Happy Mother's Day! I am offering Mass for all of our moms - those, like my mom who have gone before the Lord and for moms who are alive, who continue in this earthly battle. And, of course, I want to pray especially for the moms in our congregation today. I know that Fr. Jim Williams joins me in this prayer.
Our two-bit collection this weekend will help support the Mary Bloom Center. Named for my mom, the Mary Bloom Center is a medical clinic and educational center that aids the needy in Peru. I thank you for the many ways you support this beautiful work. Our school children collected toys for children of Peru (see picture below and in the Spanish section). I look forward to taking a delegation from Holy Family to Peru at the end of September. We will meet this Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the Ailbe House. The meeting is not just for those who wish to travel to Peru, but for anyone desiring to aid this work. This is part of the vision that our Parish Council developed in our three-year Parish Stewardship Plan.
Toys for Peru
Speaking of Stewardship, I want to thank all who have returned their Annual Catholic Appeal pledge envelopes. If you have not yet filled out your pledge, I encourage you to do so now. This Monday Archbishop Brunett will be visiting Holy Family Parish School – and I want to be able to give him a good report!
Last week I mentioned an article by Dr. David Goldman titled “Demographics and Depression.” The article gives a lot to think about as we celebrate Mother’s Day. Dr. Goldman analyzes the relationship between the decline in parenthood and our current economic crisis. I am making the article available in the vestibule, but here I would like to ask you to consider the chart below that shows the change in population by age between 1950 and 2050 (if current trends continue): In 1950 ten small children for every seven seniors over 65. By 2050 the proportion will be thirty-one elderly for every three children under the age of four.
The graph should be a wake-up call for all of us. The growing disproportion between elderly and children has terrible implications. One of them is economic. Perhaps you remember that when President Obama presented the stimulus package, he said that the government needed to spend a trillion dollars ($1,000,000,000,000) to create an "aggregate demand" for goods and services – and thus create new jobs. But, if we had with us the forty million children killed by abortion, our government would not have to step in to create an aggregate demand. Those children would have done the job nicely.
I take part of the blame. Not for being a celibate. Priestly celibacy is about spiritual fatherhood, which is much needed. What I do take some blame for is being part of a generation that devalued motherhood and fatherhood. In 1950 I was four-years-old - first wave of the Baby Boomers. We benefited from a family-friendly society - and yet, on a whole, we didn’t value family. We cherished other things more than children. We did not honor paternity and maternity. Instead we embraced contraception and abortion - and now we are suffering the consequences.
I am not talking about a guilt trip. God doesn't want us to get bogged down in useless guilt. He wants us to do something positive. Today, on Mother's Day, he wants us to honor our mothers - and fathers. That might involve forgiveness, but also gratitude. The gratitude and love extends to all those who have embraced the task of parenthood. As Dr. Goldman says, "Children are our wealth." For most people, their child is their greatest treasure, but even from an economic point of view - children are our wealth. The picture below says it all: children are God’s Stimulus Package. May God bless all those who have taken on the task and vocation of motherhood – and the fathers who help them.
Feliz Dia de la Madre! Estoy ofreciendo la misa para todas nuestras mamás - ellas, como mi mamá que han ido al Senor y por las mamás que viven, que siguen en la batalla aqui. Y desde luego quisiera rezar especialmente por las mamás en nuestra congregacion.
La segunda colecta hoy apoyara el Centro Mary Bloom. Nombrado en honor a mi mama, el Centro Mary Bloom es una clinica medica y centro educacional que ayuda a los necesitados del Peru. Quisiera agradecerles por su soporte de esta obra excelente. Los niños de nuestra escuela parroquial han colectado juguetes para ninos del Peru (ver la foto abajo y en la seccion en ingles). Fines de septiembre voy a ir con una delegacion de Holy Family al Peru. Tenemos una reunion este miercoles a las 5 p.m. en la Ailbe House. La reunion no es solamente para los que desear viajar al Peru, sino cualquier persona que quiere ayudar esta obra. Es parte de la vision que nuestro Consejo Parroquial desarrollo en su plan de Co-Responsabilidad (Mayordomia).
Mrs. Sarah Boyd - Fourth Grade, Holy Family School
Hablando de Co-Responsabilidad, quisiera agradecer a todos que han devuelto sus sobres de la Peticion Catolica Annual. Si todavia no han llenado su compromiso, favor de hacerlo ahora. Este lunes el Arzobispo Brunett visitara a nuestra escuela y quisiera darle un buen reporte. Gracias por su apoyo!
Which Building Are You Climbing?
Stewardship Reflection:
How can you determine where your charitable dollars should go? The Church provides the following guidance: we are encouraged to support divine worship, apostolic works and works of charity, and the decent sustenance of ministers. We are also reminded to promote social justice and to assist with the needs of the poor (Code of Canon Law 222).
Faith and Finances with Phil Lenahan © – www.VeritasFinancialMinistries.com Parish Stewardship Giving Summary: Wk. 44 of Fiscal Year, May 3, 2009 Amt. Needed 1st Collection Each Sunday: $ 14,100.00 Check/Cash Envelope: $ 7,862.00 EFT (Automatic Deduction): $ 818.11 Loose Cash: $ 2,836.59 Total Offering: $ 11,516.70 Weekly Income Difference: - $ (2,583.30) For on-line donations to parish or school: www.HFSeattle.org Gifts from the Other Half of Our Stewardship: St. Vincent de Paul: $ 563.00 2009 ANNUAL CATHOLIC APPEAL
Your gift is still needed. This month we have been conducting the Archdiocesan Annual Catholic Appeal Campaign and still have not heard from some of you. This is not just another collection, but rather an annual commitment from all parishes in Western Washington to provide a Future Full of Hope for years to come. As Disciples of Christ, we are called to share the Good News and minister to those in need. If you have not already done so, please make your pledge today to the Annual Catholic Appeal.
We are asking that ALL our parish families participate by completing an envelope. If you cannot make a financial commitment at this time, please fill out an envelope and pledge to offer a prayer (write “prayer” in the pledge amount box). Doing this will also prevent you from receiving a follow-up letter from both the Archbishop and me.
For easy pledging, you can go to our web-site at www.HFSeattle.org and click the link to make a pledge! For those who have already made a pledge, thank you for your generosity!
~ Father Bloom
Registered Parish Households: 1,276 Pledge Envelopes Returned: 408 % of Participating Households: 32% Our Annual Catholic Appeal Goal: $71,868 Total Pledged To Date: $46,510 % Of Goal Reached So Far: 65%