Dear Parishioners,

The definition of personal integrity could be living not for reasons which may benefit the individual, but living as to benefit the people one may come in contact with, as well as the world in which one lives. In today’s Gospel, the rulers think they are putting Jesus to the test. If He is the Messiah, the King of the Jews, then He will save himself from crucifixion. And if He does this, His claims will be true. If He refuses to or cannot do this, His claims are false. The rulers motivation and reasoning is carefully captured in a passage from the Book of Wisdom 2:12- 20. I encourage you to take the time to read this passage.

The philosopher, Simone Weil, died very young at the end of the Second World War. She was Jewish, but she loved Christ with a great heart. There is a story that one day a priest watched her as she was gazing on the crucifix in a church and said, “Simone, what do you see when you look at the cross?” She said in reply, “I see God’s apology for all the pain.” What a wonderful understanding: “God’s apology for all the pain.” He could not take away our pain without taking away our freedom, and He created us for freedom, not for slavery. And while He couldn’t take it away, there was only one alternative, to share in our pain. That is why His Son comes down, takes on human flesh, becomes terribly vulnerable, and, in the end, suffers and dies for our sake.

He suffered and we dare to ask, “How could God allow this to happen?” How could God look down and watch His Son destroyed, abandoned, and hated. People going out of their way to show that not only are they going to despise him, but also destroy him. And we continue to ask ourselves, “For what purpose? Why?”

We know the answer from John’s Gospel; “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him may not die, but may have eternal life.” And even through everything, why the great pain? Why did He have to … Why did it have to be so painful? Weil says, “because on the high hill of Calvary, nobody from the beginning of time to the end of time can say anything but, looking into the eyes of the crucified Messiah we would say, ‘He understands.’ ”

Jesus understands. He understood the repentant thief who took the responsibility for the life he choose to live, was finally able to see the error of his ways, and have the courage to ask Jesus to remember him. The thief regained his integrity. The death of Jesus asks us all to examine our own lives. Even for the thief on the cross alongside Jesus, it was not too late. The integrity of Jesus comes crystal clear.

What Jesus said and did during his brief life on this earth were of one accord. He did not seek out death, but He died a martyr, valuing God’s will more than His own life. He lived and He died teaching and living a nonviolent way of life, holding forgiveness and reconciliation to be absolute values that had to be followed at all costs.

When pressure was brought against Him to abandon those values and use whatever powers He had to protect Himself, He refused to do so. This profound integrity lifts Him above all others and reveals to us a forgiving God who will take to Himself when we have the courage to ask.

That is why Jesus, the Christ, is King. Amen!

Peace and All Good,
Fr. Zack

Dear Parishioners,

Saints of God, the Lord be with you!

I was the pastor of St. Francis Parish on Long Beach Island, N.J. during “Superstorm Sandy.” We were told to evacuate the island and to take enough clothes for three days. The Poor Clare Sister’s in Chesterfield, N.J. were gracious enough to give me hospitality, and the rest of the friars and sisters stayed with family and friends. Those three days turned into two months being displaced, as we were unable to return to the island with regularity, except for a few hours one day for a “grab and go” to get more clothes. I was able to get into the main church at that time, which had about three feet of bay water in it. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed not only by the damage, but also by the fact that the people of the parish had been scattered far and wide.

Today’s Gospel according to Luke (21: 5-19) reminds the disciples who are marveling at the costly beauty of the Temple that “there will come a time when there will not be left a stone upon another stone.” To the Jews of His day, this must have been shocking since the Temple was the center of their worship.

If the center was gone, what was to become of them? Jesus warns them of the persecution by the authorities and even more shocking, “by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death.” Despite it all, Jesus reminds them that He, through the Holy Spirit, will guide them and “not a hair of (their) head will be destroyed” if only they persevere.

Talking to visitors after mass, many people comment on the physical beauty of our church. I tell them that even more beautiful are the people who fill the pews, our parishioners. The church is not simply the building. Rather the Church is all of us: the People of God whom God calls to gather together in the church building to worship, to seek forgiveness, to be nourished through our fellowship with one another, the Word, and the Eucharist, so as to be sent back into the world to live the Good News of Christ’s never ending love for us. As that wonderful hymn says, “How beautiful is the Body of Christ”!

As we quickly come to the end of this liturgical year, let’s look back and see how Christ has repaired and continued to rebuild each of us as individuals and as a community of faith. Let’s also look forward to the coming liturgical year with great expectations for what Christ, through His indwelling Holy Spirit will do in and through us for our parish and the wider community. Let us persevere in faith but let us persevere TOGETHER.

Peace and All Good,
Fr. Steve

P. S. When all was said and done, St. Francis Church was renovated and continues to be a beacon of Christ’s love and grace on Long Beach Island.

Dear Parishioners,

With so many events and initiatives within the parish currently underway or in the planning stages, be them advanced or preliminary, I’d like to provide you with some updates to our progress:

– I would like to thank everyone who joined us for our Fall Festival last weekend, and a express a special thanks to Angela Erb, our Event Coordinator, her event planning committee, and all the volunteers who assisted her. I think she and her team did a tremendous job in organizing and coordinating this event.

View Photos from the Fall Festival Here

It was wonderful to see our parishioners able to take part in this gathering again, after the COVID induced pause of these last couple years. The turn out was truly amazing. There are too many volunteers to name individually who helped make this happen and I truly appreciate the time, talent and treasure that they give to our parish. Events like this are only able to happen because of the volunteers willing to help. On behalf of the parish
and staff, I thank you!

– Also happening last Sunday, over at the Cathedral of St. Jude in St. Petersburg, I had the pleasure of joining parishioners Richard and Cindy Burnette as they received the St. Jude the Apostle Medal from Bishop Parkes for extraordinary service to our parish. It was great to see these two being recognized by the diocese for their years of volunteerism and self-giving in support of our parish’s liturgical ministries, faith formation classes, connection to Love INC, and various committees.

– Up at the North Campus, we have had some unforeseen expenses crop up. A new roof was recently installed on Bonaventure Hall, formerly the pre-k building when the school was open. The replacement was not necessitated by any damage from Hurricane Ian, but rather the age, which lead to leaks. The cost to replace the roof was about $18,000. We were fortunate to get this repair done quickly, as many roofers would not even schedule a meeting for a quote, due to the hurricane and the sudden need of roofers and supplies. This expense will impact our budget for this year. We will be renting Bonaventure Hall out to the construction firm that is overseeing the New Robles Park Village redevelopment. The income from this rental will go toward the future renovation of the North Campus’ kitchen.

– The first set of doors in the front of the church are taking a little longer in the restoration process then anticipated, but they are moving along. As I mentioned previously, once the first set are done, we will start on the northern-most set. Keep in mind these doors are original to the building, and are 117 years old. The cost of the door restorations will be just above $34,000. When you have historic buildings, as we do, you will always have repairs going on. The cost of these repairs are covered by your generous donations and our offertory. Everyone loves the beauty of our church and North Campus. If you are able, please consider increasing your weekly donations to help with the restoration, upkeep, and preservation.

– The staff have begun plans to bring back yet another Sacred Heart staple event, and we are excited to announce a date as well. The annual Gala which will return in 2023, taking place on the Yacht Starship on Friday, April 14. This principle fundraising event will also have its proceeds directed toward the renovation of the kitchen at the North Campus. While additional details will be not be released until the new year, I wanted to ensure that parishioners had the opportunity to save the date.

– Each year, before the 4 p.m. Mass on Christmas Eve, our parish hosts a Christmas pageant centered around the Nativity of Our Lord. The pageant is always enthusiastically received, and something our families and visitors look forward to each year. To keep the tradition going, we are looking for some adult volunteers and children to help with this year’s pageant. General requirements include attendance to one rehearsal, and then being present for the 4 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass. To volunteer. please contact Maria Giral.

Pope Francis tweeted in 2013 that “Holiness doesn’t mean doing extraordinary things, but doing ordinary things with love and faith.” We’re certainly seeing that energy within our parish life, and again, I thank you all for your dedication to providing that loving and faith-filled atmosphere.

Peace and All Good,
Fr. Mike

Dear Parishioners,

This October marks the 60th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s landmark reforms in the Catholic Church’s relationship to the world around it and the church’s own liturgy and practices.

In 1962, the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, known as the Second Vatican Council, or Vatican II was held. The council meeting took place in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and was split into four periods of 8-12 weeks occurring each autumn over the four year spell from 1962-1965. The preparations for the council took three years itself, from 1959 to the autumn of 1962.

Pope John XXIII called for the council because he felt the Church needed “updating.” To better connect with people in a modern, secularized world, he sought to improve some of the church’s practices, and present its teaching in a way that would be relevant and understandable for the generations to follow.

It’s fitting that our Church has gathered in its largest synodal process to date near this anniversary. In the synodal process, we’re given the opportunity of reassessing our relationship with our fellow Christian communities, other religions, laity, youth, the LGBTQ community and other movements led by the Spirit.

Just like Vatican II, there are some participants who were sympathetic to this reassessment, while others saw no need for change, resisting efforts in that direction. Pope Francis lamented of how “we prefer to choose sides in the church,” instead of being servants. We look at things as if in binary, right or wrong, one side or the other, rather than being Christ-like to each other.

Although Vatican II altered the Church’s relationship with the world and took on a more open posture, Pope Francis challenges us to be on guard against “worldliness,” saying “We are called to respond to this worldly astuteness with Christian astuteness, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit.” Pope Francis continues to call us to evangelization and prioritizing the needs of the poor and care of creation, saying “You are not here to shepherd yourselves, but all others, with love.”

At the conclusion of a recent Mass, Pope Francis showed his support for Vatican II, and urged those in attendance to be united and not allow polarization to become a divisive tool. I agree. We must allow the Holy Spirit to set our hearts on fire for the love of Christ. We are each called to examine ourselves and reflect upon the mission and nature of the Church; “What I have done for you, you must do for others.”

Peace and all good,
Friar Henry

Dear Parishioners,

Saints of God, the Lord be with you!

In today’s Gospel according to Luke (18:1-8), Jesus tells the story of a judge “who neither feared God nor respected any human being” confronted by a persistent widow. At the start of the Gospel, in a very unusual turn, Luke has Jesus telling us the point of the parable: “pray always without becoming weary.”

This theme goes well with the first reading from the Book of Exodus (17:8-13) in which Moses does become weary in his prayer so that Aaron and Hur “supported his (raised up) hands, so that his hands remained steady till sunset.” One of the great blessings in my life as a Franciscan is that our fraternity gathers twice-a-day, morning and evening, to pray the Liturgy of the Hours as a community. I start my day at 4 a.m., during which I drink two cups of coffee, and spend an hour reading Scripture, praying with some devotionals, and reading the Gospel of the day. All of this so that I can prepare a daily homily or work on my homily for Sunday. My alone time with God is important to me, but after all of this, to be honest, sometimes I don’t feel like praying together with my brothers.

But I do. I think the first reading shows us the need for, and the benefit of having, a support circle so that we don’t so easily walk away from our time with God. I need the witness of my brothers to help sustain me when the temptation is to not pray. And I would hope that they in some small way see my presence at our communal prayer as a help to them. All of this praying during the week helps me to better celebrate the Sunday Eucharist, the great communal prayer of the Church.

That’s the outline of how my prayer life is lived. But what of yours? So often in confession people say that they have neglected prayer. I gently ask them what their ideal prayer life would look like, and most of the time they give a description that closely resembles mine: a lot of time spent in relative quiet.

I say to them that may be an unrealistic expectation. Instead, I encourage them to salt their day with short prayers.

• THANKS: Meister Eckhart, a 14th century German theologian wrote, “If the only prayer a person prays is ‘thank you,’ that is enough”
• WOW or HELP: At the end of the day, before going to sleep, review the day and discover the blessings for which they are thankful, and for the things they regret, ask forgiveness.

No matter how we pray, the important thing is that we keep praying. Especially during the week as this will help prepare you for Sunday liturgy. Never give up on prayer. But be warned! Over time, prayer will change us more and more into the image of Christ.

Peace and all good,
Fr. Steve

Dear Parishioners,

As you will have become aware our Parish has, this year, accepted the challenge of Pope Francis to celebrate the Season of Creation. The central focus this year is the call to ‘Listen to the voice of creation’. As Hurricane Ian looks set to approach our city it is difficult to be clear about what the impact on created things and creatures will be.

Ironically, we may have no choice than to listen to the voice of creation, to hear creation groan! But let’s also watch creation. Already birds whose natural habitat is the ocean have begun their unseasonal migration towards the land. Dog owners will know that dogs and other pets will sense that change is in the air long before there are any visible signs. This is instinct. First nation peoples had a natural awareness of the movement in the skies and the waters and reacted accordingly. This is why many Seminole Indians chose Tampa as a relatively safe haven!

All creation is inter-connected although it would seem that humanity may have lost some of this awareness and natural instinct. Nevertheless, those who suffer from arthritis may discover mysteriously that they experience more pain in their joints in times of such meteorological change. The vast majority of us will have to depend on warnings from the media and meteorologists, inevitably causing supermarket shelves to empty of batteries, bread, and water, with long lines to form at gas stations.

This week, we who live on the west coast of Florida will be concerned for ourselves and our neighbors as we potentially face damage or loss of all that keeps us safe. Friends and family living elsewhere will be similarly anxious for us.

And what does God say? Throughout scripture God and his angels always say “Do not be afraid, I will be with you in your distress.” When the disciples were in a storm-tossed boat they were justifiably afraid. So afraid, in fact, that when Jesus appeared walking towards them on the waters, they thought they were seeing a ghost. This was not the only time that the disciples did not recognize Christ in a time of turmoil. The post-resurrection journey to Emmaus was another significant moment of unseeing. On another occasion, when a storm arose and, amazingly, Jesus had managed to fall asleep in the boat, the disciples turned to him in fear. He calmed the waters and he calmed their fears.

We know from the Gospels that God will care for us so much more than he cares for the lilies. God cares whether we reach out to God in prayer or not. But let’s make out of this time of anxiety an opportunity to learn the power of constant prayer, to intentionally place ourselves in God’s care and to hear God say to each of us what God and his angels have always said: ‘Do not be afraid’ and ‘Know that I am with you always’.

Peace and all good,
Phil Jakob
Director of Music

You may find the following songs comforting during your prayer:

How Can I Keep from Singing? | Sung and arranged by members of the Iona Community

Don’t Be Afraid | John Bell of the Iona Community

Let Nothing Trouble You by Bernadette Farrell

Shelter Me | Michael Joncas

Dear Parishioners, 

Back in August, the Bishop’s office announced a resolution to a key item presented through the recent synodal process. They found from their synthesis of the sessions a desire from our region’s parishioners for greater synergy, community, and communications. That resolution takes place today, as we celebrate the first-ever Diocesan Media Day, instituted to raise awareness of our diocesan media ministries, including Spirit FM and the Gulf Coast Catholic.

Many will be familiar with these outlets and the great efforts they make to share the Good News, but in the off chance you were not aware, please take the time to find Spirit at 90.5 on your FM dial and subscribe to the weekly newsletter at gulfcoastcatholic.org. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 states “Test everything; retain what is good.” I can assure you will retain these as part of your daily and weekly routines.

As a child of the information age, spending the entirety of my 13- year career in media, communications, and the like, I take heart seeing our pastoral office provide a day of emphasis for these outlets. We need to remember anything that communicates a message is considered media, and sometimes (yes, sometimes), it can even be uplifting! We regularly produce media for you here at Sacred Heart, with the intent to inform and enrich your connections to both the Gospels and our parish. From this web article that you are reading my thoughts from this week to our live-stream Mass, or our social media posts, Flocknotes, and emails letting you know about upcoming liturgical events, our media production is already robust, and we intend to do much, much more.

We recently completed our own version of synod-like “Listening Sessions,” tailored to focus on our parish and its needs, as opposed to the greater Church. Similarly, we heard a desire for more media, specifically with a Franciscan focus, for parishioners to gain a greater understanding of the order from a theological perspective, as well as to develop a greater Franciscan identity within our parish. The Friars and staff are ready to answer that call.

You’ll have heard us mention before the need to prioritize new media (video/social/ podcasts) in previous columns, especially when addressing the topic of evangelization. We must be readily available through multiple digital outlets to meet the demographic changes and population growth within our parish boundaries, in addition to the parishioner requests previously mentioned. I am happy to say we are finally approaching that next step. Recently, the parish hired a new parish communications assistant, backfilling a vacant position. With this additional help in place, we can begin building out a studio space within the parish office. We will start with producing some short-form informational content, as well as weekly podcasts, featuring the friars discussing their reflections on the week’s Gospel or lay leaders telling the parish about their ministries, and grow from there.

If you are interested in supporting these new ventures, please reach out to me directly via email.

Peace and all good,

Rob Boelke
Manager, Communications

Dear Parishioners,

God loves the just but does not ignore the sinner, for whom there is always a place in his kingdom. The church is not an exclusive club. As a matter of fact, there was a friar who referred to the church as a refuge for sinners.

The Pharisees seemed to resent God’s mercy, so Jesus answered their jeers in this week’s Gospel with a series of parables. The parable of the lost sheep does not deny the goodness of the virtuous majority but makes the point that there is a special place for the repentant sinner. The lost coin is important to the careful widow, and her joy at its recovery is shared because it is deeply felt. The sum may be modest, but its sentimental value matters to her a lot. We’re all V.I.P.s in God’s eyes, especially those who are lost and later found.

But there is another side to this story: the Prodigal Son “came to his senses.” He opened his eyes to see, his ears to hear; he reached out for help and got in touch with reality. The father’s welcome was extraordinary, but it could only happen because the son came back home. We, too, need to be willing to let God embrace us as we come to our senses. God’s mercy is there for any of us who turn to him with all our hearts.

The parable of the prodigal son is a classic of narrative skill that is timelessly relevant. We need to know that a loving God awaits our return home (if you haven’t already done so, do yourself a favor and get a hold of a copy of Henri Nouwen’s “The Return of the Prodigal Son”). We also need the reminder that the same loving God expects us to forgive one another and to welcome them back again. The joy of a son’s homecoming was spoiled for the father by the sulking of the elder brother but the father was undeterred.

It’s sad that the elder brother held resentment towards both his brother and his father. God wants us all to be merciful and understanding. Leaving people helpless is no part of his plan. Though living under the same roof, the elder son was isolated from his father. Focused on his own rights and needs, he could not handle his brother’s safe return. Calling him “this son of yours” must have grieved his father. As we strive to be faithful and dutiful disciples, we need to be open to welcome home the lost ones, for we, too, have been lost at different times in our lives.

We come to church as both a refuge and home for a brief bit of respite from our hectic week. And as God welcomes us, we welcome those around us knowing that we all long for acceptance. God meets us where we are, knowing us and loving us, welcoming our return home with open arms. We are called to do likewise.

Peace and all good,
Fr. Zack