Fr. Lara's Lines
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Ministry
In today’s economy, customer service is one of the driving
forces of a successful business. Schools, hospitals, grocery
stores, online services, etc. strive to provide the best
customer service to their clients. It is all about ratings
and consumer satisfaction. Customer service is a form
of ministry. Ministry comes from the Greek word
“diakoneo” (διακονέω) which means to serve, wait on,
help, or attend to. The word deacon has the same root.
The job of the deacon is to serve at the altar and
among the people of God through works of mercy. All
the baptized are called to ministry as people of God.
We serve the people of God in many different ways.
The human, material, and spiritual resources we have
are to be used for the service of God and our neighbor.
Jesus gave us an example to follow. At the Last Supper,
Jesus washed the disciples’ feet. This was a humble act
of service for the disciples and us to follow. In the New
Testament, ministry is seen as service to God and others.
In fact, Jesus said “I came not to be served but to serve.”
Jesus teaches us how to serve or do ministry.
The Church ministers to the needs of the people on
God’s behalf. The focal point of the Church’s ministry is
sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. So all ministers within
the Church aim to bring the world closer to God. With
the advent of the internet, social media, and so many
other distractions, the mission of the church has become
a more difficult task. Priests, deacons, and lay ministers
spend countless hours trying to bring the gospel of Jesus
to the world. It is a never-ending task because the souls
of the faithful are always in need of guidance, comfort,
and assistance. In the context of the Church, ministry is
all about sharing the gospel of Jesus. In the context of
family, ministry is all about sharing the love we have
received from God. Ministers know that they can only
do this work with God’s help. It is impossible to change
hearts without God’s grace. So ministers need to work
on their personal relationship with God and their readiness
to serve the people of God with love and devotion
Resting
In this weekend’s gospel, Jesus teaches the disciples the
importance of resting. After the disciples had ministered
to the needs of the people, Jesus wanted them to go to
a deserted place to rest. “Come away by yourselves to
a deserted place and rest a while….So they went off in
the boat by themselves to a deserted place.” It was
necessary for the disciples to recharge, renew, and
revitalize their desire to serve God’s people. The disciples
could not give what they didn’t have, so they needed to
spend some time with Jesus in order for them to bring his
message to others. Resting allowed the disciples to renew
their sense of mission and energize their zeal for the
gospel. Jesus wanted the disciples to reflect on their
work. By doing so, the disciples could center their
ministry on Jesus and refresh their hearts and souls.
In the same way, Jesus calls us to come to him to rest a
while. Retreats are part of our Catholic tradition. A
retreat is a time to step aside from the business of life.
It allows us to relax, pray, reflect, and take care of our
hearts, minds, and souls. A retreat helps us to spend
some quality time with God. During a retreat, the time
we spend with Jesus bears fruit when we go back to our
daily routines. Life gets busy, but it is important for us
to spend some time with the Lord. It could be a weekend, a
day, or even a couple hours. I often see people coming
to the chapel to pray for an hour or so. That time is crucial
for our spiritual lives. A retreat offers the opportunity
for the soul to be nourished, the heart to be healed, and
the mind to be refreshed.
Support Your Parish
A gift of life insurance is a powerful and simple way to
provide future support for our parish. Here are two ways to
give a gift of life insurance to St. Catherine Labouré:
1. Name our parish as a beneficiary of the policy. To
do this, update your beneficiary designation form
with your policy holder and list the primary or contingent
beneficiary as “St. Catherine Laboure, The Catholic
Bishop of Chicago, a Corporation Sole”
2. Make an outright gift of an existing policy. You can
irrevocably name our parish as owner and beneficiary
of a policy with accumulated cash value that you and
your family no longer need. You then qualify for a
federal income tax charitable deduction if you itemize
on your taxes. Also, if you continue to pay premiums
on the policy, each payment is tax deductible as a
charitable gift, if you itemize.
For more information on making a gift of life insurance
to our parish, we recommend you consult with your
financial planner, attorney, or insurance representative.
Please contact our parish office or Krystina M. Campbell,
Planned Giving Officer, Archdiocese of Chicago at
312-534-5404 with any additional questions.
Peace
Fr. Lara
Recognize God in Your Oridinary Moments - By Colleen Jurkiewicz Dorman
A Deserted Place (abridged)
In one of my favorite shows, “Parks and Recreation,”
there is a scene where one of the characters, Jerry,
is tasked with stuffing hundreds of envelopes with
flyers as part of his volunteer work for a local
city council campaign.
Jerry’s efficient, almost mechanical completion of
the job amazes his coworkers, who gather to
watch in awe while he folds, inserts, seals, and
stamps—over and over again. After several
hours, the huge pile of envelopes is finally ready
for mailing … and Jerry realizes that he has
stuffed them all with the wrong piece of paper.
“I always say, it ain’t government work unless you
do it twice,” he quips as he restarts the task.
In any work, no matter how worthy or fulfilling it
is, there is a point where the task transforms into
mere routine. It can happen with anything. There
is no shame in this. It doesn’t mean that we don’t
enjoy these pursuits or feel passion for the mission
inherent in them. It only means that we are human,
and we get tired.
When the Apostles return from their travels, Jesus
recognizes their exhaustion. He encourages them
to “come away to a deserted place.” He inhabits
a human body, so he knows weariness, what it is
to be tired, to be hungry. He knows that it’s hard
to do the work when your body is failing you.
It’s important for us to recognize those times when
Jesus is calling us to a deserted place and it’s
important for us to follow him there, even if we
are pursued by doubt and guilt, just as the Apostles
were followed by crowds hungry for their ministry.
Solitude is not selfishness. Contemplation is not
idleness. To withdraw does not mean to run away.
The work we do deserves our whole strength. If
we have lost that, there is only one place we are
sure to find it again.
“He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desert-
ed place and rest a while.’” — Mark 6:31
©LPi
Another SCL Teacher in the Spotlight
Fifth grade teacher Lori Prokopiak has been specially
recognized by Glenview Patch and T-Mobile. The parent of a
former student nominated Lori for this honor. The parent’s entry
read, in part, “[Ms. Prokopiak] teaches Math, Social Studies, and ELA.
She taught my daughter in 5th grade at St. Catherine Labouré School.
She is amazing. She is an excellent teacher and is very organized
and detail oriented. She has a great sense of humor with the kids
yet is very compassionate as well when any issues arise. She knows
how to handle tricky situations with ease and love. Her humor is well
received and always in good spirits. She is a top notch teacher who
goes above and beyond for her students. She was blessed with her
vocation and has been teaching for 25 years or so. She is simply
amazing!
Congratulations, Lori! Thank you for being such a wonderful teacher
and bringing your passion, compassion, humor and energy to your
teaching and your care for our children.
The Holy Father's Intentions for the Month of July
For the Pastoral Care of the Sick
Let us pray that the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick
grants the Lord’s strength to those who receive it and to their loved
ones, and that it may become for everyone an ever more visible
sign of compassion and hope.
Honor Our Military
Please take time to give thanks for those who have served and
are serving in our military and to pray for the safety of those who
may currently be in harm’s way. In a special way, we thank and
pray for these parishioners and relatives of parishioners.
Dear God,
We pray in gratitude for all of those who have defended
peace, virtue, and justice with honor. We pray especially
for those who have suffered in mind and body from the
ravages of war. May Your peace reign in our hearts
and in our world. Amen.
He Who Sacrificed His Life
†JOHN A. STONIS, Grandson of John & Dorthy Stonis
†CHRISTOPHER ZIMNY
Those Still Serving
JAY MARTIN, Nephew of Becky and Tom Brennan
JESSICA CAMERON, Niece of the Cameron Family
JOHN PODCZASKI, Grandson of Genevieve Podczaski
STEVEN TUMBARELLO, Son of Sylvia & Vince Tumbarello
CRAIG BEHRENDT, Grand-nephew of Sister Mary Helen
DANIEL BELZER, Nephew of Dave & Bev Belzer
MICHAEL KELLY, Nephew of Kevin and Kathy Kelly
MATTHEW NEUBAUER, Nephew of Dan & Judy Neubauer
EUGENE WALL, Nephew of Suzanne Lessner
NAILL SWIDER, Grand-nephew of Alice Swider
BRYAN DUFF, Son of Julie Duff
RYAN BLOCHBERGER, Nephew of Mae Grady
TIMOTHY DWORKIN, Grandson of Barbara Bouska
ALEXIS GONZALES, Great-niece of Eden & Lyle Gonzales-Nemzin
JACK MAHON, JR., Son of Jack, Sr. & Eileen Mahon
MICHAEL FOLEY
JOHN FOLEY
PETER MULLER
DANIEL FRAYNA
JOSEPH GULLO
SANG HOON LEE
ANTHONY PALMERO
MORRIS COREY MCMAHON, Son of Chris & Julie McMahon
RYAN FONTILLAS
MICHAEL T. HEHN, Grandson of John & Dorthy Stonis
To add or remove someone, please send the person’s name and relationship (optional) to bulletin@stcatherinelaboure.com
Please Pray for Ukraine
For our sisters and brothers involved in or
affected by the war and devastation in Ukraine--
the deceased, the injured, the frightened, the
displaced, the fighters, the protesters, the leaders.
May God give them solace, healing, comfort, and
hearts and minds directed toward peace.
Donations can be made here:
Knights of Columbus: https://www.kofc.org/secure/en/donate/ukraine.html
Caritas: https://www.caritas.org/
Ukrainian Catholic Archdiocese of Philidelphia: https://ukrarcheparchy.us
"May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war" - Pope Francis
Neighbors of other Faiths
The Golden Rule
Excerpted from charterforcompassion.org/the-golden-rule-in-seven-major-religions
We may speak of great differences in
religious beliefs and forms of worship
around the world. Called by an endless
number of names, all, however, recognize and worship a Supreme
Being. And all religions, somewhere in their sacred literature,
expound the fundamental philosophy of the Golden Rule.
Buddhism: Hurt not others with that which pains yourself.
~ Buddha, Undanavarga 5:18
Christianity: Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that all men
should do to you, do ye even so to them.
~ Matthew 7:12
Confucianism: What you do not want done to yourself, do not do
to others.
~ Confucius, Analects 15:23
Hinduism: Good people proceed while considering what is best
for others is best for themselves.
~ Hitopadesa
Islamism: No one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother
what he loves for himself.
~ Mohammed, Traditions
Judaism: And thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
~ Leviticus 19:18
Zoroastrianism: Whatever is disagreeable to yourself do not do
unto others.
~ Shayast-na-Shayast 13:29