Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 8, 2024

GOSPEL MEDITATION

One of the most touching YouTube videos I’ve ever seen is one in which a deaf woman receives new technology to heal her hearing. She hears her husband's voice for the first time — and her own, too — and bursts into tears of overwhelming joy. It must have been like an immovable wall between her and her loved ones came tumbling down.

We are all like this woman, to some degree. We believe in the presence of God’s love, but we can’t hear Him. We can’t speak well about Him. The deaf man who can’t speak properly in the Gospel today is an image of what God wants us to experience again and again. Jesus takes the man aside to a private place away from the crowd, touches his ears and tongue, and says, “Ephphata!” The man’s ears are opened, and he speaks clearly. Contact with Christ has this effect on us.

This experience happens to us in our baptism, almost exactly. It happens to us in the liturgy. It happens in our private prayer. It happens when we hear the voice of God in our conscience. The more we engage these privileged channels of Jesus’ healing, the more we are empowered to hear and speak of the presence of God’s perfect love.
- Father John Muir

PRO-LIFE CORNER

Give us the grace, when the sacredness of life before birth is attacked, to stand up and proclaim that no one ever has the authority to destroy unborn life.
- St. John Paul II

SACRED HEART RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Sacred heart Religious Education is currently in need of catechists. The role of a catechist is to catechize (teach) the faith of the Catholic Church by both word and example. Our pro-gram is held on Sunday's from 11:00-11:50 a.m. And begins in September on Catechetical Sunday and ends at the end of April. Volunteers for this ministry will need to go through the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Youth Protection Process. For more informa-tion; please contact Judy Wahl, DRE at 814-944-3922. Thank You.

DONATIONS NEEDED

Catholic Charities along with Sacred Heart Church and St. Mary’s Church will be collecting school supplies for Blair County students. Items can be dropped off in the Churches until the end of August. Requested items include: notebooks, folders, pens, pencils, water bottles, backpacks, crayons, colored pencils, and glue sticks.

EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP

Because the deaf man in today’s gospel recognized his disabil-ity, he could seek help from Jesus. Deafness abounds in fami-lies: in our children (Oh dad, not that again”) in parents (“It is just a stage”) and in spouses (“Are you listening?”). Before Jesus can enter your home and heal, you must first recognize your deafness

A Family Perspective

In today’s gospel Jesus warns “what comes from within can defile” a person. Families need to worry about “outside influences” but also about “inside influences.” The values our children carry for a life time are learned at home. Habits of the Hearth are the most powerful influences on a child. That’s the good news! That can also be the bad news!
- Bud Ozar

Prayer Requests

Kathy Ansman, Mark Blackie, Rod Baronner, Dan Bauer, Dave Bauer, Damian Branas, Ron Buckreis, Vince Bumann, Jack Chilcote, Harry Chir-don, Karen Claar, Brandon Conaway, Shirley Conlon, Denise Conrad, James Conrad, Kathy Corl, Bob Decker, Tim Dodson, Joan Donnelly, Matt Dorman, Nate Dorman, Amelia Doughurty, Lois Duncan, Thomas Duncan, Sam Dunio, Ashley Eagen, Ruth Ann Frederick, Herman Frederick, Phyllis Hauser, Leighton Hess, Ralph Hildebrand, Lucy Horton, Austin Judy, Lynn Judy, Raymond Kargo, Russell Keith, Kenny Anthony Keagy, Carol King, John Kleine, Sue Koehle, Ruth Lamca, Cyndi Lansberry, John Leshene, Janet Lego, Beth Lloyd, Charles McGrain, Shirley McIntyre, Paul Angelo Morelli, Bev Mueller, Bonnie Neal, Jessica Neff, Lee Neff, Kevin O'Rourke, Gail Pearson, Scott Reimer, Sarah Rihnovich, Patti Robinson, Nancy Servello, Laura Snyder, Fred Tromm, Alex Walter, Margo Wascherl, Alan Watson, Joan Weston, Hank Williams, Mikayla Yanchik.

If you would like to add a sick or hospitalized person to our prayer list or readd a person, please call the rectory office, at 943-8553. Parishioners of Saint Mary are encouraged and welcome to participate. Remember, you must have the permission of the ill person/family to publish their name.

Sacred Heart Church