The
Parishes of
Notre Dame, Cresco and
St. Bridget, Bluffton
and
St. Agnes Oratory, Plymouth Rock
Rev.
Richard J. Ament,
PASTOR
Notre Dame Church:
223 Second Avenue East
Parish
Office:
116 East Third Street
Phone:
563 547-3565
Fax:
563 547-3835
Wendy Schatz, Principal 563 547-4513
Deanna Kabliska, CRE
563 547-3565
Parish
Office Staff:
Peg
Seifried, Connie Frana
Parish
Website:
http://www.iowatelecom.net/~ndparish
School
Website:
www.aea1.k12.ia.us/notredame
Celebration
of Sacraments
Baptism
Next scheduled date for Baptism is
July 27 during 9:30 a.m. mass. Baptism Class is required. Next class is
scheduled for Aug.
13, 2008, 7:00
p.m., Joseph Room. Please contact
the parish office to register
for the Baptism class, to schedule
a Baptism or for more information.
Reconciliation
Reconciliation is offered on Saturday
from 3:10 - 3:40 p.m.
or by appointment. Contact the
parish office for an appointment.
Marriage
Contact the parish office at least six months before intended wedding date.
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July 13, 2008
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isaiah 55:10-11; Romans 8:18-23; Matthew 13:1-23
Truth comes through story. This doesn’t
mean that for a story to convey truth it must only convey facts.
Indeed not. Fictional stories are great
ways to convey truth. The history of humankind is
testimony to the truth that fiction conveys truth. In
the past, great stories were woven together by great story tellers; and these stories
gradually took on the shape of legend and myth and shaped peoples’ truth about themselves.
Sometimes the mythical stories involved real people—and there was a close linkage
between people shaping the myth, and the myth shaping the people.
The history of Israel is full of that process—the “big names” of their history
became “larger than life” after the events narrated, and became part of the mythology
that defined Israel as a people. There is a
tension in their history between fact and fancy. But
we do know it was a real Israel that moved through real historical events.
When Jesus wanted to convey “the truth” about what God
was doing with and in Israel in His day, and how God was using Himself (Jesus) in this
process, Jesus reverted to telling stories. The
next several weeks we hear short stories (parables) about what is the kingdom of God really
like. Today is a story about the kingdom compared
to a sower of seeds (farmer). God is a farmer.
Sort of. His words are like wheat seeds.
And we are soil. Kind of.
And there is interaction between sower, seed and soil.
Complex interaction. Just like real
farming. Just like real life.
This fictional story tells a lot of truth.
Next week’s Readings
Wisdom 12:13, 16-19; Romans 8:26-27; Matthew 13:24-43