Bob Jensen

“A daily Mass gives you thirty
minutes of peace.”
– Fr. Bill

Come to One of Our Daily Masses

One Sunday, a little child asked me what I did during  the week since the church was open only on  Sundays. She was a little surprised to discover there  is Mass or prayer in the church every day of the  week. I also do a few more things than just preside at  Mass, though that might be the most important thing I  do.

Did you know that St. John the Baptist Parish has an  evening Mass at 6:30 PM on Thursday? I am  presuming it is not in the forefront of most  parishioners’  minds since only a handful of  parishioners attend. I did an informal survey of  evening weekday Masses in our South King County  Deanery. In our Deanery, there is an evening Mass  every weekday. At those other parishes, the lowest  attendance was 35; the highest attendance was 200  (that was a Mass in Spanish). We get an average of  five to eight at our Thursday evening Mass.

An evening Mass makes it possible for many who are  still working to attend a weekday Mass. The majority  of those attending our morning weekday Mass at 9:00  AM are retired, though we do get some stay at home  parents as well as those who work a swing shift.

A daily Mass gives you thirty minutes of peace.  Our  lives are noisy and not because they always have to be,  but because we have been conditioned to need constant  stimulation. Our phones, iPads, and televisions usually win  the battle for our eyes just about everywhere we go, even  at the dinner table. A weekday Mass is a chance to  unplug. Go to Mass and leave your phone in the car, you  won’t regret it.

Daily Mass gives us an opportunity to restructure our  prayer life. Going to Mass during the week regularly  exposes us to new forms and focuses of prayer. The Mass  can teach us that prayer has a lot to do with being  thankful, with celebrating God’s merciful love, and with  praying for others. Daily Mass can and will improve our  prayer habits if we let it.

“Letting others know that you are
Catholic and the positive influence
this is for may be one way of
helping others find Christ.”
– Fr. Bill

Have you invited anyone to church lately?

This past year was only the third time in my 39 years of priesthood that I experienced an Easter Vigil without any baptisms.

COVID may have played a role in that. On the other hand, maybe the invitation was never extended. That invitation often begins with the average Catholic in the pew. You are the ambassadors for the parish and for the Church. Others, who may be searching for God, might hear in your description of our faith community or see in your manner of life something that attracts their interest or awakens a longing in their hearts.

When talking with relatives, friends, or neighbors, is there a way to share something you value about our parish or about the Catholic Faith? It could be as simple as sharing the parish’s value of caring for the environment or engagement in issues of social justice and compassion. Perhaps it is the experience of being part of a community that is important to you or the style of Catholic worship. Letting others know that you are Catholic and the positive influence this is for may be one way of helping others find Christ.

Sometimes a direct invitation can work. “I’m going to church this weekend; would you like to join me?” “Have you ever thought about becoming a Catholic?” You may be the only way God has to draw someone to the faith. When you see someone moving into your neighborhood, as you welcome them to the local community, might you ask, “Do you have a church community? Are you looking for one?” If they already belong to another denomination, you could still help them find where that denomination is located.

You may be the invitation someone needs to draw closer to Christ. Being that invitation might help you draw closer to Christ as well.

Parish Library

Albert Einstein once said, “The only thing that you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.” Our parish library is located at the south end of the
parish office. You can see it from the office lobby. It’s worth a visit!
Our parish library reflects the diversity of our community. We have books for beginners in the faith as well as for serious theological inquirers. We have books that would appeal to conservative parishioners and books that would interest liberal ones (and books that would probably challenge both).
There are books on prayer, books on spirituality, books on family life, books on scripture, and books on history and lives of the saints. There is something there for you!
Summer time is a great time to catch up on your reading. Visit our parish library and check out a book of two.