 Family Faith Formation Registration Night 6:00pm, Wed, Aug. 31 @ SSPP church basement Please bring your children; the whole family is invited! There will be dinner, followed by registration. During registration, the children will go with their teachers to meet them & their classmates. We also are in need of classroom helpers If you would like to volunteer, please email Mindy at mindy@ssppwisrapids.org  I don’t go to the movies very often – maybe once or twice a year. Some years ago I went to see “Planet of the Apes”. (And I was reminded why I don’t go to the movies very often – it was a waste of money.) There are several lines in the movie that are borrowed from other movies and from actual history. At one point in the film, one of the apes says: “Why can’t we all just get along?” (A line from Rodney King during the L.A. riots in 1991.) It sounds like a reasonable question. And there is an answer: Sin. Our human nature, created good by God, has been wounded by sin. This makes it difficult for us to live peaceful, holy, good lives. It also helps us understand the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel: “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” (Luke 12:51) It is not that Jesus brought strife and division into the world, but that the sin in the world cannot accept the Truth which He teaches, and revolts against that Truth. It is not that the Lord desires that there be strife, but rather that He sees that His Truth will bring strife. The same was true for the prophets in the Old Testament (for instance, Jeremiah in today’s first reading) and for John the Baptist. They all proclaimed the Truth from God and were opposed by those who resisted the message. They hated the message, and so they persecuted the messenger. That is why throughout history many Christians have been persecuted and still are today. Now, it is true that we often bring troubles upon ourselves because of our own wrongdoing. But we ought not to be surprised when we experience discord and opposition precisely when we are following the Lord most closely.
Fall is the time for us to start our RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) formation classes. These classes are for any person who is not baptized, or who is baptized in another Christian church and is interested in becoming a full member of the Catholic Church. Our first class is this Wednesday, August 17. Call the parish office for more info or to register. May God bless you! Fr. Schaller  The Blue Army/ World Apostolate of Fatima
4:30-5:30pm, Mon, Aug. 15 @ SSPP in the school Beginning Aug. 15, 3rd & 4th Mondays All SSPP parishioners are invited to join this prayer cell of the World Apostolate of Fatima and discover the miracles, apparitions, & messages of Our Lady of Fatima, & how to apply the messages in our daily lives for our salvation & the salvation of mankind. It’s no longer a question of what Our Lady asked the Pope to do with the Consecration of Russia. He has done all he could. It is now a question of what Our Lady asked the rest of us to do.  “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” This short explanation of faith is
taken from the second reading – the Letter to the Hebrews – from today’s Mass. The glossary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) gives an expanded definition. Faith is described as “both a gift of God and a human act by which the believer gives personal adherence to God who invites his response, and freely assents to the whole truth that God has revealed. It is this revelation of God which the Church proposes for our belief, and which we profess in the Creed, celebrate in the sacraments, live by right conduct that fulfills the twofold commandment of charity (as specified in the Ten Commandments), and respond to in our prayer of faith. Faith is both a theological virtue given by God as grace, and an obligation which flows from the first commandment of God.” (CCC, 2nd Ed., pp. 878,879; see also paragraph #26, 142, 150, 1814, and 2087). To demonstrate that faith is a gift from God that demands our response, the writer of the letter to the Hebrews recounts how Abraham was called by God and responded in faith. Do you see your faith as a great gift from God? How have you responded to this gift which God has entrusted to you? Recall the Lord’s words in today’s Gospel: “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” (Luke 12:48) May God bless you! Fr. Schaller  Men’s Holy League The Men’s Holy League will next be meeting 6:00pm, Fri, Aug. 5 @ SS Peter & Paul  “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” (Luke
12:14) When one searches the Gospels for the teachings of the Lord one discovers that there is one thing that Jesus mentions more than anything else: money and material possessions. Again and again it must be said: though not evil in itself, money (and material possessions) can often be a grave temptation for us. This is why Jesus so frequently warns his listeners about the grave sin of greed. In a wealthy land like ours – and in a culture permeated with consumerism (the desire for more and more things) – one can easily forget a true relation with God and eternal life with Him. We begin to seek our happiness in material things. The spiritual antidote to combat greed is to maintain a grateful heart toward God. The Old Testament reinforced this attitude by its teaching on tithing. Faithful Jews were taught to return to God a tenth (tithe) of all that God had given them. That principle still holds true today. Do you want to develop a grateful heart? Do you want to avoid the temptation of greed? Then be generous with the goods with which God has blessed you. Thank you to all who contributed generously to the Diocesan Annual Appeal! A total of $85,243 was given, exceeding our target by $38,593, which is returned to us for our parish’s use. I have purchased the Carillon Bells for our church, which are planned for installation in late September or October. It will be a great joy to hear bells at our church again! May God bless you! Fr. Schaller  Save the Date! Father-Daughter Dance 6-8:30pm, Aug. 12 @ SSPP Sign-up sheets will be available the weekend of July 31. Mother-Son Game Day & Cookout After 10am Mass, Sun, Aug. 14 @ SSPP Sign-up sheets will be available the weekend of July 31.  When: Wednesday August 31st at 6:00pm
Where: SS Peter and Paul Church Basement Who: The whole family Why: Come enjoy dinner and then learn important information about the Family Faith program. We have a new curriculum this year called Word of Life. While you register your children, they meet their teachers, see classrooms and have social time. Contact: Mindy Konkol with questions mindy@ssppwisrapids.org  “Lord, teach us to pray....” This request from one of the disciples of the Lord (from today’s Gospel) expresses a desire which should be in all our hearts. Many Christians experience some difficulty in praying. Going back to what the Lord taught us is the best and simplest way to begin (or renew) a prayer life. The Our Father is recognized as the perfect prayer for us not only because it comes from the Lord Himself, but also because it includes all the aspects of prayer: to give praise and thanksgiving, petition for the good things we need, and ask for forgiveness. There are many good books which can assist a person to pray. I recommend you also read the fourth section in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) which has a beautiful summary of Christian Prayer. The CCC quotes St. Therese of Lisieux in defining prayer. “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” Though one can certainly pray almost anywhere, I would encourage you to pray in the very Presence of the Lord. We are very fortunate to have Perpetual Adoration available 24 hours a day at the Marian Center for Peace.
This coming week is observed by the Church as Natural Family Planning Week, to coincide with the anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical letter Humanae Vitae (On Human Life), which was promulgated on July 25, 1968. In this prophetic letter, the Pope confirmed the constant teaching of the Church regarding the dignity of marriage between a man and a woman. He also taught clearly that the meaning and purpose of marriage is for the generation of new life and the mutual good of the couple. More than ever our prayers (and involvement in society!) is necessary in order to preserve the institution of marriage and protect life. If you have never read Pope Paul’s encyclical, perhaps now would be a good time to do so. (We have some copies available in the Holy Family Cenacle, or find it online.) May God bless you! Fr. Schaller  RCIA 2022-2023 Registration Open RCIA classes will run Wednesdays, August 17 through April 5. To register, stop in the parish office or contact us at 715-423-1351 or kaitlyn@ssppwisrapids.org |