Fr. Lara's Lines
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Faith
Faith in the spiritual sense is a theological virtue.
It is necessary for the one who wants to appreciate
the mysteries of God. Faith allows us to recognize
who God is and who we are. Without it, we would
have an extremely limited understanding of the
spiritual realm. In the letter to the Hebrews, we
hear the definition of faith: “Faith is the realization
of what is hoped for and evidence of things not
seen” (Heb 11: 1-2).
Faith is a gift from God. God gives us the ability
to believe in what we do not see. We respond
to God’s creation and redemption with faith.
Faith would not exist if God had not promised his
salvation to the world. Faith is a gift because God
has given us the ability to hope for what he has
promised us. We cannot attain faith by our own
efforts or power. It is not something we can buy
or develop on our own. It is a response that comes
from our ability to see God’s work in our lives.
Faith is a gift from God that we can cultivate
within ourselves. Our cooperation with God’s plan
can increase our faith. Faith can grow when we see
God’s presence in our lives.
Catholics are a people of faith. In his second letter
to the Corinthians, Saint Paul reminds us of the faith
we profess and live by as followers of Jesus:
“So we are always courageous, although we know
that while we are at home in the body we are
away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not
by sight. Yet we are courageous, and we would
rather leave the body and go home to the Lord”
(2 Cor 5: 6-8). Faith allows us to live in hopeful
expectation of things to come. This faith then is
the reason we follow God’s commandments, loving
God and our neighbor as ourselves. Christian life
consists of a series of acts of faith by which we
hope for the rewards in eternal life.
Be Prepared
Faith motivates us to be prepared for the coming
of the Lord. Nobody knows the day nor the hour
when we will be called back to the Father. Jesus
asks of us to be ready: “You also must be
prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come” (Luke 12: 40).
The kingdom of God is for those who desire it
and are ready for it. How do you prepare
yourself for the kingdom of heaven? Are you
vigilant for when the Lord comes? These questions
have a tone of urgency because they refer to our
eternal destiny. We do not want to jeopardize
eternal life in the heaven kingdom.
Even though we live in a culture that likes to be
prepared, the concept of being prepared for the
life to come is not very popular. We have all
kinds of guides, coaches, trainers, instructors, and
planners for almost all areas of our lives. People
seem to trust instructors who guide them to a
successful preparation for whatever project or
endeavor they want to engage in. The Church has
been preaching spiritual preparation since her
foundation but even Catholics do not seem to worry
about falling behind. It is a strange phenomenon;
it might be because success gives us a sense of
security and control. The Church has been having
a hard time getting her message across to all
people, perhaps because spiritual things are
often deemed less relevant in a material culture.
Spiritual preparation for the coming of the Lord
should not be at the bottom of the list. It should be
a priority especially for faith-filled Catholics who
want to be good witnesses of the faith to the world.
We have all the tools at our disposal to be
prepared for our departure from this world to
the next. Jesus is ready to welcome us into his
kingdom but we need to be ready for it. Preparation
for the coming of the Lord depends on us. Here
are some ideas you can reflect on for your spiritual
life:
- Stay focused on Jesus
- Read the bible and follow the commandments
- Participate in the sacraments of the Church
- Keep hope in the promises God has made
- Encourage one another to stay faithful to the Lord
- Live like today was the day
- Pray, pray, pray
Peace
Fr. Lara
Live the Liturgy
The fruits of our labors are not
always seen in our lifetimes. Faith is
not conditional on seeing results. Faith
is a radical trust in what is unseen. It requires
vigilance and self-investment. It requires our
attention even when our efforts don’t bear fruit
or are unappreciated or unrecognized. A person
who is open to accepting God’s presence, however
it comes, and is willing to share the love received
with others is a true inspiration. Good works will
flow from this vigilant depth of faith. It will be
directed where it is most needed and detached
from the need for recognition or gratitude. Faith
exercised in secret is the most profound expression
of faith and a testament of true love for our
Creator. No one needs to know the humility,
generosity, and goodness of our hearts, only
God. Standing erect and watchful, we are
prepared to receive the gift of Divine Love and
freely share it with others, without recognition or
self-benefit.
Honor Our Military
Please take time to give thanks for those who have served and
are serving in our military and to pray for the safety of those who
may currently be in harm’s way. In a special way, we thank and
pray for these parishioners and relatives of parishioners.
He Who Sacrificed His Life
†CHRISTOPHER ZIMNY
Those Still Serving
JAY MARTIN, Nephew of Becky and Tom Brennan
JESSICA CAMERON, Niece of the Cameron Family
JOHN PODCZASKI, Grandson of Genevieve Podczaski
STEVEN TUMBARELLO, Son of Sylvia & Vince Tumbarello
CRAIG BEHRENDT, Grand-nephew of Sister Mary Helen
DANIEL BELZER, Nephew of Dave & Bev Belzer
MICHAEL KELLY, Nephew of Kevin and Kathy Kelly
EUGENE WALL, Nephew of Suzanne Lessner
NAILL SWIDER, Grand-nephew of Alice Swider
BRYAN DUFF, Son of Julie Duff
RYAN BLOCHBERGER, Nephew of Mae Grady
TIMOTHY DWORKIN, Grandson of Barbara Bouska
ALEXIS GONZALES, Great-niece of Eden & Lyle Gonzales-Nemzin
JACK MAHON, JR., Son of Jack, Sr. & Eileen Mahon
MICHAEL FOLEY
JOHN FOLEY
PETER MULLER
DANIEL FRAYNA
JOSEPH GULLO
SANG HOON LEE
ANTHONY PALMERO
MORRIS COREY MCMAHON, SON OF CHRIS & JULIE MCMAHON
RYAN FONTILLAS
To add or remove someone, please send the person’s name and relationship (optional) to sclbulletin@mail.com
Please Pray for Ukraine
For our sisters and brothers involved in or
affected by the war and devastation in Ukraine--
the deceased, the injured, the frightened, the
displaced, the fighters, the protesters, the leaders.
May God give them solace, healing, comfort, and
hearts and minds directed toward peace.
Donations can be made here:
Knights of Columbus: https://www.kofc.org/secure/en/donate/ukraine.html
Caritas: https://www.caritas.org/
Ukrainian Catholic Archdiocese of Philidelphia: https://ukrarcheparchy.us
"May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war" - Pope Francis