29th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Fr. Ben Riley
The more I participate in ministry, the more I actively pursue building up the Kingdom of God, the less I believe in coincidence. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have encountered a difficult ministry situation and found the Psalms prayed at Evening Prayer perfectly comment on what is happening. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have prayed for an answer, or a resolution to a problem, and had it answered in the most unexpected of ways. Truly, the more I work in ministry, the less I believe in coincidence. I don’t believe in coincidence; I believe in the providence of God. That our God and the Holy Spirit is truly working in and through every aspect of our lives.
Today, when I need to preach about a topic that, frankly, is not very fun to preach about, I do not think it is a coincidence that our Gospel perfectly coincides with the topic. I believe it is God’s Providence.
As you walked into Church this morning you probably noticed a big poster board. It outlines, the cemetery project that, after a long process of receiving bids, the parish is finally ready to submit to Bishop Taylor for approval. Because I believe transparency is important for a healthy church community, I would like to describe this project for you.
About two months after I arrived here at Mary Mother of God, the ladies of the cemetery committee, scheduled a meeting with me. We sat down in my office, and they expressed their desire to have a crucifix in our cemetery. After all, we are a Catholic Church, with a Catholic Cemetery; we should have something in our cemetery that honors our Lord Jesus Christ. I completely agreed, and spoke with both the finance council, and pastoral council, getting feedback on the design and cost of such an endeavor. After much debate, this is what was finally agreed upon.
First, we are going to complete the concrete sidewalk that leads to the cemetery driveway and parking area. The 500 feet of concrete for the sidewalk will cost $13,000. Next, the driveway and parking area, that is currently gravel will be replaced with asfault. That will cost $19,250. While we have the asfault workers here, we are also going to take this opportunity to have our church parking lot resurfaced to cover up all of those scratches. That along with having it repainted that will cost, $14,268. Finally, to have a place for prayer and reflection in our cemetery, we are going to erect a 10-foot tall crucifix with benches at the top of the parking area. This structure with a cast bronze corpus of our Lord and a stainless steel cross, will cost $51,225. Those of you who are good at math already know that all together this project is estimated to cost $97,743. That is a lot of money, there is no other way to say it. And I will admit, such a large number is hard to swallow. But let me offer some context.
This is your church, and over the years, through your generous contributions, you have supported the wellbeing of this property. We have a duty to care for and maintain the Church. We all know that prices are going up. Everything is getting more expensive: gas, groceries, insurance, rent and mortgages. It is very easy to recognize the effects of inflation every time we go to the grocery store. But it is not always easy to recognize that those expenses that are getting higher at home, are also getting higher at the Church.
As you came into Mass tonight you should have been handed a copy of the bulletin. Would you please take out the insert in the bulletin. This is the parish financial statement for the month of August. You will notice that the income highlighted at the top right of the page, does not cover the expenses highlighted at the bottom right. This deficit does not happen every month, but it does happen most months.
Again, your generous contributions of the past have made it possible to cover the primary costs of utilities including our high electric bill, lawn care for our large property, and wages for the church staff. And even this cemetery project will largely be paid for by the generous contribution of oil and mineral rights that was given to the church through a parishioner’s last will and testament; an amount you can see at the bottom of the page consisting of $78,343. With that amount and some funds taken directly from the sale of cemetery plots, the project is all but paid for. Our parish is in a healthy place financially. We also have a long-term savings account accumulating interest at the Diocese, however, that account, which is not listed on the financial statement, is for emergencies and large projects. Looking forward to the continual financial health of the parish, it is important that we strive to have our monthly income meet or exceed our monthly expenses.
In our Gospel, Jesus says, to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, but give to God what is God’s. The truth is, all that we have, our goods, our possessions, our comforts, and the money in our wallets or bank accounts, it does not belong to us. We did not earn it, for all that we have, and all that we are, was given to us by God. Our wealth belongs to God, and we cannot take it with us when we die.
So please, in your tithing, as you strive to support the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, and the orphan, do not forget Christ’s Church. We have a duty to maintain the physical goods God has entrusted to our care. And by doing so, we maintain a place of prayer, a place of worship, a sacred place where we can always come to be with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
You will notice giving envelopes in each pew. These will remain in the pew primarily for visitors, but also for parishioners who forget to bring their weekly envelopes. Next month you will notice a new envelope in the packet that is mailed to you, specifically for the cemetery project. Many families choose to give through the online giving platform. To do so simply log on to Harrisoncatholic.org and click the giving tab at the top right side of the page. And finally, please don’t forget the Church as you prepare a final will and testament. Doing so now will make it much easier on your family.
I am so grateful for your generosity. Together we will continue to build up the kingdom of God, physically here on earth and in our hearts as we await the coming of His eternal kingdom in heaven.
May God bless you.