Announcements
Sunday, July 7th - 7th Sunday after Pentecost - Ss Cyril & Methodius, BbCc
Monday, July 8th - St Elizabeth of Portugal, QW
Tuesday, July 9th - St Maria Goretti, VM
Wednesday, July 10th - Seven Holy Brothers, Mm
Thursday, July 11th - Feria - St Pius I, PM
Friday, July 12th - St John Gualbert, Ab - Ss Nabor & Felix, Mm
Saturday, July 13th - BVM Saturday - St Anacletus, PM
Sunday, July 14th - 8th Sunday after Pentecost - St Bonaventure, BCD
- Coffee & Doughnuts: Join us after Mass in the St Joseph Hall! Please donate $1/item.
- Boys Camp: July 15th - 19th in Durango, CO.
- Rocky Mountain Trad Gathering: August 2nd - 4th, for singles and couples ages around 25 - 50, including daily Mass and mountain excursions.
- Choir Practice: In the upstairs classroom at 8:45 a.m. for the 9:30 a.m. Mass
Meditation on the 7th Sunday after Pentecost
From The Year Made Holy by Msgr Matthias Premm
Paul now comes before us as teacher, and the words that he addresses to us in the Lesson are certainly very earnest. In sharp outlines he sketches the two opposed classes of men: on the one hand the unbaptized man (the man without Christ); He calls him simply the "servant of sin" - on the other hand the baptized man (the man in Christ), who is the "servant, yea the child of God." Every sentence is pregnant with meaning: "For as you have yielded your members to serve uncleanness and iniquity unto iniquity, so now yield your members to serve justice unto sanctification. Once you were the servants of sin... the end of them is death. But now being made free from sin, and becomes servants to God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end life everlasting... in Christ Jesus our Lord." As in the time of the Apostles of the Gentiles, so also today there are still two classes of men. The so-called modern man is not interested in Christ and does not wish to hear of God and His commandments. He wishes to be independent, to be his own lawgiver, to have no one over him. He sees only his own self, his own advantage. Thus he leads a "free life," a slave to all passions. Unwilling to be a servant to God, he is yet willing to be a slave to his own lower nature. But "the end of them is death, the death of the soul, and hereafter the everlasting death in hell. But we Christians are willing to be the servants of God. All our members, body and soul, our mind and our will, belong entirely to God; we surrender ourselves to His holy will and to His commandments. Not merely from fear of punishment, but out of love for the Father in heaven whose children we are. That makes us free and truly happy." And "the fruit thereof is sanctification, and the end life everlasting."
And lo, in the Gospel Jesus continues the stern warning of His Apostle. He, too, through using a different analogy, sets forth two opposed classes of Christians: the first are like an evil tree, that brings forth evil fruit or no fruit; the others are like the good tree that brings forth good fruit. "The evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit": unholy thoughts, desires, words, and actions. Other Christians there are, it is true, who bring forth no evil fruit, but neither do they bring forth good fruit; they are trees with much foliage but no fruit. These are the tepid ones, who are not in earnest in their striving after perfection, who make everything in this life as comfortable as possible for themselves, who do not exert themselves or hold to any kind of rule. The Savior would like to see some fruit! Fruit of contrition and humility, of love of God and our neighbor. Love takes upon itself also sacrifice. Such souls as this Jesus draws close to Himself in holy intimacy.
Recessional Hymn
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee:
Glory be to Jesus, Who in bitter pains
Poured for me the lifeblood From His sacred veins!
Grace and life eternal In that blood I find,
Blest be His compassion, Infinitely kind!
Blest through endless ages, Be the precious stream,
Which from sin and sorrow Does the world redeem!
Abel's blood for vengeance Pleaded to the skies;
But the blood of Jesus For our pardon cries.
Oft as earth exulting Wafts its praise on high,
Angel hosts, rejoicing, Make their glad reply.
Lift ye then your voices; Swell the mighty flood;
Louder still and louder, Praise the precious Blood.