In this week’s Gospel we hear again about Martha and Mary. So let us begin with the better part.

Mary: As of Sunday we’re nine days out from the feast of St. Ann, our parish patron. St. Ann is more important than ever today. As the grandmother of Jesus, the loving mother of the Blessed Mother, and a patient believer in God’s will, she is a powerful patron for families. Today there is a seemingly unending litany of brokenness in family life; divorce, death, abuse, infertility, unwanted pregnancies, pornography, infidelity, drugs, over incarceration… While there is much we can do as “Marthas” to help those who are suffering, and as Mary (Magdalene) we can repent , but the most important thing we can do for our world is to pray. Starting Monday for nine days through the Feast of St. Ann on July 26th we will conclude our petitions at Mass with this novena prayer to St. Ann for family life. I invite you to pray with us, either at Mass or on your own.

Novena Prayer to St. Ann
Oh Blessed St. Ann, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grand-mother of our Savior, Jesus Christ,
When life seems barren, help us to trust in God’s mercy.
When we are confused, help us to find the way to God.
When we are lost in the desert, lead us to those whom God has called us to love.
When we are selfish, teach us to cling only to that which lasts.
When we are afraid, help us to trust in God.
When we are ashamed, remind us that we are God’s children.
When we sin, lead us to do God’s will.
You who know God’s will for the family, keep all families close to you.
You who trusted in God’s will, help us to respect God’s gift of family life.
You who gave birth to the Blessed Mother, strengthen all parents.
You who taught the Mother of God, protect and nurture all children.
You whose hearts trusted in God, hear our prayers. Amen

Martha: there are so many that do so much to make this parish what it is. I want to thank all that labor to make our parish such a beautiful community. I want to make special note of three projects you might notice around campus. First, the Men’s Club has agreed to pay the majority of the cost of repairing the blacktop behind the school. That blacktop was no longer safe for use as a playground. Volunteers from the Men’s Club have dug up the rough spots and leveled them out. Next a contractor is going to cover the whole thing with asphalt.

You may have noticed that the sidewalk in front of the most “recent” addition to the school is roped off. Some of the brick work on that side and part of the building has deteriorated rapidly and needs major tuckpointing work. This is a serious enough and big enough project that we are contracting with a tuck pointing company. I want to thank the parishioners who helped identify, assess, and arrange for a contractor to fix this problem before it got worse. Hopefully the bricks stay put and repair work will begin in a week or two. Finally, the Knights of Columbus have volunteered to help pay for and install new LED lights for the Church. These new lights should last longer and use less energy, saving the environment and saving the parish money. Hopefully the church will be “bathed in new light” in the next week or two!