15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Farewell to Father Paul

This is our last weekend with Father Paul as our associate pastor. At 12:15pm Sunday, you can join a drive-by farewell parade at St. Joseph the Worker celebrating Fr. Paul. Enter the upper school parking lot from Lombard Street. Volunteers will be there to help you.
 

The Readings

First Reading Isaiah 55:10-11

The Lord says: “My word is like the snow and the rain that come down from the sky to water the earth. They make the crops grow and provide seed for planting and food to eat. So also will be the word that I speak—it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do everything I send it to do.”

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14 – The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
 

Second Reading Romans 8:18-23

Brothers and sisters: I consider that what we suffer at this present time cannot be compared at all with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. All of creation waits with eager longing for God to reveal his children. For creation was condemned to lose its purpose, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. Yet there was the hope that creation itself would one day be set free from its slavery to decay and would share the glorious freedom of the children of God. For we know that up to the present time all of creation groans with pain, like the pain of childbirth. But it is not just creation alone which groans; we who have the Spirit as the first of God’s gifts also groan within ourselves as we wait for God to make us his children and set our whole being free.

Gospel Matthew 13:1-23

That same day Jesus left the house and went to the lakeside, where he sat down to teach. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it, while the crowd stood on the shore. He used parables to tell them many things. “Once there was a man who went out to sow grain. As he scattered the seed in the field, some of it fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some of it fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The seeds soon sprouted, because the soil wasn’t deep. But when the sun came up, it burned the young plants; and because the roots had not grown deep enough, the plants soon dried up. Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes, which grew up and choked the plants. But some seeds fell in good soil, and the plants bore grain: some had one hundred grains, others sixty, and others thirty.” And Jesus concluded, “Listen, then, if you have ears!”

Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?” Jesus answered, “The knowledge about the secrets of the Kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. For the person who has something will be given more, so that he will have more than enough; but the person who has nothing will have taken away from him even the little he has. The reason I use parables in talking to them is that they look, but do not see, and they listen, but do not hear or understand. So the prophecy of Isaiah applies to them: ‘This people will listen and listen, but not understand; they will look and look, but not see, because their minds are dull, and they have stopped up their ears have closed their eyes. Otherwise, their eyes would see, their ears would hear, minds would understand, and they would turn to me, says God, and I would heal them.’

“As for you, how fortunate you are! Your eyes see and your ears hear. I assure you that many prophets and many of God’s people wanted very much to see what you see, but they could not, and to hear what you hear, but they did not.

“Listen, then, and learn what the parable of the sower means. Those who hear the message about the Kingdom but do not understand it are like the seeds that fell along the path. The Evil One comes and snatches away what was sown in them. The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who receive the message gladly as soon as they hear it. But it does not sink deep into them, and they don’t last long. So when trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they give up at once. The seeds that fell among thorn bushes stand for those who hear the message; but the worries about this life and the love for riches choke the message, and they don’t bear fruit. And the seeds sown in the good soil stand for those who hear the message and understand it: they bear fruit, some as much as one hundred, others sixty, and others thirty.”

Prayers of the Faithful

God loves each one of us and wants us to be in the harvest of eternal glory with him, so we bring our needs to him.

• For all members of the church to find the grace to grow where we find ourselves and to produce as much fruit as we can through helping others. We pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.
• For all nations to seek peaceful and just solutions to disputes within their borders and between separate nations. We pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.
• For success for Fr. Tom and Fr. Paul and Fr. Jim Miller as they move on to their new roles and assignments. We pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.
• For Fr. Jim Goerend as he joins us as our new pastor. We pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.
• For those who have the COVID-19 virus, who are caring for those with the virus or who love someone infected with the disease. We pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.
• For Layla Sisler and her family as they celebrate baptism this weekend, We pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.
• For Don Ruden; Robert & James Willis; John A. Baumgartner; Todd Faley; Family of Ron & Marge Larson; Elaine Van Otegham; Marvin & Brett Connolly; David & Judy Ochs; John & Polly Splinter; Jim Kircher; and all who are called into eternal joy. We Pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.

God of never failing love and compassion, you provide us with all we need to grow and thrive in the life of discipleship. Hear our prayers that in studying your word and living lives of service to you and our neighbor, we might come to life everlasting. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Spiritual Communion Prayer

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

A Prayer for During the Pandemic

Holy Virgin of Guadalupe,
Queen of the Angels and Mother of the Americas.
We turn to you today as your beloved children.
We ask you to intercede for us with your Son,
as you did at the wedding in Cana.

Pray for us, loving Mother,
and gain for our nation and world,
and for all our families and loved ones,
the protection of your holy angels,
that we may be spared the worst of this illness.

For those already afflicted,
we ask you to obtain the grace of healing and deliverance.
Hear the cries of those who are vulnerable and fearful,
wipe away their tears and help them to trust.

In this time of trial and testing,
teach all of us in the Church to love one another and to be patient and kind.
Help us to bring the peace of Jesus to our land and to our hearts.

We come to you with confidence,
knowing that you truly are our compassionate mother,
health of the sick and cause of our joy.

Shelter us under the mantle of your protection,
keep us in the embrace of your arms,
help us always to know the love of your Son, Jesus. Amen.