St. Boniface Catholic
by Sue Beams

On the fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, members of St. Boniface heard about the Good Samaritan. In the gospel account, two people who would have been expected to stop, simply passed by. No one at the time would have expected a Samaritan to stop and render aid, going so far as to take him to a safe place and pay for his care! We may not care to admit it, but we all set limits on whom we love.

In Jesus' day it was no different. Generosity and mercy is demonstrated in the love we show to our neighbors. This is the greatest commandment given to us by God: We must love our neighbor as ourself. We must strive to always respond to others without hesitation or judgment.

As the Samaritan, we should treat those we encounter with grace and mercy, even when we find the person or situation objectionable. God saved us through Jesus Christ, His Son to do the work. It depends -- we depend on Him! Through Him we can do far greater than we can accomplish on our own. In the week ahead, ask yourself, "Am I doing what I want? Or am I doing what Jesus wants of me?"

Members gathered in the community room for fellowship and refreshments immediately following Mass. This Sunday ritual is such a blessing! It is a wonderful opportunity to visit with our newcomers and catch up with our St. Boniface family. Thanks to all the great cooks for each week preparing our goodies and cleaning up afterward!

There is a great need at St. Boniface in the Faith Formation Ministry. Please contact Fr. Jesse or Iris Mamo if you can volunteer in our CCD program for the fall session. We are in need of teachers. Perhaps a husband and wife team could share a class. Please pray about this, and perhaps come up with a clever way to help fill this desparate need in our parish.

Congratulations and best wishes to all those who are celebrating birthdays and anniversaries. Please pray for those who are sick and suffering.

Remember, too, those who have gone on to their Eternal Rest. We continue to ask for prayer for the men and women in the armed services. May the Lord bless and keep them in His loving care. Have a wonderful week!