From the Desk of Father Tharp
Festival
This is being written days before the festival, but I want to thank Joe Keller, Barbara Fackey, and all the volunteers who make the St. Ann Festival possible. Thanks to all who supported us in anyway.
August 15 is a Holy Day this Year
This announcement is two weeks early, but the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary falls on a Wednesday this year. Therefore, it is a Holyday of Obligation! Although it is more than two weeks away, I thought you might like to receive a “heads up.” We will follow the normal Holy Day schedule of Masses at Sacred Heart and at St. Ann. The full schedule will be printed in the bulletin the Sunday before.
REP Registration
St. Ann and Sacred Heart operate a combined Religious Education Program for students grades 1-8 not enrolled in and receiving religious training from a Catholic School (used to be called CCD). Registration for this program is open. Schedules and registration forms are available at the doors of church or from the parish office.
Reflection on Scripture
The gospel story of the multiplication of the loaves and fish is found at least once in all four gospels. It appears as two separate miracles in both Matthew and Mark, and then appears only once in both Luke and John. As John uses the story in today’s gospel, it is clearly a foreshadowing of the Mass.
In the first reading today from 2 Kings, Elisha sets twenty barley loaves before one hundred people and there a leftovers. St. Paul, in speaking to the Ephesians, says live like you know who you are called to be. In John’s Gospel, Jesus oversees the feeding of thousands of people with five barley loaves and two fish.
Only John mentions that the loaves were “barley” loaves. Barley loaves are the food of the poor. Jesus gives us what we need. He does not set out a smorgasbord of savory foods. He gives us what we need when we need it. By the calling down of the Holy Spirit at Mass over the bread and wine, it becomes the Body and Blood of Christ. Christ is all that we need; and the Holy Spirit brings us the sufficiency of grace so we are never in need. We may be trapped by desires for what we want, but the Holy Spirit gives us what we need; Jesus Christ.
The person who always gets everything he or she wants is perpetually unhappy. The person who has what he needs, lives fulfilled. Recognize what (who) you have in the Eucharist. Live in Christ and be fulfilled.
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Edodus 16:2-4, 12-15
Eph 4:17, 20-24
Jn 6:24-35
Theme: Jesus is the New Manna!