Dear Parish Family,

In Jesus' parable of the wages, the landowner lets those who bore the full day's load of labor receive the same as those who worked only one hour. Economically, this seems unfair. Yet the Master reminds the grumbling servants that they agreed to work for the usual daily wage, and that He is free to do what He wants with His money. We servants of the Lord must ask the question, "What am I in this for? Is my life and my labor all for God and His glory, or am I seeking something other than this one necessary thing?" We may notice through our own grumbling hearts that perhaps there's something out of tune with what we are seeking. We have a chance to realign our hearts on God's glory this day, to love and be loved by Him without counting the cost or tallying up our wages. God is just. He will give us what we need to live a holy and virtuous life.

As we gather together for Mass, I want to take an opportunity to make a few liturgical reminders that I hope are helpful for our community. When we gather for Mass, we are participating in the sacred mysteries of our salvation in Christ Jesus. We always come with our humanity, as well with our desire to be divinized by the power of the Word of the Lord and Sacrament of the Eucharist.

First and foremost, our church is a place of reverence and quiet, especially while preparing for Mass. We all need a break from the 'noise' of the world, and we should strive to be respectful of other persons praying in the church and the silence they need to pray. One of the challenges at St. Pat's is that we have a narrow narthex as people enter. While we must value and respect the silence needed, we also need to remember the importance of a warm greeting as people come to Mass. Many people comment on the 'open doors' of St. Pat's Church before Mass and how that shows them the warmth and love of our Lord.

Out of reverence for our Lord and for our brothers and sisters who gather with us at Mass, we should try to dress our Sunday best. When we dress 'up' for Mass (dress casual or more formal), we come with a conviction that we're going somewhere sacred and out of the ordinary. It becomes more difficult to experience the sacredness of the Mass when we show up in clothes we would wear casually. Moreover, we should strive to respect how our attire may be a distraction for others trying to pray in the church. If we're dressing 'to be noticed' by others or not dressing for Mass in any different way than normal, we may need to examine our intentions and commit ourselves to preparing how we show up for Mass in our appearance.

Regarding reception of Holy Communion, our Church teaches that "the consecrated host may be received either on the tongue or in the hand, at the discretion of each communicant" (General Instruction of the Roman Missal no. 160). Both forms of reception are valid. If receiving in the hand, remember to take the hand with which you will be consuming the host and place it under the other hand in which the host will be placed by the minister so as to form a "throne" for Jesus. Grabbing the host with fingers or putting your hands side-by-side (not one under the other) leaves room for dropping the sacred host and is therefore to be avoided if at all possible.

Holy Land Pilgrimage
We're going to the Holy Land! I'd love to travel with you to the holy sites around Galilee and Jerusalem to walk the steps of Jesus. The pilgrimage will be September 3-12 2024 and registration is now open. Please use the QR code in today's bulletin or pick up a brochure from the back of church to learn more and to register. A $300 down payment is needed to reserve your spot. We will have a presentation for participants and those interested in the pilgrimage on Sunday, November 5 at 3 pm at St. Mary’s in Chardon. Mark your calendars!

Learn More Here!