Petitions/Prayer of the Faithful for September 27, 2015

Ellen McHugh wrote these for St. Mary's Painesville:


Prayer of the Faithful for September 27, 2015 

26rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrant:  As we celebrate our coming together for the Eucharist, let us, dear sisters and brothers,

approach the one God to voice all our needs.

 Help us to live our lives by the example set by Pope Francis, who insists it is our duty “to

serve the common good, to promote justice, to promote reconciliation, to build peace.” We

pray to the Lord.

 Help us to be inspired by the message of St. James.  We pray especially for the working poor

and for those who work to achieve economic justice for all peoples. We pray to the Lord.

 For those who govern nations and make laws: for the wisdom and courage to honor the

dignity of all human life from conception until death. We pray to the Lord.

 For a greater respect of the earth, for the courage to live simpler lives, and for a willingness

to make choices that protect the earth’s environment. We pray to the Lord

 Help us to be inspired by today’s gospel; lead us back to the way of holiness; give strength to

those who are sick in mind, body and spirit. Protect us from sin that wounds ourselves and

others.  We pray to the Lord.

 And for those for whom this Mass is offered [name them].  We pray to the Lord

 Let us pause now and silently offer to the Father our own particular intentions [allow for    

silence. . .].  We pray to the Lord.

Celebrant:  Father, we believe that you will hear and respond to our sincere prayers, asked in the

name of your Son, and in the power of your Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen.

Petitions/Prayer of the Faithful for September 20, 2015

Ellen McHugh composed these beautiful petitions for St. Mary's Painesville:

Prayer of the Faithful for September 20, 2015 

25rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrant:  As we celebrate our coming together for the Eucharist, let us, dear sisters and brothers,

approach the one God to voice all our needs.

 As we observe the UN International Day of Peace this Monday, we pray for all world leaders

to heed the message of St. James: that “the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those

who cultivate peace.”  We pray to the Lord.

 For those who work to counter injustice, for those who serve the Lord selflessly by giving

hope and comfort to those who feel abandoned, brokenhearted, or crushed in spirit.  We

pray to the Lord.  

 We pray for our catechists; may the Lord bless them and may the grace of the Holy Spirit

guide and uphold them to share your gospel with joy and confidence.  We pray to the

Lord.

 That in celebration of Catechetical Sunday, we may all see our life in Christ anew and fully

participate in handing on the great gift of faith to the next generation.  We pray to the

Lord.

 That all of us gathered here today may be inspired by today’s Gospel, to avoid rivalry and

jealousy, to put neighbor before self, to serve humbly in the same mind as Christ.  We pray

to the Lord.

 And for those for whom this Mass is offered [name them].  We pray to the Lord.

 Let us pause now and silently offer to the Father our own particular intentions [allow for    

silence. . .].  We pray to the Lord.

Celebrant:  Father, we believe that you will hear and respond to our sincere prayers, asked in the

name of your Son, and in the power of your Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen.


p.s. Later in the mass a prayer was added for the safety of Pope Francis during his visit to the United States.

A Poem about the Meal for the Homeless at St. Mary's in Painesville

Sweet September Evening at the Homeless Meal

Under blue skies, temperature around 77,

about a hundred people in the green grove

behind St. Mary’s Church--here in Painesville, Ohio,

gather for the Thursday night meal for the homeless.

This sweet evening, the guests are calm and happy,

chattering as they line up for a fine meal:

meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green and yellow beans,

green salad, pasta salad, dessert,

coffee, iced tea . . . conversation, laughter--

gee we all know what lurks three months down the road,

(the darkness, the bitter, the difficulty)

and we know about thirty of these men, women, children, and

babies sleep in the woods behind the old power plant

or along the banks of the Grand River, or in abandoned homes,

garages, sheds, porches--

but tonight we all laugh and eat and

then just sit a while, in the 6 pm slant light

of a calm and sweet September evening.

Bob Coughlin September 18, 2015

Wonderful Hispanic Festival in Painesville--at St. Mary's

Last Sunday we had the great privilege of attending a Hispanic Festival at St. Mary's Church in Painesville, Ohio. Our parish has a lot of immigrants from Mexico and other countries (one of our parish's great strengths) and has a bilingual pastor (Fr. Steve Vallenga), a Spanish mass, and a bilingual Spanish-English mass. I've noticed in recent years that a lot of the children getting confirmed and making their First Communions are Latino. I know a few of the immigrants and really like them. I am studying Spanish so that I can communicate better with those with limited English (most are bilingual; the children are amazingly bilingual--sometimes perfectly bilingual). I have noticed that some of the moms hesitate to talk in English and are lacking in confidence about their abilities to hold a conversation in English. I understand that because that's the way I am with Irish-Gaelic, which I have studied for almost ten years now. And I was that way initially with German when I lived and studied in Austria a long time ago (when I was a sophomore in college).

These folks seem very friendly. They have close families, and they absolutely love their children (and they seem to have more kids than Anglos). In many ways they remind me of my own Irish-Catholic family when I was little: loving families (with very little money); lots of children; an atmosphere of love and care, at least at home.

The festival had great food and lots of fun entertainment. One thing I enjoyed was the old codger dance, where about 10 young people donned white hair and beards and danced around, trying to lure audience members onto the dance floor. I didn't understand what was being said, but it seemed like great fun.

There were three Catholic priests at the festival while I was there: our pastor, Fr. Steve Vallenga; a former associate pastor, Fr. Joe Callahan; and our new associate, Fr. Chris. Everyone seemed to know (and love!) Fr. Steve and Fr. Joe. And they were getting to know Fr. Chris.

Our Hispanic parishioners seem to be good and dedicated Catholics. And they are in a good parish. Hopefully this will make their lives a bit easier in the current American atmosphere of suspicion toward new immigrants.

Just Thoughts: Overcoming Prejudice--Can It Be Done?

[This essay will be for the September 27, 2015 bulletin of St. Mary's Church, Painesville, Ohio.]

Just Thoughts: We Can Overcome Our Own Prejudice

Recently Fr. Daniel Ochs, from Upper Arlington’s St. Agatha parish, gave a sermon on prejudice. He began by quoting the famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, who said something to the extent that human prejudice is intractable even in the face of contrary evidence--it can’t be overcome. Then Fr. Ochs systematically and brilliantly dismantled Freud’s assertion and gave practical advice on overcoming our own prejudice.

The sermon reflected statements in that Sunday’s readings by St. James and St. Mark. We don’t have to go to scripture to understand the deep-down prejudice in our bones. I think of my own beloved grandfather who complained about “DP’s” and “n*****s,” though he himself had faced similar prejudice and discrimination. His parents were both “DP’s”--Displaced Persons. One came over from Ireland, escaping famine and desperate poverty; the other from Germany, escaping the constant wars and chaos in the area. They lived in the poor sections of Cleveland, with very little money or security. They were treated by some as less than human. They were excluded from many aspects of Cleveland life.

One doesn’t have to look hard to see prejudice in ourselves. Just below the surface bubbles anger, fear, and prejudice. But we don’t have to just accept that. Prejudice is stubborn, but it can be overcome. Freud was wrong; Jesus is right.

One way is to take our own personal and familial suffering and experience being discriminated against--and then turning that on its head so that prejudice becomes empathy and understanding of those excluded from our society.

To do this we need to acknowledge and gently confront prejudice when we see it, in ourselves, our family, our friends. The Gospel is about welcoming the sinner, the outcast, the stranger--whether that outsider is ourself or others. That approach is at the center of our Catholic Christianity.

My First Half Marathon (River Run Half Marathon 2015)

Well I wish I could say I ran one yesterday--say, the "River Run" from Berea, Ohio, to Rocky River. But no. What I did was watch the finish of my first half marathon, which is 13.1 miles. I watched my daughters Emily and Julia, and their husbands Brian and Ed, finish their runs. I must say that it was so beautiful, so inspiring to see this. First of all, I couldn't believe how many people finished this race. They ranged in age from teens to 80 years old (an 80 year old woman, Pauline Beatty, finished the race in about 4 hours and fifteen minutes--she was last of the finishers, but maybe the greatest champion there!). The overall winner, David Petrak, ran the race in 1:07:32, which to me is astonishing. My son-in-law Brian Homan ran in the race in 2:03:19; Ed Kleppel was not far behind at 2:10:47; and my daughters, Julia, and Emily, ran across the finish line together around 2:19:20, give or take a couple seconds.

What I didn't realize was first of all how many people could do this. I'm guessing a thousand people or more finished this half marathon. And they did it with such enthusiasm and esprit, and for the most part a spirit of cooperation. I'm sure that among the top finishers there is an intense spirit of competition, but I think most of the runners were running against the clock and their previous performances. Maybe many were just running against the distance, to see if they could do it.

What a wonderful inspiration this was. Makes me want to participate in walks and runs. Not sure if my 67-year-old legs could run any great distance, but I certainly could walk  a 5K, 10K, or even 13.1 mile event. And I plan on doing that soon!

Some photos:

Julia and Ed at the finish line

Brian, Emily, Julia, Ed

Emily and Brian

Julia with Colin, Emily

Em and Julia, running pretty hard toward the finish line

The last stretch of the race, through Rocky River Reservation.

Ed flashed by me before I could get the camera ready. He's in a dark gray shirt.

Linda, with Colin, watching the race.

One Last 9-11 Remembrance--Billy Collins Reading "The Names"

Former US poet laureate Billy Collins wrote a brilliant poem to honor the victims of 9-11.
Click to view Billy Collins reading his poem.