After the glut of requests for help in a variety of organizations in the weeks before Christmas, I am sure many of you, like me, are receiving more solicitations now that the new calendar year has begun. Of course, many, if not most of them give compelling reasons as to why they need our help. The organizations usually are focused on a specific need (food, clothing, and/or shelter, etc.) and target a specific demographic of people and places in this country and/or abroad that need help. Since none of us have unlimited resources, we have to decide who to help, when to help and how much money to give to the beneficiaries.One of the reasons I am so happy and blessed to give generously to the Catholic Arkansas Sharing Appeal (CASA), is that I know it helps such a wide range of people and needs throughout the state of Arkansas. Both Catholics and others are recipients of my gift and the "Help" among other things serves to evangelize people who come to know the love of the Lord for all people, expecially those who are in need and/or those people who are seeking to help those in need. I ask ALL our parish familllies this year to give thoughtfully and generously to this annual drive. While around 240 families from our parish gave something (and some GENEROUSLY) to this appeal in 2019, many, sadly (at least to me), gave nothing. Please, please, please get on board to help the number of donors in our parish go up GREATLY this year.
I would like to review our goal as a parish this year ($83,000 compared to approximately $69,000 that was given last year) as both a compliment and a challenge to us because of our generosity in the past to CASA (around $84,000 was given in total a few years ago). Unlike some of the organizations that solicit our help throughout the year and with high administration and solicitation costs, the Arkansas Catholic Sharing Appeal does not send us solicitation requests all year long. It does, however, give us the opportunity to give either now or anytime throughout the year, as our circumstances allow.
If you have misplaced the envelope that was given before Mass last weekend, know that CASA envelopes can be found in the pews and in the Narthex throughout the month of February and maybe beyond. Your response to this appeal is very much appreciated, especially by the MANY who will benefit in various ways from our sharing of some of the blessings we have received at the hand of the Lord (from whom all blessings flow) to us and from us to others!!
The media coverage of the tragic death of NBA basketball legend, Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna and seven others has been overwhelming especially the commentary about him not only by people in sports, but others whose lives he touched and touched his both directly and indirectly. In the aftermath of the helicopter crash which killed all who were aboard, my brother sent me a link which talked about the fact that Kobe has been a Catholic his whole life. I then received a link that indicated that on that Sunday morning, he and his daughter had participated in Mass at his home parish. In a time in which sports events and tournaments take place EVERY day of the week including Sunday, it is good to know (and I hope everyone finds this out) that Kobe Bryant put God first on the Lord's Day by going to Mass first before getting on the helicopter which crashed only two hours after he and his daughter had received Holy Communion. Given the emphasis in the media on the importance of fatherhood for him, it is truly sad to realize that he will not be around to raise all his daughters (especially in their Catholic faith).
This past week the Catholic Schools in the United States is celebrating "Catholic Schools Week." I am sure many of you, like I was blessed to receive a Catholic school education for some or many years. I have found out as of yet if Kobe Bryant's oldest two daughters are receiving a Catholic School education. I sure hope so. It was an important factor firstly in my faith life and then in my academic performance during and long after I left St. John's Elementary School in Hot Springs.
I say the most important ingredient in my faith life and growth was having a dad and mom who taught me the Catholic faith by word and by example. I truly cherish my early years of going to Mass on Sundays, as I often had my father wake me to go to 6:00 a.m. Mass with him. While I share my faith story growing up with you at this time and other times, with thanks to God for it, I hope the faith story of Kobe Bryant and his family will be heard by many families who will be inspired to put God first in their lives, with so many blessings that come with it, including comfort, consolation and hope especially in dealing with the loss of loved ones especially in difficult circumstances.
This past week the Catholic Schools in the United States is celebrating "Catholic Schools Week." I am sure many of you, like I was blessed to receive a Catholic school education for some or many years. I have found out as of yet if Kobe Bryant's oldest two daughters are receiving a Catholic School education. I sure hope so. It was an important factor firstly in my faith life and then in my academic performance during and long after I left St. John's Elementary School in Hot Springs.
I say the most important ingredient in my faith life and growth was having a dad and mom who taught me the Catholic faith by word and by example. I truly cherish my early years of going to Mass on Sundays, as I often had my father wake me to go to 6:00 a.m. Mass with him. While I share my faith story growing up with you at this time and other times, with thanks to God for it, I hope the faith story of Kobe Bryant and his family will be heard by many families who will be inspired to put God first in their lives, with so many blessings that come with it, including comfort, consolation and hope especially in dealing with the loss of loved ones especially in difficult circumstances.
When I think about the annual "Catholic Arkansas Sharing Appeal" which starts next weekend, I ponder the encouragement of St. Paul to some of the early Christian communities he founded to help the ones who were in need (see 1 Cor. 16:1-4). He spoke of "setting aside a sum of money in keeping with your income (verse 2)" and left it up to each person to decide how much to set aside and therefore how much to give. The Catholic Arkansas Sharing Appeal is necessary in our diocese and in most, if not all dioceses because most of the ministries and activities that benefit from our financial gifts have no regular source of income that can keep their ministry going and growing (as the need arises) year-round. These ministries support people of all ages and situations of life and contribute to the vitality and growth of Catholicism and evangelization that are key to our being faithful to our baptismal commitment.
While there have been many parishioners of Sacred Heart who have faithfully (and some very generously) given to the Arkansas Sharing Appeal each year, the fact is the humber of households giving to this appeal has gone down especially in the last few years. While some of this has no doubt happened in part because of parishioners who have died or moved, we have reason to rejoice that our parish donors have helped us far exceed our goals in some of the most recent years (around $83,000), in 2018. In 2019, however, we had a significant number of parish families who gave in 2018 but NOT this past year, which in part, resulted in $69,000 being given in 2019. With our goal for 2020 being $83,900, it is clear that we face a real challenge to meet and (hopefully) exceed our goal for this year.
I ask EVERY parish family (like Paul did with the Corinthian community family) to give something to this important effort to fund ministries throughout Arkansas, some of which directly or indirectly benefit our faith community of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish and the needy in our area. I plan to increase my gift to CASA this year and I want to encourage our donors of the past to do so, if you can, as well.
Remember, unlike other collections that are taken up during the year, this appeal gives us the opportunity, if we wish, to make a pledge and attempt to pay it off on a monthly basis, for a few months or for the rest of this year. Like in so many instances in the past, we can be a role model of compassion, generosity and faithfulness to all the parishes in Arkansas who are participating in this special appeal.
While there have been many parishioners of Sacred Heart who have faithfully (and some very generously) given to the Arkansas Sharing Appeal each year, the fact is the humber of households giving to this appeal has gone down especially in the last few years. While some of this has no doubt happened in part because of parishioners who have died or moved, we have reason to rejoice that our parish donors have helped us far exceed our goals in some of the most recent years (around $83,000), in 2018. In 2019, however, we had a significant number of parish families who gave in 2018 but NOT this past year, which in part, resulted in $69,000 being given in 2019. With our goal for 2020 being $83,900, it is clear that we face a real challenge to meet and (hopefully) exceed our goal for this year.
I ask EVERY parish family (like Paul did with the Corinthian community family) to give something to this important effort to fund ministries throughout Arkansas, some of which directly or indirectly benefit our faith community of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish and the needy in our area. I plan to increase my gift to CASA this year and I want to encourage our donors of the past to do so, if you can, as well.
Remember, unlike other collections that are taken up during the year, this appeal gives us the opportunity, if we wish, to make a pledge and attempt to pay it off on a monthly basis, for a few months or for the rest of this year. Like in so many instances in the past, we can be a role model of compassion, generosity and faithfulness to all the parishes in Arkansas who are participating in this special appeal.