From The Pastor’s Desk

When I mention stewardship, is seems like people only think about, “Father wants more money!” Within marriage, money is a lot of times a touchy subject due to budgets and unexpected emergencies, so it is within “church”. It is not easy to tackle this subject within the parish family. So let’s forget about money, budgets and talk about true stewardship.

This past weekend the Parish Council hosted St. Agnes Stewardship Fair. We have not had one here at St. Agnes for at least four years. It presented many of the different ministries which our parish is involved in both here in the parish as well as in the community. Many of the ministries are a combination, parish and community.

It is easy to look at the examples of the Saints before us and throw our arms up in defeat, saying, “Giving up all of my possessions is not realistic—I have a family to take care of. So I guess I cannot do this stewardship thing.” But that thought process is kind of like missing the “spirit” of the law because one is so focused on the “letter” of the law. In the spirit of the great Saints before us, let’s all consider how our lives, our priorities, and our decisions reflect Christ and make some changes where necessary.

Ask yourself: How can I use ten minutes this day, or an hour—whatever is the case, to thank God for all of the blessings he has bestowed on me? I have $5, $50 or $500—how can I use it to help others in need? I have skills in music, computers, listening, carpentry, gardening—whatever talents you’ve been blessed. How can I use these gifts to show God that I love my brother and sister as I love myself?

Stewardship isn’t a contest of who can give the most money. It isn’t a popularity contest of who is in the most activities. And it certainly isn’t a “Who’s Got Talent” contest of who has the most impressive gifts from God. Stewardship is a very personal commitment to God and to our faith community. And just like jumping back on the diet wagon after you have eaten a dozen donuts, Stewardship is a decision to be made daily—hourly—one at a time. It is never too late to choose Christ as the first priority in your life. And making that choice certainly does not mean that you walk away from your job, your house, and your belongings. Stewardship simply means remembering that all we have: in our bank accounts, in our resumes, our hobby rooms and on our calendars…ALL we have is a gift from God and we should treat it all accordingly.

I do want to take this time to thank all the many volunteers who help around our parish plant. I will not try to name people because I will leave some of you off the list as I keep seeing different people doing different things. I also want to thank all of you who give in the collection to help keep the parish solvent. If you ask pastors, “what is your biggest concern”, almost all will tell you, “Is there enough money to pay the bills this month.” So again I thank all of you who use your Sunday envelopes, and ask those who do not contribute, to please consider helping to pay the family bills.

SAVE THE DATE: Tickets for SCHS’s production of Hunchback of Notre Dame, Nov. 14,15,& 17, go on sale to the public Oct. 12, 2019

CONFIRMATION NEWS

The next Confirmation session will be held Sunday, Oct 13th beginning at 3:00 pm in the cafeteria. All candidates should plan on attending. Remember if you were not baptized at St Agnes, a copy of your Baptismal certificate is required. Contact Iris Bounds at ibounds@stacathedral.org with any questions.

Youth Activities

Youth in grades 8-12 are invited to dinner & a movie on Wed Oct 9th beginning at 6:30 pm In the dining room. We will begin with a brief discussion of the rosary, followed by lasagna & movie fun with “Hocus Pocus”. All are invited! No cost!

ST. AGNES FALL BAZAAR...A PARISH EVENT

Coming the weekend of Nov. 2/3 we will hold our annual parish bazaar. There will be several booths for you to come and browse and, hopefully, find something for yourself or a Christmas gift or stocking stuffer. If we support our vendors they will continue to come each year and support our causes! We can always use volunteers to help for an hour or two each day:

♦ Friday - setting up for the event

♦ Saturday & Sunday - staffing the parish booths in shifts from 9am-3:00pm on Sat., 8am-1Pm on Sun

♦ Sunday - returning the cafeteria to its original state, 1-2:30pm

♦ Many bakers needed for the Senior’s Bake Sale table

Please contact Karen (417-761-9616) if you are able to volunteer. We truly appreciate our volunteers!

From The Pastor’s Desk

Last weekend in my homily I talked about all the unique characters in Jesus’ parables. Many of them were not the most upstanding, and for most of His listeners they were disturbing. Jesus was not entertaining, His parables were meant to challenge old ways of thinking. Actually this was nothing new of God. All we need to do is study the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. God used many different people in His plan of our salvation. I do not believe I am being irreverent in my next paragraphs. In fact I think it should give all of hope that we can be of use to God in some way regardless of our past.

I want to look at some of our great spiritual people of the past that God choose. Noah was a drunk, Abraham was way too old to have children, while Isaac was a daydreamer of big things, and Jacob was a liar. Moses could not talk and had to have someone else talk for him, Gideon was afraid, and Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer. King David had an affair, was a murderer and Isaiah preached naked in the streets. The Prophet Jonah ran away from God and Job went bankrupt. There were others in the Old Testament, but let’s not forget the New Testament. John the Baptist ate bugs and good old St. Peter denied Christ. The Disciples fell asleep while Christ prayed and St. Paul was too religious. Timothy had an ulcer and Lazarus was dead.

Sarah was the wife of Abraham and she was extremely impatient. She was not able to conceive a child so she influenced Abraham to have a child with her slave starting a conflict that continues today. At the age of 90 God answered her prayer and she bore a son, Isaac. Through Isaac her son, came the nation of Israel, which gave us Jesus Christ.

Rebekah married Isaac and bore twin sons. She favored Jacob the youngest and through a trick helped him into receiving his fathers blessing, rather than Esau, who was the first-born. God took her mistake and created good by the passing of the blood line for the Nation of Israel from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob.

Jacob worked seven years to win Rachel for his wife. Her father substituted Leah instead, hidden behind her veil. Thus Jacob had to work another seven years for Rachel. Jacob never loved Leah, but God graced her in a special way. Her son Judah was the father of the tribe from which came Jesus.

Rahab was a prostitute in the city of Jericho. She hid the Hebrew spies in exchange for the safety of her family. Her family was saved at the destruction of Jericho and she became the ancestress of King David and from the house of David came Jesus Christ.

Ruth was a pagan who had married a Hebrew. After her husband died she returned to Israel with her Jewish mother-inlaw,

Naomi. She accepted God as her God following Naomi. She married another Hebrew and we find her name listed in the Mathews genealogy of Jesus as an ancestor of King David.

HELP NEEDED

Everyone enjoys coffee & donuts on Sunday mornings! Right now we need a couple of volunteers who are willing to make the coffee and lemonade. If you can help (even on occasion) we would love your help! Please call the parish office at 831-3565 or contact Iris Bounds at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org. Thank you for helping!

YOUR PARISH

Thank you for joining us for the Stewardship Fair. We hope that you prayerfully consider getting more involved In Your parish. If you have any questions about a specific group, please fill out the ministry card in the pews or the back of church and place it in the boxes or you can call the parish office at 831-3565. Thank you for sharing your time, talents, and gifts with your St. Agnes parish. We are truly blessed to have you.

SENIORS OF ST AGNES AND THEIR FAMILIES

On Friday, October 4 at 1:00pm in the Dining Room, representatives for SENIOR RESOURCE NETWORKOF THE OZARKS will be present to inform, and answer questions, regarding resources in our community. In the past, a lawyer dealing with wills and probate, a financial advisor, a pharmacist, a Medicare Insurance specialist, car insurance agent and people from health care and/or\ hospice have spoken to us. Although they represent individual businesses, there has NEVER been any pressure at the meeting to use them specifically, and they are always informative.

School is out at noon that day so parking will be easier. Please call the office if you plan to attend the meeting. There will be a free catered luncheon for those present. Donations accepted. If you have any questions call me at 831-3565, ext.103.

S. Elizabeth Ann

From The Pastor’s Desk

Last weekend in the Gospel from Luke we heard one of the most endearing of the parables, the Prodigal Son. Jesus used simple word-pictures to help people understand who God is and what his kingdom or reign is like. Jesus’ teachings used images and characters taken from the everyday life and world around Him to create a drama to illustrate his message.

Over a third of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke contain parables told by Jesus. His parables challenge us to discover what God is like and moves us to make a response to God’s love and truth. Remember a picture can take the place of a thousand words. In His parables Jesus painted vivid pictures with short, simple and ordinary everyday events of His time. The parables of the mustard seed, a determined woman looking for her lost coin, a barren fig tree, the pearl of great price, the uninvited wedding guests, the good Samaritan, the ten brides maids, the list goes on and on.

Jesus’ parables may have been for a specific time and place, but they to speak of timeless realities to people of every time and place. Jesus used parables to help the listener to search and discover the deeper meaning and underlying truth of the reality being portrayed. Most, but not all, parables bring out a lesson or a moral. Jesus also used parables to teach important truths about God and his kingdom and lessons pertaining to the way of life and happiness which God has for us. Jesus’ audience would have been very familiar with stories containing fig trees, wineskins, oil lamps, money, stewards, judges, wedding parties; these were illustrations of everyday life. Today we may have to do some “homework” to understand the social customs described.

Jesus’ parables have a double meaning. First, there is the literal meaning, apparent to anyone who has experience with the subject matter. There also is a deeper meaning about God’s truth and His kingdom. The parables often involve an element of surprise or an unexpected twist. We may be taken off guard and have to take a second look. That is truly the gift of the parables, when the story challenges us and invites us to further reflection.

It is interesting that Jesus tells his disciples that not everyone would understand his parables. Jesus was aware that some people would refuse to understand them and that they would close their hearts to what He was saying. God can only reveal the secrets of His kingdom to the humble and trusting person who acknowledges the need for God and for His truth. It is important not to get bogged down in the details of the parable, it is the main point that counts. Jesus meant for His parables to provoke a response.

Youth Activities

TODAY, Sunday, Sept 22nd from 6:30-8:30 PM, St. Agnes Youth will sponsor a bonfire. All youth in grades 8- 12 are invited to join us for hot dogs, s'mores, music and stories by the firepit. We will be gathering by the priest garage in the grassy area by the parking lot. Free food and Father Joseph promises to share his musical ability on the guitar. Bring a friend and a lawn chair or blanket. All are invited, no cost, but bring a drink and a snack to share. Wednesday, October 9th, 6:30-8:00pm, Movie night in the cafeteria. Mark your calendar! More details to come.

SENIORS OF ST AGNES AND THEIR FAMILIES

On Friday, October 4 at 1:00pm in the Dining Room, representatives for SENIOR RESOURCE NETWORK OF THE OZARKS will be present to inform, and answer questions, regarding resources in our community. In the past, a lawyer dealing with wills and probate, a financial advisor, a pharmacist, a Medicare Insurance specialist, car insurance agent and people from health care and/or hospice have spoken to us. Although they represent individual businesses, there has NEVER been any pressure at the meeting to use them specifically, and they are always informative.

School is out at noon that day so parking will be easier. Please call the office if you plan to attend the meeting. There will be a free catered luncheon for those present. Donations accepted. If you have any questions call me at 831-3565, ext.103.

S. Elizabeth Ann

UNITY GATHERING

Join Bishop Edward Rice at the Annual Unity on Division Gathering, Saturday, September 28, 11am to 3pm, at Tom Watkins Park in Springfield, where he will preach on the theological virtue of Hope (1 Corinthians 13) as part of the opening prayer service at 11am. The prayer service will include a blessing of the Mayor, the Chief of Police, the Sheriff of Greene County, as well as other officials.

There will be free food, music, children's rides and games, along with Gospel music. The purpose of the event, which has drawn thousands of attendees in past years and has over 25 participating congregations, is to bring together in the unity of Christ all those who profess His name, and to bring people of every race and economic class together and break down our fear of the "other."

From The Pastor’s Desk

Last Sunday at the 8:30 Mass 14 of our young people began their preparation for celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation. They will spend these months whether here at St. Agnes grade school or PSR classes and at home with their parents to study the sacrament and Christ’s great love for us.

St. Mary Magdalene, is called "The Penitent." She was given this name because, after Jesus cleansed her of her seven demons, she felt penitent concerning her past life. She confessed her sins and became one of Jesus' closest followers during his ministry, witnessing the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. Mary Magdalene loved Jesus and was much loved by Him; she was one of the first people He showed Himself to after His resurrection.

What I take from Mary's life is that repentance is a strong step on our way to conversion toward Christ and living in His heavenly kingdom after we die. Repentance can be scary, as we all know. Something inside each of us tells us that we shouldn't tell anyone about a sin we have just committed. We're scared because we might be ridiculed or vilified. This is the work of Satan. He knows that if we don't confess our sins to a priest, we can never be truly penitent and be reunited with God. He wants us to fall into Hell with him for spite—spite toward God.

So why is it that when we get to church for confession we may still feel nervous? We might be embarrassed that we failed to follow God again or that the priest might say, "What? The same sin again?" We say to ourselves, "If I confess this particular sin to the priest, he may never look at me the same way again. He might shun me socially because of something he heard in the confessional." As a confessor I forget almost as soon as the penitent person leaves. It sounds like a sort of heaven-sent amnesia so that the priest doesn't feel overburdened hearing everyone's sins!

Here is another point of view: Think about how you feel after confession. Do you instantly feel better in some way? Maybe you feel lighter, happier, or more joyful after you come out of the confessional. Maybe a smile comes to your face, knowing that all things are right and you are once again square with God in the soul department. I know that after confession I feel right as rain; these feelings and knowing that God and I are back on the best of terms just makes me feel saintly, at least until I stumble again.

What I'm trying to say is that confession is an awesome gift that God has given us! He knows that we are not perfect and that we all fall short in following him. However, through His Son who died for our sins, we are able to return to God. Why wouldn't we want to always be as close to God as we can? Therefore, "Be Not Afraid!" The sacrament of penance gives us the opportunity to become closer to God. Our schedules are busy, but God is always available, waiting to forgive and take away our sins so that we can joyfully continue on our journey toward Him. Mary Magdalene is a beautiful example and guide in our lives as Christians.

Thank you to the Knights of Columbus Council for their work in trimming and cleaning up around the Cathedral.

UNITY GATHERING

Join Bishop Edward Rice at the Annual Unity on Division Gathering, Saturday, September 28, 11am to 3pm, at Tom Watkins Park in Springfield, where he will preach on the theological virtue of Hope (1 Corinthians 13) as part of the opening prayer service at 11am. The prayer service will include a blessing of the Mayor, the Chief of Police, the Sheriff of Greene County, as well as other officials.

There will be free food, music, children's rides and games, along with Gospel music. The purpose of the event, which has drawn thousands of attendees in past years and has over 25 participating congregations, is to bring together in the unity of Christ all those who profess His name, and to bring people of every race and economic class together and break down our fear of the "other."

WE ARE CALLED

Fr. Michael Gaitley’s program, 33 Days to Merciful Love, will explain St Therese of Lisieux’ spiritual journey. So plan to join our 6-week program Monday, October 7 in the Upper Room. You can register by calling the office at 831-3565 or me at 889-7052. You will also be able to register at the Stewardship Fair on Sept. 28/29.

The Stewardship Fair is going to be terrific this year. Gary Herman and Fr. Lewis have great plans. You will be amazed to see how many ministries we have at our parish and how many parishioners are busy, busy. We all need to feel very, very proud of our parish

Ginny Smithberg

Knights of Columbus Breakfast:

Our first breakfast after summer break will be next Sunday (the 22nd) after the 7:00 & 8:30 Masses. We will serve ham, sausage, eggs, and biscuits and gravy. Come join us for this free event. Remember, donations are directed to our Parish seminarian (Jesse Hiett).

From The Pastor’s Desk

Two years ago the Diocese sent out the new guidelines for the Sacrament of Confirmation. These guidelines have

been a decade in process. We as pastors and religious educators began the discussion on Confirmation years before I

came to St. Agnes. Here at St. Agnes we slowly began to implement the changes two years ago. The Sacrament of

Confirmation is truly the Sacrament of the Holy Spirit. It is the third and final Sacrament of Initiation, Baptism, Eucharist

and Confirmation.

St. Ignatius of Antioch who died at the beginning of the second century spoke of the Holy Spirit as a fountain of

living water springing up within his heart whispering, “Come, come to the Father.” Yet this power, the grace of the Holy

Spirit is not something we can merit or achieve, but only receive as pure gift. God’s love can only fill us, strengthen us

when it is allowed to change us from within.

That is why prayer is so important: daily prayer, private prayer, liturgical prayer. In the power of the Holy Spirit,

Jesus is always present in our hearts, quietly waiting for us to be still with him, to hear his voice, to receive his power

through his special gifts. Gifts given at Baptism, but not fully complete until we ask for those gifts in the Sacrament of

Confirmation.

I ask all of us, “What will you leave to the next generation?” Are you building your lives on firm foundations,

building on something that will endure? In the two countries of Georgia and Armenia which I visited some years ago with

my nephew, I watched cities whose streets I walked being destroyed by war the next year. The world and all that this

culture and society holds dear, is very shaky. Are we living our lives in a way that opens up space for the Holy Spirit? In

the midst of a world that wants to forget God or even rejects God in the name of a falsely conceived freedom. What

legacy will we leave to the young people that are in K or 1st grade? As I drive through Missouri State University, I

wonder what our world will be like for those students in 10-15 years. Through the fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit

we can make a difference in our troubled world. The outpouring of Christ’s Spirit upon the human race is a pledge of

hope and deliverance from that which would bring us crashing down. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can become a

generation of Christians called to build a better world in which God’s gift of life is welcomed. Those of us already

confirmed and those who will be confirmed are challenged to open our/their lives to the Holy Spirit. To build an age in

which love is not greedy or self-seeking. One open to others, respectful of their dignity and seeking their good. This is

what the Sacrament of Confirmation is all about.

SAVE THE DATE!

PCCW planning meeting for Stewardship Fair on Tuesday, September 10th at 9:15am in the Dining Room.

GETTING READY FOR THE PARISH BAZAAR!

WANTED...Vendors for our annual bazaar which will be Nov. 2 & 3. If you have a craft or business or know of anyone who does, we would love to have you spend the weekend with us. Please spread the word. The more, the merrier. All information can be obtained from Judy Hauschildt at judyhauschildt@gmail.com, or 1 (641) 751- 6632.

YOUTH FAITH FORMATION UPDATES

PSR

Sunday, September 8 -CLOW resumes at 8:30am Mass,

PSR resumes from 10-11am in the school. Still time to

register for PSR. All are welcome. We do have a class for

special needs which is taught by a certified instructor.

Confirmation

All young people in grades 8-12 who plan to be

Confirmed should attend the first session with a parent on

Sunday, Sept 8th beginning at 3:30pm in the

cafeteria. All those who wish to be confirmed

should have been enrolled in a Catholic School

or been attending PSR classes the year prior to

the special Confirmation sessions that will begin in

September. During this introductory session on Sept 8th

candidates & parents will receive information about the

process of Confirmation which will take place in March of

2020 here at St. Agnes.

First Reconciliation

All children and their families are encouraged to attend

the special Mass of enrollment on Sunday, Sept 8th at

8:30am. Children beginning their preparations for the this

special sacrament will be recognized at this Mass.

A session for parents who have children receiving the

Sacrament of Reconciliation will be held Tues, Sept 10th at

6:30pm in the dining room. All parents should attend

whether their child attends Catholic School, PSR classes or

are home schooled.

If you have any questions about any of these youth faith

formation events, please contact Iris Bounds at the parish

office 831-3565 or by email ibounds@sta-cathedral.org

Youth Baking

All youth are invited to help bake cookies for Harmony

House on Wed, Sept 11th at 6:30pm in the dining room.

We will also discuss the book "Did Adam and Eve have

Belly Buttons." All are invited to come join in the fun; bake

for a good cause and gain a bit of knowledge.

Youth: Mark your calendar for Sunday, Sept 22nd,

6:30pm. Come sing around the fire pit with Fr. Joseph and

enjoy s’mores. More details to follow.