest gift that you can recall that you have ever received? What is the most memorable gift you have given? At this time of year we spend a lot of time and energy picking out just the right gifts for those who are near and dear to us. Today, I would like to reflect on the Greatest Gift ever.
From His first cry in the manger in Bethlehem to His last cry on the cross of Calvary, He has given us the gift of His undying love.
It is impossible for us to think about Christmas without also recalling Easter. Through His passion, suffering and death, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, atoned for our sins and brought us salvation. At Easter, we fully rejoice in the Resurrection.
Likewise when we think about Easter, we are drawn back in time to the glorious sights, sounds and events of Christmas. These two Holy Feast Days are complementary of one another. One is not complete without the other. We truly are recipients of the Greatest Gift that God could give – His only Son. His love for us is unending!
Let us stay focused on the Greatest Gift. Let us raise our voices in our song of joy: Gloria in excelsis Deo! Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.

Father Storey

A Time to Rejoice!

December 17, 2017

Advent is a time of anticipation, watching, waiting. We wait to celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ, God made man, Who humbled Himself to become human like us. We need to keep an awareness that He will come again as He promised. Mark’s Gospel 13:33-37 for the First Sunday of Advent, reminded us of that. Mark wrote about the Second Coming of the Son of Man: “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come...Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming.’”

The Gospel for Dec. 10, the Second Sunday of Advent, also was from Mark 1:1-8. Describing the role of John the Baptist, Mark quotes from the prophet Isaiah: “Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’” John, the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, prepared the way for Jesus. He urged all to whom he spoke to be baptized and to repent. Now today’s Gospel, John 1:6-8, 19-28, reinforces that same idea as we proceed deeper in our Advent preparation

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near. Philippians 4:4-5 This is the Entrance Antiphon for today, Gaudete Sunday, the 3rd Sunday in Advent. “Gaudete” is one of the Latin words that means “rejoice.” On this Sunday, the priest uses rose colored vestments, and we light the rose colored candle on the Advent wreath. Rose is a softening of violet, the liturgical color normally used during Advent. It is a foretaste of good things to come; it anticipates the pure white that will be used at Christmas.

All of today’s readings are about rejoicing. In Ch. 61, the prophet Isaiah tells us, “He has sent me to bring glad tidings...I rejoice heartily in the Lord; in my God is the joy of my soul.” Saint Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonians encourages, “Rejoice always! Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks.” In the Gospel, John joyfully gives witness to the One who is to come, and fulfills the prophesy of Isaiah: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord.”

On this day of rejoicing, I encourage you to look up at our crucifix hanging on the wall behind the altar. We see a God who is non-judgmental, a God who loves us. We, ourselves, must not be judgmental; we should be loving. God forgives us unconditionally and accepts all people just the way they are. Likewise, we must forgive one another and be more accepting of others. During every Mass at Communion, we acknowledge, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” We rejoice that Jesus enters.

Next Sunday, Dec. 24, the 4th Sunday of Advent, we are only one day away from Christmas. We will hear the same Gospel, Luke 1:26-38, that we heard on Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. These beloved words, inspired and formed from St. Luke’s close association with the Blessed Mother will open our hearts and give us even more cause for rejoicing.

Together let us rejoice in the Lord always!

Father Storey

December 10, 2017

Requiescat in Pacem

It is with a heavy heart I write to let you know that on Thursday, November 30, Father Jerry Spencer left behind the trials and sufferings of this temporal life and went to his eternal life. He left us a legacy of love. Fr. Jerry was a valued and much loved member of Curé of Ars parish staff. We all will miss his wit, his holiness, his homilies and his willingness to serve others. He was a true man of God, a brother priest, a friend and a mentor to me. He leaves a big void in our parish. His Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated here at Curé on Wednesday, December 6. May he rest in peace.

Holy Mary, Mother of God

I always look forward to this time of year – December and early January – because we are privileged to celebrate three feast days of our Blessed Mother Mary: Dec. 8, the Solemn Feast of the Immaculate Conception; Dec. 12, Our Lady of Guadalupe; and Jan. 1, Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God.

The Immaculate Conception is the belief that Mary was protected from Original Sin, and that the Blessed Mother did NOT have a sinful nature. She was, in fact, sinless from the moment of her conception in the womb of St. Anne. The Church teaches that Mary, the Blessed Mother of Jesus Christ, being kept free from Original Sin, is repairing the stain Eve brought into the world by giving in to temptation. The Church further teaches that Mary, by her Immaculate Conception, is the New Eve. She restores what woman destroyed in The Fall. Because she was kept from the poisons of Original Sin, Mary thus was prepared by God to bring Jesus Christ into the world.

Jesus Christ – the One who would be the New Adam – restores what Adam destroyed in The Fall. This duo brings to us a wondrous gift: Mary gave birth to Christ – the New Adam. Christ hands His Spirit over to give birth to the Catholic Church at Pentecost. Christ entrusts the Sacraments to His Church.

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe commemorates the apparitions from Dec. 9 – 12, 1531, of our Blessed Mother to St. Juan Diego, an Aztec Indian convert, at the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City. In the wintry cold of December, Mary arranged rare fresh roses in Juan’s cloak for him to take as proof to the local bishop that she was indeed our Blessed Mother. When the flowers tumbled from his cloak, her image remained. Another proof was the miraculous cure from a deadly disease of his uncle Juan Bernardino. In 1945 Pope Pius XII declared Mary Patroness of all the Americas, and in March 1999 raised the day to the rank of Feast for all the Americas. It is a Holy Day of Obligation in Mexico.

Jan. 1 honors Mary, the Holy Mother of God. We rejoice in these beautiful feast days and recall the words spoken to Juan Diego, “I am the perfect and perpetual Virgin Mary, Mother of the True God through whom everything lives...I will give all my love, my compassion, my help and my protection to the people.”

Father Storey

Sister Julie's Notes
Come Lord Jesus

December 3, 2017

As I reflected on the various phases of Advent somehow
thinking of Advent as a time for anticipation, waiting and celebrating the coming of the birth of Jesus at Christmas was rewar-ding for me.

We know the mood of Advent is one of anticipation-only a few weeks from Christmas.

Children will be asking how many days until Christmas. They are hoping their dreams will come true. They can hardly wait.

God is waiting for us, too, to redeem us and free us from the trials in our life. We, too, should believe that we shall see the “Goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
He is waiting to be Messiah for us—to bring us the comfort and peace of God.

Today the Lord is Now! We are not to wait for centuries for the coming of the Messiah. Jesus walks among us today. During your prayer time speak to Jesus as you would to a friend. Tell him all the things going on in your life.

We can also celebrate Advent joyfully within our homes with these simple ways:
Attend Advent Services
Add some sacred music to your life
Read an Advent series together with family or friends
Set up a Nativity scene
Enjoy special Holiday food
Remember your neighbors
Encourage thankfulness

Continue this Advent to invite Jesus into your life. Ask Him to touch you to be open and wait for the Lord.

That as we WATCH with eagerness for the birth of Mary’s Son in our world, we may be filled with joy and peace…

Sister Julie Galan, CSJ

A Symphony Revisited

November 26, 2017

Jesus said to His disciples: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit upon His glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before Him...Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation.’” (Matthew 25:31-34) These opening words of the Gospel for today portray the very essence of the feast day, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.

This is the last Sunday of the Church’s Liturgical Year. Next week, on the First Sunday of Advent, we begin a new year: Cycle Year B in which the Gospel according to St. Mark will be featured. In the past, we likened the Liturgical Year to a great symphony, giving it a title: A Symphony of Love in C Major (C being Christ). We cherish the symphony that exists within the symphony – Holy Week.

Many of us have a favorite piece of music that we enjoy hearing over and over. It does not become monotonous or repetitious; rather we hear something just a little different each time. What we hear depends on multiple factors: our mood as we listen, our environment, where we are at that time in life. Every day, as human beings, we change; therefore every time we listen to our great symphony presented throughout the Liturgical Year, we will probably hear something a bit different each time.

Just as the character of a composer of a symphony is manifest in his work, so too does the character and soul of the evangelist emanate and influence the development of the great symphony of the Liturgical Year. Sts. Matthew, Mark and Luke wrote the “Synoptic Gospels.” This means they cover much of the same information; however, they are not copy-cats. Each of the Gospels is a reflection of its author. John, the beloved disciple, who laid his head on Jesus’ heart at the Last Supper, wrote his Gospel to show Jesus is God. Matthew, himself a tax collector, did not hesitate to spell out the short-comings of tax collectors, Pharisees and other public officials.

St. Paul referred to Luke as the “beloved physician.” It is believed that Luke helped to care for the Blessed Virgin Mary when she lived at John’s home in Ephesus. Among the evangelists, only Luke goes into detail about the nativity of Christ and about the birth of John the Baptist. Luke (1:1-3) cites eyewitnesses as sources for some of his writings. It is believed that one of these was the Blessed Mother herself.

Mark’s Gospel, the first written and the shortest, helped Matthew and Luke write theirs. Mark was one of the 70 disciples sent by Jesus to preach the gospel (Luke 10:1ff.) throughout Judea. Mark traveled with Peter and Barnabas, and was an “interpreter” for Peter. In all likelihood, Peter being a fisherman, was not proficient in writing, so Mark became his writer. He wrote down many stories that he heard Peter tell in his preaching about the life and
teachings of Jesus.

An interesting sidebar to Mark’s Gospel: In preparation for the Passover supper, Jesus told two of His disciples to follow a man carrying a pitcher of water into a house (Mark 14:12ff.) and ask if they could have their celebration there. The house belonged to Mark’s mother, Mary. Mark is thought to be the man carrying the water. Later in relating the arrest of Jesus, Mark (14:51f) tells how a young man had followed Jesus, wearing only a linen cloth. When the arresting party tried to grab the man, he left the cloth in their hands and ran away naked. The man is not named, but it is speculated that it was Mark, the evangelist; otherwise the detail is insignificant and not worth mentioning.

Reminder: the Curé of Ars Advent Communal Penance Service will be Sunday, December 10 at 3 pm. This year, let us open our hearts and ears to experience a new symphony through the writings of St. Mark.

Father Storey

Deacon's Reflection
A Thanksgiving Reflection

November 19, 2017

When I was asked to do a Thanksgiving reflection, I hesitated. With so many blessings, how was I to put everything in one short article and adequately cover all I was thankful for this past year? Where would I even start? Then I received the advice, “Just let the Holy Spirit guide you.” THAT WAS THE ANSWER! That is where I should start. I am so grateful for the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. I pray daily that He guide my every action, and He does; if only I can remember to stay out of His way, and let Him do the guiding.

I tried to categorize the things for which I am most thankful, and came up with four areas: Faith, Family, Friends and Foes. These cannot and do not stand alone, but are intricately intertwined with one another.

Faith: As you can see faith dominates throughout. Where would I be without faith? My faith has brought me through so much. I came to a fuller    appreciation of my faith during my Permanent Deacon formation program. I live in the pure beauty, excitement and joy of my faith. For this I thank you God! Eucharist: the word itself means thanksgiving. I am thankful for the opportunity to take Communion to my parents, Peter and Elizabeth, and to a neighbor every week, to share with the homebound what I am privileged to experience every time I go to Mass. This is another great gift to me.

Family: I thank God every day for my immediate family: my lovely wife, Marina, and my wonderful children, Ethan and Ella. I am grateful for their love, support, sacrifices, prayers and willingness to share. I am thankful for my extended family – my Mom and Dad, all my brothers and sisters and their spou-ses, and my nieces and nephews, and my other relatives.

I am especially grateful for my Holy Spirit family of 20+ years; and now my new Curé of Ars family. I am also very thankful for my pastor throughout many of these years, Father Richard Storey. He has been a true blessing to me. I would be committing a sin of omission if I did not include my good friend, Marge Hattrup. She spent many hours helping me with diction, pronunciation and presentation when speaking, and on correctness in writing English. She has become like family to me.

Friends: A family is not limited to those with whom one shares a household. There is just not enough space here to list everyone that I hold dear in my heart, but I ask God to bless each and every one of them. I am thankful for all the friends who have been so influential in my life over these past few years, especially those at Holy Spirit who prayed for me and assisted me as I went through the formation process before being ordained a Permanent Deacon. Many of these very special friends are like family to me, and I am thankful for them.

Foes: Why would I be thankful for my foes? Because they have cha-llenged me and made me a better person for having to endure what I did. Among the earliest foes that had an influence on my life are the political factions in Vietnam. Thirty-five years ago when I was 14, 19 members of my family fled Vietnam in order to survive and avoid persecution, to practice our faith and find peace. We embarked on what would become a 7 day ordeal, on a small boat with no map, compass or experienced navigator; only minimum supplies of food, water and gasoline for the boat’s engine, trying to cross the Pacific Ocean. I am very grateful for my brothers, Tony and Paul who became navigators by necessity. Early on the morning of the 7^th day, we awoke to loud screaming and saw them pointing to the front of the boat. In the distance, silhouetted by the early sun light, lay dry land – the Philippine Islands. Without these two brothers and the grace of God, I would not be here to share this story with you.

Yes, these areas are intricately intertwined: faith, family, friends and foes. Almighty God has led us to and through them; He has been so good to us. I want to add one more area: my failures. For it is through my failures, that I can see so clearly God’s infinite love for me, and experience His unending forgiveness. He has given so much to me and I am overwhelmed by His generosity. Thank you, God, for all these gifts.

Deacon Phillip Nguyen

What Will You Do?

November 12, 2017

In these last numbered Sundays in Ordinary Time, 32 and 33, the parables in our Gospel readings are from Jesus’ final discourse recounted in Matthew 25. Jesus’ communication focuses on the last things, especially God’s final judgment, or as St. Paul calls it parousia, Christ coming again. Paul fills us with comfort and abiding hope in his letter to the Thessalonians, “Thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, console one another with these words.” (1 Thess 4:18).

In His parables, Jesus uses common, ordinary visuals to which His listeners can easily relate. Today we hear the Parable of the Ten Virgins. It was a first-century Palestinian custom for a bride and her attendants to form a procession to go greet the bridegroom, and together all would go to the wedding banquet.

The ten virgins are evenly split: five wise and five foolish. The five wise virgins made contingency plans: in addition to their lamps they took extra flasks of oil. The five foolish virgins, perhaps giddy with thoughts of the wedding about to take place, took only their lamps and rushed out to join the procession. Then the foolish virgins had to go purchase more oil because the bridegroom was delayed so long. Upon finally arriving at the wedding feast, they found the door locked and they were denied entry.

The bridegroom is our Lord; we all are the virgins who have been awaiting His coming. Have we made contingency plans? When we go out to greet Him, will we be prepared with sufficient supplies: our faith, good works, mercy, justice? Or will we be found lacking?

Next week, we will hear the Parable of the Talents. In the Old Testament, a ta-lent was the heaviest unit of measure for weighing precious metals. In the New Testament, a talent was a very large coin – an object of great value. The talent Jesus spoke of was the largest unit of currency at that time. Some biblical scholars estimate one talent to be worth 20 years of wages for a common worker.

Prior to leaving on a journey, the master gave his wealth to his servants for safekeeping: “To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one – to each according to his ability.” (Matt 25:15) Upon his return, he asked for an accounting from his servants. Two of them had invested wisely and doubled the amount given to them. The third buried his one coin, then dug it up and returned it to his master. To the first two, regardless of the amount they initially received, the master said the exact same words: “Well done my good and faithful servant ... Come, share in your master’s joy.” But he chastised the third one, calling him wicked and lazy, and had him thrown outside into the darkness.

God, our Master, gives many talents, i.e., abilities and virtues, to each of us according to our particular needs. We will be held accountable for the talents that we have been given. In the final judgment, what will we return to God? Will it be double what He has given us?

How do we use these talents God has given us? Do we do the best we can with what we have been given, or do we waste them, or use them foolishly? Do we bury them – thinking they will go undetected or not be required? The master in the Gospel commended his diligent servants: “Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you more!”

In the final accounting, what will God say to us?

Father Storey

Words To Live By

November 5, 2017

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matt 23:12)

“Do what they say, but do not do what they do!”

“Do your penances in private so that only your Father sees them.”

“Come, move to a higher place!”

The Gospel for today, the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (A), Matthew 23:1-12, is a fertile ground for reflection, adages, sayings, recalling just plain words to live by. We find Jesus speaking to His disciples and the crowds: teaching them, leading them, showing them the way to His Father. Jesus is unrelenting in His harsh criticism of the Pharisees. Jesus notes that because they are in authority (i.e., on the seat of Moses) they must be heard and observed, but their example should not be followed. Then He lists many ways their actions should not be replicated.

Jesus’ critique of the actions of the Pharisees helps us recall other teachings found throughout the Gospels. For example, the master of the house, who upon finding a guest seated at a low place at the table, invites him to move higher to a place of honor. Or Jesus teaching His followers to mask any outward signs of atonement, so that their penances are kept private. These are the ways we should act He says, not the way the Pharisees act, seeking lime lights, honors, praises from others.

We might recall also how the apostles argued among themselves as to who was the greatest. Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel leaves no room for doubt: “You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers... you have but one Father in heaven... you have but one master, the Christ.” “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Not that long ago there was a catch-phrase making the rounds, offering advice to those who had a difficult decision to make. It even had an acronym: WWJD. What would Jesus do? In difficult times, it could be useful to reflect on how Jesus would act. But in all times, we should recall how Jesus would pray: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name...”

These are truly words to live by.

On behalf of all of Curé of Ars Parish: the laity, the Deacons, the Priests, I want to offer congratulations and best wishes to Father Justin Hamilton who was ordained at Christ the King Church in Topeka on Saturday, November 4, and will offer his First Mass at St. Joseph Church in Topeka on Sunday, November 5. “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

These, too, are truly words to live by.


Father Storey

Believe; Trust; Love

October 29, 2017

On our journey through these final Sundays of Ordinary Time (Year A), St. Matthew has been creating a roadmap for us. We find routes and landmarks of faith, trust and love. His Gospel contains parables describing what heaven is like; how we go about getting there; who is going to be there; how often we must forgive one another. Last week and today, the 29th and 30th Sundays in Ordinary Time, we hear two of four controversies described in Matthew 22, in which Jesus’ adversaries try to challenge Him with questions about topics of Law, belief and behavior.

Last week we saw the Pharisees trying to corner Jesus in a no win situation, but Jesus proved Himself to be the Master. After Jesus finished teaching in parables to some of His harshest opponents, the Pharisees initiated a plot to entrap Him. They brought in the Herodians, those who supported the Roman occupation and system of taxation, which the Pharisees themselves disputed. They thought Jesus would be sure to offend one side or the other when the question of paying taxes to Caesar was at issue. Even more, He could be seen in opposition to Rome getting Himself in trouble as a rebel.

Their plan was to disarm Jesus with flattery so that He must either answer their question or appear untruthful and acting contrary to His own teaching, but Jesus’ immediate response turned the tables. Knowing the malice which motivated them to put on a show, Jesus rightly called them “hypocrites,” since they were playing a part in the drama they set up, pretending to ask a genuine question. When Jesus asked them to show Him the coin that pays the census tax, he forced them to acknowledge that the coin had the inscription of Caesar on it. Caesar’s name on the coin meant that the coin must belong to Caesar. Jesus’ answer to their question clearly implies the notion of ownership, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

Reflect if you will, what is on the reverse of our own currency, also used to pay taxes: “In God we trust.”

In the second episode described in Matt. 22, Jesus was confronted by the Sadducees, who did not believe in resurrection. Jesus gave them an interpretation of the Torah that supports belief in the resurrection, thereby silencing them. After learning about the Sadducees, the Pharisees were emboldened to mount another attack on Jesus. In this third face-off, a student of the Law challenged Jesus to name the greatest commandment.

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind... You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22:37,39) This was the two-fold directive given by Jesus in response. Jesus mandates that we must live our lives based on love – of God, neighbor and self. Love has carried many different meanings throughout history. A significant portion of the bible was written in Greek. The Greek language contains no less than six different words for love, each expressing a different type of love. Three of these words are used in the New Testament: agape, phileo, and storge.

We look to those we know to find the meaning of true love. The greatest example of love is Jesus, and agape is the word we use when we speak or write of this type of love. It is love without reservation, without conditions. To understand the teaching of Christ, we must recognize that love underlies each and every rule from God. God so loves the world that He created all things and said it was good. Then He created humans and said this is very good, because He knew that we were the only ones of His creation to whom He gave the capability of love.

Father Storey
We Are ...

October 22, 2017

In just over a week, we will celebrate two very important Holy Days in the Church’s Calendar of Feasts: Nov. 1, the Feast of All Saints, a Holy Day of Obligation, and Nov. 2, All Souls Day. To make it as convenient as possible for all to attend, Mass times for those days are scheduled as follows:

Oct. 31 (Vigil of All Saints): 6:00 pm
Nov. 1 (All Saints): 6:30 am, 8:15 am, 12:10 pm, 2:00 pm (all school) and 6 pm
Nov. 2 (All Souls) 6:30 am, 8:15 am

As baptized Christians, we are part of a vast family known as the Communion of Saints. Each year the Church honors those who have gone before us in faith, especially those whose brave and unwavering witness to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit has inspired us to live a life more committed to the Triune God.

Since his election as Pope in 2013, Pope Francis has canonized many saints. Among these are two popes, St. John XXIII and St. John Paul II, and a nun who was known throughout the world for her concern and caring for the poor and needy, St. Mother Teresa. On May 13, 2017, the 100th anniversary of the first of the apparitions of our Blessed Mother at Fatima, he canonized Jacinta and Francisco Marto, two of the three children who witnessed the apparitions. American priests are included in the numbers of those whose cause for beatification and eventual canonization has been promoted. One especially meaningful for us is Father Emil Kapaun from Pilsen, Kansas.

Not all saints are formally canonized – but we can all strive to become saints, to achieve a place in the Kingdom of Heaven.

We believe that our final destiny is to be with the God who created us. When the soul unites with its Creator, only then will we be at true peace.

There are three stages of the Kingdom, i.e. three stages of the Mystical Body of Christ, of His only Church:

1.   The Church Militant: We Christians who live on earth. We are not yet in heaven; therefore we pray
that our souls will one day be there, and not be judged to hell.
2.   The Church Triumphant: Our brothers and sisters who have died and whose souls are already in
heaven for eternity. Their bodies will be resurrected gloriously and join their souls at the Second
Coming of Christ. At present, the only ones in heaven with body and soul are Jesus and His
Blessed Mother.
3.   The Church Purifying: Christians who have died and are in purgatory. They will go to heaven after
they have been totally purified.

Thus we have the Communion of Saints. All members of the three stages of the Church live in the same Body of Christ. Those in heaven already, the Angels and Saints, can help us. We are called to pray for our brothers and sisters in purgatory. As we celebrate these very Holy Days, we the Church Militant, ask for the Saints’ intercessions, and we assure those in the Church Purifying of our prayers. Together we are the Body of Christ.

As members of the Body of Christ, let us make attending Mass on these Holy Days a top priority.

Father Storey

Five Fatima Prayer

October 15, 2017

When Lucia inquired, Our Lady said that Francisco and Jacinta soon would be going to heaven, but she (Lucia) would remain on earth a while longer to spread devotion to Our Blessed Mother. Francisco died in 1919 at age 10; Jacinta died a year later at age 9. Jacinta and Francisco were canonized by Pope Francis on May 13, 2017 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the first apparition at Fatima.

At age 14, Lucia went to a school of the Sisters of St. Dorothy in Vilar. Lucia continued having private visions of Our Lady throughout her life. In 1925, Lucia was asked to convey the message of the First Saturday Devotions. She became a postulant at the convent of St. Dorothy in Spain in 1928. In 1947, she left the Dorothean order and joined the Discalced Carmelite Order. Sister Lucia died Feb. 13, 2005 at age 97. Her cause for beatification recently has been approved.

At the urging of her bishop, beginning in late 1930s, Lucia wrote memoirs, recording details about the apparitions and the “secrets” entrusted to the children. One of the surprises that was revealed years later through her memoirs was that the children had been visited by an angel three different times in 1916 as a prelude to the apparitions of Our Blessed Mother. The angel and Our Blessed Mother taught them prayers that I’d like to share with you:

PARDON PRAYER. In spring of 1916, an angel appeared calling himself the Angel of Peace; he taught them to say: “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee! I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love Thee.”

During summer 1916, an angel appeared while they were playing. He chastised them for their lack of spiritual seriousness, saying, “You must pray! Pray! The hearts of Jesus and Mary have merciful designs for you...In every way you can offer sacrifice to God in reparation for the sins by which He is offended and in supplication for sinners. In this way you will bring peace to our country...Above all, bear and accept with patience the sufferings God will send you.”

THE ANGEL’S PRAYER. In fall 1916, the children saw an angel prostrate before a host and chalice that hung in the air. Worshiping the Eucharist, the angel prayed, “Most Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifferences whereby He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.”

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER. During the first apparition of Our Lady of Fatima, the children found themselves moved by an interior impulse, to say this prayer together: “Most Holy Trinity, I adore You! My God, my God, I love You in the Most Blessed Sacrament.”

SACRIFICE PRAYER. Our Lady taught the children to offer all their personal sacrifices to God by praying, “O my Jesus, it is for love of You, in reparation for the offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and for the conversion of poor sinners.”

DECADE PRAYER. Our Lady asked that this prayer be inserted after each decade of the Rosary: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.”

While He was here on earth, Jesus used children to illustrate and fortify His teaching. Perhaps these prayers, taught to three of His very special children, can help us to draw closer to Him.

Father Storey
Pray for Peace

October 8, 2017

Last week, on the first Sunday of October, a month dedicated to the rosary, we reflected on various aspects of the rosary: touched briefly on its history, listed the Luminous Mysteries, and thought about a quote from Archbishop Fulton Sheen, “The rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known.” In conclusion, we presented a central theme stated by Our Blessed Mother Mary throughout her six appearances to three shepherd children near the town of Fatima in Portugal, “Pray the rosary.”

On Friday, October 13, 2017 we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the sixth and final apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Lucia dos Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto. Jacinta, at age 7, was the youngest; her brother Francisco was 9, and her cousin Lucia was 10. The three were tending sheep as usual at the Cova da Iria near their village of Aljustrel in the parish of Fatima when Our Blessed Mother first appeared to them on May 13, 1917.

The children described seeing a lady “more brilliant than the sun.” She wore a white mantle edged with gold and held a rosary in her hand. She urged the children to devote themselves to the Holy Trinity, and to pray the rosary daily to bring peace to the world and an end to war. She told them she would return on the 13th of each month through and including October.

Interestingly, Francisco could not hear, nor speak to the Lady, while Jacinta could hear but not speak to her. Only Lucia both heard and spoke to her. Visitations continued on the 13th of June and July, but in August a government official kidnapped the children to prevent them from keeping their appointment. Our Blessed Mother was not to be deterred. She appeared to the children on August 19 instead. Throughout all six apparitions, in addition to praying the rosary, the Virgin Mary urged the children to perform acts of sacrifice and reparation for sinners.

Our Lady of the Rosary, as she identified herself to the children, told them to pray for peace. The message of Fatima has been well documented. She predicted an end to World War I, but also said that an even worse war would ensue if her requests were not heeded. On the brink of the 100th Anniversary and viewing the world situation as it is today, is this message not meaningful to us as well?

What can we do? We can pick up our rosaries and begin – or continue – to pray them daily. We can amend our lives and ask for forgiveness. We must begin with ourselves – start at the personal level; seek peace within oneself. Then we can expand our focus to our family, our communities. From there we broaden our focus from local to national and on to global. We must pray for peace for our own country, that we will replace hatred and division with respect, unity and love for others. We should pray for world peace, especially for North Korea and its people. We must heed the message of Our Blessed Mother 100 years ago. We cannot falter.
Next week we will continue our Fatima reflection.

Father Storey

Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary

October 1, 2017

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee...” implores a leader. Those assembled respond in chorus, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners...” These words may be heard in many parishes at various times of the day, any day of the week, as people come together to pray the rosary, one of the most cherished prayers of our Catholic Church.

The use of “prayer beads” and repeated recitation of prayers to aid in meditation come from the earliest days of the Church, and even has roots in pre-Christian times. Long strings of beads were used in monasteries and nunneries, and even by lay persons, to keep count of the numbers of prayers being said. According to some Catholic traditions, the rosary was given to St. Dominic in a vision of our Blessed Mother in 1214; she requested recitation of the rosary as a means of converting Albigensians and other sinners. By the 15th century the form of the rosary gradually evolved, and in the 16th century, meditation on three sets of mysteries was added.

For several centuries, each decade of the rosary was accompanied by reflection on one of the Mysteries: Joyful, Sorrowful, or Glorious. Then St. John Paul II introduced the Luminous Mysteries in October 2002. The word luminous comes from the Latin lumen, meaning “light,” recalling that Jesus Christ is the Light of the World. These Luminous Mysteries shed light on the life of Christ, and fill a gap that existed within the first three sets of Mysteries. They pick up where the Joyous Mysteries end (the childhood of Jesus) and lead us to the Sorrowful Mysteries depicting His suffering and death.

The Luminous Mysteries begin with the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, and continue on to His first miracle at the Wedding at Cana. The third is Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven, followed by the awesome Transfiguration in which God the Father acknowledges, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” The fifth Luminous Mystery is Christ’s institution of the Blessed Eucharist at the Last Supper.

In all twenty Mysteries, we focus on events in the lives of Christ and His Blessed Mother. We concentrate on the promises of Christ, God who humbly takes on human flesh to share in our humanity. The rosary helps us meditate and come to appreciate more fully the birth, the suffering, the death and the resurrection, and the miracles of His life while He was with us here on earth.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen wrote, “The rosary is the book of   the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has even known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the rosary is beyond description.”

Almost 100 years ago, as a sign promised by Our Blessed Mother, the sun danced in Fatima, Portugal, and was visible for quite an extended area. This was the occasion of her sixth and final appearance, Oct. 13, 1917, to the three children of Fatima. Our Lady’s message was so succinct and clear: PRAY THE ROSARY. She spoke of the end of World War I, and foretold the onset of an even worse war. We need her message now more than ever.

Father Storey
Deacon's Notes
A Reflection

September 24, 2017

As I thought about today’s Gospel, Mt 20:1-6a, I became confused and more than a little challenged by the landowner’s instructions to his foreman to pay all laborers regardless of when they started in the day. Each was to receive the usual daily wage. How could I possibly apply this teaching in my daily life?

As a project manager, I oversee many different projects. I hire workers to perform various tasks during each project, and I must keep its overall cost within budget. One of my most important tasks requires that I uphold and comply with “fair pay” practices. That means laborers will get paid according to their designated trades and for the hours they worked. If I deviate from this law/policy, I would find myself in a lot of trouble. I would be in deep trouble with my company, with the workers I hired and with the owner of the project.

My dilemma was how could I put today’s Gospel into practice? I sought the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When I returned to the readings, my attention was drawn to the words of the Prophet Isaiah (Is 55:6-9): “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.”

My ways and thinking were lowly, those of a human. I needed to raise my sights to think and act more like God. This led me to reflect on the symbolism of the parable in the Gospel. The landowner is God Himself; the vineyard is the Church. We are the laborers. The foreman is an angel, and the wage is Grace, God’s gift of salvation.

Jesus uses this parable to teach us that God is a very merciful
and generous landowner to His laborers. His Grace is freely given to us, regardless of how long we worked. He invites every one of us to come and work in His vineyard, His Church. He wants us, wherever we are in life: whether we have been living a very holy life or we are burdened by our sinfulness. He wants us to come to Him and be with Him.

It does not matter if we are among the first laborers who have worked for the Lord from early morning (followed Him our entire lives), or came later in the day, or even arrived at the last hour (found Him at a late stage in life). God wants all of us; He wants our labor to glorify Him, to bring Him honor and praise. He wants our ways and thinking to be raised, to be more Christ-like. He wants us to think of others first, to bring love, comfort and peace to others.

St. Paul teaches us to sacrifice our own desires for the betterment of others when he says, (Ph 1:24) “I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better. Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit.”

Lord, open our hearts and our minds to see you as a generous and merciful landowner. Help us raise our thoughts and ways to be more like yours. May our labors bring you praise and honor, and may our hearts bring peace and comfort to others.

Deacon Phillip Nguyen

A Beacon of Faith and Love

September 17, 2017

On our journey back to the Father, we have been guided by parables and stories related in the Gospel for these Sundays in Ordinary Time. This past week on Sept. 14, we celebrated the feast of The Exaltation of the Holy Cross. This feast of our Lord gives one more navigational aid to us.

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross provides a brilliant beacon with a far-reaching light, shining for all to see. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

The cross is a rich symbol of our faith. A cross is seen as an instrument of punishment and suffering. Through Jesus Christ’s freely embracing the Holy Cross, He gave us His all. The cross now has become for us a symbol of resurrection and redemption, a beacon of faith, hope and love. Every time we make the Sign of the Cross we assert our faith: it is a symbol of who we are and whose we are.

Christ told us that if we were to be His disciples we must pick up our cross and follow Him, but He never told us that it would be easy. Do we have a Simon to help us carry our cross? We have Someone better! We have Christ Himself; all we have to do is ask Him.

I recall a memorable homily given by my friend and fellow priest, Father Don Cullen. He told about a couple who had come to him seeking counseling because they were having marriage problems. After listening to them, Father thought they didn’t really have any insurmountable problems. He advised them to go to Children’s Mercy Hospital and visit the patients, to go to the cafeteria there and eat lunch. “Then,” he told them, “if you still think you have problems, come back and see me next week.” They called Father Cullen on Saturday and said, “We have no problems!”

We never can foresee how or when or where we are going to receive the help we need to carry our cross.

In the Gospel for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Matthew 18:21-35 continues his discourse on forgiveness. When Peter asks Jesus just how often he must forgive his brother who has sinned against him, Peter offers what he thinks is a magnanimous number, “seven times.” Jesus shocks Peter and the other disciples by expanding this to an almost impossible offer of forgiveness: seventy-seven times. What Christ is impressing on our minds here is that if we want to seek forgiveness, we must be willing to offer forgiveness to others. Remember the words of the Our Father: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

In faith and love, let us pick up our cross and follow Christ – knowing that He will always be there for us, providing the help we need.

Father Storey
We Cannot Do It Alone!

September 10, 2017

Today is another chapter in our story of faith and love as described in the Gospel according to Matthew that we hear throughout these Sundays in Ordinary Time (A). In the readings for the 23rd Sunday, Jesus continues to lay out ground rules and paint a roadmap for us. He is showing us the way back to the Father.

We have to remember that we were created in the image of God. You and I, all of humanity, were created by God equally. We were in the presence of God, and we were never intended to be separated from God. However, God knew that because of our stubbornness we would fall. Original sin came into the world and caused us to be separated from God. Now Jesus has come into the world and is laying down the rules that will guide us back to God.

But we are a stubborn people, whose pride gets in the way. We don’t always want to do what God wants us to do, because sometimes it is too difficult for us. At the beginning of our Christian story, we come into the waters of Baptism and are washed clean. But then we grow up. As we get older we start developing our own thoughts and exercising free will. God has told us that we would be attracted to sin. We have this desire to sin because we feel like we are God, and that is what takes us out of His Grace.

God is telling us that we have another avenue. We have confession; we have the Mass, the Eucharist; we have the Anointing of the Sick. God is a loving and forgiving God: this is who He is. He wants to forgive us. He wants to take our sins away from us. Why are we being so stubborn not to come to Him? He promises that if we do come and seek forgiveness, then we have the peace that only He can give.

In Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus paints a four step roadmap to forgiveness. He tells us first to go to the person with whom we are having trouble and seek their forgiveness. If he/she refuses then you take a couple more people with you as witnesses and ask again. If that approach fails, the third step is to go to the church. If the person still refuses even when the church is called in, Jesus tells us to resort to step 4: “Treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.”

Remember that Matthew was himself a tax collector, one who took a lot of money from the people and made life more miserable for them. He is saying “Jesus Christ forgave even me!” Christ’s arms are stretched out; now we must do our part and reach out to Him. Say “Lord, help me forgive the people I need to forgive.”

It is tough sometimes, but we can do it. A lot of times we can’t do it on our own. We must reach out and seek the help of others, just as we heard in the Gospel. Let’s get the forgiveness going. It is time to start living ... forgiving ... and loving!

Father Storey

Be Transformed

September 3, 2017

“Be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2). This is a challenge given to us by St. Paul in the Second Reading for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) which coincides with Labor Day Weekend this year.

I tend to associate Labor Day with St. Joseph. In 1955 Pope Pius XII created a new feast: May 1 – the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, partly to counteract the Communist labor movement rampant in many parts of Europe at that time.

We rarely hear about St. Joseph in sacred scripture, and when we do he is always in the background. Only the first and third gospels mention him. One of the earliest references to St. Joseph comes in Matthew’s Gospel. Joseph is betrothed to Mary, but he learns that she is pregnant. Not wanting to subject Mary to embarrassment and disgrace, Joseph determines that he will quietly have their betrothal set aside.

An angel of God appears in a dream and convinces Joseph to change his mind: this Child that Mary carries in her womb is a gift from God; He is to be named Jesus. Upon learning this, Joseph proceeds with plans to wed and takes Mary into his home. I think it is safe to say that Joseph’s life was transformed by this renewal of his mind; it certainly led to God’s will being done, and it was good, pleasing and perfect.

St. Joseph sets an inspirational example for us. He was a family man, a devoted husband and a caring father. He made time for his family. He provided well for his family, and not just the things that are needed to physically survive. More importantly, he provided for their spiritual needs.

St. Joseph was a skilled carpenter, and mentored his young Son in this trade. His work was truly a labor of love. It also exemplified his love for God, for he knew that his wife, Mary, bore the Son of God; and he, Joseph, gave the Child the name provided by the angel of God, Jesus.

St. Joseph was a humble servant who did not seek to be served, but to serve. In Matthew (1:19), he is called a “just” man. When Pope Pius XII proclaimed May 1 to be the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, he described a just man as one who prays, lives by faith, and seeks to do good in every circumstance of life.

Labor Day is a time off from work – it gives us more time for our own labor of love, more time for our families. Let us remember to follow the example of St. Joseph: to be just, to serve and not be served. Any transformation of our lives will probably not come anywhere near close to that of St. Joseph’s, but we should always pray that our minds will be renewed, that we may know what is God’s will, what is good, pleasing and perfect.

Father Storey
To the Queen of Heaven

August 27, 2017

On Oct. 11, the feast of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the Marian year 1954, Pope Pius XII, in his encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam, established the feast of the Queenship of Mary, to be celebrated on August 22, the octave of the feast of the Assumption. Literally translated, the title means “To the Queen of Heaven.” Pius XII instituted this memorial “so that all may clearly recognize and more zealously venerate the kind and maternal rule of the Mother of God.”

On August 15, we celebrated the feast of the Assumption: a day to pause and remember the Blessed Virgin Mary, her immense grace and the proclamation of her cousin, St. Elizabeth, as recounted in the Gospel according to Luke.

Mary’s response to Elizabeth’s effusive greeting forms the basis for our beautiful prayer, The Magnificat: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is His Name...”

We Catholics are sometimes challenged by those of other faiths as to why we pray to Mary as though she were God. No, she is not God. But the truth is: we do not pray to her like we do to God; rather we pray through her. She said “Yes” to God and gave birth to His Son. Now we have her as our special advocate. We have this wonderful gift of the Blessed Mother, and we ask for her intercession in coming closer to God.
As Jesus Christ hung on the cross, His beloved disciple John stood at the foot along with the three women. Jesus, in His dying words, said to Mary, “Woman, behold your son.” Then He spoke to John, “Son, behold your mother.” Jesus entrusted the protection of His mother Mary, while she remained on earth, to John. Simultaneously Jesus gave His disciple AND US the gift of His own mother Mary. What better way is there to intercede to God than through His mother!

The Church teaches that Mary, the Blessed Mother of Jesus Christ, being kept free from Original Sin, is repairing the stain Eve brought into the world by giving in to temptation. The Church further teaches that Mary is the New Eve. She restores what woman destroyed in The Fall. Because she was kept from the poisons of Original Sin, Mary thus was prepared by God to bring Jesus Christ into the world. Jesus Christ – the One who would be the New Adam – restores what Adam destroyed in The Fall.

Our Blessed Mother Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven. We have this octave day of the Assumption, to further honor her as Queen of Heaven. One day we will make our final journey down the aisle of the church; our body will be taken out to the cemetery for burial, and our soul will move on. We pray that, like our Blessed Mother, someday our body will also be taken to heaven.

Father Storey

Listen to Him

August 20, 2017

Pastor’s Notes: In order to deliver a message regarding an Archdiocesan issue, we substituted for the following on Aug. 6. That message needed to be timely and meshed better with the Gospel for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

August 6, we celebrate the Transfiguration of the Lord. The first time we heard the Gospel (Matt 17:1-9) this year was in a penitential context on the Second Sunday of Lent. Today the readings point to Jesus Christ as the One empowered and sent to us by the Father. In a powerful passage, the prophet Daniel relates his vision: “I saw One like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven, ... he received dominion, glory, and kingship.” The message of God the Father, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” resounds in both Reading II and the Gospel.

The evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke, all have slightly different relatings of the Transfiguration, depending upon their intended audiences. John, the beloved disciple, was actually present and witnessed the vision. Why did he not write about it? Is it possible that John’s entire Gospel is about Transfiguration? “In the beginning was the Word; the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” (John 1:1-2) Now fast forward to the end of John’s Gospel. We read that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb, but saw only two men in dazzling white. Then the resurrected Christ appeared to her, but she did not recognize Him because His body was transformed. When He later appeared to His disciples, they were also unable to recognize Him.

In the Gospel, Jesus selected three apostles to whom He felt closest, Peter, James and John, to ascend a high mountain with Him. Near the pinnacle of the mountain, His appearance drastically changed: His face shone brightly, and His garments became dazzling white. He was seen conversing with two men known to be with God in heaven: the law giver Moses and the great prophet Elijah. This transformation was a visualization of the meaning of the Paschal Mystery. Jesus had first to suffer, and so come to the glory of His Resurrection. The Paschal Mystery should fill our minds and hearts. It gives light to our darkest days and eases the burden of our greatest suffering.

Attentive and active participation in the Mass is an indispensable source of true Christian life. It focuses our attention on the Paschal Mystery: Christ’s work of redemption, accomplished principally by His Passion, death, Resurrection, and glorious Ascension. The Liturgy of the Mass urges us to embrace a constant meditation and reflection on the Paschal Mystery because it is the fulfillment of Christ’s coming into our world.

The first time each of us experiences the Paschal Mystery is at our Baptism. We are a people who have been washed clean with the water of Baptism into the death of Christ, and we have been raised with Him to the newness of life. Baptism is a onetime experience, but this initial sacrament leads us to the Eucharistic celebration of the Paschal Mystery. When bread dies to become the Body of Christ, that is the Paschal Mystery. When wine perishes to become the Blood of Christ, that is the Paschal Mystery.

The ultimate sharing in the Paschal Mystery is our physical death, which brings us to enjoy the fruit of the Resurrection, sharing everlasting life with our Savior Jesus Christ. Each time we come to celebrate Mass together we are called to enter into the Paschal Mystery for it sheds light to our faith. Remember we are called to imitate Christ fully, for Christ came to “first suffer and so come to the glory of the Resurrection.” “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”

Father Storey
My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of the Lord

August 13, 2017

August 15, the Solemn Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Holy Day of Obligation. We recognize and honor our Blessed Mother Mary as Queen of the Universe. In his Papal Bull Munificentissimus Deus, November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII, infallibly proclaimed the dogma of the Assumption:

By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.

The dogma was stated again by Pope Paul VI in the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, November 21, 1964 (Documents of Vatican II):

Finally, the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all guilt of original sin, on the completion of her earthly sojourn, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen of the universe (n. 59).

These documents closely align the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception with that of the Assumption. Mary, always free from Original Sin, was assumed, body and soul, by God to heaven as Queen. In the Responsorial Psalm for the Feast of the Assumption we sing the prophetic words of the Psalmist David: “The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.”

Even in the Gospel proclaimed for the Assumption, we see a continuation of St. Luke’s Gospel used for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a narrative of Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth in Judah.

When Mary arrives at the home of Zechariah, she excitedly greets Elizabeth. Elizabeth, inspired by the Holy Spirit, says to Mary the words that are now a central part of our beloved prayer, the Hail Mary: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Mary responds to Elizabeth’s greeting with these words:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is His Name.”

We ask the Blessed Mother to intercede on our behalf, that we may come to know and love her Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World; and that we may some day merit to be sharers of her glory in heaven.

Holy Day Masses will be celebrated on Monday (Vigil), August 14 at 6:00 p.m. and on Tuesday, August 15 at 6:30 a.m., 8:15 a.m., 12:10 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Father Storey

Stay in the Boat

August 6, 2017

Water covers 2/3 of the earth’s surface. We know that we cannot live without it, but sometimes we cannot live with it. Water is a powerful and mysterious force which can mean life or death. The Apostles understood water very well. As fishermen, they derived their livelihood from it. For them water meant life.

As we heard in last week’s Gospel however, one night in particular, with the wind howling above them and the water roaring beneath their boat, they knew that water could mean death.

How astounded they were when they saw Jesus walking toward them, safely and in total peace on the lake. They thought it was a ghost. Jesus identified Himself to them, and calmed their fears.

Yet Peter was not satisfied; he desired something more. He expected Jesus to empower him to walk on the water as well. “Tell me to come to you across the water” said Peter. Without hesitation Christ commanded, “COME!”

Peter got out of the boat and started walking across the water. But then he sensed the brutal strength of the wind, became frightened and began to sink. Jesus reached out His hand and saved Peter; then Jesus mildly rebuked Peter for his lack of faith. Once they were in the boat, the wind died down.

Perhaps we can all learn one important thing from this: be satisfied with the way the Lord acts and DO NOT require that He do things our way. Within the Church, God acts in His own way.

God chooses to speak to us, not in the noise and dangers of strong winds, but in the ordinary sounds of human words, through Sacred Scripture. He chooses to come to us, not in the rumbling of earthquakes, but in the appearance of bread and wine.

We recently learned that a member of our local clergy was the subject of accusations and had been incarcerated out of state. As often happens in these situations, allegations have been hyped by the media and blown out of proportion. We must remember that our church is divine, but it is also human. We humans are sinners. All of us! This writer included. In his letter regarding this matter, our Archbishop reminds us that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. We must let the judicial process run its course.

What we can do is pray. In all Christian charity we must pray to Our Lord; pray through His Blessed Mother, Mary. Pray that His will be done.

In every circumstance, throughout every need of life, we will find the Lord, but we must remain in the boat. We must stay focused on the Lord; we must be faithful disciples in the ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, APOSTOLIC CHURCH.

Father Storey
July 30, 2017

Justin Hamilton was ordained to the Transitional Diaconate on Saturday, May 20, at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, KS. God willing, he will be ordained a priest for the Archdiocese Nov. 4, 2017, at Christ the King Church in Topeka. Deacon Justin has been assigned to Curé of Ars Parish. We are very pleased to extend a warm welcome to him. We will let him introduce himself through this interview.

Deacon Justin Hamilton

Imitate our Blessed Mother. Say, “Let it be done to me according to your word.” This is the advice that Deacon Justin offers to young persons considering a dedicated religious life and this is the advice that he himself followed.

Like the sower in the parable (Matt 13:1-9), some 19 years ago Fr. Norbert Lickteig, his pastor at that time, scattered seed not knowing where it would land. One day after a Mass that Justin and his younger brother served, Fr. Norbert asked him if he had ever thought about becoming a priest. In Deacon Justin’s words: “Since I didn’t enjoy speaking in front of people and I wasn’t a big fan of praying, I didn’t think that was the path for me. My initial response was probably ‘No, thank you.’ But the seed had been planted, and the thought of someday becoming a priest did seem attractive to me. I progressed to ‘Well, maybe.’”

The soil was tended and the ground was made fertile by his parents. Justin says, “They taught me how to pray, to make prayer a top priority regardless of circumstances. They took us to daily Mass, and regular confession (even when I threw a fit, which I often did!). Family rosary in the evenings helped develop my love for our Blessed Mother. By my junior and senior years of high school, I began to ask God what he wanted me to do with my life, and I slowly began to realize that he really was calling me to become a priest. Now my response became, ‘Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will.’”

“My parents are David and Linda Hamilton. I am the 4th of six children, three girls and three boys. My family, particularly my parents, have been tremendously influential in helping me discern my vocation and answer the call to the priesthood. Early in my life, they established practices for which I will always be thankful. Praying each day really helped me to open the ‘ears’ of my heart to God’s call. Many, many times in the chapel/Eucharistic Adoration, I asked the questions: ‘What is your will for my life, Lord? For what purpose did you make me?’”

“Little signs lit up my life. There was encouragement from people who said I would make a great priest. I experienced an increased love for the Eucharist. There was a growing attraction to give everything to Christ ‘for the sake of the kingdom,’ and a growing desire to help others find and know the peace and love that I have found in the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”

In addition to Fr. Norbert Lickteig, Deacon Justin wanted to thank two other priests who were very instrumental in his answering God’s call to the priesthood:

“Fr. Carl Dekat – I was so edified by his love for the Eucharist; by the reverent way he celebrated the Mass. I was inspired by his devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus; I came to experience the love of Christ as something real and close, not up in the clouds.”

“Fr. Tim Haberkorn – His joy and excitement were contagious, and he made the priesthood even more attractive. He made priesthood seem not like a duty or a ‘sacrifice’ but as a life-giving, joy-filled vocation.”

To the question: All of us have been blessed by God with many gifts. Please cite some of these that you feel will be of most value to you in performing your duties as a priest, Deacon Justin responded:

“The greatest gift God has given me is a deep experience of my own sinfulness and an infinitely deeper experience of His Merciful love. I believe this will help me to be a merciful priest. Growing up in a very ‘down-to-earth’ family and now having 15 nieces and nephews – helps me to be approachable, relatable, real.”

Deacon Justin also answered: “Soccer player – I think this counts as a gift!” (Editor’s note: There is a basketball competition titled Running Revs, and an inter-diocesan competition in softball. Will Deacon Justin introduce a new format for “bragging rights?”)

Deacon Justin’s encouragement to young people considering any vocation: In addition to imitating our Blessed Mother, he says, “God isn’t out to choose the most miserable life for us! He knows us better than we know ourselves and he created us with a unique mission which will give us so much joy and peace if we follow Him without reservation. Ask the Lord each day to reveal His plan for you. Patiently persevere in building a relationship with God in prayer, because you can’t love and give yourself to Someone that you don’t know. God does not choose the qualified, but he chooses the weak and lowly so that we will rely totally on Him in our poverty.”

To illustrate his closeness to his family, Deacon Justin offered the following anecdote, followed by a sincere plea: “In order to get some exercise I went for a little run my first week at the parish. I was getting pretty darn hungry, so I figured I would extend the run a bit and conveniently end up at my sister’s house, all sweaty and stinky, right around dinner! Her 4 boys gave me a hero’s welcome and in a split moment, she had prepared a plate of incredibly delicious food for me (which I knew would happen – shame on my motives!)! To top it off, she and her husband had mercy on me and drove me back to the parish since they knew I could never pull off the return journey. This is just a small example of how generously and lovingly my siblings and my parents treat me.”

“So a shout out to my family: You all know how much I love you. Please don’t ruin that by telling any embarrassing stories of me to my Curé of Ars family!”

Deacon Justin offered a big thank you to Fr. Storey for such a warm welcome! “He helped me unload my overloaded car, get moved in, took me out to dinner, and really gave me a great experience of brotherhood in the priesthood. And of course, thank you to all our priests and deacons here at Curé for their kindness and friendliness to the “newcomer” at the parish!”

“To all of you at Curé…I can’t thank you enough for the warmth and love with which you greeted and welcomed me! I look forward to getting to know you!” We, at Curé of Ars, want to respond in kind: WELCOME, DEACON JUSTIN! WE ARE SO GLAD YOU ARE PART OF OUR FAMILY!

Jesus, The Master Teacher

July 23, 2017

When we have something new and difficult to learn, it is beneficial to have a master teacher who can relate the new material to things with which we are already somewhat familiar. This association can make it easier for us to understand those concepts. But how can we ever hope to comprehend something as complex as the Kingdom of Heaven? A multifaceted mystery we cannot see, touch or feel. We need the Master Teacher to instruct us, spark our imagination and open up possibilities of meaning.

Jesus is the Master Teacher, and a masterful Teacher. We see a pattern emerge in these Sundays (15 through 17) in Ordinary Time as Jesus is preaching a sermon (Matthew 13) to teach about the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus uses multiple parables to tell the crowd gathered there that Heaven is “like” something they experience in everyday life. Matthew shows that Jesus is the Messiah, fulfilling prophecies from Isaiah. Finally, out of the hearing of the crowds, Jesus mentors His disciples describing in more detail the meaning of the parables.

The Gospel for the 15th Sunday established the pattern. In the parable, the sower sows seeds on different types of ground. The amount and quality of the crop is relative to the receptiveness of its soil. The earth must be fertile to receive the seed and grow abundant crops. When pressed by His disciples as to why He spoke in parables, Jesus explains that the people have not been gifted with the knowledge that they have; thus the Old Testament prophecy is being fulfilled. Then Jesus goes on to relate further what the parable means.

On the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we see the pattern repeated. Jesus uses three more parables to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. A man sowed good seeds only to have his enemy sow weeds in his field. At harvest time, the weeds would be bundled and burned, but the good would be gathered safely in his barn. Then Jesus uses the image of another type of seed– one very familiar to the people of that area, a tiny mustard seed – to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. In the third parable, yet another everyday item, yeast, is used to depict heaven.

Jesus, the Master Teacher, explains the parable of the weeds in the field to His disciples: “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age and the harvesters are angels...The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers...Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Matt 13:38-43)

We see the pattern continue to evolve in the 17th Sunday when Jesus again uses simple images to describe the Kingdom of Heaven: buried treasure, a pearl, a net full of fish. Sometimes we have to go beyond the short form of the Gospel to fully appreciate what Jesus is saying. He teaches us the ways of His Father. When pressed by His disciples as to the meaning of the parables, Jesus retains the role of the Master Teacher, explaining what the parables mean. Jesus further expands His role to teach His students (disciples) how to become good educators themselves. It is not that far off when the disciples will be charged with the mission of teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven and spreading the Good News of the Lord.

By your teachings, O Lord, lead us to your Father! Open our ears to listen; open our eyes to see; open our hearts to love. May the seeds you have sown in us bear fruit and return to you a hundredfold.

Father Storey
On June 29 we celebrated the Feast Day of Sts. Peter and Paul – two very different disciples of Jesus Christ – who were both tremendously influential in the early days of Christianity. One was our first pope, the other was known for his extensive missionary journeys. As we resume our sojourn in Ordinary Time, let’s take a few minutes to reflect on these two saints.

You Can’t Rob Peter to Pay Paul

July 16, 2017

You have heard the saying “Rob Peter to pay Paul.” It can be interpreted as taking from one to promote another, or favoring one over another. It is similar to an Ancient Chinese idiom: “Dismantle the east wall to patch up the west wall.” The saying, while not referring to the martyrs Sts. Peter and Paul, does lead us to observe some differences between these two stalwarts of the early Church, whose feast day we celebrate June 29.

St. Peter was with Jesus Christ from the beginning of His public ministry. St. Paul did not encounter Christ until five (5) plus years after His death and Resurrection...when he was thrown to the ground by a blinding light on the road to Damascus.

Peter was like a lamb; he would be the first to admit that he had been weak when he denied that he even knew Jesus Christ. Paul was more like a lion. He was strong willed, stubborn, a man very sure of himself, a braggart about his credentials of being a true disciple. When you consider these two disciples bringing people to the beautiful gift of faith, you find a gentle lamb and an aggressive lion. It takes both to achieve a balance.

The greatest difference between the two saints, at least in the beginning, was that they were on opposite sides of the most profound and bitter disagreement in the first generation Church. Peter, himself a Jew, believed like most Jewish converts that in order to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, one had to become Jewish in order to then convert to become Christian.

Paul opposed this position, believing that Jesus Christ had done something NEW. He understood the meaning of Jesus saying one cannot put new wine in old skins. He taught that Christ by His Cross and Resurrection had set us free of the constraints of the OLD LAW; there was now a new covenant in the Blood of Christ. Paul said, “It makes no difference if you are Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised; Jesus Christ is for everyone.”

As St. Peter was preparing for the first Council of the Church, the Council of Jerusalem, he enjoyed a vision allowing him to see that St. Paul was correct.

What united these two, even in their differences, was their love of Christ and His Church. Both were chosen by Christ. Whatever differences we have in the Church today, we can’t just rob Peter to pay Paul. Like these two saints, we must keep our eyes on Jesus Christ and His great gift to us, the Church.

What is it that connects us? JESUS CHRIST. Our Church is built on an apostolic foundation. Our bottom line is FAITH! Our faith in Jesus Christ and knowing He knows we are not going to be perfect in this life. Our faith is in a God who loves us. Our faith is in a Church that forgives us. Sts. Peter and Paul lead us in this faith. They gave up their lives for their faith: the faith that you and I now bask in.

Now, we must be the disciples to go out and share the great love, the gifts that Christ brought into the world. There are those who do not know Christ yet, and those who have drifted away from Christ. He is calling us back equally. He doesn’t want just the perfect to be in the pews. He wants all to return to the pews. Our prayers should always be that our church is packed full, even over-flowing, because God has immense love for each of us.

Father Storey

Open Our Ears to Listen and Our Eyes to See

July 9, 2017

On Sundays in Ordinary Time Year A, our Gospel is usually from St. Matthew, a Jewish convert to Christianity. He was a politician, a tax collector – someone to be avoided. Matthew wrote his Gospel some 50 years after the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, intending it for both Jews and Gentiles of his day. Throughout his Gospel, Matthew portrays Jesus as the one who fulfills the Old Testament Scriptures bringing them to their fullest development: Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, the true King of Israel, who also brings salvation to Gentile believers.

Matthew “tells it like it is,” but he always gives us hope. Today’s Gospel is a good example of that. Usually in the Liturgy of the Word, we proclaim the short form of this passage; however in Pastor’s Notes, we want to examine its long form to see how Matthew goes about achieving his goal.

Jesus’ disciples pressured Him for an answer as to why He spoke in parables. “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted...because they look but do not see, and hear but do not listen or understand.” This exchange takes place beginning in Matthew 13:10, initiating the long form of today’s Gospel, and continues with the quotation from Isaiah. Then Matthew goes on to interpret the parable.

Imagine, if you will, Jesus sitting by the sea, soon surrounded by a large crowd. He got into a boat, rowed out a ways in order to be heard, and began to teach using a parable. Engaging His listeners actively, He describes the sowing process into the different types of soil. The listeners can possibly see a nearby path with birds pecking away, or rocky soil with only small, spindly growth. Certainly in that area there would be thorn-laden bushes. Where is the hope? Wait for it...

“But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirty-fold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

St. Matthew describes the fate of seed landing in each type of soil: The seed on the path represents those who hear without understanding; it is stolen by the evil one. Initially the seed on rocky ground was heard with joy, but lasts only a short while because it has no roots. The seed among thorns symbolizes one who hears, but then is overcome with worldly anxiety and the lure of riches which choke out the word so that it bears no fruit.

Looking back at last week’s Gospel (Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time), we hear Jesus praising His Father for revealing things that had been withheld from the wise and the learned to the “little ones.” Who are these “little ones” that Jesus is talking about? The Gospel tells us they are His own disciples, and those who are burdened. Jesus says “I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.”

At times we may find ourselves carrying an unwanted burden, or needing to listen better to the Word of God. We can turn to the Lord in hope: “We want to be your ‘little ones.’ Open our ears to hear and our eyes to see. Make of us a rich soil that we may bear fruit.” Remember He is with us every step of the way.

Father Storey
July 2, 2017

As we approach July 4, Independence Day, I contemplate the aura and atmosphere of our nation. Each year we seem to be facing yet another unfathomable situation. We see pockets of turmoil, civil strife, distrust, hot spots of bigotry and bias. More and more I comprehend that we must return to Almighty God in prayer and reparation.

Irving Berlin, one of America’s greatest composers and lyricists, was born in 1888 in what is now part of the Russian Federation. He had a great love for this country, and that showed often in his music. Written in the late 1930’s or early 1940’s, one of his most famous and often performed works was this prayer/song, God Bless America.

This week when we celebrate the independence of our nation, let us recall with wonder and awe our dependence on Almighty God.

God Bless America
Lyrics by Irving Berlin

"While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer. "

God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam,
God bless America, My home sweet home.

May God bless each and every man and woman who has served, and especially those who have given their lives, to help protect this country. May those who have died truly rest in the peace of Christ, and may those still serving return home safely.
Father Storey

Lord, Answer Me

June 25, 2017

“Lord, in your great love, answer me.”

This refrain from today’s Responsorial Psalm (69) speaks volumes. It is the thread that ties together the three readings for today, the 12 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A. In Pastor’s Notes on the Solemnity of Christ the King, 2015, we likened the Church’s Liturgical Year to a great symphony of multiple movements – a symphony of love. Each movement embodies the tremendous love that God has for us. Today marks the beginning of the final movement, a minuet that is the return to Ordinary Time, depicting the ordinary life of Jesus. We have melodies of miracles, parables, teachings and love throughout.

In the First Reading, Jeremiah is in anguish: his mission of prophecy has brought him imprisonment, flogging, derision and persecution. Jeremiah is pouring out his heart to the Lord, pleading for relief from his sufferings. He wants to experience revenge and see his enemies fail. In a significant mood change at the end, Jeremiah’s cries turn into an expression of confidence in God: “Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!”

In the Second Reading, St. Paul relates to the Romans that Christ is the new Adam. Beginning with Adam, sin and death were prevalent throughout the world; but through Christ, the grace of God is far more powerful than sin and death. Christ is the answer that God gave to the prayers of all humankind: “How much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many.”

In the Gospel, Jesus instructs His disciples, preparing them for their mission that lies ahead. He tells them that they will have to endure much, but there is nothing to fear because they will always have God’s loving care. They can count on Him; He will be with them every step of the way.

When we perceive we have a need, what do we do? We pray; we beg; we plead; we even have been known to demand that the Lord answer our prayers. We may sometimes think that God doesn’t answer our prayers, but He does. It may not be the answer that we are looking for – but He does respond. We must trust in Him – He is with us every step of the way.

This is the melody that lingers on: “love never dies.”

A SPECIAL NOTE

It is no secret that we at Curé of Ars are focused on the health of the souls of all parishioners. Now we want to give you a convenient opportunity to do a little “preventive maintenance” for your bodies as well. I am very pleased to announce that Curé of Ars, in cooperation with Healthy Solutions, will be offering a flu shot clinic in the Father Burak Room the weekend of Oct. 21-22. An insert in this week’s bulletin has details about the clinic.

To estimate the amount of vaccine needed for the clinic, we ask that you fill out the bottom portion of the insert noting the number of shots you think your family would need. You do not have to enter a name. Place the form in the box marked “FLU SHOTS” in the vestibule. Volunteers, both nurses to give shots and others to do administrative work, will be needed. If you are interested in helping, fill out the volunteer form on the insert and return to the box. Thanks for your help.

Father Storey


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2017 Archived Pastor's Notes

The Greatest Gift

A Time to Rejoice!

Sister Julie's Notes Come Lord Jesus

A Symphony Revisited

Deacon's Reflection A Thanksgiving Reflection

What Will You Do?

Words To Live By

Believe; Trust; Love

Five Fatima Prayer

Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary

A Beacon of Faith and Love

Be Transformed

Listen to Him

Stay in the Boat

Jesus, The Master Teacher

You Can’t Rob Peter to Pay Paul

Open Our Ears to Listen and Our Eyes to See

God Bless America

Lord, Answer Me

Sister Julie's Notes
Come Lord Jesus

Deacon's Reflection
A Thanksgiving Reflection