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The Small Church
With The
Big Heart |
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Our gospel reading for the first Sunday in July contains the beautiful words, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” With all that is happening in the world today, those words beckon us to let go of worry, of fear, and of all that weighs heavy on our minds. It’s an invitation to trust in God’s love and care for us.
The COVID-19 pandemic is an important reminder to us that we are not in control. Despite how many advances and discoveries we make as a society, some things our outside of our control. Working together, we can make a difference. Wearing a mask, avoiding unnecessary close social gatherings, and washing our hands can make a difference with COVID-19, not just for us, but also for our community, especially the most vulnerable.
The invitation of Jesus to allow him to lift our burdens is an invitation for us to embrace his way of living. When we embrace the gospel, the way of Jesus, we slowly turn our mindset to take on the yolk of Jesus, to continue the work of our savior. Jesus promised us: “My yolk is easy and my burden is light.” When we work together, when we embrace the way of Jesus, we learn to let go and to trust. We learn to embrace all people as sisters and brothers, and we learn to work together as the Body of Christ.
In this time of turmoil and separation, let us not forget that we are the Church and together we have a mission. While we may not be able to gather together on Sunday mornings like we are accustomed, we can still work together and we can be united in prayer.
I invite you to return to attending Mass when you are comfortable and feel that you can safely do so. I miss seeing each and every one of you and hope that we can safely gather soon. Please know that I pray for you daily and I ask for your prayers as we together journey closer to God’s kingdom.
Be blessed!
Fr. Harry
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Prayer for Help,
Healing & Wholeness
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“And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us” (Matthew 6:12).
Two versions of the Our Father have come down to us, the shorter being found in the Gospel of St. Luke (11:2-4). However, nothing in the additional words of St. Matthew’s Gospel (6:9-13) contradict those found in the other Gospel. These words of Jesus are a wonderful primer for us to teach us how to pray.
There is only one part of the Our Father where Jesus sends us, you and me, a clear mission: that we forgive.
The truth is, we all do. And yet, let us read slowly the words of Christ:
“And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us” (Matthew 6:12).
Thus, according to Matthew, it seems that our forgiveness of others is a condition for our being forgiven by God. This is emphasized in Jesus’ earlier remarks in the Sermon on the Mount:
“If you forgive others their transgressions, your Heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions”
(Matthew 6:14-15).
Luke, on the other hand, recognizes that it is only in forgiving that you and I have any proof that we have fully taken in the healing forgiveness of our loving Father. So, to pray for forgiveness from the Father, as Jesus teaches us, is to know that our being healed will lead us to a generous forgiveness of others.
Clearly, there is an intimate link between the divine forgiveness for which we pray and sharing that same forgiveness with one another. The common Fatherhood of God has created a common sisterhood and brotherhood.
That Jesus makes this one of the fruits of the Kingdom of God is yet a further sign of how forgiveness and reconciliation were at the very heart of his mission. We had all gone astray like wandering sheep. This shepherd of our souls came to bring us back. It will cost him his life on the cross. That manifestation of the Father’s love, the Father who allowed his Son to die in our place for our sins to rescue us from the power of Satan, that kind of love opens all of us to repentance and forgiveness.
Brothers and sisters, it is so easy to hold grudges, to remain angry, to be chained to our hurts. Jesus is showing us the way out of this quagmire. The real freedom and healing of the Kingdom of God in our lives is on the path of forgiveness.
Let us collectively pray for “Help, Healing and Wholeness”, seek it out, beg for that healing, and spread the same richness that we desire into the very hearts of all those around us. Breaking that chain will allow God’s will to be done.
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Saint Bonaventure
Birth: 1221
Death: July 15, 1274
Feast Day: July 15
Canonized: April 14, 1482
Leading medieval theologian, minister general of the Franciscan order, Cardinal Bishop of Albano, and patron saint of bowel disorders
Perhaps not a household name for most people, Saint Bonaventure, nevertheless, played an important role in both the medieval Church and the history of the Franciscan Order. A senior faculty member at the University of Paris, Saint Bonaventure certainly captured the hearts of his students through his academic skills and insights. But more importantly, he captured their hearts through his Franciscan love for Jesus and the Church. Like his model, Saint Francis, Jesus was the center of everything—his teaching, his administration, his writing, and his life. So much so, that he was given the title “Seraphic Doctor.”
Born in Bagnorea in 1221, Saint Bonaventure was baptized John, but received the name Bonaventure when he became a Franciscan at the age of 22. Little is known about his childhood, but we do know that his parents were Giovanni di Fidanza and Maria Ritell. It seems that his father was a physician and a man of means. While Saint Francis died about five years after the saint’s birth, he is credited with healing Bonaventure as a boy of a serious illness.
Saint Bonaventure’s teaching career came to a halt when the Friars elected him to serve as their General Minister. His 17 years of service were not easy as the Order was embroiled in conflicts over the interpretation of poverty. Some friars even ended up in heresy saying that Saint Francis and his community were inaugurating the era of the Holy Spirit which was to replace Jesus, the Church, and Scripture. But because he was a man of prayer and a good administrator, Saint Bonaventure managed to structure the Order through effective legislation. But more importantly, he offered the Friars an organized spirituality based on the vision and insights of Saint Francis. Always a Franciscan at heart and a mystical writer, Bonaventure managed to unite the pastoral, practical aspects of life with the doctrines of the Church. Thus, there is a noticeable warmth to his teachings and writings that make him very appealing.
Shortly before he ended his service as General Minister, Pope Gregory X created him a Cardinal and appointed him bishop of Albano. But a little over a year later, while participating in the Second Council of Lyon, Saint Bonaventure suddenly died on July 15, 1274. There is a theory that he was poisoned.
Saint Bonaventure left behind a structured and renewed Franciscan Order and a body of work all of which glorifies his major love— Jesus.
(www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-bonaventure/)
Fun Fact: The Solanus Casey Center, where you can visit the tomb of Blessed Solanus Casey, is attached to St. Bonaventure RCC in Detroit, MI and is where Blessed Solanus served the people of Detroit so faithfully.
Fr. Mike
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Bonaventure so united holiness and theological knowledge that he rose to the heights of mysticism while remaining a very active preacher and teacher, one beloved by all who met him. To know him was to love him; to read him is still for us today to meet a true Franciscan and a gentleman.
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Jesus walked into the restaurant with His apostles. He requested a table for 26. The hostess counted heads, & said: “You are only 13! Will others be joining you?” Jesus said, “No, we just like to all sit on the same side!”
It has been just over one year since a Discernment Task Force was assembled. The specific task is to find a jurisdiction that CGS likes, that aligns with our goals, and to be a part of a bigger group of Old Catholics. Old Catholic Churches do not have specific dioceses, like Roman Catholics do. We have begun exploring different groups. We are taking our time, to ensure a good fit for us, & for the group we join. Not conservative, one that believes in women priests, all are welcome. You know, the qualities that attracted each of us to Christ the Good Shepherd, the Small Church with the Big Heart.
As we celebrate Independence Day this month, let’s pray for our country, and for the elimination of hatred & anger that has permeated our culture these last few years.
See you in Church,
Peace & Love,
Cindy Knox
CGS, PC, President
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During the COVID-19 pandemic and the temporary suspension of public Masses at Christ the Good Shepherd, our parishioners have generously continued to give of their time, talents and financial treasure. For your kind and prayerful support, we are deeply grateful.
As we return to public Masses, you may notice interior construction work and decorating have been completed to beautify the church and social hall and to provide a more richly spiritual worship experience. All the construction work and decorating have been funded through generous restricted donations. None of the work has been funded through the Sunday Sacrificial Giving Program (SGP) or the Angel Rent Initiative (ARI).
Please know of our continuing operating needs that are funded through the Sunday Sacrificial Giving Program (SGP) and the Angel Rent Initiative (ARI). We still have a need to pay our staff, maintain the church building (lease and utilities), and, importantly, continue our outreach ministries. We ask that, to the best of your ability, you continue to make your weekly offertory or monthly ARI donations by any of the following methods:
> Set up bill pay through your local bank
> USPS, regular mail
> Online donations through the parish website
Again, know of our prayerful gratitude for your generous support.
Our sincere regards,
The CGS Finance Committee
01/01/2020 through 05/31/2020 Report
Envelope & Cash Donations $18,197
E-Donations $ 1,660
Year to Date Total $19,857
Budgeted $19,300
Over / (Under) Budget $ 557
The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD’S face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD'S face turn toward you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26
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Last month while visiting our son, he was excited to share with us a “new” movie series. No, it is not on Netflix, Amazon, or the many other movie networks. The series is called THE CHOSEN and can only be accessed by an app on your phone—and it’s free!
THE CHOSEN is about the life of Jesus, but more importantly, the chosen ones, his closest disciples, who said “yes” to following him. Bible stories like Simon Peter fishing for days and catching nothing until Jesus says to go out one more time, the healing of the paralytic being lowered in the crowded house, the woman at the well, Jesus and the children, are just a few examples that show how Jesus interacted with the people, and how he called his chosen apostles.
What’s different about THE CHOSEN from other stories about the life of Jesus, is that Jesus is depicted in both his divinity & humanity. Usually movies about the life of Jesus overly stress his divinity. But in this series of 8 episodes, THIS Jesus laughs, teases, jokes, cries—is so human—he is totally believable!! And so are his disciples and the other people in the stories. After watching all 8 episodes, we are now anxiously waiting for the next season to be released.
[To watch THE CHOSEN, simply download the app to your phone. (It’s available for Android and IOS) You can watch on your phone or other device but it can also be watched on your TV by clicking on an icon that looks for your tv, Amazon Firestick, ROKU or other device. It’s quite simple and works great. While they do ask for “donations”, it is optional and not required to watch the show. https://studios.vidangel.com/the-chosen]
As I watched THE CHOSEN, I laughed and cried and really thought about what it must have been like to walk with Jesus. And then I realize: I DO walk with him! Every day! This series gives me another way to think and pray about the loving Jesus who still calls each of us to be his CHOSEN. I hope you are inspired by this series as much as I am.
Alice Doppel
Edication Committee Chair
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CHURCH MEETINGS
Worship Commission:
July 20, 2020
7pm via Zoom
Finance:
July 27, 2020
7pm via Zoom
Discernment Taskforce:
July 13, 2020
7pm via Zoom
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CONFIRMATION
Chris Kitzman, our Music Director, will be confirmed on Sunday July 26th. Please keep him in your prayers as he continues to follow the call of Jesus in his life. The original plan was for the confirmation to take place on Holy Saturday, but it was postponed until July 26th due to social distancing requirements.
Thank You…
Thank you Joe Fedorczyk and Fr. Charles for your hard work repotting and caring for our plants. They look beautiful!! If anyone is interested in helping with the interior plants or with designing and implementing an outdoor garden near our entry, please talk with Joe.
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JULY BIRTHDAYS
Tony Monteleone 7/7
Bishop Michael Goddard 7/9
Aaron Thomas 7/12
Michael Mok 7/24
Christopher Kitzman 7/26
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