23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time B21

A professor who taught Scripture at a well-respected school was known for being very strict in demanding that students be on time for his classes. It was said that he even refused to let the students into the classroom if they were only a few seconds late and would give them a zero on a quiz or an exam!

God of wisdom and might, 
we praise you for the wonder of our being, 
for mind, body and spirit. 
Be with our children as they begin a new school year.
Bless them and their teachers and staff.
Give the strength and grace as their bodies grow;
wisdom and knowledge to their minds
as they search for understanding;
and peace and zeal to their hearts.
We ask this through Jesus Christ
our Lord.
Amen.

Each week we will feature two of our ministries, that we have at Saint John Fisher. If you have any interest in joining our ministries or have any questions please contact the office or the contact person listed.

This week we talk about the Comfort and Warmth Ministry

“Come to me, all you who are weary and overburdened, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28

Silent Conversation
While we all seem to excel at placing our needs before our Heavenly Father, many of us struggle with finding silence to listen to how is responding. Our lives are busy, our pace is often frenetic leaving us little room to hear or see how God is answering our prayers.

22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time B21

“Or what great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law I am setting before you today?” (Deuteronomy 4: 8) What statutes and decrees (the whole law) are so just as to make other nations envious?

Keeping the Torah (Law) was not about self-preservation or self-perfection but is about having a right relationship with God, with oneself, and your neighbor which also includes non-human life and all of nature/creation. Following the Law is to practice justice for the disenfranchised, the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the stranger including people considered “aliens”, those fleeing from political, social or religious oppression. The Law was seen as a good thing, bringing life and well-being. Of course, the Law as first written showed biases, for example, gender and patriarchy as we saw last week.

Each week we will feature two of our ministries, that we have at Saint John Fisher. If you have any interest in joining our ministries or have any questions please contact the office or the contact person listed.

This week: Lector Ministry and Christian Outreach

The Rev Thomas Walsh, pastor of St. Augustine Church at 10 Campfield Ave, Hartford, in collaboration with Very Rev. George Mukuka, the Judicial Vicar from the Metropolitan Tribunal in Bloomfield, will host “The ABCs of Annulment” on
Saturday of September 18, at 10 AM to Noon in the Church Hall at the address above.