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June 22, 2026We welcome Fr. Peter from the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky as our guest this weekend, offering insight into ministry, people and faith amongst the poorest area of Kentucky. We are grateful for the opportunity to share out of our resources, recognizing the diversity of our Church. Welcome Fr. Peter!
In the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, God the Creator is referred to as “Father of Israel,” Yahweh who forgives and redeems the ‘chosen people.’ As we heard in today’s gospel passage from Matthew, Jesus refers to God as his ‘Heavenly Father.’ People of Israel at the time of Jesus’ earthly presence could not call Yahweh, “Father,” unlike the disciples who were encouraged to call God their Father. Jesus instructed his disciples and followers to see God as Father, “Abba.” Such was deliberate, as the root word in Hebrew means ‘profound intimacy, respectful obedience.’Christ Jesus continues to encourage us to share a relationship with God our Creator and Father who extends healing mercy, unconditional love, protection and provision for those whom He created in His image. Charles Stanley, pastor and writer, describes the possibilities of our relationship with God the Father: “Our heavenly Father understands our disappointment, suffering, pain, fear, and doubt. He is always there to encourage our hearts and help us understand that He's sufficient for all of our needs. When I accepted this as an absolute truth in my life, I found that my worrying stopped. Today is Father’s Day, a recognition of fathers, their integrity as provider and strength within families. Each father has his own characteristics, abilities and struggles; they are human nonetheless, and yet they each have been given an opportunity, by the hand of God, to nurture and protect a life—the zenith of one’s calling. Most often our fathers teach and provide in the most unassuming ways as the author Umberto Eco explains,“I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren’t trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom.”May I share a poem, brief in its words, but elaborate in its poetry.
Study of a Father (Raleigh Windson)
His gaze does not reach out but holds inward,
as if listening to something finished long ago.
The lines on his face are not sorrow—
They are the architecture of endurance.
He sits without adornment,
a figure shaped by use, not display.
Even in stillness, he teaches
how to carry a life without spectacle.
Every three years the diocese mandates that all Eucharistic Ministers of the Holy Communion be‘re-commissioned,’on a parish level. Because of circumstances on the diocesan level the mandate was delayed a couple years. Toward the end of summer we will have a brief recommissioning ritual for those who serve within this ministry whether on weekends, school Mass, holy days, funerals, or taking the Body of Christ to the homebound and care centers
Most importantly, thank you for sharing your faith and presence within this ministry; it is a special grace. I will have correspondence sent out when the re-commissioning takes place.Our Garden Ladies of St. Malachy Church has garnered the Lawn of the Month award for their landscaping efforts around the church grounds. Each year they have given their time and‘expertise’for the beautification and ongoing dignity of our church, highlighting the dignity of our faith. In time we will get certain outdoor statues repaired and repainted. Graciously, thank you to the ladies who have sacrificed their time and efforts for the resplendent church landscaping. And too, thank you to the volunteers who have provided their time and efforts for the beautiful flowers and plants that surround the exterior of our parish office, church prayer space and church grounds. They enhance our grounds and provide a certain dignity to our church and faith. Thank you!Summer has arrived, officially. Our longest day; the summer solstice.“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby)God Bless, Fr. Tim