The United States Coast Guard summarizes today’s gospel in one forceful and brief Latin phrase: Semper Paratus: Always Ready. The message and parables of today’s Gospel are stitched together with themes of vigilance, preparedness, generosity and fidelity. Christians are to be “girded” ready for action. Readiness is an amazing disposition of a Christian’s character and identity. It is the realization that the most important aspect in life is to live in communion with God. The only way we will experience the fulfillment of His promises in this life and the next, we need to make our friendship with God the number one priority of our lives. Only then, will we be able to experience true meaning and carry out our tasks to fulfill our mission as His disciples in our lives that calls us to know, love, and serve God and our neighbor in a unique way. The extent of our trust, readiness, integrity and our “treasure” (what we most value and desire) of our mission will be the expression of discovering and fulfilling that supernatural task and purpose in our lives. Jesus wants us to live in such a close relationship with Him, to be vigilant, and to trust His direction of where to place and invest our treasure not because it is the right thing to do, but because He loves us, He wants us, and He encourages our own happiness. Semper Paratus.
This week on Thursday, August 11th, students and teachers of Annunciation Catholic School return back to their classrooms after summer vacations to begin the new 2022-2023 school year. On behalf of the entire St. Luke parish community, I extend my prayers and support to Mr. Steve Eiswert, the Principal, teachers who joined the faculty team of Annunciation Catholic School, new families and students and many of you who are part of this great school into the new academic year. We pray that God in His infinite love and mercy, will grant you the strength and wisdom to learn, concentrate, and act in love towards God and one another. We pray that the presence of God be with you always as He will guide and watch over you at home and at school and give you proper disposition so that you may learn the values of Catholic Education and follow in God’s wonderful ways of life as His faithful disciples.
As we continue the 40th Anniversary Celebration of our parish community, we invite all of our parishioners to participate in the 40 Hours Adoration on August 11-13, 2022. This devotion offers an incredible opportunity to gather as a community before the Blessed Sacrament and to pray before the Lord in Solemn Adoration. It gives time to deepen our appreciation of the importance of the mystery of the Eucharist in our lives. We introduce this devotion in thanksgiving for the 40 years of our faith community and the many blessings the Lord has bestowed on us especially during these past 40 years; for the souls of our faithful that have passed during these 40 years; and to further the mission of our faith community in preparation to enter the New School and Family Faith Formation Year. Please join us in this awesome time of adoration, prayer and thanksgiving to give thanks to the Lord for His love and mercy.
“There is a word of difference between submitting to the Divine Will from sullenness and submitting to it knowing that God is Supreme Wisdom, and that someday we will know all that happened, happened for the best.” -The Wisdom of Fulton Sheen
As we return to our daily routines, let us pray to grow stronger together in confidence, trust, and faith in God who loves and tenderly cares for each and every one of us.