Jennifer Sweeney

Deacon Earl’s Homily

Deacon Earl’s funeral homily for Wrenlow Ainsworth

On behalf of the parish family here at SFX, Fr. Dale Cieslik and the whole staff, we wish to express our sincere condolences to Ashley and Luke, Theresa and Robert, Mandy & Graham and the whole family gathered here today.  We gather to remember the life of Wrenlow Rhode Ainsworth, a precious child of God. 

Wherever our hearts may be this day, know that Jesus knows exactly where they are, and so, we can bring him our confusion, doubts, struggles, and difficulties because this is not an easy thing.

There is something inside us that rebels against death.  This rebellion in us is from the Lord, because God made us to live His abundant life, not this, and that brings us to our confusion.  Wherever your heart is today, the Lord wants to tend to it.

It’s not hard to feel the pain and sorrow at the loss of Wrenlow, but as follower’s of Christ, we know that there is more for us.  When we recall Christ suffering, death and rising, we see God’s plan of salvation being offered to us.  Something so great— out of something so horrible.  Like the dawn of a new day, in the very midst of our grief and sadness, an experience of His goodness can and will come to us.  His goodness is like rays of light that penetrate the darkness of grief and sorrow. 

When we think about “life”, what does it strike up in us?

Many define a “successful” life with wealth, comfort, happiness, and the joy of living to be maybe 80 or 90 years of age.  And so, to compare that sense of life, to the life of Wrenlow, who was in her mother’s womb for nearly 6 months, and only 7 days outside, her life would seem short of that definition.  But as believers, we don’t measure life by a number of years.  We understand the big difference between earthly life and eternal life.  The number of days, or months in a womb, or even 100 years of life really becomes very small when considered against the reality of all eternity, and the immortal nature of our souls.

I will always consider August 26th as one of the greatest days of my life.   It was the day that Wrenlow was born and baptized.  Ashley, Luke, Theresa and Robert, it is a real testament to your faith and discipleship, that you wanted to have Wrenlow baptized when she was born.  It was a great privilege to baptize her, and your faith in Christ spoke for Wrenlow.  In that precious moment, Jesus poured out his salvation into her soul, freeing her from original sin, incorporating her into the family of God, and He placed an indelible mark on her soul.  It was from God’s hand that she came to you, and to God’s hand that she has returned.  Wrenlow lives eternally with God the Father.

Sometimes we forget the purpose of life.  We forget that God wants us to be in heaven with him eternally.  He created us for heaven.  Jesus told us, on the night before he died, that he would go and prepare a place for us, because He wants us with him eternally.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus said “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them.  For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these”. How much more hope do we need if we trust in those words?  The creator of the universe, the creator of all things, bent down to touch and to bless the little children.  We can imagine how much he delights in inviting Wrenlow into eternity.

In her few days here with you Ashley and Luke, she brought you a deep love, a love you have never known before.  In her short life, she touched the hearts of her parents, grandparents, nurses, aids, doctors, a deacon and many more.  On this side of heaven, we may never know all those she has touched.  It’s very possible, that Wrenlow unleashed a love greater than some people do in a long life.  The sole purpose of this earthly life is to love and to be loved.  And so, in this regard, Wrenlow’s short life was immensely successful.  

Today, let us entrust our grief and sorrow to the One who knows it very well.  The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.  She knew the great joy of carrying her child within.  But she also knew the most profound sorrow and grief, as she held her beloved son on Calvary’s hill.  We can cry out in our grief and sorrow today.  Let it have a voice within you.  Give it all to him.  Let it perhaps… be your offering, surrender it to him, because he is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

We do not know or understand the plan, but we do know God is trustworthy, because a God that suffers and dies for us is worthy of our trust. You held your daughter in your arms, you sang to her, and your  eyes gazed in love and wonderment upon her.  We give Wrenlow back to God today, into his loving arms, and there is no safer for her.  His loving eyes are upon her now and forever.

Trunk or Treat and Chili Supper

Join us on Saturday, October 21st after the 5PM Mass for a Trunk or Treat in the parking lot and Chili Supper in the Xavier Center. All are invited! Please help our planning, RSVP HERE . We need Trunks and Treats! Decorate your car and bring candy. Tell us you are coming by completing the RSVP using the link above.

Donut Sunday

Join us on Sunday, September 17th, Catechetical Sunday, for donuts in the Parish Hall after the 9AM and the 11AM Masses. This month’s Donut Sunday will be hosted by the SFX High School Youth group kids and parents.

Margaritas with Mary

Attention Ladies of SFX, our first book study meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 26 at 7PM in the double meeting room of the Xavier Center. We will continue to meet on the 4th Tuesday of each month. Our first meeting will be a get to know each other and our book. No reading necessary for the first meeting! There is still time to join! RSVP HERE and purchase our first book; “A Heart Like Mary’s” HERE . Spread the word and bring a friend!

Knights of Columbus Essay Contest

Don’t miss out on your chance to enter the Knights of Columbus Catholic Citizenship Contest! This year’s topic is “How can the Church evangelize in the digital age”. The contest is open to grades 8-12, essays should be 500-750 words and a $100 prize winner will be chosen from each grade. Download the entry form below or pick up one in the gathering space of church. Contact Mike Zygmunt for additional information, (716) 319-4967 or bspford99@icloud.com .

Fr. Dale’s Homily

23rd Sunday in OT (Cycle A)

Gospel:  Matthew 18: 15-20

September 9-10, 2023

This being Grandparents’ Weekend, I often wonder how a grandma or grandpa chooses to correct their own grandchild when it is warranted.  It is not easy work.  There is a public face of bad behavior and the response to it.  I personally see and hear it at public places like Kroger or Walmart or McDonald’s or chick-filet or Cracker Barrel or fill in the blank.  Then there is the private face of correction that happens at home, or in the car or in the principal’s office at school.  While I admit I have less patience as I grow older, I also find it harder to watch or listen to what I see as unfair; both on the part of the child and also the adult.  I know tough love is very hard to enact.  It is a two-way street whereas any person, small or large, old or young, called on God for fairness and to do “the next right thing”.  But, what isthe next right thing’?

Today’s readings are all about “correcting” … but correcting WHO?  The readings seem to be saying that we have this responsibility to one another, to help each other stay on the right path. 

So, how do we feel about that?

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.”

Now, as you may know, I am from a semi-small immediate family, but from a very large one of many first cousins.  The year 1955 produced the most of these cousins in any given year.  I am close to most of these 46 cousins… I “like” most of them… especially Archbishop Chuckie in Indianapolis… most of the time…

Being family, we did not always get along.  I think it would be safe to say that we “sinned against each otherplenty.  And we were also very good at “fraternal correction”, which usually took one of three forms.  One form we used to correct each other involved hitting one another.  Not too effective… but it felt good.  The second form was good ole name calling – such as you idiot, you jerk… We were pretty good at not using profane words, but beyond that; we were quite creative.  The last form of correction was the most effective, and the one we used the most: tattling.  We told on each other a lot, with lots and lots of extra embellished details…

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.”

Now, I think all of us can understand when a child resorts to this type of solution.  But what is our excuse as adults?  What? We don’t tattle?  Sure we do.  We just give it another nameGOSSIP.  When we gossip, we’re not necessarily telling anyone who has the power to do anything about it, we’re tattling nonetheless… out comes those words and we want them right back … most of the time, it’s too late

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his

fault between you and him alone.”

You know, quite honestly, that it’s not easy to know how to correct another person.  It just isn’t.  It is not easy to know how we’re supposed to go about it, what we are supposed to say and how we are to say it.  But God seems to be making it fairly clear that it is one of our responsibilities to each other.  In the first reading from Ezekiel, we heard that… if we see someone going astray, and we don’t do anything to help him or her get back on the right path, we bear some of the responsibility.  Pretty strong words?

This gets especially complicated when we get to the level of the world stage… but that is another day and another time…  

But why is this also so hard to do at the level of our families, our workplaces, our schools, and our church?  The Lord tells us to go to the person who wronged us and try to settle the issue… to bring reconciliation.  And what do we often do?  We tell every single person except the person we should tell.  And the people we do tell, tell others and they then tell others, and right down the line… Usually the last person to find out is the one who should have known in the first place. 

Gossip is poisonIt just is.  It poisons families, schools, neighborhoods, and even faith communities.  And gossip is not necessarily the telling of falsehoods… it sometimes involves telling the truth to persons who have no business knowing the information in the first place… 

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.”

In the end, there is one test for gauging how OR if we should correct someone, how we are to help someone stay on the right path.  That test is brought to light by the words of Paul: “Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.”  And there you have it…

Love, love, love.  If our actions aren’t done out of love then we shouldn’t do them at all.  If the words we say are not said out of love, we shouldn’t say them at all.  Every time we’re about to open our mouths, we need to ask, “Am I doing this out of love, or for some other reason?”

We have heard the expression, “You only hurt the ones you love.”  Well, Jesus wants us to turn the phrase inside out… start loving the ones who hurt us…. it is the hardest work you will ever do.

Amen.

Celebrating a Milestone Anniversary in 2023?

An anniversary Mass with Archbishop Shelton will be held at the Cathedral of the Assumption on September 17th at 12PM. Couples celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2023 of 30, 40, 50 and 60 years or longer are invited to contact the parish office so they may be recognized. The registration deadline is
September 1,2023. Call the parish office at (502) 538-4933 or email jennifer.sweeney@sfxmw.com with First Names (husband & wife) , Milestone Year Anniversary, Date of Marriage and Mailing Address. The event will be available for viewing via the Cathedral of the Assumption’s YouTube Channel.

Communion Minister Trainings

The Communion Minister training scheduled for Tuesday, July 25th at SFX has been cancelled. A training though the Archdiocese will be offered at St. Bernard on July 25th at 6:30PM. Click HERE to view the schedule of Communion Minister trainings offered through the Archdiocese of Louisville.

SFX Golf Scramble

Gather your team and join us for the 12th Annual St. Francis Xavier Golf Scramble! The scramble will be held on Sunday, September 17th at Tanglewood Golf Course in Taylorsville, KY. Registration begins at 12PM, with a shotgun start at 1PM. RAIN OR SHINE! The cost is $240 per foursome or $60 per person. This includes lunch, green fees, cart rental and door prizes! Contact Pattie Mattingly at (502) 407-9802 or the parish office at (502) 538-4933 for more information. Prizes include: 1st 2nd & 3rd awarded to foursomes and closest to the pin. Reservations required and payments must be received no later than September 10th. Use the registration form below or pick up one in the gathering space of church. Check, cash and credit cards accepted.

Click HERE to pay registration with credit card.

Do you own a business or would the company you work for like to become a HOLE SPONSOR? Check out the hole sponsor information below.