Father Tom's Blog 

The Gospel we hear today shares the story of Jesus calming the storm and walking on the water. While the disciples respond in fear when they see Jesus, his response to them is: Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid. Then Peter asks Jesus: Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. When Jesus says – Come! - Peter ventures out on the water but becomes frightened and begins to sink. Jesus saves him and says: O you of little faith, why did you doubt? Peter reminds us that when we keep our eyes on Jesus and trust him, anything is possible. But when we become frightened and shift our focus to the storms in life, we will falter and sink. Jesus is always there to save us, so let’s place our trust in him and allow the Lord of heaven and earth to calm the storms.
 
Thank you to everyone who supported the annual Missionary Appeal last weekend for the Missionaries of St. Charles – Scalabrinians. This is a great way to support the missionary efforts of the Universal Church in our local parishes. If you would still like to donate, please make any checks payable to Presentation as we forward one check for the appeal. 
 
Congratulations to Fr. Pius as he celebrates his 25^th Anniversary of ordination to the Priesthood. We are grateful for his ministry and especially all the ways he has shared his gifts and priesthood this past year at Presentation. We look forward to the year ahead and ask that God continue to bless Fr. Pius in his priestly ministry.
 
The new Bell Tower along with the planters around it should be installed in phases over the next couple of weeks. We have already cleared the area and cut down the old shrubs so the concrete pad can be poured. Please say a prayer that the weather will cooperate and allow things to be completed. Thank you to everyone who supported the project through contributions to our Future Projects Fund and End-of-Year Giving.
 
The students in our parish Grade School will begin classes the week of August 17. One of the ways you can support Catholic education at Presentation is through our Panther Partners program. If you own or manage a business, our school would like to partner with you. We also welcome families who would like to be part of the program through a sponsorship. There are many benefits to being a Panther Partner. Please check out and share the information about Panther Partners through our school website at http://olplsschool.org/panther-partners. We are grateful for your support of Catholic education at Presentation. And keep all the children and teens in our parish in your prayers as they prepare to begin school. 
 
This weekend, Red Bags were handed out to support our collection drive for our service partner, Bishop Sullivan Center. Please fill your bags with the items requested and return to the bins in the Gathering Space beginning this Wednesday.
Many Blessings!   

The Gospel today begins with saying that Jesus withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. Jesus had just learned about the death of his cousin, John the Baptist, so he was likely wanting some time alone to grieve and pray. But Jesus puts the needs of others first. When he sees the vast crowd that has followed him, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When the disciples come to tell him to dismiss the crowds because it is getting late and the people need to be fed, Jesus again responds with compassion. He says, there is no need for them to go away, give them some food yourselves. And from the five loaves and two fish that are present, Jesus works a miracle and all ate and were satisfied. The reading speaks to the message of abundance that comes through Jesus. He has an abundance of compassion and mercy that he shares with us and abundantly provides for our needs. When we recognize the abundance Jesus brings to our lives it changes us. May we always imitate Christ’s way of abundance, especially in the ways we love and serve.
 
Thank you to everyone who supported the School Supply Drive for our service partner, Lee’s Summit Social Services and our parish Scout Troop’s recent Garage Sale. These efforts were both ways to make a difference in the lives of young people. We are grateful for your generosity.
 
This weekend we welcome Father Giovanni Bizzotto, c. s. from the Missionaries of St. Charles – Scalabrinians for our annual Missionary Appeal. This is an opportunity for us as a parish to learn about and support the missionary activity of the Catholic Church around the world and become more familiar with a specific religious community doing missionary work. There will be a second collection at all the Masses this weekend. Please be generous.
 
This weekend the Ladies Auxiliary of the Knights of Columbus from our parish are kicking off the  annual Baby Bottle Campaign to raise funds to support local charities that protect the unborn. Please learn about this important project and show your support through a contribution and your prayers. The baby bottles are to be returned the weekend of August 29-30. 
 
The month of August has arrived. School for our young people will be starting soon – August 19 for the children in our parish school. And many ministries in the parish will be gearing up after the summer break. You will also be hearing about opportunities to use your gifts and talents in service to the parish and our various ministries. Please consider ways you might be called to serve our community. We are especially in need of adults willing to volunteer in our children’s and youth ministries. Please keep your eyes and ears open for upcoming announcements and prayerfully ask God to point you in the right direction. We are grateful for all those who give so generously of their time and talent. 
Many Blessings! 

The Gospel this weekend continues with Jesus using various parables that reveal images for the kingdom of heaven. We hear that the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field…like a merchant searching for fine pearls…like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. These parables stress the value of the kingdom of heaven and the importance of sacrificing all else in order to possess it. The image of the pearl reminds us that it is not enough to possess the pearl of faith, we have to “wear it” and share it. The image of the net reminds us that the kingdom is all-encompassing and that God wants all of us to share in this gift. Every day is an opportunity to recognize the treasure of our faith and find ways to share our treasure through lives committed to love and service. Many things try to get our attention in this world, but nothing is more valuable than our faith in Christ. Let us place our faith above all else and allow our lives to shine forth this most precious of gifts.
 
The Scouting program at Presentation will be hosting their annual Garage Sale this week. Donations can be dropped off this Monday and Tuesday evening and then the Gym doors will be open to the public from 8am-Noon Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Please check the bulletin or our website for the list of items that will and won’t be accepted. Our Scouting program makes a difference in the lives of many of our young people and does important service work for our parish and wider community. Please support their Garage Sale.
 
Next weekend is our annual Missionary Appeal. Each year our diocese assigns each parish a missionary religious order to share information about the work of their community and to make an appeal for support. This year we welcome a priest from the Missionaries of St. Charles – Scalabrinians. They are a world-wide religious community of priests and brothers founded in 1887 with a specific mission of serving the needs of migrants and refugees. More information about the community can be found in this bulletin. A second collection will be taken at each of the Masses. Please be generous in support of the missions. 

The Ladie’s Auxiliary of the Knights of Columbus from our parish will once again be hosting the Baby Bottle Campaign. Next weekend, August 1-2, they will be passing out baby bottles for you to take home. This serves as a visual reminder for you to support this project which promotes initiatives to reduce abortions and protect the lives of the unborn through the use of important information and advanced technology. We ask that you return your baby bottle the weekend of August 29-30 with your contribution.

Thanks to everyone who participated in our Day of Adoration this past Wednesday in celebration of America 250. We had another great turn out for this day filled with prayer and worship.
Many Blessings!