Entries for August 2024

Dear Parishioners:

This Monday is Labor Day, which is celebrated in the United States and Canada on the first Monday in September to honor the laborer. It was inaugurated by the Knights of Labor in 1882 and made a national holiday by the U.S. Congress in 1894.  It is a day to give thanks for all those who labor for us.

One the feast days of St. Joseph is that of Joseph the Worker.  Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of St. Joseph the Worker in 1955.  While this is a recent feast, the relationship between Joseph and the cause of workers has a longer history. In a constantly necessary effort to keep Jesus from being removed from ordinary human life, the Church has from the beginning proudly emphasized that Jesus was a carpenter, obviously trained by Joseph in both the satisfactions and the drudgery of that vocation. Humanity is like God not only in thinking and loving, but also in creating. Whether we make a table or a cathedral, we are called to bear fruit with our hands and mind, ultimately for the building up of the Body of Christ.

Also, coming next week is the twenty-third anniversary of the attacks and tragedy of September 11, 2001. With so much violence and fatal shootings in our world, country and our own city I invite you to take some time in the coming week either at Mass or in prayer to remember those who died, their families and to pray for an end of terrorism, racism and violence in our homes, city, country and world.

Pope John Paul II said. The human heart has depths from which schemes of unheard-of ferocity sometimes emerge, capable of destroying in a moment the normal daily life of a people,   But faith comes to our aid at these times when words seem to fail, he stressed. Christ’s word is the only one that gives a response to the questions which trouble our spirit.  He continues; Even if the forces of darkness appear to prevail, those who believe in God know that evil and death do not have the final say. Christian hope is based on this truth; at this time our prayerful trust draws strength from it.

Through prayer and solidarity, we will remember those who lost their lives, and pray with the still-grieving families and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy and unfortunately the many that have followed.  Hopefully our thoughts and prayers will be a source of comfort for all and help to console us, strengthen us in hope, and give us the wisdom and courage to work tirelessly for a world where true peace, religious freedom and love reign among nations and in the hearts of all.

God Bless!

Msgr. John Shamleffer

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Dear Parishioners:

It is that time of year again when our children have returned or are preparing to return to school. For our college students, know that you are in our thoughts and prayers here at The Church of the Annunziata. This time in your life is a wonderful opportunity for growth and learning. May your faith also grow with you over the coming years. For our high school students you are at an exciting time in your lives, new schools, new friends, new subjects bring great energy and excitement in your lives. This period of growth and new horizons help to bring about a greater maturity of faith and allow you the opportunity to give witness to your faith in your words and actions. For our elementary school students these are wondrous years, each one bringing new friends, knowledge and activities to your lives.

Our parish is blessed with a wonderful Parish School of Religion. I encourage all parents to make use of this school for your children. I also encourage you to attend Mass with them at our monthly Family Mass We have no greater gift to give, than to share with our children, our faith. If you have not already done so, please contact our new director of religious education, Mrs. Caroline Hall, and she will help you to register your child.

May this school year be a blessed one for our educators, parents and especially our children, as we all grow in faith.

Blessings!

Msgr. John Shamleffer

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Dear Parishioners,

"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day."

This past month, we have listened to the Sixth Chapter of John’s Gospel, the discourse on Jesus as the Bread of Life. This week, the readings call us to live with wisdom and understanding. They encourage us to seek true nourishment from Jesus, the Bread of Life, and live in a way that pleases God.

Invitation to Wisdom: The first reading from Proverbs invites us to leave behind foolishness and choose the way of understanding. Wisdom offers us true life and fulfillment. Wisdom’s invitation is to a better life. It encourages us to abandon foolishness and embrace understanding. Accepting Wisdom’s invitation means making better choices. It means seeking knowledge and understanding and applying them in our daily lives. Wisdom leads us to live in a way that pleases God and benefits ourselves and others.

When we choose wisdom, we choose a path that leads to true fulfillment and joy.

Living Wisely: Ephesians reminds us to live with wisdom, understanding God’s will for our lives. It urges us to be careful in how we live, making the most of every opportunity.

Thankfulness to God: Paul encourages us to always give thanks to God. This thankfulness helps us to live joyfully and gratefully, recognizing God’s many blessings.

Avoiding Foolishness: Ephesians warns against drunkenness and living without thought. Instead, it calls us to live with a clear mind and a focused heart.

Jesus, the Living Bread: In the Gospel, Jesus offers Himself as the living bread from heaven. Those who partake in Him through the Eucharist will receive eternal life, unlike those who ate manna and still died.

Eternal Life Through Christ: Jesus promises eternal life to those who believe in Him. This promise is a central theme, showing that true life is found in Jesus.

Spiritual Nourishment: The readings highlight the need for spiritual nourishment. Just as our bodies need food, our souls need the sustenance that comes from Christ in the Eucharist.

Living with Joy: Paul speaks of expressing joy through spiritual music. This joy comes from living in harmony with God’s will and being filled with the Holy Spirit.

With so many self-help books out there, Jesus and Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, urge us to live wisely, understand God’s will, and prioritize our time. They warn against drunkenness and encourage being filled with the Spirit, giving thanks, and singing spiritual songs. Our readings highlight the importance of good relationships and having an attitude of gratitude. Following Paul’s guidance can help us make the most of our time and lead a fulfilling life.

This teaching is central to our faith. Jesus offers Himself as our spiritual nourishment. By receiving Him in the Eucharist, we are united with Him and receive the promise of eternal life. As a reflection aid, I have added some questions to reflect on as we live out the gift of our life.

God Bless!

Msgr. John Shamleffer

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Dear Parishioners:

I am blessed as I finish my first year as pastor here at the Church of the Annunziata many thanks for all your kind words and prayers of support. This past year I have been blessed to join in prayer with you and to share and support our faith together.

The Church has also blessed us with a number of Saints that continue to influence us these past ten days. On July 31st we had St. Ignatius of Loyola who founded the Jesuits, August 1st we had St. Alphonsus Ligouri who founded the Redemptorists, and on August 8th we had St. Dominic who founded the Dominicans. Each was unique in themselves and in their orders, but also all were united in striving to bring people to Christ.

St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) founded the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits. Wounded in battle as a Spanish soldier he had a spiritual conversion and decided to devote his life to God. Spending a year in extreme ascetic practices he had mystical experiences that would be the basis for his book Spiritual Exercises that would become the foundational guide for the Jesuits and used by many in leading retreats. Studying at the University of Paris he would gather other students who would go with him to Rome to found the Jesuits. They would soon found many universities, go out to the world as missionaries, and are recognized as leaders in the Counter-Reformation, spreading the faithful teachings of the Catholic faith.

St. Alphonsus Ligouri (1696-1787), founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, or the Redemptorists. He was a lawyer at the age of 17, practiced without losing a case for eight years, and then when he lost a case by an oversight on his part he took it as a sign from God that he was to leave that profession to become a priest. In his book Moral Theology, in his preaching, and in his modest life he strived to seek a balance in life.

St. Dominic (1170-1221) founded the Order of Preachers, or the Dominicans. Unlike Ignatius and Alphonsus, Dominic was raised to dedicate his life to the Church and to be a priest. Pope Innocent III would approve the founding of the Dominican order to preach throughout various territories in opposition to heresies.

Also this past August 4th we celebrated St. John Vianney (1786-1859), the patron saint of parish priests. A man renown as a confessor, a pastor and for his sanctity.

As we remember these saints and the gift of faith they shared with us let us also strive as a community to bring Christ to those who meet. Let pray for one another as we all seek to grow in Holiness. Let us also be ambassadors and evangelizers of our faith community, spreading the good news of Jesus and Ste Genevieve by inviting men and women to join us in prayer.

RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS—RCIA

This September we will again start the process for men and women who are inquiring about the Catholic Faith. RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is the process through which adults enter into the Catholic faith. RCIA is a spiritual journey designed in phases and implemented through various rites. The participants' spiritual growth is encouraged and enhanced through weekly reflection on God's Word and the teachings of Catholic doctrine and traditions. Please contact the Parish Office if interested in joining the Church 314.993.4422.

Becoming a Catholic is one of the most profound and joyous experiences of life. Some are blessed enough to receive this great gift while they are still infants, and over the course of time they grow into a recognition of the enormous grace that has been bestowed upon them, of the dignity and wonder of their identity as Catholics. Others come into the Catholic fold while they are older children or adults. In these cases it is important for people to have a grasp of the joyful process by which one becomes a Catholic.

If you know someone who might be interested in joining the Church, be that family member, fellow worker, or neighbor, please contact the parish office with their name and phone number. Our parishioners are always the best evangelists. Your faith and how you live it will speak volumes to those around you.

Let us pray for those who are contemplating joining the Catholic faith and encourage them through our words, actions and prayers. God bless you for sharing your faith!

Msgr. John Shamleffer
Pastor

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Dear Parishioners:

The Church of the Annunziata through our Learning Center and our PSR program creates a Christ-centered community through spiritual, academic and social growth that will provide the foundation to serve a challenging society faithfully and well.  Be it known to all who enter: Christ is the reason for our school. Christ is the unseen but ever-present teacher in our classes, the model of our faculty, and the inspiration of our parents and students.

It’s back to school time and so let’s return to the basics of our faith. We believe in God, Father, Son and Spirit and the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic faith that He established. He so loved us, that He makes us His children through baptism. As baptized, we have become Christ’s own so profoundly that Christ’s Spirit lives in us, luring us toward all that we can become through sharing life with Him. We cannot control the Spirit, but we are free to choose how much we wish to be open to God’s constant offer of grace.

Since we usually baptize infants, parents commit to teach their children by their words and actions, assisted by the godparents. Parents promise to raise their children Catholic and allow the Spirits gifts to be learned and fostered in their home.

All of us are to be teachers as well as learners. We are all called to be constant students of the faith. We adults are the ones who need to pass on our faith to our children. We can’t teach what we don’t know or understand and it all comes at a cost.

The grace of our baptism must be fed by our growth in the Word and the Sacraments. Let us grow together in our faith.

This is what one parent shared with me about being “first teachers” of their child.  Being “first teachers” has to begin with modeling, through our everyday lives, Christian values especially those of faith, hope and charity and by attending Mass as a family regularly and on Holy Days. Being “first teachers” is helping our children to develop a meaningful prayer life…and it’s never too late to start.

There are so many things and attitudes that are competing for our children’s attention not to mention the popular notion that Jesus is irrelevant and that God, if he exists, is out dated. How can we help our kids learn our Catholic faith and grow in that same faith?  First, we need to realize that the key to having a strong Catholic faith is to have a strong relationship with Jesus Christ. Do we, as parents, believe that Christ wants to be active in our everyday lives?  Do we share that understanding with our children?  Do we share our daily stories of encounter and conversion?  Do we make daily prayer a priority?  If we don’t do these things, our children may never learn them. 

The second key is to understand and live out the mission of the Catholic Church: to love and serve our neighbor, especially the poor and vulnerable, with the same intense love that Christ has for us. Do we model an active life of service in order to help build the Kingdom of God? Do we share our blessings with those in need in our community and outside of it?

It is too easy as a parent to pass on our responsibility as first teacher to others, such as grandparents, our schools or the parish’s religious education program; but God endowed parents to be uniquely qualified to teach their children even if they don’t think they know how. God will always provide the graces we need if we but ask him for those graces.

I pray that this school year will be a year of graces for our children, and I especially keep all of our parents in my prayers that they receive the graces they need to fulfill their responsibilities to their children.

God Bless!

Msgr. John Shamleffer

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