Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

As summer winds down and Fall approaches, we have marked the passage of time in various ways. Last Sunday we had the annual End of Summer Barbecue; if you were there, I’m sure you’ll agree that we all had a wonderful time and enjoyed great food and company.Many, many thanks to everyone involved in this event!

Then, last Monday we had the first day of school. I enjoyed taking part in the first morning assembly of the school year. It was nice to visit with our students, their parents, their teachers, and our school administrators. I can hardly wait to hear the young people lead us all in saying the “Our Father” during weekday Mass! (If you have ever taken part in weekday Mass, you know what I mean!)

On Sunday, August 31, we’ll have the last of this year’s “Sunday Summer Nights” after the 5:00 pm Mass. If I’m not mistaken, this will be our final farewell to summer. Check out the names of the food trucks that will be coming (listed in the announcement in this weekend’s bulletin), and you will definitely want to be a part of it! I hope to see you there.

In the meantime, this weekend we have Scriptures from the Old and New Testaments that refer to people entering God’s kingdom from all directions.In our reading from the Prophet Isaiah the Lord says, “They shall bring all your brothers and sisters from all the nations as an offering to the Lord.” (Isa. 66:20) And in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says, “People will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.” (Lk. 13:29)

Whatever our background, age, culture, or heritage may be, there is room for us in God’s kingdom. This is good news for us, and it is good news for everyone around us. Let’s extend the Lord’s invitation to everyone we encounter.Through our words and example, let’s be instruments of God’s goodness, mercy, peace, and love.

Blessings,

Fr. Philip