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In the Penitential Rite of the Mass as well as the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we ask for, and receive, God’s mercy. And we come to the realization that we must forgive others just as we have been forgiven by God. Today’s Gospel (Matthew 18:21-35) began with Jesus speaking about the breadth of the forgiveness that we are called upon to offer. Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?” Peter thinks he is being generous.

On Monday we will be observing Labor Day, a national holiday to recognize the dignity of all who labor to provide for themselves and their families. It may come as a surprise to some that the Catholic Church has had a long history of encouraging the dignity of work and the rights of workers including encyclicals by Pius XI, John XXIII, and John Paul II. The “granddaddy” of them all is a papal encyclical issued on May 15, 1891, by Pope Leo XIII and it is known as “Rerum Novarum” which translates as “The Condition of Labor.”

View the September 4, 2020 Fatima Parish Update letter from Father Stephen Schultz.

Today’s Scripture Readings for Mass discuss something rather uncomfortable: the necessity of sacrifice; of taking up our crosses to follow Christ, even when following Christ comes at great personal expense. We see that perhaps most clearly in the lives of the martyrs. At this moment I am thinking particularly of St. Lawrence and St. Maximilian Kolbe, whose feast days we recently celebrated.

In today’s Gospel (Matthew 16:13-20), Jesus asked his disciples who the people thought he was, and their replies were interesting. Some thought he was John the Baptist, others Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the prophets. But it was Peter who stated it correctly – “You are the Christ – the Son of the Living God.” Peter’s statement of faith became the foundation of the Church, and nothing would prevail against it. However, Peter would soon weaken in his faith. This would happen after Jesus was arrested and then crucified. Peter would deny three times that he even knew Jesus, and Scripture does not mention him as being present at the Crucifixion. But after the Resurrection, Peter and the other disciples would be stronger than ever.

The Parish Office and School will be closed on Monday, September 7, 2020, for the Labor Day holiday. Daily Mass will be at the normal time of 8:15 AM.

After Masses on August 29 & 30, tickets will be sold for the 2020 Our Lady of Fatima School Raffle. Tickets will be $2 each and the drawing will be held on October 30, 2020. First Prize will be $1,000, Second Prize will be $500, Third Prize will be $350. Please purchase some raffle tickets and help support our parish school!

Today’s Gospel story (Matthew 15:21-28) is about an expanding circle of grace. What convinces Jesus that the Spirit is at work in the Canaanite woman is her deep love for her daughter and her persistent faith in his ability to heal the child. She addresses him with the messianic title “Son of David.” When he is silent, she refuses to withdraw, and even when he refers to her with the common slur Jews used to describe pagans, she turns the image back at him: “Even the dogs get the scraps that fall from the children’s table.”

Saturday, August 15, 2020, is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is not a Holy Day of Obligation this year, but two Masses celebrating the feast will be offered – 7:30 AM and 10:00 AM. The 5:30 PM evening Mass will be the normal anticipatory Mass for Sunday.

For several years, the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick has been offered at the end of daily Masses on the First Friday of the month. Starting next month (September, 2020) the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick will be moved to the First Saturday of the Month after the 7:30 AM Mass.

Why did Peter get out of the boat in today’s Gospel (Matthew 14:22-33)? As a fisherman who had worked on the Sea of Galilee his entire life, this is the last thing he would have done. He would never have even considered stepping out of the boat in normal circumstances, let alone when the boat was being tossed around by strong winds and high waves miles from the shore. In a storm, the boat was the safest place to be. The sensible thing to do would have been to stay put in the boat and ride out the storm.

God gave the Israelites bread from Heaven to sustain them on their desert journey to the Promised Land. The manna appeared on the ground each day near the place where the people were camped. They could gather only what they needed for the day. If anyone tried to hoard more than a day’s portion, it would spoil by the following morning. Only on the sixth day could they gather and save enough for two days, so that they could observe the Sabbath rest on the seventh day. This manna truly was daily bread.

“The more you have, the happier you will be,” seems to define the false values of many people in our modern world. For them, the pursuit of wealth is too often associated with the pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately, many find out too late that a lifestyle of rampant materialism and individualism fueled by greed is full of nothing more than empty promises and dead ends. The socalled “lifestyles of the rich and famous” may bring earthly comfort in the short term, but are rarely, if ever, in conformity with the Gospel message.

Because of the departure of Fr. Chris to his new assignment, the times for daily Mass are being changed as of August 3, 2020. Masses will be offered at 6:30 AM on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Masses will be offered at 8:15 AM on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The weekend Mass schedule is not changing at this time. Saturday morning Mass is at 7:30 AM, Saturday evening anticipatory Mass for Sunday is at 5:30 PM, and Sunday Masses are at 7:30 AM, 10:00 AM. and 12:00 noon.

Jesus cure during his years of public ministry? Hundreds? Thousands? The Gospels offer specific stories of the healing of individuals, but we are also told that Jesus went to various towns and villages and cured great crowds of people, either from physical illness or from possession by unclean spirits. Jesus’ heart was moved with pity, not only for individuals, but also for the crowds who came to him.

Starting this month, Our Lady of Fatima Women’s Guild will feature a prayer or an inspirational quote, and a favorite recipe from one of our Guild members. Our intention is to help parishioners through this tough time. If we can inspire you, make you laugh, or brighten your day in any way, then we have done what we intended to do.