Weekend of September 21-22, 2019
A donation truck will be located on the parking lot of St. Joseph’s parish (Clayton). Clean out your basement and hold this weekend for the arrival of the donation truck.
Gently-used clothing, household and kitchen items, furniture, tools, small appliances, sporting goods, books, toys, etc.
With any luck, summer delights will continue a while past last weekend’s Labor Day: refreshing recreation (with maybe an occasional swim) or enjoyable relaxation on the deck (with tasty outdoor grilling). Truth is, for some of us, this year’s Labor Day came way too early. With many schools back in session for a while already, mealtimes and driving schedules needed readjustment to coordinate youth sports with adult commitments. Some religious education and parish programs resumed, too. No surprise, then, that this weekend’s scriptures sound a little like post-summer challenges. For instance, Wisdom reminds us that believers in God can never be content with timid deliberations and unsure plans.” Paul challenges longtime friend and follower Philemon to let the good you do be voluntary. Jesus instructs great crowds traveling with him–including us–on three things necessary for all true disciples to accomplish. On this early autumn weekend, our scriptures describe disciples lifelong labors.
Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Co.
Dear friends in Christ,
Labor Day
This coming Monday, September 2, is Labor Day, the day set aside each year in our country to rest and relax from work. As in the past, there will be one Mass celebrated here this day which will be at 9:00 a.m.
The observance of Labor Day provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the importance of taking a break from work. As the Church tells us, “Rest from work is a right. As God ‘rested on the seventh day from all the work which he had done’ (Gen 2:2), so too men and women, created in his image, are to enjoy sufficient rest and free time that will allow them to tend to their family, cultural, social and religious life” (Compendium on the Social Teaching of the Church, 284).
When I was growing up, Labor Day marked the day before the first day of the new school year. My how times have changed with the first day of school in more recent years beginning midway in August. You may recall many years back that Labor Day was the last day for straw hats and white to be worn as it marked the last unofficial day of summer.
My hope is that all of us will have some time this Labor Day to spend quality time with family and friends.
Interest in becoming a member of the Catholic faith
The Scriptures tells us that faith comes from hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). We hear the Word of God from those who proclaim it, and by how we live our lives we can lead others to Jesus Christ.
Any adult who is interested in the Catholic faith or becoming a member of the Catholic Church is invited to come to any of the sessions of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) which will begin in September on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in the Centennial Room.
Spouses, relatives, friends, young adults, and neighbors with some curiosity about our faith are encouraged to consider a visit to our first meeting.
Please feel free to contact the rectory office for more information and see the coming Bulletins for more details.
In Christ,
Father Bené
