Pastor’s Corner – July 31

Pastor’s Corner – July 31

Last weekend in my semi-annual report to you about the finances of our Church Parish, I quoted from the words of Moses to the Jewish people about how they were to approach the altar of the Lord in their worship and service of the Lord. “No one shall appear before the Lord empty-handed, but each of you with as much as he can give; in proportion to the blessings which the Lord, your God, has bestowed on you.”(Deuteronomy 16:16) Please pray about and meditate on these great words of Moses and apply them to how you give to the Lord and to the Church of your money and of your financial resources. God is the giver of all of our blessings; the Lord is the source of all that we are and of all that we have. May each one of us have a truly grateful spirit and approach the altar of the Lord with a generous, prayerful, prepared and thoughtful offering. Give to the Lord and to the Church the first fruits of your labors and resources. May your offering and mine always be acceptable to the Lord, for his honor and glory and for our spiritual good and personal well-being.

A special word of gratitude to all of you for your generous support of the Mission Appeal that Father Joey Evangelista made on behalf of the Missionaries of Jesus over the weekend of July 16-17. The amount you gave is $8,909! Wow!! The work of the Missions is for all who believe in Jesus and the Gospel. The best ways for us to support the Missions is by our prayers and by our financial contributions. We here in our area and at St. Elizabeth Seton Church are so greatly blessed by the Catholic faith that came to Louisiana when the Missionaries came with the explorers to the New World in 1500’s, the 1600’s and the 1700’s. Sharing our faith should be a joy and a habit for us. Father Joey was so pleased when I informed him of your generosity.

One of our truly outstanding and really zealous Priests of our Diocese passed away a few days ago. Father Jerome Frey died on July 23 and was buried on Friday, July 29, at a Mass of Christian Burial at St. John’s Cathedral in Lafayette. Bishop Douglas Deshotel was the Celebrant of the Mass, concelebrated by many Priests. The homilist for Father Frey’s Mass was Father Michael Champagne of the Community of Jesus Crucified. Father Frey was one of
nine children; he was born in New Orleans on July 19, 1924. After his seminary education he was ordained a Priest on June 8, 1950 at Marist College in Washington DC. Father Frey was well educated and became a renowned Teacher of Dogmatic Theology and Scholar. Father Frey was a Spiritual Director in the 1950’s at Immaculata Seminary here in Lafayette and at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. Father Frey spent several years in the Missions in the South Pacific in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Father Frey began the Community of Jesus Crucified in 1980 and he is best known to most of us as the Spiritual Director of the Cursillo for many years. As a preacher, speaker, motivator and inspirer, Father Frey was unique and one of a kind. It was a joy and a blessing for me to listen to him and to be moved and touched by his love of the Lord, his passion for sharing his faith and his vast knowledge of the Scriptures and the teachings of the Church. Father Frey touched the lives of thousands and thousands of people in our area as a Spiritual Director. His 66 years as a Priest will be well remembered, appreciated and cherished by many, many of us. May Father Jerome Frey rest in the peace of the Lord as he enjoys the presence of the God he so loved. May his life of service, devotion, faith and commitment be an on-going inspiration to all of us.

The Psalm for today’s Mass has one of the most memorable and most profound verses in the Bible. “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.” (Psalm 90:12) All of us know well that our days on earth are limited, many or few as they may be. The length of our human life is not as important as the way we live the days we will have here on earth as preparation for our meeting the Lord our God in our judgment. As you and I live, may we grow in the knowledge and in the wisdom of the Lord so that our values, our choices and our decisions will be in harmony with the divine will of God and for our true happiness and our personal peace now and in eternity.

My prayers, best wishes, love and gratitude to you and to your loved ones, for who you are and for all you do for the Lord and for the good of St. Elizabeth Seton Church Parish. As we use our gifts, blessings and treasures, may we be guided by the Spirit to grow rich in what matters to God.

SHALOM! Fr. Gary

Homework for the week of July 31 – August 6
Luke 12:13-21

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