You might know the song verse refered to in the title of this post, “Summertime and the livin’ is easy…”

Well… it’s summer time and we want to make your giving easy too.  If you haven’t done so already, please sign up for online giving.  It’s the way we live, it’s how we pay our bill, it’s what we do.

In the Christian tradition, giving alms always included our financial support for the Church in addition to our offerings to care for those in need.  And the fact is the Church of St. Francis of Assisi needs your help.  Our collections still fall short of our budgetary needs.

We ask everyone to commit ONE HOUR of their weekly salary for the support of the Church.  That’s a 2.5% tithe.  Please do your part to keep our parish going strong.

You can make your donations weekly or monthly.  You can use a credit card, debit card or your bank account.  You can change your donation schedule at any time and you can print out your own summaries for tax purposes.

Sign up today HERE.

PS… if you don’t know the song… listen to a great version sung by Ella Fitzgerald here.

In today’s Gospel, we hear that Jesus instructed the disciples “to take nothing on the journey but a walking stick – no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.”

We host  ‘Sundae Sunday’ once / month from June to September, and we’d like to invite our parishioners to help sponsor our Sundae Sundays at any gift level.

For more information, please email Edward Trochimczuk at etrochimczuk@stfrancisnyc.org or call him at 212-736-8500 Ext. 361.

“The missionary is convinced that through the working of theHoly Spirit, there already existsin individuals and peoples an expectation, even if an unconscious one, of knowing the truth about God, about man and about how we are to be set free from sin and death. The missionary’s enthusiasm in proclaiming Christ comes from the conviction that he is responding to that expectation.

Enthusiasm for evangelization is based on this conviction. We have a treasure of life and love which cannot deceive, and a message which cannot mislead or disappoint. It penetrates to the depths of our hearts, sustaining and ennobling us. It is a truth which is never out of date because it reaches that part of us which nothing else can reach. Our infinite sadness can only be cured by an infinite love.”

Today we hear St. Paul say: “That I might not become too elated… a thorn in the flesh was given to me… to keep me from being too elated.” There have been many theories about the meaning of the “thorn in the flesh.” Was this an illness or a disability or depression or a constant temptation he had to deal with? Does it refer to a person or those who opposed him?

He is showing his humanness here and it is easy to identify with his “torn in the flesh” because we can have many “thorns” in our lives. Paul is not defeated by this, but shows how this allows himself to be open to the power of Christ to dwell within him. This is a helpful passage from St. Paul when we are dealing with something that might be a real “pain.”

Take a look at the advertisement for the workshop on the Psalms that begins this week. This program will be presented over the course of three weeks and will conclude with Solemn Vespers on Thursday, July 26. The Psalms are an important part of our worship both at Mass and at the Liturgy of the Hours. They are also beautiful prayers that can enhance anyone’s prayer life. Understanding their history and theology can help us appreciate why these prayers from our Hebrew roots have had such a significant role in the church over the years. Sign up now!

Fr. Andrew Reitz, O.F.M.