St. Augustine 

Monday - No Service
Tuesday - Friday - 12 Noon
Saturday - 5:30 pm
Sunday - 8:30 am & 11:00 am in English
                7:00 pm in Spanish
Holy Days - noon & 6:00 pm
Confessions - Saturday 4:30 pm - 5 pm
                          and by appointment

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (09-11-2022)
          God the Father shows remarkable mercy to us when we stray from following him. When we sin, we are called to repentance and to accept God’s gracious mercy. All we have to do is repent and seek reconciliation. We are all sons and daughters of the same merciful Father.
          In the first reading, Moses turns away God’s wrath when the people of Israel create and worship a molten calf. Moses stands up to God on behalf of his people, recalling all of God’s great promises. In the second reading, St. Paul writing to Timothy, describes himself as the foremost of sinners – an example to others of God’s merciful love. In the Gospel, Jesus tells several parables to illustrate examples of God mercy to sinners. These readings challenge us on many levels and encourage us to accept the mercy of God. They also challenge us to extend God’s mercy to others.
          The Gospel begins with the Pharisees’ complaint that Jesus was eating with sinners. To counter the Pharisees, Jesus told three parables about God reaching out in loving forgiveness.
          The lost sheep parable contains the essence of Jesus’ Good News. To be a shepherd was not easy. Many of the flocks were owned by poor village people and they worked all day to make sure that no sheep was lost. If a sheep is lost, he goes in search of it and finds it and puts it across his shoulders and celebrates with joy. That’s the way it is with God and a repentant sinner.
          The lost coin parable reflects the gift of God given to us to make our lives happy and prosperous. It was very hard to lose and find a coin in a house of that time. The coin was her livelihood. She cannot lose it because it was her future. She has to depend on it. Once she finds it, her joy would be great. That’s the way it was with God and a repentant sinner.
          The lost son parable is subtly different from the previous. In the previous two parables we have an active God in search of the lost. But in this parable a father who seems content to wait for a sinner to come to his sense and return home. The father chose forgiveness. With this father, the forgiveness is total. That’s the way it was with God and a repentant sinner.
          There is no ending because it is not someone’s story. It is our story. It is a challenge – to each one of us. It is time for each of us here to pause. Do we wish to be part of the father’s house, the house of forgiveness and mercy, joyous celebration of love? We are blessed to have God’s unconditional love and forgiveness.
 

Parish Life
Regarding parish life, the Archbishop encouraged pastors and priests to move forward with parish activities, including in-person gathering for all ages while observing the health and safety restrictions of the state. Whenever possible, we need to prudently proceed with the life of the Church. We need to focus our efforts on strengthening the faith of our people, especially the religious knowledge and faith of our children. In these unique times, our church may become poorer and smaller, but more fervent.          
 

Dear Parishioners and Friends,
 
For more than ninety years, St. Augustine Church has been a beacon of light in Lincoln City, and a gathering place of prayer, worship and service.

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