Next Sunday: Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Fr. Tharp
Please “SUBSCRIBE” to the Pastoral Region YOUTUBE Channel
Many of you have been watching Sunday Mass for some time now on the “Pastoral Region of Sacred Heart and St. Ann” accessed on Youtube. PLEASE take a moment to hit the button which says “SUBSCRIBE.” It is free. It costs you nothing! BUT if we (Sacred Heart and St. Ann Pastoral Region) can reach one thousand subscribers, under the Youtube rules, it will allow us to do so many more things VIRTUALLY!!! (In other words, “OnLine”) For example, instead of requiring parents to come “in person” to instructional meetings for First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation, I will be posting a VIDEO our Youtube Channel to provide this information to parents, to be viewed at their leisure.
Please let me strongly recommend again that you not view our Sunday Mass from either parish website. These websites are more prone to crash with high volume. It is far easier and more secure to go directly to the Pastoral Region Youtube site. You can always go immediately to our Youtube site by using the following link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVLLqbEY5hKWinwz069MVcg
I suggest making this link a “bookmark” on your web browser for easy and quick access. All you need is an email address to subscribe. Please help.
RCIA means Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults
Schedules for the RCIA for St. Ann and Sacred Heart are available at church doors as well as on our parish websites. Please contact me (Fr. Tharp) if you are interested in becoming a Catholic. Because of the persistence of COVID, the RCIA classes may be able to take place “in person” in the basement of the church at Sacred Heart or they may be required to be held “virtually” using Zoom or some other platform. The first classis September 23, so it is more important than ever that you register for the RCIA by contacting me at (513) 858-4260. This comes directly to my desk, so if I am not in, please simply leave a voicemail and I will get back to you. Please also feel free to email me at frtharp@sacredheart-fairfield.org.
Archdiocese of Detroit controversy over Validity of Baptism
Some of you may have seen the letter of Archbishop Vigneron to his diocese regarding a Deacon who was apparently saying: “We baptize you” rather than the words specified by the Ritual: “I baptize you.” The bishop, priest or deacon who administers the Sacrament of Baptism must stand “in persona Christi” not as just one of the congregation. The “matter” of the Sacrament of Baptism is water, and the “form” of the Sacrament is the Trinitarian Formula, “I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Both matter and form are necessary for the valid administration of the Sacrament.
I think the aforementioned Detroit case is the only one I have heard of in which any Catholic minister strayed from the form “I baptize you…” I suspect it is an isolated case. I don’t think this should be a cause for concern for anyone here.
Reflection on Scripture: Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jeremiah is the quintessential example of a “real” person who operates with no pretense. He felt compelled to do what God called him to do, namely prophesy, and he is angry that circumstances have not treated him fairly; (at least as he sees it). Still, Jeremiah’s disappointment does not dissuade him from his prophetic discipline. He feels driven to tell people the truth. His calling does not make him happy, but he is compelled by the Holy Spirit to prophesy. In this way, he becomes the conscience of the nation.
The common rule states that two things to never be discussed are religion and politics. By our example however, we are all called to witness to the moral principles pronounced by Jesus Christ. We have to stand up and be counted for adherence to our Catholic moral principles even when doing so makes us uncomfortable.
Next Week: Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Ez 33:7-9
Rom 13:8-10
Mt. 18:15-20
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