Dear friends,

+ Vacancies in the Kingdom of God:

We heard in last Sunday’s Gospel how Jesus was moved with pity at the sight of the people: they looked to Him “like sheep without a shepherd.”

So he appointed the 12 apostles to share and carry on his mission. They held different political and religious views and they would have fought among themselves all the time if not for Jesus.

What kept them together was not a commune religious or political opinion, a commune job or a common place of origin, but a commune love: all of them were in love with Christ.

They, and we the Parishioners at St. Therese, are the answer provided by Jesus’ compassion to the need of the people.

Jesus’ compassion for us is expressed in a cry: "The harvest is great."

Jesus sees everything we have in us: how many talents there would be but for their lying undeveloped; how much St. Therese could grow, could become reality if the unfolding of it all were not hindered; how much fulfilled life God wants to give, if only there were a breakthrough: "The harvest is great!"

It is like an outcry of the heart when Jesus adds: "But there are too few laborers!"

It hurts to see how rich the harvest would be at St. Therese if only God had enough co-workers to help gather it in. That is why we should ask God, the "Lord of the harvest", for such workers.

We have to remember that the Church does not exist for herself, for her own end; she exists for others.

At St. Therese we don’t want only to survive, but we want to flourish, reaching out to people: it is through us that salvation can be brought to the Chinese Community, both here in USA and abroad

Who are they, these harvest workers? What should we pray for? Does Jesus still call people today as well? 

It is a fact: at St. Therese the harvest is plentiful but there are too few “helping hands”.  It is a painful mystery to me, and I find difficult to understand, why our Parish seems to struggle all the time, happy to keep floating instead of courageously moving on at large.

Why are all the same people helping out? Why always the same faces? Why it is so difficult to create a core group of parishioners claiming ownership of this place?

 I don’t have an answer: the answer is with the individual Parishioner While grateful for the “few people” engaged in Parish work, we keep praying for more courageous and dedicated “workers”

+ Parish Council Meeting:

For your convenience I have attached the minutes of this meeting. My gratitude to Wendy Sin who prepared the minutes and to all participants.

+ Some Good News from Myanmar:

The Nargis Cyclone stripped naked a nation with a violent destruction, but people of all faiths  are clothing it now with compassion. They have learned how human tears have no color, no religion and no tribe. Please read more.

+ Summer Mission appeal:

We welcome to our Parish Fr. Aloysius Kamalu, CSSp sharing with us his missionary enthusiasm. There will be a second collection for his activities.

+ Peter’s Pence:

The Cardinal is appealing for the Pope’s charitable works. Next Sunday we shall have a second collection for the Pope’s charity.

Monies:
Last Sunday collection was                                                       $  1,724.00
Collection for the Retirement of Priests:                                    $    478.00
Collection for the Earthquake in China (School+Church)          $  3,815.00
Church Roofing                                                                         $     250.00