Holy Rosary Collection: The collection for Sunday, June 26, 2011 was $153.00.
New Altar Servers: Three new altar servers are preparing, Katelyn, Alethia, and Lotus. Hopefully they will be up and running in the next couple of weeks.
Prayers: Please keep my friends Eric and Dawn in your prayers. Dawn's mother passed away Sunday, June 26. Also, pray for Pat Durbin as he is having a check up done in Anchorage. Pat should be back June 29.
Fr. Nelson's Adventures: While visiting in Bristol Bay, Fr. Nelson was able to fly to King Salmon twice, Naknek, Clarks point twice, and Ekuk. We managed to get locked INSIDE our Cherokee Warrior II and could not get out. We blessed a fishing camp, moved a wood stove into Saint Peter the Fisherman in Clarks Point, and caught a net full of Red Salmon. Please see our website for more: holyrosaryalaska.org.
Mission Definition: Financially, Holy Rosary has three budgets, one for Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Dillingham, one for Saint Theresa (a mission of Holy Rosary), and one for Saint Paul Mission (includes all the other villages in the area).
Have a fantastic week and see you Sunday...Fr. Scott
Homily and Readings:
14th Ord A 2011, Debt, Zechariah 9:9-10; Romans 8:9, 11-13; Matthew 11:25-30
(Show Credit Card) Isn’t it easy to get into financial debt these days? Being a priest, I am not immune from debt. Diocesan priests do not have to take a vow of poverty. However, we must strive for simplicity of life. As a diocesan priest, the parish pays for my car expenses, housing, and food. I am only responsible for my personal expenses, such as entertainment, running shoes, cloths, books, and toothpaste. So I don’t have a lot of large expenses except for my I Alaska student loan.
Currently I receive a stipend of about 1,400 per month after taxes. Two years ago it was 700 per month. I get more, but I have to pay small business tax, which comes out to about 450 per month. I try to save half of my stipend for my retirement. I have five IRA Roth mutual funds. I also own five acres of land in central Oregon, which overlooks the Cascade Mountains.
Before becoming a priest, I was always in debt. Financial debt dictated my life. Financial debt stresses me out. When I am in debt, I panic, and worry…it is like a huge weight on my shoulders.
We deal with debt everyday. Believe it or not, our spiritual lives are based on debt. We are all in debt to God. God chose us to belong to him. We are dependent on God for everything we need.
Being in debt financially means the deeper in dept the worse off we are. Spiritual debt is different. The deeper in debt we are, the better off we are. Here is why.
By definition, debtors are the poor of spirit, the humble, and the meek. The poor cannot own, rule, or conquer. God prefers the childlike and the powerless. The poor are truly deep in dept to God for everything.
In the reading from Romans, Paul tells us “because we have the Spirit of Christ we are debtors of God.” We are under obligation to God alone…we belong to God…Everyone is in God’s debt!
There is immense hope when we are in debt to God. Spiritual debt is fantastic because it has huge payoffs. God will NEVER abandon us. Our sins will always be forgiven if we are sorry for them and we ask. The deeper in spiritual debt we get, the more we rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance…the more we pray…the more truly we believe…the more strongly we hope…the more generously we will receive.
Being in debt to God is the only true freedom in life. Debt actually frees us.
Here is a thought…the more spiritual debt we get into, the less financial debt we have…well, its just a thought. It definitely held true for me.
In the gospel Jesus is talking to those of us who have very little spiritual debt. He tells us, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened and you will find rest.
One thing is for sure: it is easy to get into financial debt. It is a bit tougher to get into spiritual debt. But here is how we do it! We do it by sticking up for our Catholic Faith…By being generous with our time and our God given gifts. We get deeper into spiritual debt by loving our enemies.
Here is how to max out our spiritual visa cards: The greatest offering we can make to God is to strive for peace and harmony among fellow Christians. Work toward being united with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This week, get deeper into debt with God and get a huge refund. For my yolk is easy…says our lord…and my burden is light (611 Words).
Zechariah 9:9-10
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, Meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; The warrior's bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Romans 8:9, 11-13
But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you. Consequently, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Matthew 11:25-30
At that time Jesus said in reply, "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
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