Dear Friends,

This weekend the Gospel, supported by the other readings, is the parable of the sower and the seed.  The sower is God and the seed is God’s word.  If a seed does not fall on good ground, it does not produce its fruit.   It can fall on hard ground, among weeds and thorns, or among rocks.  All of these will cause the seed or its growth to die.  We are called to be “good soil” where God’s word can thrive and produce fruit.  We are called not only to hear and listen, but to seek understanding and vision.  We are called to respond by growing in faith and discipleship.  Unfortunately, if we ignore His word, or allow sin and the things of this world to get in the way, the seed can die or be choked out and not produce its intended fruit.  Plants also need to be fertilized and watered.  God’s grace accomplishes this if we do our part.  Also, we are reminded of God’s bounty in creation and our need to appreciate and care for it.

Thank you to everyone who is supporting our Backpack and School Supply drive for the children at St. Gregory’s Parish in Baltimore.  You can drop off your donations beginning this weekend in the bins in the narthex. 

Last weekend, at the 4:30 Mass, we welcomed into our Catholic faith community, through the waters of baptism, Carleigh Simone Marques, daughter of Matthew and Estee.  Congratulations to Carleigh and her family. 

Next weekend, at all Masses, there will be a special blessing for grandparents in honor of the feast of Ss. Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandparents of Jesus.  Their feast day is on July 26th.

Lastly, VBS was a huge success this year!  Thank you to Sarah Jarzembowski and all the youth and adult volunteers for making it such a great event for the children of our parish.  A special thank you to Margaret Dominguez and James Corsetti who are Optical Engineers at NASA.  They spoke to the children about invisible light and the invisible nature of God that is around us all the time. It was an amazing experience for everyone.

Have a wonderful week!

Deacon Ray Moreau

Weekly Updates:

• Backpacks for St. Gregory’s 
  Support the children at our sister parish in Baltimore by filling a backpack with school supplies. It’s easy, simply pick a grade level, purchase all the items for that grade, and return the filled backpack to the parish between Saturday, July 15 and Monday, August 14.  Here is a shopping list with all the details.
  
  If you prefer to make a monetary donation, please use GiveCentral or put a check payable to Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, in an envelope labeled “School Supplies”.