Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: “Plowing through life!”
Jesus in the Gospel today brings up an agricultural image that his crowd would understand – a “yoke.” A yoke is not what you find in an egg! It is a wooden collar or frame that an ox or a team of oxen would have around their neck and shoulders which would make them more comfortable to pull a plow through a field to cultivate it and prepare it for a crop of some kind. Plowing a field is not an easy task - not for the draft animals or for the plowman. But a well-fitted custom made yoke would make it possible for an ox or a mule to pull a heavy plow turning over the sod of a field for hours at a time. Jesus, having worked as a carpenter apprentice with his foster father, St. Joseph, knew how important it was to fit each yoke to a particular critter. Bottom line is that Jesus knows exactly how to give each us a yoke that fits our strengths and what we need to plow through the difficulties in life. It is another way of saying that the Lord always gives each of us exactly what graces we need for our big challenges. His custom-fit, “made by Jesus” yoke does not make the burdens of life disappear but the divine “plow-maker” guarantees it will be enough for us to “plow through life” and all of its tough challenges. “Take my yoke upon you,... For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
FAQ’S About Being Part of the New St. Mark of Lemay Parish
- Do I need to personally register at St. Mark’s?
No, St. Bernadette Parish will be sending our full parish roster of registered members digitally to St. Mark’s, so that you will automatically be counted as a member of the new St. Mark of Lemay Parish with its five church sites. - Who gets my personal information?
St. Mark Parish will get whatever parish census information we have for each registered family of St. Bernadette Parish. - Where will the priests of St.Mark Parish live?
The three parish priests for the new St. Mark of Lemay Parish will all live at the rectory at St. Mark’s on Union Rd. – Fr. Bob Burkemper, Fr. Rick Schilli and Fr. Allen Boedeker. - Where will I (Fr. Bob Reiker) be living?
I will be retired as of August 1. Then I can choose where I want to live (for the first time in over 50 years). I will likely be staying at least a couple of months at the St. Bernadette Rectory until I make a more informed decision about my future residence – in other words, the answer is TBA. - Where will the St. Bernadette parish endowment and parish savings account go?
According to Canon Law, any funds from a parish that is closing (subsumed) follow the congregation to the new parish. So all St. Bernadette funds will go directly to the new St. Mark of Lemay Parish to be used to serve this large new parish covering all of Lemay. - What about the parish bulletin?
The new St. Mark’s Parish will publish a weekly Sunday bulletin that will be available at all five sites of the new parish.
A Momentous Moment – The Final Celebration For St. Bernadette Parish
- Final Parish Mass – July 30 at 10:30 a.m. Mass
- Final Parish Barbecue – July 30 from 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. for parish members – must RSVP to Parish Office
A Word From Sister Ruth
Many people have asked me what I will be doing once I leave St. Bernadette Parish Office. First, I will take a couple of months for a little fishing and to help my three sisters clean and clear my Mom’s house so it can be put up for sale. Then I will be looking for a new ministry. I will be a member of St. Mark’s Parish so you’ll see me around. And I would like to add another FAQ to Fr. Bob’s list...
- Will we be receiving Sunday envelopes from St. Marks?
The answer is yes! You should receive your first St. Mark’s envelopes to use in August, if all goes well with the company that prints them. The information for online giving will appear in the next bulletin or two. Our St. Bernadette online giving will remain in effect until August.