After this past weekend at least some of you now know that there are weekends where my homily changes at least somewhat from one Mass to the next. If there is any blame for me doing that, please recognize that it is the Holy Spirit encouraging me to add and/or take away something in the content of my homily. This past weekend the examples I used to encourage and applaud Catholics (and all Christians) who accept Jesus' call for us to be "SERVANTS" like he was, was somewaht different from the Saturday Mass to the two Sunday Masses.
On Saturday night I spoke about those who are serving the weak, the vulnerable and the dependent through participation in the Arkansas Catholic Charites Golf Tournament in memory of one of our previous bishops, Andrew J. McDonald who was a golfer himself. So far, we have volunteers from our parish who are taking on various tasks during the golf tournament, parishioners who are paying $85 to play in the tournament (with parish funds co-sponsoring them) and a commitment of $5,000 as part of the social justice and charitbable outreach budgeted for the year. I mentioned at the Saturday Mass that our parish participation in this primary fundraiser for Catholic Charities is such that it could rightly be called the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church Golf Tournament for Catholic Charities (though I won't suggest that to the diocese since Bishop McDonald was the bishop who ordained me and accomplished many things in his long episcopate, including appoint my uncle, Fr. Joseph Biltz as the head of the Justice and Peace Office at the diocese). One last thing I would ask of you, our parishioners is your consideration to make a donation (perhaps even a large one) to support this fundraising golf tournament with the assurance that ALL OF YOUR DONATION will assist a variety of weak and vulnerable people, from those who need dental care and can't afford it, to people throughout the state who come in emergency situations to get help with a utility bill, to a child in their mother's womb who will be born and have a future life with adoptive parents, to prisoners who are evangelized, catechized and helped in other ways through our diocesan prison ministry efforts.
We have an insert in this weekend's bulletin that you can use to send in your donation to Catholic Charities which will welcome and give thanks for whatever you give. This fundraiser was not held last year because of COVID concerns so our support is needed greatly this year. Thanks for your consideration AND a big THANK YOU to those who responded to the request of our American bishops to contact our U.S. representatives to voice strong opposition to the "Women's Health Protection Act" which, if passed (GOD FORBID) and be signed into law will federally mandate abortion on demand, taxpayer money being used for abortions, and overturn state laws that have been enacted to discourage and place strict limits on when abortions can legally take place.
On Saturday night I spoke about those who are serving the weak, the vulnerable and the dependent through participation in the Arkansas Catholic Charites Golf Tournament in memory of one of our previous bishops, Andrew J. McDonald who was a golfer himself. So far, we have volunteers from our parish who are taking on various tasks during the golf tournament, parishioners who are paying $85 to play in the tournament (with parish funds co-sponsoring them) and a commitment of $5,000 as part of the social justice and charitbable outreach budgeted for the year. I mentioned at the Saturday Mass that our parish participation in this primary fundraiser for Catholic Charities is such that it could rightly be called the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church Golf Tournament for Catholic Charities (though I won't suggest that to the diocese since Bishop McDonald was the bishop who ordained me and accomplished many things in his long episcopate, including appoint my uncle, Fr. Joseph Biltz as the head of the Justice and Peace Office at the diocese). One last thing I would ask of you, our parishioners is your consideration to make a donation (perhaps even a large one) to support this fundraising golf tournament with the assurance that ALL OF YOUR DONATION will assist a variety of weak and vulnerable people, from those who need dental care and can't afford it, to people throughout the state who come in emergency situations to get help with a utility bill, to a child in their mother's womb who will be born and have a future life with adoptive parents, to prisoners who are evangelized, catechized and helped in other ways through our diocesan prison ministry efforts.
We have an insert in this weekend's bulletin that you can use to send in your donation to Catholic Charities which will welcome and give thanks for whatever you give. This fundraiser was not held last year because of COVID concerns so our support is needed greatly this year. Thanks for your consideration AND a big THANK YOU to those who responded to the request of our American bishops to contact our U.S. representatives to voice strong opposition to the "Women's Health Protection Act" which, if passed (GOD FORBID) and be signed into law will federally mandate abortion on demand, taxpayer money being used for abortions, and overturn state laws that have been enacted to discourage and place strict limits on when abortions can legally take place.