Please take note of four special announcements in our bulletin this coming week: The message of the restructuring of the St. Vincent de Paul Society; the Blue Mass this Monday evening; the 40 Days for Life program with a sign-up this weekend; and the Memorial Mass for John Krolikowski next Thursday (along with the Krolikowski Children’s Scholarship Fund).

This weekend marks an awesome anniversary in the life and history of our country. Many of our youngsters only know about it by what they read or hear or watch in the television news clips or some other form of the media. We who still remember intensely from ten years ago have visions (or even nightmares) of that horrible day we refer to as “9-11.” We also remember the heroism and bravery of the men and women who thought first of “others” before their own safety (a very Christian attitude), and whose lives were cut short in their efforts to “love their neighbor.” These are the men and women we honor this weekend, along with our living men and women of police and fire/rescue companies that are serving us at present. All of these will be honored on Monday in our annual “Blue Mass,” when representatives of those companies will be at the 7:00 PM Mass commemorating “9-11.” Our school children are making special mementoes for those men and women serving our community. We will present these mementoes at this Mass and bless our officers at that time. I really hope that you and your family would attend this Mass with its unique opportunity to honor the living and deceased members who serve us in the USA domestic scene.

Many of our parishioners volunteer in so many ways to assist us in carrying out all the many programs that we have. Their ability to use their God-given gifts of time, talent and treasure are examples of Christian stewardship that help pave the way for the numerous events taking place in our parish and its school. Still, there are many more parishioners who can share their talents in other ways, whether being an usher/greeter in church, a reader, or an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion (once incorrectly referred to as Eucharistic Ministers). If, for some strange reason, you feel your efforts are not needed, and would rather not help us shoulder the burden, then the following story may have meaning for you.

A mouse looked thru a crack in the wall of a farmhouse to see the farmer and his wife opening a package. What might it contain? The mouse was aghast to discover that it was a mousetrap. Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed a warning to all the animals: “There’s a mouse trap in the farm house – a mouse trap.

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, “Excuse me, Mouse. I can tell this is of grave concern to you, but no consequence to me. I can’t be bothered by it.” Then the mouse turned to the pig, who somewhat sympathized with the mouse, saying, “I’m sorry but can’t do anything about it. I will pray for you; be assured that you are in my prayers.” The cow said, “Like wow, Mouse! A MOUSE trap! Duh! Like I’m in great danger; NOT!” So the mouse returned back to the farmhouse, head down, dejected, to face the farmer’s mousetrap alone.

That very night a sound was heard -- like a trap catching its prey. The farmer’s wife ran to see what was caught. In the darkness, she didn’t see that it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. It bit the farmer’s wife. He rushed her to the hospital for a serum. She returned home with a fever, and everyone knows you treat a fever with chicken soup. So he took the hatchet to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient. The wife’s sickness continued, however, so that neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig. His wife didn’t recover, so she died. Many people came to her funeral, so the farmer slaughtered the cow to provide food for them all to eat.

So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it doesn’t concern you, remember that “when there’s a mousetrap in the house, the whole farmyard is at risk.” If we are to continue to strive as family in building up Christ’s Body in our midst, then we must walk the talk and expend much effort in the process. Learning from Christ’s example of love on the Cross, we see that there are no shortcuts in the Christian way. We’re all needed to work together to build up the Body of Christ in our midst.

Very Rev. Canon Tom