At the Saturday Vigil of the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Fr. O'Key posed the question, "Do you ever feel distanced from God? Have you ever felt that God is not answering your prayers?" We must come humbly before Him with unfailing faith. Never let anything or anyone stop you.

Deacon Steve likened the faith of the woman in the gospel reading to the faith required to live our Catholic faith in the open.

Sometimes being in the right place at the right time is life saving.

The Canaanite woman in today's gospel had the determination and faith in Christ, Jesus that is an example for living our faith. The mission of the Church is to evangelize. The salvation plan is not for just a few.

Our mission as members of the Catholic Church is to take the Word into the world. People oftentimes misunderstand our Catholic faith. We are called to keep talking, sharing our faith. Don't take your faith for granted.

Attending Mass should not be a `habit.' There are so many ways to keep focused, to stay fired-up! RCIA is not just for converts; many `cradle Catholics' could benefit from attending these classes. There are retreats offered throughout the diocese such as those at Wellspring. There are weekend seminars held in parishes on a regular basis. St. Boniface has RCIA classes each Sunday at 11 and adult Faith Formation classes are scheduled to begin in September. Take advantage of the offerings. In the 28th chapter of Matthew, Christ left the disciples with a mission; to teach, baptize and share the faith. This is our mission, too.

Thank you to all who served to make the Eucharistic celebration beautiful; the choir, readers, servers and ministers. May God bless you all.

It is always a pleasure to see familiar faces at Mass and equally nice to see new ones. We welcome everyone and hope to see you again, soon.

We remind you about the upcoming Faith Formation classes for children, youth and adults. Enrollment forms for the young people are available in the community room. Check the schedules for the adult classes.

There will be a youth meeting on August 20th at 6:30- 8:00 pm, so make plans to attend. There are events planned in the diocese for the upcoming school year, so keep an eye on the weekly bulletin for more information.

Congratulations and best wishes to those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries. We pray for those who are ill and those who have died. We continue to pray for the men and women in the armed services who bravely protect and defend our great nation.

Have a good week.