This Sunday, we celebrate the Assumption into heaven of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Gospel reading, we hear that Mary journeyed to visit her cousin Elizabeth who was also with child. We hear that Elizabeth’s infant, John the Baptist, “leaped in her womb” upon hearing Mary’s greeting. This foreshadows how John the prophet will recognize Jesus as the Messiah and direct others to Him. In the first reading today from Revelation, we hear that “God’s temple was opened and the ark of the covenant could be seen in the temple.” In the Old Testament, the ark of the covenant bore the presence of God. In today’s New Testament reading from Luke’s Gospel, there are many symbolic references helping us understand that Mary is the new Ark of the Covenant. She has become God’s dwelling place here on earth bearing the Lord Jesus. Ponder these things in your heart as Mary did. When she said “yes” to God and accepted her role as the Mother of God, she becomes an ideal role model for sustaining our trust and faith in God today.

Did You Know? Anointing of the sick is for those who are sick or facing life-threatening situations (major surgery/serious medical emergency), as well as those who may be facing imminent death. While many fear calling a priest for this sacrament may mean giving up on a dying loved one, waiting too long may risk leaving a dying person without the important graces of this sacrament. For more information about this sacrament, please visit https://www.ocp.org/en-us/blog/entry/music/last-rites-anointing-of-the-sick or https://catholicproductions.com/blogs/blog/anointing-of-the-sick. If you are interested in an Anointing of the Sick for yourself or a loved one, please contact our Front Office at (269) 327-5165 or FrontDesk@stcatherinersiena.org. Remember: With COVID restrictions, every hospital may have different rules for visitors. Please check with the hospital before calling the priest and/or let them know a priest will be coming to visit.

Please click on the article title to read our Facebook post from Ascension about Intercessory Prayer.

Spotlight on parishioner, Steve Borchert! If you see Steve at church, offer up a prayer of thanksgiving for him! Please click on the article title to see the article about Steve.

Marian Hall is finally under construction! Our permits came in and we are able to get started on the project. Please stay away from Marian Hall as the construction begins. Do NOT use the Marian Hall doors for entering or exiting the building. Our kitchen demolition will begin within the next few weeks. Thanks for your patience as we get started on this project!

We recently announced the launch of our Children’s Faith Formation registration for the 2021-2022 year. We received many calls and emails questioning why we were not offering Pre-K and Kindergarten this year. Originally, our reasons were many. However, we have heard you, and want to work with you to bring back the younger programs. Please read the letter from Father Mark about bringing back the classes for Pre-K and Kindergarten. Thank you!

Have you ever wondered what you're supposed to "do" during Adoration? This clip from Busted Halo talks about how to pray in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.

Dear Parishioners, As the Diocese of Kalamazoo celebrated its Golden Anniversary a few weeks ago, Bishop Bradley announced a special Jubilee Year of the Holy Spirit. This special Jubilee Year for our Diocese will begin on the feast of St. Augustine (August 28), the Patron of our Diocese. It will continue through the feast of Pentecost on June 5, 2022. Additional information about this upcoming Jubilee Year and how it can be observed are found on the website for the Diocese (http://diokzoo.org). Just another reminder that for this calendar year, the Feast of the Assumption falls on a Sunday, August 15. This feast day will take the place of the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Please note that registrations for our Children’s Faith Formation program for the Fall have begun and sign up for the 2021-22 year will take place online (http://www.stcatherinesiena.org/cffclasses). Thanks for reading! Fr. Mark

Are you getting our Flocknote e-mails?? Be sure to check alternate folders so you get INSTANT access to the content (with much fancier formatting) PLUS exclusive conversation! We'd love to hear your thoughts! Here's what you might've missed today: It's easy to wonder why we aren't Jewish if Jesus Himself was Jewish... What caused the shift to Christianity, and why was it necessary? The Bible is a book of prophecy and fulfillment. Jesus came, not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it (Matt. 5:17). Christ came to make the law complete. He came to allow the presence of the Holy Spirit accessible to all so we could experience grace in a way that hadn't been possible prior to his death and resurrection. In the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant was the epitome of the Judaic faith. It contained the tablets with the 10 commandments, Aaron's staff, and a jar of manna. This Ark was eventually kept in what was called the "Holy of Holies" in Solomon's temple which was separated from the "Holy Place" by a veil. This was because it was believed God's presence was fully within the Ark, but man could not look at God directly, or else he would die. Only the high priest was allowed in this area once a year at Passover, and even then, they would tie a rope around his ankle before he went behind the veil in case he dropped dead so they could pull him out. The moment Christ died on the cross, the veil tore in two, allowing every person- Jew and Gentile alike- direct access to the Lord. As Scott Hahn and other Catholic theologians explain, when Christ spoke the words, "It is finished," on the cross, He had just consumed the 4th cup of wine of His final Passover meal. He had not yet finished the Passover/Seder meal with his apostles which has a strict protocol of 4 cups of wine and subsequently finished it on the cross. The transformation of Passover and institution of the Eucharist was complete with that sip of wine, and Christianity was born. The manna- the daily bread given to the Israelites for physical strength as they journeyed to the Promised Land- was now given by Christ to be our daily bread for our spiritual strength. In the Our Father, we are familiar with praying for our "daily bread." Linguistically, Christ taught his disciples to pray, "Give us today our epiosious bread," which directly translates to our "super-substantial" bread of the Eucharist (CCC 2837). Suffice to say, the manna in the desert (or the "bread of angels" as Psalm 78 references it) prefigured the Eucharist in an undeniable way. The Eucharist, however, contains an even further supernatural quality than edible bread that fell from Heaven (as impossible as it all seems). It actually contains the physical body and blood of Christ that transforms us into Himself. Christ has truly and literally given us the gift of Himself at the mass in the form of the Eucharist. It's time to walk past the veil, look directly at Him and believe. Written by: Ali-Marie Ingram, a St. Catherine's parishioner, Catholic YouTuber and Enthusiast of Life. Interested in learning more? Check out Dr. Brant Pitre's book, "Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist." https://amzn.to/37nBban

This weekend's Gospel reading from John continues the Bread of Life Discourse we have now heard for the past two Sundays. Jesus is speaking to a grumbling audience having a hard time believing that Jesus is the new bread of life. The audience well understood that their ancestors were saved by manna in the desert, but as Jesus reminds them, they died. Then Jesus presses further. He explains that He is the new bread of life—the new manna—come down from heaven. The bread He offers is Himself, His true flesh. Those who eat this bread, His body, will have eternal life. Picture yourself in this audience. How would you have responded? More importantly, how do you respond today? A recent Pew survey found that 70% of American Catholics don’t believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist…a sad and stunning statistic. If you too struggle with this question, take a little time to read Chapter 6 of John’s Gospel and ponder these things in your heart. Read more on the Sunday Scripture readings on Loyola Press at https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/liturgical-year/sunday-connection/19th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-b-sunday-connection/.

Did you know tabernacle comes from Latin and Hebrew roots meaning “abode” or “tent?” The Jewish people did not have a permanent temple until c.957 BC, so the Ark of the Covenant was carried and temporarily placed in a Tent of Meeting. In Catholic Churches, the tabernacle is the literal dwelling place for the Eucharist, the Real Presence of Christ. The tabernacle has two main purposes: to house the Eucharist for adoration or later use outside of Mass and to protect and prevent profanation.

As we approach the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (celebrated this year on Sunday, August 15, 2021), we thought you might like to learn more about this Solemnity. What is the Feast of the Assumption? Why do we celebrate it? Click on the article title to read a great summary on the Solemnity from Busted Halo!

Bernard & Brenda Panone joined our parish family in February 2003. Since that time, Bernard joined our Knights of Columbus and regularly has fellowship with the members of the group that serve our parish in so many ways. Brenda has more open time and puts that to good use. She has been involved in numerous ministries at the church and in our surrounding community. Brenda helps with refugee families and is actively involved in our St. Vincent de Paul Society. She is also a member of our Women of the Word group. With things turning back to normal, Brenda looks forward to being active again with our Hospitality Ministry, bible studies, and (in the distant future) funeral lunches. At one time, Brenda was involved in Cursillo, Recipes for Change, and Martha’s Table when they were active groups in our parish. To fill up her free time during the pandemic, Brenda assisted the homeless in numerous ways by providing meals, clothing, and warm apparel during the cold months. She has been active in many other roles we don’t have enough space to mention them all in this article! When you see Brenda in the church give her a smile or offer up a prayer for her. May God continue to bless Brenda and Bernard’s time and talent.  

Did you know that a Sacristan is an important office that has existed for most of the history of the Church?  At cathedrals and collegiate churches (no association with educational institutions!), a sacristan must be part of the clergy, and normally a Sacristan is desired to be clergy by the Church.  Since the number of clergy is limited at many parishes, most Sacristans are laypersons. A Sacristan’s duty in preparation for the liturgy, which includes tasks such as: laying out vestments, lighting candles, setting out liturgical vessels, arranging books needed for the celebration and marking pages, and even maintaining a sacred silence in the sacristy prior to Mass.  A good Sacristan is well versed in liturgical norms, books, and the liturgical calendar to ensure great attention is given to preparation for the liturgy.  A Sacristan fulfills an important role in the liturgy, and according to the Ceremonial of Bishops (No.38), this individual should “make the church a visible sign of love and reverence toward God.” As we continue to welcome everyone back to in-person Masses, we need more Sacristans to help us with all Masses. We are so appreciative of all of the Sacristans who have continued to serve the parish week after week during these challenging times! We literally couldn't do it without you! If you are able to help on a weekend or two a month, please contact our Front Office at FrontDesk@stcatherinesiena.org or call 327-5165. Thank you for considering helping us!

If you've ever wondered why Catholics use a crucifix, or, what the initials INRI mean, this article from uCatholic might be just what you need! Please click on the news title to read the article!

Dear Parishioners, It’s August! That means we need to start thinking about another school year (sorry kids). Of course, with last year (and the end of the prior year) being so unusual, all of us are still a little bit unsure what all this is going to mean. For me personally, it means I am starting to form my Fall class for those who are thinking about becoming Catholic (RCIA). Please email me or contact the main office if you or someone you know is interested. It also means that we are taking registrations for our Faith Formation program and Confirmation classes. Information about this can be found in the bulletin. For those who are now looking at your August calendars, you may be wondering if there is a Holy Day this year. Because August 15 falls on a Sunday this year, the Assumption will be celebrated on a weekend. Thanks for reading! Fr. Mark