Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time
Dear Family,
While Monsignor Jim is on vacation we have had two priests cover in his absence. We are also experiencing some of our fellow parishioners trying to fill this page for Monsignor's "Twilight Twitches." This is hard to do (and I speak from a couple years of trying) because twilight is such a fleeting moment and getting good ideas for this space takes hours! Since Trinity Sunday has recently passed I am going to credit/blame the Holy Spirit for my ideas.
The thought that has focused my thinking is something I recently heard in a homily at daily Mass. The closing question by the priest was "How do we show God's love to those we encounter?" That question is very relevant to everything we do every day. In that context, I want to apply that question to the activities of Saint Sebastian Parish.
As a member of the Parish Council, we have addressed comments regarding the length of our weekend Masses. The complaint has been made that the Mass is longer than an hour. Until hearing these comments I did not realize that there is a 59 minute expectation for weekend Masses. Timed periods are a necessity for sports events, but does it make sense to limit our time with God? The Mass gives us the time as the Body of Christ to be in the presence of Our Lord, who is the Body of Christ. How would we feel if God said He would be limiting our time with Him, and all prayers after an hour once a week would be ignored? Those who leave the Mass prematurely after Communion are essentially curtailing their time in the presence of the Lord. So I am asking in the context of showing God's love not only to each other but also to God, please remain until the end of the Mass which occurs with the priest's final blessing.
An extension of our church life at St. Sebastian is the myriad of social occasions that are essential to our hospitality ministry. To adequately support our functions that involve serving food and beverages we need to develop the plan for a kitchen project. Monsignor has asked us to give "prayerful thought" to how we should proceed with the kitchen initiative. There is no doubt that we have made good use of the current kitchen. Actually “kitchen” is a misnomer since the area lacks the ability for cooking. A pantry better describes the space since it is used to store food prior to serving. The current area is inadequate in terms of space, lay out, and the aging appliances. So what is our next step? We need a plan for a full function kitchen. What are your ideas for a new kitchen? Let us know either by using the Suggestion Box on our website (“www.stsebastianfl.org” then click “Parish Council” on the scroll on the left, and then click “Suggestion Box”), or you can email me at
My final thought involves something which is a fun way to show God's love for those we encounter. Let's do it the Irish way! St. Sebastian has planned a trip to Ireland from 4 to 13 October. We are using a first class tour agency. The cost for 8 nights lodging, 14 meals, and 9 days of touring that will cover the coast from Dublin and all the way around including Belfast is $2,838 (including airfare). Please call the Parish Office and let us know if you are interested. A deposit of $250 per person is required by 27 June.
On this Flag Day in the year we celebrate the 71st Anniversary of D-Day, let us give thanks for the Greatest Generation.
Nancy Adams
