Text Box: SUMMER SCHEDULE Our Summer Mass Schedule has begun. For the summer we will have the 5:00 P.M. on Saturday and just the 10:00 A.M. Mass on Sunday. Thank you for your cooperation HELP WANTED We need more group leaders for the Children’s Liturgy of the Word on Sundays which will resume again in the Fall. This is indeed, a very meaningful ministry. For any questions, please call Sister Maria or Father Carrano at 718-625-1161. Text Box: ANNUAL CATHOLIC APPEAL We thank everyone who has made a pledge to the Bishop’s Annual Catholic Appeal. Just a reminder to please fulfill your obligation. Not only does your pledge support the needs of the diocese, it also helps our parish. As we noted, all monies collected after our goal is met will be given back to Assumption. Each year we use these funds to pay our parish assessment to the diocese and our annual insurance. These two bills total $31,000. In the past we were fortunate to be able to pay these bills partially because of your goodness to the Annual Appeal. Please help. Thank you for your generosity! Text Box: Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Text Box: BVM Text Box: Assumption Text Box: From the Pastor’s Desk Dear Friends: The parable of the sower and the seed is famous. Like most parables of Jesus, this one invites us in with simple imagery to ask how we are responding to the Gospel message. If we take the time to garden, seed can work well as a metaphor for us just as it did in Jesus’ time. We may spend a lot more of our time inside though - office projects, reports, etc. Actual, living plants take their own time. They grow on their own schedule. We can only help - we can water and nurture. A less famous part of Matthew’s passage comes right at the beginning. Before teaching about seeds, Jesus tried to put things into perspective. He walked out of the house to go sit down by the sea. He did this so that He might have some quiet time for reflection. In fact, the gospels tell us Jesus often prayed or spent quiet time in reflection before something special was to happen or before He was to teach something important. In Jesus’ case, the quiet reflection did not last long. The people immediately saw Him, crowded Him and sought His attention. As we reflect on today’s Gospel, maybe we can ask not only how we take Jesus’ words to heart, but, we can also ask ourselves how often we pray before doing something major in our lives. Yours in Christ, Rev. Michael A. Carrano