Who Will be Saved? Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ, Who will be saved?  That is, in essence, the question that is posed to Jesus in today’s Gospel passage.  God does desire “all to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth” (1 Tim 2:4) and we know that the graces of the cross […]

Written By Dr. William O’Leary A first-time parent has so many things to learn and get used to – not the least of which is simply keeping that precious child alive! As a Catholic parent, you might remember the commitment you made at their baptism to raise up your child in the ways of the […]

Evangelization Begins with Friendship Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ, In today’s Gospel passage we hear Jesus say to his disciples:  “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!”  Those who embrace the apostolic faith, passed down through the Church that Christ established, are called to […]

Dear Ascension Parishioners, For the many of you who labored so diligently for the passage of the Value Them Both Amendment, your hearts might well be troubled today and might wonder if God has even heard your prayers.  Let me assure you, He has, but God never forces people to do what they do not […]

by Fr. Gary Pennings There have been a lot of conflicting messages about the Value Them Both (VTB) Amendment on T.V., in social media and even in roadside signs.  If you read the signs or listen to the ads concerning the Value Them Both Amendment you will find that there seem to be two completely […]

by Fr. Gary Pennings Over the past year, the Church in northeast Kansas vocalized its support of the Value Them Both Amendment, an effort to amend the Kansas Constitution in order to clarify that abortion is not a constitutional right and that any regulation of abortion should fall to the people of Kansas through the […]

Another Way of Knowing Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ, In the second reading today, we hear from the Letter to the Hebrews, one of the most oft-quoted biblical definitions of faith.  “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen” Heb 11:1.  Other English translations might read, “faith […]

Changing Hearts: Work for the Church Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ, In the Gospel for this weekend, Jesus gives a warning for those who “are not rich in what matters to God” (Lk 12:21).  What does matter to God?  In the 6th chapter of John’s Gospel, we are told that we should “believe in […]

The Heart of a Father Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ, The heart of a Father.  That is what I think the readings for this 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time are all about, the Father’s heart.  I say that because in the first reading we hear Abraham appealing to God’s sense of justice and mercy.  […]

What’s Lacking in Christ’s Suffering? Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ, St. Paul says, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church…” (Col 1:24).  Is St. Paul implying that […]