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LORD, HAVE MERCY…
Did you know that we include a little Greek in our Mass? When we sing or say, “Kyrie eleison” and “Christe eleison,” (Lord, Have mercy, Christ, Have mercy), we are going back to a time when our Mass was prayed entirely in Greek, except in those rites that use the original language that Jesus spoke – Aramaic. Since the fifth century, and for the following one thousand years, the Mass was translated and celebrated in Latin, as fewer people were speaking Greek and most spoke Latin. After 1500 years, the Mass was changed to the local language.

It seems redundant when during the Penitential Rite at the beginning of Mass, you and I during the “Confiteor Dei” (“I confess to almighty God”) acknowledge our sins, ask (a first time) for Mary and all the Angels and Saints to pray to God to have mercy on us. Then I ask God (a second time!) to have mercy on us and forgive our sins, and then we say a THIRD time, Lord, have mercy! Why?

The FIRST time, you and I are praying TOGETHER. The SECOND TIME, I as the prayer leader and priest, intercede for God’s forgiveness. The THIRD time is a bow to our ancestors in the faith who prayed in Greek. So our current Mass, with its changes, goes back 17 centuries! And now, it includes three languages: Greek, Latin and the local language!

UPDATE ON SR. PAT…
Over the past three weeks, half of our staff made two separate pilgrimages to Kalamazoo to visit our dear Sr. Pat Whalen who was moved permanently to her Congregation of Saint Joseph center for this new chapter in her life. We brought two boxes of personal items to make her room in the assisted living facility feel more like home. Sr. Pat was SO happy to see us and to visit with us! We were told by Sr. Pat that she is no longer able to stand or to walk, and that this condition is permanent. She is heart-broken that she will not be coming back to us, and that she cannot reply in writing to each and every person who sent her a note, a letter, or a card, conveying their love, good wishes and prayers.

CSA UPDATE

(Report for June 6) vs (Report for July 19)

PARISH TARGET: $79,548
AMOUNT PLEDGED - June 6: $54,503    July 19: (Thank You!) $70,368
% of TARGET - June 6: 68%      July 19: 88%
NUMBER OF GIFTS - June 6: 126 (out of 644 households)    July 19: 180
% of PARTICIPATION - June 6:19%     July 19: 20%
AVERAGE GIFT - June 6: $432.00    July 19: $391.00
STILL NEEDED TO MAKE OUR TARGET - $9,180.00

Anything collected above our parish target will go towards the necessary upgrading of our church parking lot. If every household donated $300 or more, we would raise $100,000 to cover the cost of the repairs!

We’re in the Home Stretch -- Let’s make it to the Finish Line!

A GIFT TO THE CSA IS A GIFT TO YOUR PARISH!

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Fr. Nick

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