THE PEOPLE OF GOD CALLED ATHOLIC COMMUNITY ST. …

1 THE PEOPLE OF GOD CALLED TO BE THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY OF ST. MICHAEL CHURCH Putting God first through the stewardship of time, talent & treasure SERVED BY: Rev. Msgr. Timothy J. Shugrue, Pastor Rev. Sebastian Valencia Obando, Parochial Vicar Rev. Daniel W. Murphy, Sunday Asst. Margaret Silva, Director of Religious Education David Bower, Director of Music Rich Donovan, Coord. of Youth Ministry Valeria Downey, Assoc. Coord. of Youth Ministry Barbara A. Bilger, Trustee Richard C. Gallagher, Trustee Kenneth Hickey, Pastoral Council Chair Sandy Miragliotta, St. Michael School Principal @ saintmichaelparishcranford EUCHARIST: Saturday: 8:00 am, Evenings: 5:30 pm Sundays: 7:30 am, 9:00, 10:30, 12 Noon Weekdays: 7:00 am, 12 Noon Holy Days: Check Bulletin for Mass times RECONCILIATION: Monday through Saturday after the 12:00 Noon Mass and Monday evenings at 7:30 BAPTISMS: Contact the Parish Center for date and Prep Class.

2 MARRIAGE: MINISTRY TO THE SICK: Homebound: Please let us know of any parishioners, unable to attend church, wishing to receive the Sacraments - Anointing of the Sick and Communion. Hospital Visitation: Present privacy regulations require the family to notify the parish of hospitalized parishioners. Please call the Parish Center to arrange a visit. PARISH MEMBERSHIP: We welcome new members to our parish. Registering helps us know you are one of us. Please visit the Parish Center. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults): We welcome inquiries into our Faith.

3 Please contact the Parish Center. YOUTH MINISTRY: Weekly in the Youth Room - High School 7:00 Sunday - at St. Michael s PARISH CENTER OFFICE HOURS RELIGIOUS EDUCATION ST. MICHAEL SCHOOL 40 ALDEN STREET Monday-Friday 9 (908) 276-2050 100 ALDEN STREET CRANFORD, NJ 07016 Saturday - CRANFORD, NJ 07016 (908) 276-0360 Sunday - (908) 276-9425 Emergency only Cell.

4 908-477-3093 Call the Parish Center YOUTH MINISTRY Assistive Listening System Available Page Two August 7, 2022 Saturday August 6 , 2022 5:30 Mitch Shugrue Sunday August 7 7:30 PEOPLE of the Parish 9:00 Novena of Masses 10:30 Rosary Society -Living & Deceased Members 12:00 Domenico DiLoreto Monday August 8 7:00 Elizabeth Stuetz Smith 12:00 Novena of Masses Tuesday August 9 7:00 Novena of Masses 12:00 Bertha Garnil Wednesday August 10 7:00 Rose Baccarella 12.

5 00 Ruth Marino Thursday August 11 7:00 Maeve Lynskey 12:00 Joseph O Donnell Friday August 12 7:00 George & Ilean Sinnott 12:00 William Beirne Saturday August 13 8:00 Kathleen Gorbos 12:00 Carole Urbanski 5:30 Virginia Purcell . Sunday August 14 7:30 Priest Intention 9:00 Margaret Turner 10:30 PEOPLE of the Parish 12:00 Marlene Buckman Novena: Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Mondays after 12 Noon Mass Rosary: Weekdays 6:30 am; :30 am; :30 am Social Services Helpline: (Cath.)

6 Comm. Services) 1-800-CCS-7413 Crisis Pregnancy Center: 1-201-991-2850 To Report Abuse: Victim Assistance Coordinator, Archdiocese of Newark 973-497-4254 Union County Prosecutor 908-527-4500 Pilgrim Statue: God Bless Those Who Welcome Our Lady! : K. O Connell, 12 Columbia Ave. : J. Smith, 710 Lincoln Ave. Readings for the Week: Monday: Ez 1:2-5,24-28c; Ps 148:1-2,11-14;Mt 17:22-27 Tuesday: Ez 2:8 3:4; Ps 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131; Mt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14 Wednesday: 2 Cor 9:6-10; Ps 112:1-2, 5-9; Jn 12:24-26 Thursday: Ez 12:1-12; Ps 78:56-59, 61-62: Mt 18:21 19:1 Friday: Ez 16:1-15, 60, 63 or 16:59-63; Is 12:2-3, 4bcd-6; Mt 19:3-12 Saturday: Ez 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32; Ps 51:12-15, 18-19; Mt 19:13-15 Sunday: Jer 38:4-6, 8-10; Ps 40:2-4, 18; Heb 12:1-4; Lk 12:49-53.

7 Where your treasure After last Sunday s parable of the rich man who fails to grasp the foolishness of storing up earthly advantages and goods that will soon pass to someone else, we have another teaching on the same theme. Today s passage from Matthew s Gospel features the situation of a householder s servants who prove themselves wise by being ready to welcome him on his return at a late hour. Their vigilance is rewarded, as their master pro-ceeds to wait on them. Jesus uses the example not just to advise wisdom in dealing with a demanding employer: He is encouraging His followers to be ready always for His return, at an hour you do not expect , so that regardless of the length of the Lord s delay in coming, His disciples will consistently live in accord with His teaching and example.

8 The passage from the Book of Wisdom speaks of the patient waiting of God s PEOPLE for the salvation of the just , looking through and beyond the ups and downs of the moment, in sure knowledge of the faithfulness of our Lord God. And the Letter to the Hebrews shares a meditation on the hope that springs from faith faith not as an intellectual grasp of mysteries, but as an expression of trust in the One Who promises. For Abraham, the challenge posed by God s directive to offer his son Isaac, Child of the Promise, in sacrifice was the supreme test. Were Abraham and Sarah, already blessed once in their advanced years, beyond all reason, to expect yet a second miraculous birth?

9 Abraham, familiar with the God Who led him forth from his place of origin to take up life in a new land, trusted in God somehow to honor His word of promise: it was his act of trust, expressed in his willingness even to offer his son in obedience, that confirmed God s judgment in Abraham s strength of virtue. It resulted in God s fulfillment of His promise, not only in sparing Isaac s life, but in granting Abraham the blessing of descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sands on the seashore. We are among those descendants of our father in faith a point of contemplation when, perhaps on a summer night at the edge of the ocean, we may behold the splendor of the stars and the innumerable grains of sand at our feet each of us foreknown and created at God s command.

10 The more relaxed mood of summer is a good time to reflect on the purposes for which we labor each day through the year, and to take into account Jesus advice to provide for ourselves money do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. More than just a wise observation, Jesus words express God s longing for a response to His love: For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. For those blessed with the fulsome love of God, Jesus reminds us of His invitation to openness of heart that recognizes that Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.