Saint John the Baptist

It always feels odd to go to church on a Saturday. It makes it automatically feel like a Sunday, since well, that IS the normal day. We picked a Saturday mass so we could have dinner together at the Surfside Inn before it closed. One of the aspects of Mass Chaos I've enjoyed most has been the fellowship. We have welcomed more people into our group, and it has been a pleasure to see who will come out with us.

We went this week to Saint John the Baptist (215 N 13th St, Fort Calhoun)

One thing I know I need to work on is figuring out how to take better group shots when we don't manage to get someone to take our picture. I end up having to prop the camera up in a random place and contend with timing our shots right. This was not one of them. Still, was fun. :)

Our group for the week (left to right): Joe, Frank, Eric, Lindsay, Frank, Brianne and Teri.

The gospel this week is from Luke 17:5-10. It is one of those times where a question we ask Jesus is probably one we should ask ourselves. The apostles want Jesus to "Increase our faith." (Luke 17:5). Is faith something that needs to laid out to work? Well, that's a rhetorical question since Jesus answers that for us with the story he tells about the servant.

"Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
'Come here immediately and take your place at table'?
Would he not rather say to him,
'Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished'?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded,
say, 'We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.'" (Luke 17:7-10)

I think this is an important lesson to remember, since it is an easy trap to fall in with faith. Why do we do X thing? Because we are told to do so. What do we gain from not trying to put our own understanding into that question of why? Well, we gain something for following the letter of the law, but our personal faith does not grow. And isn't it our personal faith that we want to be growing?