Welcome to St. Thomas More Parish

Our mission is to become the real presence of Christ through prayer, education, worship and service

"Lead Me Lord, Send Me"
Fr. Stephen Okumu
Pastor

Special Masses:

Ash Wednesday, 9 am & 7 pm

Weekend Masses
Saturday 5 PM
Sunday 8:30 AM
Sunday 10:30 AM

Reconciliation
Saturday 3:30-4:30 PM
or by appointment

Weekday Masses
Tuesday 9 AM
Wednesday 8:30 AM(Sept.-Mid June)
Wednesday 9:00 AM(Mid June-August)
Thursday 9 AM
Friday 9 AM

***All Federal Holidays****
Mass is at 9am

Feast Days (Holy Day of Obligations)
Mass is at 9am and 7pm

Parish Office Hours
Monday-Thursday 9 AM-5:00 PM
Friday 9 AM-1:00 PM

Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg's Reflection

SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Our Scripture passage for this Sunday comes from the Gospel of Matthew 5:38–48. In this passage, Jesus continues His radical teaching on Christian discipleship with the final sets of antitheses. He summarizes this section with the call to “perfection”. These antitheses and the summary call to perfection offer deep insights into the challenge a Christian disciple faces so as to live in the Kingdom of God.

The first teaching stresses that love does not retaliate. It is a natural and human tendency to retaliate when others have wronged us. Efforts were made in the Old Testament to limit retaliation so that retribution did not exceed the original injury (Ex 21:24, Lv 24:20, and Dt 19:21). These previous regulations of the Law were an attempt to prevent the cycle of violence from escalating. Jesus offers a different way of breaking the cycle of violence that is based on non-retaliation rather than limited response. In these five situations, Jesus addresses a variety of ways in which disciples are called to be people who consider the interests of others above their own. The examples that are used are somewhat extreme but follow the same pattern. First, a situation is presented in which another person is perceived as an aggressor who interrupts one’s own personal endeavors. Second, the solution Jesus offers calls for disciples to respond, not by insisting on their own rights but by considering the needs and interests of those whom they perceive to be the aggressor. Thus, there is a clear movement in this teaching away from simply not retaliating (passive resistance) toward actively reaching out and doing good for the one who has wronged us (turn the other cheek, give the cloak, go the extra mile, and so forth). Each of us has people in our lives who sometimes appear to be aggressors when it comes to laying claim to our time, attention, energy, resources, affection, effort, and so on. As disciples, Jesus expects us to consider their needs first rather than asserting our rights or retaliating for any perceived infringement on our lives. This Christian response is not easy and requires that we rise above our natural human responses so as to mirror the supernatural love of God. Such love is not a sign of weakness or intimidation but rather a decision to seek the good of the other no matter what the circumstances.

Who lays claim to your time, energy, attention, resources, affection, or effort so as to require sacrifice from your life?

Whose needs do you put before your own?

When have you put a stranger’s needs above your own interests?

Who puts your needs before theirs?

What is a situation you are facing now in which you need to move from a passive response of non-retaliation to an active response of reaching out and doing good for the other?

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GOD SO LOVED HE GAVE
FROM A HEART OF GRATITUDE
WE GIVE OUR
TIME, TALENT & TREASURE

Everything we have and everything we are is a gift from God.
Stewardship is the ability to share our gifts of life – Time, Talent & Treasure with others, no strings attached and no conditions. We share these gifts out of our love for God and gratitude to Him.

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