Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Zechariah 9:9-10 Romans 8:9, 11-13 Matthew 11:25-30
Meditation:
Do you want to know the mind and heart of God? Jesus thanks the Father in heaven for revealing to his followers the wisdom and knowledge of God. What does Jesus’ prayer tell us about God and about our relationship with him? First, it tells us that God is both Father and Lord of the earth as well as heaven. He is both the Creator and Author of all that he has made the first origin of everything. His authority, wisdom, and gracious care extends to every living thing, and his boundless love and goodness is directed to the welfare of each person made in his image and likeness. He is the source of all human life. That is why all fatherhood and motherhood is ultimately derived from him (Ephesians 3:14-15).
Pride – the root of sin
Jesus‘ prayer contrasts the “wisdom of the world” with the wisdom which comes from above – from the Father of heaven who is all wise and good. Jesus’ prayer contains an implicit warning that pride can keep us from the love and knowledge of God. What makes us ignorant and blind to the wisdom of God? Certainly intellectual pride, coldness of heart, and stubbornness of will shut out God and his wise rule and fatherly care for our personal lives. Pride is the root of all vice and evil and the strongest influence propelling us to sin against God and to do wrong to our neighbor. Sinful pride first vanquishes the heart, making it cold and indifferent towards God. It also closes the mind to God’s truth and wisdom for our lives. What is pride’s flaw? It is the inordinate love of oneself at the expense of others and the exaggerated estimation of one’s own knowledge, power, importance and position over others.
This week and next Matthew refers to “little ones.” Who are the little ones in these scriptures today? The woman cares for Elisha in his time of need. Elisha cares for the woman in her time of need. The “little ones” are anyone in need, in whom we are to see the face of Christ himself. Who are the little ones in your community? How are you called to reach out to them and care for their needs? What willing sacrifice will you have to make? What will be the reward?
Your spiritually adopted baby was born this month – – nine months after her mother conceived her. The only change at birth is a change in the external life support system of the baby. She is no different now than she was before birth except that she breathes and eats differently. She is truly a miracle. She began as a 46-chromosome cell and has grown over the past nine months into this unique human baby we now can see. Never before in history, nor ever again, will anyone exist who is exactly like your spiritually adopted baby. Your prayers saved her life. Thank you on behalf of all of the little babies and their parents for your loving prayers that helped to bring them to birth “so that they might have life and have it to the full!”
St. Ann offers Religious Education & Youth Ministry classes for children and teens, for grades Pre-K (3-4 yrs.) thru High School Confirmation Class. Registration for the 2017-2018 RE/YM school year is now open!
Both new and returning families must register to attend classes. Parents/Legal Guardians may stop by the RE Office during regular business hours (June and July: Monday thru Friday, 8am – 3:30pm) to fill out a registration form and make payment. 
Next week, our special collection will be for Peter’s Pence, which provides Pope Francis with the funds he needs to carry out his charitable works around the world.
We Catholics seem to be in constant need of reminders. That is why today’s Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is so important for us. Just as the ancient Israelites needed Moses’ reminder concerning all that God had done for them, so, too, we need the reminders today’s festival issues. The proper entrance antiphon for today’s Mass sums it all up: “The Lord fed his people with the finest wheat and honey; their hunger was satisfied.”
St. Joseph is the patron saint of fathers, and the ideal saint to feature for Father’s Day. As the step-father of Jesus, the Messiah, and the husband of Mary, the Blessed Mother, Joseph stands out as the father above all other fathers in the New Testament. It was an indescribable honor for him to stand in for God the Father to bring up the Son of God. In order to respond to such a high calling, Joseph lived an exemplary life, and set the standard for every father who came after him. Fathers who want to live their vocation well should take their cues from Joseph.
