From The Pastor’s Desk

Last weekend in the Gospel from Luke we heard one of the most endearing of the parables, the Prodigal Son. Jesus used simple word-pictures to help people understand who God is and what his kingdom or reign is like. Jesus’ teachings used images and characters taken from the everyday life and world around Him to create a drama to illustrate his message.

Over a third of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke contain parables told by Jesus. His parables challenge us to discover what God is like and moves us to make a response to God’s love and truth. Remember a picture can take the place of a thousand words. In His parables Jesus painted vivid pictures with short, simple and ordinary everyday events of His time. The parables of the mustard seed, a determined woman looking for her lost coin, a barren fig tree, the pearl of great price, the uninvited wedding guests, the good Samaritan, the ten brides maids, the list goes on and on.

Jesus’ parables may have been for a specific time and place, but they to speak of timeless realities to people of every time and place. Jesus used parables to help the listener to search and discover the deeper meaning and underlying truth of the reality being portrayed. Most, but not all, parables bring out a lesson or a moral. Jesus also used parables to teach important truths about God and his kingdom and lessons pertaining to the way of life and happiness which God has for us. Jesus’ audience would have been very familiar with stories containing fig trees, wineskins, oil lamps, money, stewards, judges, wedding parties; these were illustrations of everyday life. Today we may have to do some “homework” to understand the social customs described.

Jesus’ parables have a double meaning. First, there is the literal meaning, apparent to anyone who has experience with the subject matter. There also is a deeper meaning about God’s truth and His kingdom. The parables often involve an element of surprise or an unexpected twist. We may be taken off guard and have to take a second look. That is truly the gift of the parables, when the story challenges us and invites us to further reflection.

It is interesting that Jesus tells his disciples that not everyone would understand his parables. Jesus was aware that some people would refuse to understand them and that they would close their hearts to what He was saying. God can only reveal the secrets of His kingdom to the humble and trusting person who acknowledges the need for God and for His truth. It is important not to get bogged down in the details of the parable, it is the main point that counts. Jesus meant for His parables to provoke a response.

Youth Activities

TODAY, Sunday, Sept 22nd from 6:30-8:30 PM, St. Agnes Youth will sponsor a bonfire. All youth in grades 8- 12 are invited to join us for hot dogs, s'mores, music and stories by the firepit. We will be gathering by the priest garage in the grassy area by the parking lot. Free food and Father Joseph promises to share his musical ability on the guitar. Bring a friend and a lawn chair or blanket. All are invited, no cost, but bring a drink and a snack to share. Wednesday, October 9th, 6:30-8:00pm, Movie night in the cafeteria. Mark your calendar! More details to come.

SENIORS OF ST AGNES AND THEIR FAMILIES

On Friday, October 4 at 1:00pm in the Dining Room, representatives for SENIOR RESOURCE NETWORK OF THE OZARKS will be present to inform, and answer questions, regarding resources in our community. In the past, a lawyer dealing with wills and probate, a financial advisor, a pharmacist, a Medicare Insurance specialist, car insurance agent and people from health care and/or hospice have spoken to us. Although they represent individual businesses, there has NEVER been any pressure at the meeting to use them specifically, and they are always informative.

School is out at noon that day so parking will be easier. Please call the office if you plan to attend the meeting. There will be a free catered luncheon for those present. Donations accepted. If you have any questions call me at 831-3565, ext.103.

S. Elizabeth Ann

UNITY GATHERING

Join Bishop Edward Rice at the Annual Unity on Division Gathering, Saturday, September 28, 11am to 3pm, at Tom Watkins Park in Springfield, where he will preach on the theological virtue of Hope (1 Corinthians 13) as part of the opening prayer service at 11am. The prayer service will include a blessing of the Mayor, the Chief of Police, the Sheriff of Greene County, as well as other officials.

There will be free food, music, children's rides and games, along with Gospel music. The purpose of the event, which has drawn thousands of attendees in past years and has over 25 participating congregations, is to bring together in the unity of Christ all those who profess His name, and to bring people of every race and economic class together and break down our fear of the "other."

From The Pastor’s Desk

Last Sunday at the 8:30 Mass 14 of our young people began their preparation for celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation. They will spend these months whether here at St. Agnes grade school or PSR classes and at home with their parents to study the sacrament and Christ’s great love for us.

St. Mary Magdalene, is called "The Penitent." She was given this name because, after Jesus cleansed her of her seven demons, she felt penitent concerning her past life. She confessed her sins and became one of Jesus' closest followers during his ministry, witnessing the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. Mary Magdalene loved Jesus and was much loved by Him; she was one of the first people He showed Himself to after His resurrection.

What I take from Mary's life is that repentance is a strong step on our way to conversion toward Christ and living in His heavenly kingdom after we die. Repentance can be scary, as we all know. Something inside each of us tells us that we shouldn't tell anyone about a sin we have just committed. We're scared because we might be ridiculed or vilified. This is the work of Satan. He knows that if we don't confess our sins to a priest, we can never be truly penitent and be reunited with God. He wants us to fall into Hell with him for spite—spite toward God.

So why is it that when we get to church for confession we may still feel nervous? We might be embarrassed that we failed to follow God again or that the priest might say, "What? The same sin again?" We say to ourselves, "If I confess this particular sin to the priest, he may never look at me the same way again. He might shun me socially because of something he heard in the confessional." As a confessor I forget almost as soon as the penitent person leaves. It sounds like a sort of heaven-sent amnesia so that the priest doesn't feel overburdened hearing everyone's sins!

Here is another point of view: Think about how you feel after confession. Do you instantly feel better in some way? Maybe you feel lighter, happier, or more joyful after you come out of the confessional. Maybe a smile comes to your face, knowing that all things are right and you are once again square with God in the soul department. I know that after confession I feel right as rain; these feelings and knowing that God and I are back on the best of terms just makes me feel saintly, at least until I stumble again.

What I'm trying to say is that confession is an awesome gift that God has given us! He knows that we are not perfect and that we all fall short in following him. However, through His Son who died for our sins, we are able to return to God. Why wouldn't we want to always be as close to God as we can? Therefore, "Be Not Afraid!" The sacrament of penance gives us the opportunity to become closer to God. Our schedules are busy, but God is always available, waiting to forgive and take away our sins so that we can joyfully continue on our journey toward Him. Mary Magdalene is a beautiful example and guide in our lives as Christians.

Thank you to the Knights of Columbus Council for their work in trimming and cleaning up around the Cathedral.

UNITY GATHERING

Join Bishop Edward Rice at the Annual Unity on Division Gathering, Saturday, September 28, 11am to 3pm, at Tom Watkins Park in Springfield, where he will preach on the theological virtue of Hope (1 Corinthians 13) as part of the opening prayer service at 11am. The prayer service will include a blessing of the Mayor, the Chief of Police, the Sheriff of Greene County, as well as other officials.

There will be free food, music, children's rides and games, along with Gospel music. The purpose of the event, which has drawn thousands of attendees in past years and has over 25 participating congregations, is to bring together in the unity of Christ all those who profess His name, and to bring people of every race and economic class together and break down our fear of the "other."

WE ARE CALLED

Fr. Michael Gaitley’s program, 33 Days to Merciful Love, will explain St Therese of Lisieux’ spiritual journey. So plan to join our 6-week program Monday, October 7 in the Upper Room. You can register by calling the office at 831-3565 or me at 889-7052. You will also be able to register at the Stewardship Fair on Sept. 28/29.

The Stewardship Fair is going to be terrific this year. Gary Herman and Fr. Lewis have great plans. You will be amazed to see how many ministries we have at our parish and how many parishioners are busy, busy. We all need to feel very, very proud of our parish

Ginny Smithberg

Knights of Columbus Breakfast:

Our first breakfast after summer break will be next Sunday (the 22nd) after the 7:00 & 8:30 Masses. We will serve ham, sausage, eggs, and biscuits and gravy. Come join us for this free event. Remember, donations are directed to our Parish seminarian (Jesse Hiett).

From The Pastor’s Desk

Two years ago the Diocese sent out the new guidelines for the Sacrament of Confirmation. These guidelines have

been a decade in process. We as pastors and religious educators began the discussion on Confirmation years before I

came to St. Agnes. Here at St. Agnes we slowly began to implement the changes two years ago. The Sacrament of

Confirmation is truly the Sacrament of the Holy Spirit. It is the third and final Sacrament of Initiation, Baptism, Eucharist

and Confirmation.

St. Ignatius of Antioch who died at the beginning of the second century spoke of the Holy Spirit as a fountain of

living water springing up within his heart whispering, “Come, come to the Father.” Yet this power, the grace of the Holy

Spirit is not something we can merit or achieve, but only receive as pure gift. God’s love can only fill us, strengthen us

when it is allowed to change us from within.

That is why prayer is so important: daily prayer, private prayer, liturgical prayer. In the power of the Holy Spirit,

Jesus is always present in our hearts, quietly waiting for us to be still with him, to hear his voice, to receive his power

through his special gifts. Gifts given at Baptism, but not fully complete until we ask for those gifts in the Sacrament of

Confirmation.

I ask all of us, “What will you leave to the next generation?” Are you building your lives on firm foundations,

building on something that will endure? In the two countries of Georgia and Armenia which I visited some years ago with

my nephew, I watched cities whose streets I walked being destroyed by war the next year. The world and all that this

culture and society holds dear, is very shaky. Are we living our lives in a way that opens up space for the Holy Spirit? In

the midst of a world that wants to forget God or even rejects God in the name of a falsely conceived freedom. What

legacy will we leave to the young people that are in K or 1st grade? As I drive through Missouri State University, I

wonder what our world will be like for those students in 10-15 years. Through the fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit

we can make a difference in our troubled world. The outpouring of Christ’s Spirit upon the human race is a pledge of

hope and deliverance from that which would bring us crashing down. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can become a

generation of Christians called to build a better world in which God’s gift of life is welcomed. Those of us already

confirmed and those who will be confirmed are challenged to open our/their lives to the Holy Spirit. To build an age in

which love is not greedy or self-seeking. One open to others, respectful of their dignity and seeking their good. This is

what the Sacrament of Confirmation is all about.

SAVE THE DATE!

PCCW planning meeting for Stewardship Fair on Tuesday, September 10th at 9:15am in the Dining Room.

GETTING READY FOR THE PARISH BAZAAR!

WANTED...Vendors for our annual bazaar which will be Nov. 2 & 3. If you have a craft or business or know of anyone who does, we would love to have you spend the weekend with us. Please spread the word. The more, the merrier. All information can be obtained from Judy Hauschildt at judyhauschildt@gmail.com, or 1 (641) 751- 6632.

YOUTH FAITH FORMATION UPDATES

PSR

Sunday, September 8 -CLOW resumes at 8:30am Mass,

PSR resumes from 10-11am in the school. Still time to

register for PSR. All are welcome. We do have a class for

special needs which is taught by a certified instructor.

Confirmation

All young people in grades 8-12 who plan to be

Confirmed should attend the first session with a parent on

Sunday, Sept 8th beginning at 3:30pm in the

cafeteria. All those who wish to be confirmed

should have been enrolled in a Catholic School

or been attending PSR classes the year prior to

the special Confirmation sessions that will begin in

September. During this introductory session on Sept 8th

candidates & parents will receive information about the

process of Confirmation which will take place in March of

2020 here at St. Agnes.

First Reconciliation

All children and their families are encouraged to attend

the special Mass of enrollment on Sunday, Sept 8th at

8:30am. Children beginning their preparations for the this

special sacrament will be recognized at this Mass.

A session for parents who have children receiving the

Sacrament of Reconciliation will be held Tues, Sept 10th at

6:30pm in the dining room. All parents should attend

whether their child attends Catholic School, PSR classes or

are home schooled.

If you have any questions about any of these youth faith

formation events, please contact Iris Bounds at the parish

office 831-3565 or by email ibounds@sta-cathedral.org

Youth Baking

All youth are invited to help bake cookies for Harmony

House on Wed, Sept 11th at 6:30pm in the dining room.

We will also discuss the book "Did Adam and Eve have

Belly Buttons." All are invited to come join in the fun; bake

for a good cause and gain a bit of knowledge.

Youth: Mark your calendar for Sunday, Sept 22nd,

6:30pm. Come sing around the fire pit with Fr. Joseph and

enjoy s’mores. More details to follow.

From The Pastor’s Desk

This coming Monday we celebrate Labor Day. Sometimes we lose sight of why we have a “free” day from our normal jobs. For a lot of people, Labor Day means two things: a day off and the end of summer. But why is it called Labor Day and not the End of Summer Day? Labor Day is a day set aside to pay tribute to working men and women. It has been celebrated as a national holiday in the United States and Canada since 1894. It matters not what kind of workers: factory workers, professionals, farmers, housewives, or county, state, or federal workers. All people who work to earn their way in life have made this a stronger nation. That is what we are celebrating on Labor Day.

Over the last 150 years people have come from many different nations of the world seeking a better life. My grandparents were among those immigrating from one of the old Eastern European countries. The immigrants worked hard and found their dream–a better life for themselves and their children. One part of that dream was food. The United States had/has the ability to grow enough food to feed its own population and more. We may not be able to grow everything we have come to enjoy, but we would not starve if all the food coming into our country was halted. That cannot be said of most countries of the world.

Even with all of our social problems today, we still have a high quality of life by the standards of most of the world’s population. We can open our refrigerators and find foods in season and out of season. Foods grown here in the Midwest, on the east coast, the west coast, from Mexico or South America find their way to our grocery store shelves. The products we purchase in our stores come from all over the world. We drive to work in our air-conditioned cars, and we press a button to raise the heat in our homes during winter months. We turn a lever or press a button and fresh drinking water comes out of the faucet. Americans spend more money on entertainment throughout the year than most people make in a year. We also waste more food and clean water than most people have to live on throughout the year.

While we complain about the prices of food and utilities, we need to be thankful that we have the money to buy these necessities, because in many areas of the world, people simply do not have jobs to buy food and medicine for their

families. However, on Saturday morning I watched someone crawl out of our dumpster. We are beginning to see some of those realities here in our country as the number of homeless grows. Hopefully we remember to thank God for all he has given you and me. Regardless of how hard our lives may be, it is unlikely that we will ever be going through the city dumps looking for scraps of food to eat.

To all those who are retired, I thank each of you for your many years of hard work. For all who are working today I thank you also. In one way or another you are making my country/our country–this great land we call home–a better place in which to live.

You are invited to First Friday Adoration in the Chapel on September 6th from 6-8pm. Come and spend 30 minutes with our Lord

WE ARE CALLED

So here’s what happened to Therese of Lisieux. In 1997 she became one of only 33 Doctors of the Church(at that time). Fr. Michael Gaitley’s program, 33 Days to Merciful Love, will explain her spiritual journey. We may not become Doctors of the Church but getting to heaven sounds perfect. So don’t forget to note Oct. 7 in the Upper Room. You can register by calling the office at 831-3565 or me at 889- 7052. You will also be able to register at the Stewardship Fair on Sept. 28/29. Ginny Smithberg

GETTING READY FOR THE PARISH BAZAAR!

WANTED...Vendors for our annual bazaar which will be Nov. 2 & 3. If you have a craft or business or know of anyone who does, we would love to have you spend the weekend with us. Please spread the word. The more, the merrier. All information can be obtained from Judy Hauschildt at judyhauschildt@gmail.com, or 1 (641) 751- 6632

Women of Faith Invites You to Join

Women of Faith will gather Wednesday, September 4, at Life House for noon Mass. Following Mass join us for lunch at Village Inn, Republic and Campbell. Please call Katie Williams, 883-5181, for more information and to let us know you are coming.

From The Pastor’s Desk

I came across an article this past week on why ministers leave ministry in protestant churches. The article took a look at hundreds of preachers and pastors and what they had to say and the reasons they left their churches and ministry. There was no information on Catholic priests in this survey, we do leave the active ministry; we are not immune to the stresses of ministry. BUT there is a difference, and I would like to address several differences.

In many of the non-Catholic faiths, a board of directors, or deacons; hire and fire their ministers. This puts a tremendous about of stress on the minister. Ministers in those denominations are contracted on their ability to perform, fill the pews and the bank account. The large mega “churches” have huge operating expenses as they have all types of paid personnel performing all types of ministry. If the people are not happy with the message or the leadership of the pastor, he/she can be fired. The Sunday service is built around the pastor’s sermon and many times great music; and today, many use the latest technology for sound and sight.

Within the Catholic Faith and Sunday Mass is found a liturgy that traces its beginning back to the Last Supper. It is not built upon music, technology or the latest trends. It is the participating in a “living memorial”, which puts us at the table of the Last Supper with Christ Himself. In the fast paced, technological age in which we live, so many people want an instant spirituality or an entertainment religion. The Lord moves slowly in our lives, and it takes a lifetime to build that solid spiritual relationship. The latest trends are actually that: trends, and they will be gone tomorrow. The Liturgy of the Mass may be boring at times to people, but so is going to work every day for 40 years, or school every morning for students. Do we simply allow our young people to stay at home and not go to school because they find it boring, or do adults simply quit their jobs and lay around the house?

In the article 90% of pastors report working between 55 to 75 hours a week, and 70% of pastors felt underpaid. Up to 90% of pastors felt they were inadequately trained to cope with ministry demand and up to 90% said that ministry was completely different than what they thought it would be like. Many pastors, up to 70% constantly fight depression and 50% of pastors would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living, of caring for their families.

The statistics speak for themselves, working in ministry whether as a Catholic priest, or a non-Catholic pastor can be challenging. These statistics came from the Schaeffer Institute. Some of the reasons given could be said of Catholic priests, but we are to be men of prayer and leaders of worship within the sacramental life of the church.

Our Catholic Faith is built upon Sacred Scripture and Tradition that can be traced back to the founding Apostles. If we get bored with the Mass, perhaps we need to look at ourselves in the mirror and ask, “what we are putting into the celebration?” Are we reading the scripture readings before mass? Do we come racing into the liturgy at the last moment or even after mass has begun, or go racing out to something else before the mass is concluded? Do we look to be entertained rather than pray and worship God??? The Catholic Mass embraces the mystery of our loving God who sent His Son to die for us. It celebrates that love in an ancient ritual with music, scripture, incense, vestments, liturgical movement that is counter cultural in our society today.

SAVE THE DATE!

PCCW planning meeting for Stewardship Fair on Tuesday, September 10th at 9:15am in the Dining Room.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

The next Knights monthly meeting will be Monday, August 26th in the School Band Room at 7:00pm. We will discuss plans for the upcoming school year. All Knights are invited.

Confirmation Session:

An informational meeting for those planning to be confirmed in 2020 will be held Sunday, Sept 8th, at 3:30 pm in the cafeteria. Confirmation for youth will include those in 8th grade through high school. More information to follow.