MEDITATION

Sunday, August 20, 2017

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

See Worship Book 922

My house shall be called a house of prayer. (Isaiah 56:7)

Around the year AD 350, a popular and powerful bishop named John Chrysostom preached a series of sermons on the Sacrament of Marriage. John had been inspired by St. Paul’s letters to describe for his congregation the beauty of marriage and family life. He called it a wonderful path to holiness. He spoke about the way each spouse is called to be like Jesus—selflessly giving all that they have to their spouse and family and to love their family with the same dedication that Jesus has for his Church (Ephesians 5:25). Chrysostom told his congregation that God wants every family to see themselves as a “little church,” a sacred place where Christ is honored and where each family member is drawn to deeper holiness. He urged his people to keep their marriages pure and to guard their children’s faith against the corrupting influences of the world. So moving were his sermons that more than 1,500 years later, the Fathers of Vatican II called Catholics to see their families as “domestic churches.” God wants all of us to see our homes as miniature versions of the Church. Every home is meant to be a place of peace and love, a place of humility and service. It’s meant to be a house of prayer, a place where Jesus is welcomed and reverenced. May we all stand firm against any philosophy that reduces our homes to marketplaces or to merely functional living situations. May we all find creative ways to incorporate prayer in our homes—whether that means praying one decade of a Rosary each evening or reading a psalm together every morning. May we make it a point to express our love and appreciation to each other with our words and with warm embraces. It doesn’t take much to make our homes into houses of prayer. It just takes a willing heart and an openness to God’s blessing. Even if we make mistakes along the way, we can be sure that we will make progress.

“Lord, show us how to love each other as you love the Church.”

Reprinted with permission from The Word Among Us

St. Louis Church Parish Family Picnic Our parish family picnic on August 27 at Cherokee Park in St. Paul is rapidly approaching! Please join us for fellowship, food and fun. Admission to the picnic is free. To help us plan the meal, purchase your food tickets following the weekend Masses or by calling the Parish Office at 651-224-3379. If anyone is having difficulty affording the cost of the meal, please call the Parish Office and we can help. We look forward to seeing you there. Online Donations are now available As part of the new website for St. Louis Church you can now donate online. Just visit our website at www.stlouiskingoffrance.org and click on the Dedications/Donations tab. Then follow the instructions for Online Giving, Honorary Bell Ringing, Mass Intentions, Foundation For The Future and Music Sponsorship. Congratulations to Mary Ellen Sylvester and Mark EL-Dweek who were joined in the Holy Sacrament of Matrimony at St. Louis Church this past weekend.

SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THE WEEK

Monday, August 21 Judges 2:11-19; Psalm 106:34-37,39-40,43-44; Matthew 19:16-22 Tuesday, August 22 Judges 6:11-24; Psalm 85:9,11-14; Matthew 19:23-30 Wednesday, August 23 Judges 9:6-15; Psalm 21:2-7; Matthew 20:1-16 Thursday, August 24 Revelation 21:9-14; Psalm 145:10-13,17-18; John 1:45-51 Friday, August 25 Ruth 1:1,3-6,14-16,22; Psalm 146:5-10; Matthew 22:34-40 Saturday, August 26 Ruth 2:1-3,8-11; 4:13-17; Psalm 128:1-5; Matthew 23:1-12 Sunday, August 27 Isaiah 22:15, 19-23; Psalm 138:1-3,6,8; Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20

TODAY’S MUSIC

ENTRANCE HYMN 610 How good the name of Jesus sounds

RESPONSORIAL PSALM 922 O God, O God, let all the nations praise you!

POSTCOMMUNION HYMN 606 My Shepherd will supply my need

CHORAL MUSIC AT THE 11:00 AM MASS

Give almes of thy goods Christopher Tye (c. 1505-1572) Give almes of thy goods, and turn never thy face from any poor man: and then the face of the Lord shall not be turned away from thee. — from Tobit 4.

O quam suavis Sebastián de Vivanco (1551-1622)

O how sweet is thy spirit, Lord, thou who, in order to demonstrate thy sweetness to thy children, sent down from heaven the sweetest bread unsurpassed, filling the hungry with good things, sending away empty the disdainful rich!

— Antiphon for Corpus Christi.

OPEN BELL DATES: The following dates are still open in August and September for anyone wishing to have the bells rung in memory or in honor of a loved one: August 31st. September 1st-2nd, 4th-6th, 20th, 22nd-24th, 26th, 29th and 30th. Please call the rectory during office hours to make arrangements.

MASS INTENTIONS

Monday, August 21 St. Pius X 6:45 †Mildred Scheidnes 12:10 Veronica Sellman Tuesday, August 22 The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary 6:45 †Robert “Bob” Bussen 12:10 The Wohler Family Wednesday, August 23 St. Rose of Lima 6:45 Refugees and Exiles 12:10 Bob Ferrante Thursday, August 24 St. Bartholomew 6:45 Jude Franko 12:10 Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life Friday, August 25 St. Louis King of France, St. Joseph Calasanz 6:45 Parishioners and Friends of St. Louis Church 12:10 Parishioners and Friends of St. Louis Church Saturday, August 26 6:45 †John Joseph Kelly 5:00 Respect for Life Sunday, August 27 Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time 7:00 Living and Deceased Parishioners of St. Louis Church 9:15 †Hugh Samuel 11:00 †Gerald Ernster 12:30 Tim Tibesar

PARISH CALENDAR Wednesday, August 23 Eucharistic Exposition 12:35pm-2:00pm Friday August 25 Feast of St. Louis King of France Patron Saint of the Little French Church Sunday, August 27 Parish Family Picnic 1pm- 6pm Cherokee Park in St. Paul

Please visit St. Louis Church’s new website to view a variety of parish information and photos

www.stlouiskingoffrance.org Air Conditioning Collection This Weekend Our Air Conditioning collection has been moved to this weekend August 19th and 20th in order to accommodate our Mission Co-op speaker from the Franciscan Brothers of Peace who spoke at all of the Masses last weekend. Feast of St. Louis, King of France We will commemorate the Feast of our Patron, St. Louis, King of France (August 25th) with the St. Louis Choir singing a special Mass at the 11:00am Mass on Sunday, August 27 in the Church.

Pro – Life Action Ministries Sidewalk Counseling and Training Seminar If you can hand someone a brochure, you can help save a life. Attend this seminar and learn how to save babies from abortion and help their families by peacefully reaching out in love to those entering abortion centers. Prayer supporters are also needed and are welcome to attend this seminar Tuesday, September 5th 7:00-9:00p.m. at St. John Vianney Seminary, University of St. Thomas 2110 Selby Avenue. For questions or to register, contact Debra Braun, who has been sidewalk counseling for 35 years. debra.braun@plam.org or 651-797-6364. Grocery Shopping If it is unsafe for you to get out and purchase your own groceries or if an illness or physical challenges make grocery shopping difficult, Store to Door is a non-profit providing grocery shopping and delivery service serving homebound elderly throughout the seven county metro area. Store to Door serves over 1500 Twin Cities metro area clients per year shopping from six Cub Foods locations. Store to Door believes that people should age with dignity by working to enhance your ability to live independently through their service. To inquire or register, please call 651-642-1892. Ushers Thank you to the current group of women and men at our Masses who help usher. We are in need of more ushers at all of our Masses. If you attend a particular Mass each week and would be kind enough to help usher it would be greatly appreciated. Please call our volunteer Coordinator for Ushers Brendan Cohen 651-336-4640. First Holy Communion and Confirmation Do you have a son or daughter who will be making their First Holy Communion or Confirmation this coming school year? Please call the Parish Office at 651-224-3379 and let us know. Altar Servers St. Louis Church is looking for Altar Server boys and girls to assist at our 9:15 and 11:00 Masses on Sundays. Servers should be at least third grade or older. We will provide the necessary training. Please contact the parish office at 651-224-3379. Restoration Collection Next Sunday There will be a second collection next weekend to help with the expenses incurred by the extraordinary maintenance and repair projects recently completed and currently underway. Expenses to date $102,050.28 Monies collected to date $61,901.61 Amount yet needed $40,148.67

RING OUT, O BELLS… DATE REQUEST FOR INTENTION REQUESTED BY August 21 Robert and Mary Lou O’Connor Wedding Anniversary Jeanine Weschcke August 23 Grace Hadad Happy Birthday John Nasseff and Helene Houle August 24 Kory Lindberg Happy Birthday Nancy and Bruce Lindberg August 27 †Hugh Samuel Wedding Anniversary His Family

Thank you for your continued

support!

“Enrich the harvest of your charity.” PLEASE REMEMBER SAINT LOUIS IN YOUR WILL