Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 6, 2024

GOSPEL MEDITATION

As a young pastor years ago, I met with a middle-aged couple who had been divorced and civilly remar-ried. They were frustrated that an annulment had to precede a Church marriage. Sympathizing with their plight, I promised to walk with them along their journey. Once as we sat in my office, the man said to me, “Why is the Church so difficult on marriage?” I replied, “Actually, Jesus’ teaching is what’s difficult.” He furrowed his brow and asked what I meant.

We opened the Bible and together read today’s gospel passage from Mark 10:12 in which Jesus says, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery with her…” My two friends sat in silent astonishment. Surely Jesus understands the complexities of human life and sexual love. The words hung thick and heavy in the air. How could the merciful Lord be so seemingly unrealistic in his expectations, especially with so much divorce and remarriage in our world?

I didn’t know what to say. So, we kept reading. Next, Jesus says, “Let the children come to me.” The innocence of children allows them to receive and give love, to trust unconditionally, to believe in love that endures. Most children aren’t yet jaded by statistics, broken hearts, or dysfunctional relationships. Children remind us of the world to come. The couple and I began to talk about child-like trust in Jesus and his teaching, and we continued to move forward. When it comes to the Church’s demanding teaching on mar-riage, it’s best to approach it as trusting children, whatever situations in which we find ourselves
- Father John Muir

PRO-LIFE CORNER

Facts about the development of a child from the moment of conception until birth need to be taught to everyone. If we would take time to learn the biological facts about life in the womb then, as God’s people, we could never tolerate abortion. No human authority, not even the state, can morally justify the killing of an innocent child. This tragic transformation of a crime into a “right” is characteristic of a collapsing civilization.

FOOD PANTRY

The Sacred Heart Food Pantry will be closed on Wednesday, October 2, 2024 do to lack of volunteers. The pantry will reopen on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.

RESPECT LIFE MONTH

In October, the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Month, and the first Sunday of October is designated as Respect Life Sunday. To support this annual observance, parishioners of Sacred Heart and St. Mary’s are asked to support our Diaper Drive to benefit local children of families in need. Collection boxes can be found at each church.

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

Our readings this week speak to each of our domestic churches – the little churches that we call our families. They bring us back to the very beginning of time and call us to restore what God had intended for each of us.
As Genesis reminds us, God created woman as a partner for man and He desires that they become unified. It is in this union of marriage that man and woman work together to bring their family to Heaven. This is the mission that our families must be united in. We must ask ourselves, how are we living out that mission? It should be the very heart and soul of our families.

As we think about our families this week – whether it be a single household or a family of 10 – let us find small ways in which we can live out our mission to bring our families to heaven.

A Family Perspective

In today’s gospel Jesus encourages married couples to throw away the marriage rule book. Rules are for those with “hardened hearts.” Married couples are called to be a sacramen-tal reflection of God’s faithful and selfless love ….. a place where people live and love beyond rules and formulas
- 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