Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for - Sunday, July 12, 2026

The message of the first reading this weekend could be stated, “God is God, we are not.”This puts things into proper perspective, and invites us into a deeper understanding of God’s role and our own. 

God tells us that He created the rain and snow with a purpose which is ALWAYS fulfilled.  In just the same way, God created His Word, which He says, “goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”  The heart of the image here is life. Rain and snow that come down and provide life-giving water causing the earth to blossom. When the earth does not receive this moisture, life shrivels-up. Seeds do not sprout and grow. What is green, turns brown.

God continues, “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth.” This is about God’s Word that gives life, that does what it is intended to do, that accomplishes, that succeeds in God’s purpose. God’s Word does not return empty.  The power of the Word of God is not to be underestimated. Yet, in a world that clamors for measurable results, how often do we doubt God’s promise?

The rain can achieve everything for the earth. ‘So also, My Word accomplishes everything.’ The effect is the same. For neither one is understood. We might think that the strength belongs to the earth instead of to the rain and snow, but when we experience the absence of rain, we see how little the earth produces. So, God makes it clear that, without the rain, the earth can accomplish nothing.   

Martin Luther suggested that this paragraph is an attempt to console the weak of faith because the Word seems so weak and foolish that those of weak faith find it impossible that the Word could be strong enough to right this very sorry world.  They cannot believe that all the power, victory, and triumph of God are in His Word.  Fortunately, just as we don’t have to understand the rain and the snow to benefit from the life-giving water that they bring, we don’t have to understand how the Word will accomplish God’s plan for the world.  We simply have to trust in God’s Word! 

Fr. Mike

Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for Sunday, July 5, 2026

Happy 250th Birthday to the United States of America!

We are blessed to live in a country where we may practice our faith boldly, openly, and without fear.From the moment that the first settlers arrived in the 17th Century, through our fight for independence, through our Civil War, and through great social upheaval over the years, one thing has remained a critical component of life in this country – freedom of religion.

Freedom of religion was particularly important as Catholics flooded into the country during the latter part of the 19th and early part of the 20th Centuries.Catholic immigrants arrived in a country that was overwhelmingly Protestant. Yet, they were never prevented from building churches, schools, colleges, hospitals, and cemeteries.

As I reflected on our freedoms and how immigration (including all four of my grandparents) shaped our country, I could not help but notice the similarities between the words of Jesus in this week’s Gospel and the words of Emma Lazarus inscribed on the Statue of Liberty.

Religion was so important to the founding fathers, that they included freedom of religion in the First Amendment to the Constitution along with freedom of speech and freedom to assemble.Religion is addressed in two ways: the “Establishment Clause” which prevents the government from establishing an official state religion or endorsing one religion over another; and the “Free Exercise Clause” which protects citizens' rights to hold any religious beliefs and to practice those beliefs without government interference. It is disturbing that, today, many people refuse to acknowledge that religion was both appreciated and respected in our country since its earliest history.

We respect and protect our Constitution because it respects and protects us!

Fr. Mike

Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for - Sunday, June 28, 2026

As we end our fiscal year, I thought it might be helpful to update you what has been happening here spiritually, socially, and financially.

As you may have noticed, the Holy Spirit is guiding more people to attend our Sunday liturgies. Some of the “new” folks previously attended St. Ed’s years ago and are finding their way home. If you know folks who have been away for a while, please invite them to join us for one mass to see if they also might be interested in returning.

During the year we have sponsored several talks during our Truth on Tap series. If you have not tried one of those sessions, I urge you to do so. In addition, we had a wonderful presentation by Dr. Josh and Christi Straub from Famous at Home. They offered some excellent advice centered on strengthening our Christian faith, marital relations, and parenting.

Our Knights of Columbus continue to exceed all expectations with their Parish Breakfasts. They offer a whole lot more than pancakes! In fact, their last breakfast included free Steak and Eggs for Dads and was very well attended. We are blessed that they provide such strong and steady support for our social events. In March, we held a St. Joseph Table dinner which hosted more than 400 guests.

We have completed all three remodeling projects inside the church. These include our Sacred Heart Chapel, where daily adoration is set to begin within the next two months; our Infant Jesus Children’s Room; and, our Holy Family Library. If you have not yet seen these rooms, take a moment to look around the next time that you visit the church.

Our weekly collections are exceeding both our budget and totals from last year. Our annual Pastoral Services Appeal (PSA) has pledges of just over $413,000. After paying the Diocese our obligated contribution of $271,000, our rebate amount would be $142,000. This puts us well on our way toward our goal of receiving a $200,000 rebate. That is great news, because two of the bids that we have received for the replacement windows in the church are about $185,000. If you have not yet donated to PSA, I urge you to take a moment and consider whether you might be able and willing to make a contribution.

Thank you for your support, generosity, and prayers!

Fr. Mike