Good News for 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

With all the talk in this week’s gospel about getting ready, I’m almost wondering if the Lord isn’t leaning over my shoulder and nudging me, indeed, to get ready. I can feel him breathing down my neck, as I count all the kids from last year, move the 4^th to 5^th Graders to Bell or Seven Bridges, assign classes and classrooms, figure out which teachers are returning or retiring, finalize this year’s online registration form, bus registration and annual calendar. OK! OK! I hear you. We’re getting ready.

Then, something very interesting hits me about this week’s gospel. Hidden in all the “get ready” talk, Jesus twice slips in something about food. For those who are ready, the Master will invite them to “recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.” Again, Jesus says that his faithful servants are those who share with others “the food allowance at the proper time.”

As we get ready for KidsRelig, I, too, must slip in something about food, only because Jesus makes it clear that without this food we will never be ready. Try, as we should, with all the other stuff, nothing is more important than Sunday Mass. So, we will continue this year to make the connection between KidsRelig and Sunday Mass with the weekly Gospel Newsletter the kids get to bring home and our Gospel Time during each KidsRelig session. As a parish family of families, we have to keep trying to make that connection and follow the Lord’s command: “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

FIRST GRADE AND NEW KIDS REGISTRATION

For students entering First Grade or being enrolled in KidsRelig for the first time, please EMAIL the following information to kidsrelig@optimum.net

· Child’s Name

· School

· Grade

· Parent(s)/Guardian(s) Name(s)

· Phone Number

· Residence Address

KidsRelig Weekly Schedule Unchanged

Tuesday

2:45-3:45 BELL

3:45-4:45 WESTORCHARD

Wednesday

3:45-4:45 GRAFFLIN

Thursday

2:45-3:45 SEVEN BRIDGES

3:45-4:45 ROARING BROOK

New Parish Homepage and KidsRelig

Thanks to Rich Diefenbach, our Parish Homepage has been rebuilt. It’s got a great new look with more and more information we all need to know. The Homepage address is:

http://sjsmrcc.com/

The Religious Education (KidsRelig) Page is there and will soon be filled with all kinds of information for the next year: registration instructions, bus information, weekly schedule, annual calendar and more. An email blast will let you know when it is ready. As the old hymn says, “Soon and very soon.”

Love,

Deacon Charlie