111 First Street, Elkland, Pa 16920

The wise seek God. When Solomon asked for an understanding heart to lead

his people, he must have known that it was the one gift that opened the door to every other gift. For wisdom (prudence) is the virtue that guides all other virtues, and grounds judgment. The wise seek God, and those who know him seek to know him more, as Solomon, and the parables, demonstrate.

Monday, July 27 (9:00AM)ST CAROL KOHLER by Jean Sereno

Saturday, August 1 (7PM)ST EVE YALE & FAMILY

by Zinck Family Sunday, August 2

(10:30AM)ST JUDY ROMANEO by Roger & Ann Marsiglio Monday, August 3

(9:00AM)ST CAROL KOHLER by Jean Sereno

(THE SANCTUARY LIGHT AT ST. CATHERINE IS LIT IN HONOR OF JOHN LABOSKY.) (THE SANCTUARY LIGHT AT ST. THOMAS CHURCH IS LIT FOR HEALING OF KARL CONGDON, BY CAROL HRKENRIDER.)

Serving the Northern Catholic Communities of: Academy Corners, Cowanesque, Elkland, Harrison Valley, Knoxville, Lawrenceville, Little Marsh, Millerton,

Nelson, Osceola, Sabinsville and Westfield.

PASTOR: Rev. David Bechtel

PASTOR: Rev. David Bechtel

SECRETARY: Louise J. Wheaton Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. TELEPHONE: Rectory: 814-258-5121 Rectory Fax: 814-258-5122 E-MAIL: ststhomascatherine@stny.rr.com WEEKEND MASS Schedule: Saturday: 7 p.m. at St. Thomas Sunday: 10:30 a.m. at St. Thomas Holy Day Masses: Saint Thomas 7:00 (Eve)

Christmas: 7:00 (Eve) 8:30AM (Day) at St. Thomas

Mission Church: St. Catherine of Siena 146 Lincoln Street, Westfield, Pa 16950

Act of Spiritual Communion

My Jesus, I believe that You Are in the Blessed Sacrament.

I love You above all things, And I long for You in my soul.

Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least

spiritually into my heart. As though You have already

come, I embrace You and unite myself entirely to You: never permit me to be

separated from You. Amen.

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 26, 2020

DID YOU KNOW ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE PARISH

HAS A WEB SITE???

http://stthomaselklandpa.com/index. Log in and check us out!!! If you have any questions or concerns, call Tom at 814-258-7386.

Please join us for a live stream of the Mass every

Saturday at 5:00pm until we are able to celebrate together. You can watch on our

Facebook page, St. Peter’s Church Wellsboro PA, from your personal Facebook page or through the link on our website,www.stpeterswellsboro.org.

Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

First Reading ~~~ 1 Kings 3:5,7-12 Solomon pleases God when he asks for a wise and understanding heart to better govern the people.

Responsorial Psalm ~~~ Psalm 119:57,72,76-77,127-130 The law of the Lord is more precious than silver and gold.

Second Gospel Reading ~~~ Romans 8:28-30 God chose us to be conformed to the image of his Son.

Gospel Reading ~~~ Matthew 13:44-52 (shorter form: Matthew 13:44-46) Jesus teaches about the Kingdom of Heaven.

Background on the Gospel Reading

Today’s Gospel concludes three weeks of readings from the 13th Chapter of Matthew’s Gospel. Throughout these three weeks we have heard Jesus teaching crowds about the kingdom of heaven, and we have heard Jesus interpret some of his teachings for the disciples. In this week’s Gospel, Jesus offers three more short parables.

The first two parables describe the great value of the kingdom of heaven. In the first parable, Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is like a buried treasure that is worth possessing even if it means giving up everything else. In the second parable, Jesus proposes that the kingdom of heaven is like a pearl of great worth for which one will sell everything else to possess. These parables teach us that we are to place everything we value in the service of the pursuit of the Kingdom of God.

The third parable that Jesus proposes in today’s Gospel is different from the first two, but it is reminiscent of the parable of the sower heard in last week’s Gospel. The kingdom of heaven is compared to fishing with a wide net. After the fish have been collected, the good fish are kept and the bad fish are thrown away; so too, in the final judgment, will the wicked and the righteous be separated.

Today’s Gospel concludes with a curious statement about the scribe who understands the kingdom of heaven. Here a metaphor is offered: this scribe is like the head of a household who “brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.” The scribes referred to here are experts of Mosaic law. It is possible that Jesus is here instructing the early Christian community on how to proceed in the interpretation of Jewish law with respect to Jesus’ “new” teaching. Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom of heaven does not replace the Jewish tradition; it interprets it in a different light.

ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE PARISH July 26, 2020

That’s the way it is, by: Father Bechtel

A few months ago I was at the Presbyterian Church talking to Pastor Mike Birbeck in his study. I noticed that he has an impressive library of theological reference material. Pastor Birbeck and I got to talking theology. Pastor Birbeck asked “What theologians do you think are worth reading in the

Catholic Church?” I thought about the question. That question and my response is the basis of this article. This list is not exhaustive. Without further ado:

The first people I would recommend is anything by Alice Von Hildebrand and her husband Dietrich Von Hildebrand. Dietrich Von Hildebrand is a philosopher and theologian. Alice Von Hildebrand is likewise a philosopher and theologian. Dietrich’s brilliance is particularly renowned, so much so that he was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XII. “Marriage: The Mystery of Faithful Love” is one of his many works you might enjoy reading. Alice Von Hildebrand is equally impressive. A good work by Alice Von Hildebrand is “Man and Woman: A Divine Invention.” We have that work in our parish library.

Frank Sheed is a theologian I would recommend who is quite readable for the average person. Frank Sheed would be good if you are looking to understand the fundamental tenants of the Creed. A good starting point is his short work “Theology for Beginners.” Once you have read that work you can graduate to his more detailed work “Theology and Sanity.”

If you are looking for good, solid Scripture Scholarship, anything by Scott Hahn is good. What is great about Hahn is that he is a former Reformed theologian. Hahn converted to Catholicism in 1986 from Reformed Presbyterianism. He brings with him the Reformed love of and devotion to the Scriptures. Anyone who has read works by Hahn knows how masterfully he opens the Scriptures and explains them. Hahn’s works are also quite readable. You do not need to be an academic to understand them.

Saint Thomas Aquinas and the Summa Theologica is another great work. Aquinas is also a Doctor of the Church. The reason Aquinas is useful is that the Summa anticipates many of the points the Protestant Reformers would argue during the Reformation. There is nothing new under the sun. Like heretics in the past, the Reformers just recycled and repackaged ancient heresies that had already been dealt with and refuted. Many of the arguments the Reformers made had already been addressed in the Summa. Examples include Infant Baptism, the Immaculate Conception, and the Eucharistic controversies. The Summa is not easy reading. Having a background in philosophy, particularly Aristotelian philosophy is useful to understanding the Summa.

Anything by Pope Benedict is good; but you will also find his works to be difficult reading. Funny thing about Pope Benedict:

many people thought of him as a conservative. He isn’t. He is actually liberal theologically. Benedict is, in my opinion, a good example of someone who uses modern scholarship and the tools of modern scholarship in an appropriate way in teaching the Faith. He does not take the tools to the extreme and wind up denying one or more tenants of the Faith like his cohort Hans Kung.

Robert Bellarmine is a brilliant theologian. Bellarmine is a Doctor of the Church. He wrote many works, but the one that stands out is “Controversies of the Christian Faith.” The work is a four volume answer to the Protestant Reformers. You can get the work on Amazon. The work was so good, Protestant universities banned its reading and founded chairs tasked with responding to the work. Bellarmine was despised by the Protestants. William Whitaker’s “Disputations on the Holy Scripture” is considered the Protestant answer to the work. Bellarmine was impressed with Whitaker; so much so that he hung a picture of him in his study. Whitaker’s critique of Bellarmine’s concept of Tradition is quite good but no longer valid. Whitaker critiqued a concept of Tradition defended by Bellarmine that was popular in Catholic theological circles at the time. This concept of Tradition is no longer held or defended by the majority of Catholic Theologians in the modern Church. Notwithstanding Whitaker, Bellarmine’s Controversies is a brilliant and masterful answer to the reformers.

Anything by Edward Feser is excellent, particularly the following: “The Last Great Superstition: A Refutation of the New Atheism.” Feser is not a theologian; he is a philosopher, but an excellent Catholic philosopher. Approach his works with patience: he is not an easy read.

I would also recommend anything by G.K Chesterton. He was a brilliant Catholic apologist in the early 20thth century. Chesterton was witty and a fearsome debater. He debated Clarence Darrow, a famous lawyer in New York City in January of 1931. The topic was “Will the World Return to Religion?” Darrow was an agnostic and thought Science would win out over religion. Chesterton obviously disagreed. There is no transcript of the debate, but all accounts have Chesterton as the clear winner. The people who attended the debate were asked to vote on the winner. The tally was 1,022 for Darrow, 2,359 for Chesterton. Even Darrow himself wrote before his death that he was impressed with Chesterton.

That’s the way it is,

The Reverend David W. Bechtel Pastor

Contact information ~ Father Dave Bechtel: Rectory: 570-724-3371 Emergency: 570-329-5762 (Pager) Saint Peter's email: Stpch@ptd.net Father Bechtel: Dbechtel00@yahoo.com

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 26, 2020

Mass Schedule St. Thomas Church, Elkland

Saturday ~ 7:00 PM Sunday ~ 10:30 AM

Monday – 9:00 AM

St. Thomas Church ~ Open Daily 8 am – 2 pm

St. Catherine’s Church Open Saturdays 6 pm – 8 pm

Council #3972 Knights of Columbus has canceled all

future meetings until further notice. Any events will be

coordinated threw officers.

August 15th is the last day

for submitting orders for the Gift Card Program.

Please have your payment (check made out to St. Thomas Parish) and order

form to Maureen. This would be a good time to order cards for yourself. Gas cards, Wal-Mart/ Sam’s Club

cards, home improvement cards, and restaurant cards are always useful.

Remember, if you regularly shop with Scrip cards you can use them just like cash and earn money for the parish also. Order

forms can be found in the back of both churches. If you are interested in a

merchant not listed on the order form go to for a complete list of participating merchants, or call Maureen at 258-7386.

COLLECTION ENVELOPES

Your continued support of the parish during this time of shutdown is greatly appreciated. Weekly contribution envelopes or other donations can be mailed to 111 First Street, Elkland, PA 16920. For on line giving, please contact the rectory.

USED CANS &/OR BOTTLES Parish fundraiser to turn those

water bottles or aluminum cans of soda (with a deposit on them) into cash.

Please drop them off when you come to church or bring them to the

rectory/hall. They have asked us not to crush the water bottles. Thank you!!!

PRAY

For those who need

special prayers: For those

serving our country: Lord,

hold our troops in your

loving hands. Protect

them as they protect us. Bless them and

their families in our time of need. We ask

this in the name of Jesus our Lord and

Saver. Amen. For those who need special prayers:

Mike Asiello, Martin Beach, Martin Blaskowitz,

Chloe Button, Stephanie Rose Calicchia,

Carmen Blend, Payton Blend, Don Blovhic, Ava

Campbell, Lucas Charles & family, Joseph

Cochran, Kim Cochran & family, Daisy Casbeer,

Fran Davis, Jerome Derr, Elizabeta Erway, Mike

& Diane Fanean, Carol Fasick, Bentley Fish,

Kathy Gillbert, Mary Gilmour, Betty Howe, June

Kerrick, Linda Kitcline; Tom Labosky, Jr., Joe

Lewis, Taylor MacKenzie, Kathleen McKnight,

John Mosley, Craig Owlett, John Porter,

Waverly Emma Roney, Jacob Hunter Roney,

Cindy Sereno, Pat Siciliano, Sara Stanley, Penny

Succowich, Mary Ann Thomas, Roberta

Volante, Elbert Whalen, Esther Whalen, Robert

Whalen, Kathlyn Whitcomb. Special prayer for

healing for Dawn.

For those in Nursing Homes: Renee Kennedy,

Mary T. Miller, Colleen Pell, Shirley Porter, Kitty

Gaintomasi, Virginia Wynick.

Please call the office to add names of those who are in need of prayer due to sudden illness, upcoming surgery, hospital stay or those who are experiencing a hardship. PLEASE, let me know if someone needs to be taken off the list. 814-258-5121.

ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE PARISH July 26, 2020

July – Month of the Precious Blood

The month of July is dedicated to the Precious

Blood. The feast of the Precious Blood of our

Lord was instituted in 1849 by Pius IX, but the

devotion is as old as Christianity. Catholic

doctrine teaches the faithful that the blood of

Jesus Christ is part of His Sacred Humanity and

by its nature united to the Second Person of the

Blessed Trinity. And as such, it is worthy of an

adoration and veneration which is rendered only

to God. We adore the human nature of Christ

because of its intimate and eternal union with the

Person of the Divine Word. It is for this same

reason that we honor the Most Sacred Heart or

the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Our

physical nature is united to God through the

Person of Jesus Christ. When we venerate

Christ's Precious Blood or His Sacred Heart, we

are worshiping the One True God Who so loved

the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son to

save us from everlasting death.

OUR ANNUAL

LABOR DAY SALE

HAS BEEN CANCELED!

SANCTUARY CANDLES A candle is kept burning day and

night whenever the Blessed

Sacrament is reserved in

Catholic churches. It is an

emblem of Christ’s abiding love

and a reminder to the faithful to

respond with loving adoration in return.

Sanctuary candles are available to remember

or honor your loved ones. Please call the

rectory to reserve a week.

MASS INSTRUCTIONS Before arriving: o It is advised that each member check their temperature at home and remain home if experiencing any symptoms. When entering the church: o Use the front door

o Wear your mask at all times, except when receiving Holy Communion

o Sanitize your hands

o Maintain social distancing going to your seat and in the pew (the floor and pews are marked to help you.) Following Mass: o Maintain appropriate social distancing when going forward to receive Holy Communion.

o Remain masked until just before your turn to receive Holy Communion, and then return the mask.

o After receiving Holy Communion, depart through the side door and do not return to your pew. A prayer of thanksgiving can be made once you leave the church.

o Although it is strongly discouraged, anyone who still wishes to receive Holy Communion on the tongue should wait until the end of the Communion distribution, after everyone else has received. This will minimize the risk of spreading the virus to others, as well as allow time for the priest to sanitize his hands properly after each person who receives on the tongue.

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 26, 2020