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Rev. Tom Kunnel, C.O., Administrator Deacon Robert Pang MASSES: Saturday: 4:00 PM Sunday: 8:00 AM, 10:30 AM 1:00 PM (Spanish)

Weekdays: 10:30 AM Saturday: 10:30 AM

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Dear Parish Family,

The first reading tells us how the young King Solomon opted for the great treasure of accept-ing God to rule his life by doing God’s will. The

idiom, ‘As wise as Solomon’ comes from the request that young Solo-mon makes to God to grant him the gift of prudence: “an understanding heart to distinguish right from wrong, so that he might govern God’s people properly”. Yahweh was pleased with his request and granted him a wise and discerning heart which enabled him to surpass everyone in wisdom. In the second reading, Paul teaches that wisdom to perceive God’s grace and use it, is essential for those who want to follow Him and to do His will, thus remaining in His Kingdom. He assures Rome’s Christian community that “all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.”

In the Gospel, using mini parables and simile, Jesus teaches us that God’s Kingdom (the rule of God in us, accepting Jesus as our God and Savior, putting our Faith in God and doing His will), is something of extraordinary value, like a hidden treasure or a costly pearl, and that possessing it calls for a total commitment to preserve it. The Kingdom of God is God’s reign in our hearts, in our lives, in our homes, in our society, and in our world.

We should live every moment in view of our precious goal. Life under-stood as a pilgrimage with a definitive goal is being proposed to us. Most of the time, we are chasing false treasures such as money, social status or worldly pleasures. Thus, the really valuable “pearl” of shar-ing in God’s life through Jesus here on earth and later in Heaven, is never found. Let us always remember that Heaven is within the reach of all of us who try to do the will of God, following the ordinary vocations of life and enjoying this world’s joys and pleasures within the frame-work of God’s Commandments. When we do this, we are already living in the Kingdom of Heaven while we are still on earth.

The Christian call is not a ‘joyless pursuit’. In St. Philip Neri we have an example of a very happy saint who lived life to the full, enjoying pranks and sharing great moments of laughter and mirth with all catego-ries of people. Anthony De Mello tells a story about some people who were on a raft off the coast of Brazil. They were perishing from thirst, for as you know, ocean water is undrinkable. What they did not know, however, was that the water they were floating on was fresh water. The Amazon River was coming out into the sea with such force that it went out for a couple of miles, so they had fresh water right there where they were. But they had no idea. “In the same way,” says De Mello, “we’re surrounded with joy, with happiness, with love of the kingdom of God in our midst. Most people,” he concludes, “have no idea.” Anthony De Mello, Awareness (New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 1992).

Fr. Tom Kunnel C.O.

THE SANCTUARY LAMP Is Being Offered this week

Mark Lennon Requested by Lennon Family

Please remember in your prayers the Sick and/or Homebound of our Parish Family. Anna Hick-ey, Larry Goswick, Ismaela Sanabria Maldonado, mother of Marleni, Edith & Ana, Anne O’Connor, Gino Galante, Helen Koza, Virginia McCauley Cook, Kristen Lynn, Helen Bark, Nijole Paronetto, Johanna Krumm, Tim Armstrong, Eileen Moson, Michael McCormack, Joe Dennerlein, Guadalupe Martinez

As a Parish Family, let us remember in our prayers all our beloved departed members of our Parish Community Theresa Mayernik, sister of Fran Loftus, Maureen Diana, Marion Hinchcliff, mother of Una McHugh, Jessica Lee, Mary O’Rourke mother of Chris O’Rourke, Fr. John Dwyer, Cecilia Harlan, Eileen Wozniak Phil Kohlbrenner, Cathy Kohlbrenner—father & sister of Andy Kohlbrenner, Madlen Moson, Ralph Pilla, Mary Lynch Donaldson sister of Peter Lynch,, Zdzislaw Samu-lak, father of Kay Samulak, Elizabeth Flynn—Msgr Mulli-gan’s cousin PLEASE ADVISE THE RECTORY (359-0078) WHENEVER A PARISHION-ER BECOMES HOMEBOUND, ILL, OR HOSPITALIZED SO ARRANGE-

Sat 7/25 4:00 PM Mark Lennon Lennon Family

Sun 7/26

8:00 AM Patrick & Mary Teahan By Teahan Family

10:30 AM Donald Trump & Family By Tom Fabry

Mon 7/27 10:30AM Ann Ely By Silva & Soriano Family

Tue 7/28 10:30AM Elizabeth Flynn By Robin Miller

Wed 7/29 10:30AM

Thu 7/30 10:30AM Elizabeth Flynn By Dcn Rob & May Pang

Fri 7/31 10:30AM

Sat 8/1

10:30AM Evangeline Acosta By Dumlao Family

4:00 PM Zdzislaw Samulak By Dcn Rob & May Pang

Sun 8/2

8:00 AM Oratorian Priests - Thanksgiving By Teahan Family

10:30 AM Thomas & Anne Gilmartin By Armstrong Family

This is a very exciting time for our Confirmation candidates. On Saturday they will receive their long anticipated sacrament of Confir-mation at 5:30 pm. Bishop Gerald Walsh will once again return to administer the sacrament to our 22 young people.

Please pray for them and their parents!

Webcast Schedule:

Daily Masses:

Monday—Saturday: 10:30 AM

1 August 5.30 PM CONFIRMATION

Sunday Mass: Domingo Misa: English Espanol 10:30 AM 1:00 PM

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

On ‘Roku’ Select “Box Cast” Channel “St John the Baptist

Sun 26-Jul 10:30 AM Webcast English Mass

1:00 PM Webcast Espanol Misa

Mon 27-Jul 10:30 AM Webcast Daily Mass

Tues 28-Jul 10:30 AM Webcast Daily Mass

Wed 29-Jul 10:30 AM Webcast Daily Mass

Thu 30Jul 10:30 AM 4:30 PM 8PM

Webcast Daily Mass Confirmation Rehearsal Wedding Rehearsal

Fri 31 Jul 10:30 AM 12PM

Webcast Daily Mass Wedding

Sat 1 Aug 10:30 AM 12 PM 5:30 PM

Webcast Daily Mass Memorial Service Confirmation

Today’s Readings First Reading — Solomon prays for an understanding heart (1 Kings 3:5, 7-12). Psalm — Lord, I love your commands (Psalm 119). Second Reading — All things work for good for those who love God (Romans 8:28-30). Gospel — The one who knows of the kingdom of heaven brings new and old from the storeroom (Matthew 13:44-52 [44-46]).

A SHARE IN GOD’S KINGDOM Today concludes a three-week series of Gospel texts in which we have listened to a total of seven parables about the Kingdom. The believer is asked to consider the request that God made of Solomon in today’s first reading: “Ask something of me and I will give it to you” (1 Kings 3:5). Today’s parables about the treasure buried in the field and the pearl of great price should prompt us to answer, “A share in your kingdom, O God!” Today we discover that the kingdom of God is beyond value, a priceless treasure. Unfortunately, our culture bombards us with things that it believes are priceless treasures—the bigger and better SUVs, anti-aging and anti-balding creams and salves, miracle di-ets, and so much more. Having a share in God’s king-dom and helping to bring about that kingdom are the greatest treasures that we can ever hope to gain.

7/19 Collection $4044 Please continue to send your offerings to support the church either by mail or through online payment: https://stjohnspiermont.churchgiving.com Thank you for your support and generosity to St. John’s.

READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Jer 13:1-11; Dt 32:18-21; Mt 13:31-35 Tuesday: Jer 14:17-22; Ps 79:8, 9, 11, 13; Mt 13:36-43 Wednesday: Jer 15:10, 16-21; Ps 34:2-11; Jn 11:19-27 or Lk 10:38-42 Thursday: Jer 18:1-6; Ps 146:1b-6ab; Mt 13:47-53 Friday: Jer 26:1-9; Ps 69:5, 8-10, 14; Mt 13:54-58 Saturday: Jer 26:11-16, 24; Ps 69:15-16, 30-31, 33-34; Mt 14:1-12 Sunday: Is 55:1-3; Ps 145:8-9, 15-18; Rom 8:35, 37-39; Mt 14:13-21

8 AM & 10:30 Masses If you would like to become an usher please talk to Dcn Rob and he will be happy to train

you .

3/22 #219 Kathleen Donohue 3/29 #52 Fr. Tom

4/5 #90 the Gillens 4/12 #206 John Tierney

Wisdom and Bringing Out the Best of the Past

This Sunday’s readings begin with Solomon’s request for Wisdom and conclude with a summation of the Lord’s teaching on the parables. At the conclusion of the Dissertation on the parables in the Gospel of Mat-thew, Jesus states: “Every scribe of the Kingdom is like the head of the household who brings out from his storeroom both the new and the old.” Jesus spoke to the Jewish people, well versed in Hebrew scrip-ture. The Gospel of Matthew was pointed towards Jewish Christians. Jesus is not replacing what we call the Old Testament with the New Tes-tament. He is combining the best of the Hebrew Scriptures with the New Way, the Kingdom of God. The wise one, the scribe of the Kingdom, therefore, knows how to use what is old and what is new.

It takes wisdom to understand how to deal with the past and the present. There are many people who idealize the past and want to return to life as it was, for example, in the fif-ties. There are many others who want to reject the past and concentrate only on the advancements of modern life. So, in the area of family life, the first group wants to re-create the Cleaver Family from one of the first sit-coms, Leave it to Beaver, and the second group sees a value in a sit-com like Modern Family. In the area of faith, the first group wants to return to the pre-Vatican Church and the second group wants a Church without a visible structure.

How do we best deal with the past and the present? I believe that it was the Russian poet/philosopher, Yevgeny Aleksan-drovich Yevtushenko, who had this insight: He said that the trick to handling the past is to know what should be brought with us and what should be left behind. That is wisdom. For example, within the Church, we should bring with us from the past devo-tion to the sacraments, to the Mother of God, the importance of the Cath-olic Family, firm standards of morality, a determination to practice the faith. What should be left behind would include the subordination of the laity, the repression of the roles of women in the faith, the glorification of the clergy, and the diminishing of the study of Sacred Scripture.

We should also apply this to our lives. All of us can look back on our lives and note numerous positive and multiple negative aspects of our lives. We have got to stop persecuting ourselves by dwelling on the neg-atives of our past. When we do this, we are bringing the past into the present. Leave it in the past. At the same time, it is not pride to recog-nize the gifts we have shown and to be sure that we utilize our potential, or make our talents real in the present.

So, for example, a person went through a period of life when he or she behaved immorally. Then, perhaps due to a religious experience most likely occasioned by love, that person changed his or her lifestyle and became the person he or she is now. He or she said, “I am getting mar-ried now. I am having a child now. I need to be a person of integrity.” And that person grew up spiritually determined to live a new, dedicated Christian lifestyle.

It would be so wrong for that person or any of us to dwell on the mistakes of the past. If sin was in-volved, well, remember the sacrament of reconcilia-tion is given to us to leave the past in the past and to concentrate on the present. On the positive side, a person can look at his or her past and remember how volunteer work for the poor or sick was so important during high school or college. Perhaps, he or she might remember how others could not deal with a dying person, but how he or she was able to sit down, chat with the sick person, and see that person, not the person’s sickness. Reflecting on this, the person says, “Hey, I can do this. And it is important for me to use this gift God gave me. I’m going to volunteer as an AIDS buddy or as a hospice companion.” This is looking at the past

and bringing the best with us to the present.

You married folks really should do this when considering your relation-ship. If you are human beings, then you have made mis-takes. Leave them in the past. You have also been sup-portive and car-ing. Bring this into

your present. Sometimes, a couple will see me that is having a crisis in their marriage. Often, I’ll men-tion that the present situation needs to be dealt with, but don’t let this situation cause you to overlook all the good you have done for each other and the growth you have achieved as a loving couple. Some people are too quick to give up on marriage and end up realizing what they have lost only after it is too late.

Solomon prayed for wisdom. Not a bad idea. It takes wisdom to combat the challenges of life. It takes wisdom to be a good parent, a good husband, a good wife, a good priest, a good person. It takes wisdom to discern what needs to be brought into the present and what needs to be left in the past.

Where do we get this wisdom? The same place that Solomon received his.

Msgr. Joseph A. Pellegrino

http://frjoeshomilies.net/07-26-

LECTURAS DE HOY Primera lectura — Dame a mí, tu servidor, la ca-pacidad de juzgar bien (1 Reyes 3:5, 7-12). Salmo — Amo, Señor, tus mandamientos (Salmo 118). Segunda lectura — Estamos predestinados a ser conformados a la imagen del Hijo de Dios (Romanos 8:28-30). Evangelio — Cuando encontramos la perla de gran valor, tenemos que ofrecer por ella todo lo que poseemos (Mateo 13:44-52 [44-46]).

LECTURAS DE LA SEMANA Lunes: Jer 13:1-11; Dt 32:18-21; Mt 13:31-35 Martes: Jer 14:17-22; Sal 78:8, 9, 11, 13; Mt 13:36-43 Miércoles: Jer 15:10, 16-21; Sal 33:2-11; Jn 11:19-27 o Lc 10:38-42 Jueves: Jer 18:1-6; Sal 145:1b-6ab; Mt 13:47-53 Viernes: Jer 26:1-9; Sal 68:5, 8-10, 14; Mt 13:54-58 Sábado: Jer 26:11-16, 24; Sal 68:15-16, 30-31, 33-34; Mt 14:1-12 Domingo: Is 55:1-3; Sal 144:8-9, 15-18; Rom 8:35, 37-39; Mt 14:13-21

PARTICIPACIÓN EN EL REINO Hoy concluye la tercera semana de una serie de textos del Evangelio en que hemos escuchado un total de siete parábolas sobre el Reino. Se pide al creyente que considere el pedido que Dios hace a Salomón en la primera lectura de hoy: “pídeme lo que quieras, y yo te lo daré” (1 Reyes 3:5). Las parábolas de hoy sobre el tesoro enterrado en el campo y la perla de gran precio nos debería empujar a responder: “¡Una participación en tu Reino, oh Dios!” Hoy descubrimos que el Reino de Dios es invalorable, un tesoro que no tiene precio. Desafortunadamente, nuestra cultura nos bombardea con cosas que considera tesoros inapreciables: vehícu-lo utilitario deportivo, cremas antiarrugas y contra la calvicie, dietas milagrosas, y mucho, mucho más. Ten-er una participación en el Reino de Dios y contribuir a la venida del Reino son los mayores tesoros que jamás podamos esperar ganar.

SAN IGNACIO DE LOYOLA (1491-1556) 31 de julio Este santo español desde su adoles-cencia se unió a las cortes y soñó con la carrera militar. Además de galán, aprendió a manejar las armas y nunca perdió la valentía ni la rigidez de carácter. En una de las guerras, una bala de cañón le hirió la rodilla. Luego de la operación, como no había quedado bien y no podría vestir la bota militar, pidió que le quebraran la rodilla y la operaran bien ¡sin anestesia! Estando en recu-peración le dieron a leer los evangelios y la vida de los santos y, como él siempre había soñado con cosas mayor-es, encontró en la vida de los santos algo que realmente valía la pena y renunció a su ambición militar para servir a Dios. A partir de ahí inició una experiencia de con-versión que lo llevó a entregarse a Dios por completo y a ayudar a otras personas a que encontraran a Dios en to-do. Siendo adulto se preparó en las ciencias humanas y con otros compañeros, entre ellos San Francisco Xavier, fundó la Compañía de Jesús; conocidos actualmente co-mo los Jesuitas.

PRINCIPIO Y FUNDAMENTO El hombre ha sido creado para alabar, hacer rev-

erencia y servir a Dios nuestro Señor —San Ignacio de Loyola

P A R I S H M I N I S T R I E S & C H A I R Buildings & Grounds Mario Zamora, Alex Aguilar Eucharistic Adoration Dcn Robert Pang Hispanic Community Michaelina Maldonado Ministerios Marianos Luis y Aida Cachichabla Hospitality Robin Miller Men’s Club Ralph Olsen Ushers Music Elise Espinosa, Ann Quattrocchi & Eileen Petersen Spanish Choir Carlos Cerna, William Martinez Outreach Maria Nest Parish Council Ralph Olsen Parish Worship Dcn Rob Pang Religious Education Kathleen Dunn RCIA Dcn Robert Pang, Cruz Molina Catholic Daughters Marge Olsen Right to Life Scott Giblin Social May Pang Spiritual Life Johanna Krumm St. Vincent De Paul Fr. Tom Kunnel

P A R I S H C O U N C I L Kathleen Dunn, Jonathan/Dominika Fanning,

Lucia/Sal Caruana, Marleni Lemus, Ray/Beverly Sambrotto, Irma Vasquez

T R U S T E E S Phil McCartin James Pontone

Our Sacramental Life

Baptism: Please call the Rectory well in advance of the expected day of Bap-tism to arrange an appointment for an interview. Pre-baptismal meeting for parents is required. Godparents must be confirmed, practicing Catholics. Gener-ally Baptisms are celebrated the third Sunday of each month at 12:00 pm.

Reconciliation: Confessions are heard from 3:30-4:00 pm on Saturday. You may also make an appointment with Fr. Tom. Spanish confessions is available from 12:30–1:00 PM on Sundays.

Marriage: Marriages should be arranged at least six months in advance. Partici-pation in Pre-Cana is essential. Please call the Rectory to schedule an appoint-ment with Fr. Tom.

Anointing of the Sick: Before you enter the hospital for elective surgery or other serious treatment, and for those who have need of spiritual healing. In an emergency, please call Fr. Tom’s mobile 845 608 9358.

Holy Orders: Any gentleman interested in exploring the question of vocation to the priesthood or the permanent diaconate should contact Fr. Tom Kunnel. We would also be happy to direct anyone interested in living their lives as Religious Sisters or Brothers.

Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults: For instruction for Baptism, Confirma-tion and Eucharist for adults and to learn about Catholic Faith. If interested please contact Dcn Robert Pang.

For more details and forms—www.stjohnspiermont.org

Parish Registration: All adults (over age 21) should register in the parish themselves and should use envelopes or parishpay.com. Tithing is 5% of income. This registration is our only means of certifying anyone as a member of the parish, especially for Baptism and Confirmation sponsorship letters and for scheduling Baptisms and Weddings.

17th Sunday In Ordinary Time

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Solomon Understanding Judge Govern HeartSoWise WorkForGood

LoveGod HisPurpose KingdomOfHeaven FinePearl Wicked Righteous