Let me begin with some good news about one of our parishioners. Dr. Dianne Pinderhughes was recently elected the president of the International Political Science Association. Congratulations, Dianne! Dr. Pinderhughes is Notre Dame Presidential Faculty Fellow and Professor in the Department of Africana Studies and the Department of Political Science. She holds a concurrent faculty appointment in American Studies, is a Faculty Fellow at the Kellogg Institute, and is a Research Faculty member in Gender Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Her research addresses inequality with a focus on racial, ethnic and gender politics and public policy in the Americas. She also explores the creation of American civil society institutions in the twentieth century and analyzes their influence on the formation of voting rights policy. Keep up the good work.
Today the Pope asks us to celebrate Grandparents and the Elderly. Do something nice for your grandparents and the elderly today. Remember a little prayer always helps. Tomorrow the Church celebrates the grandparents of Jesus, Saints Anne and Joachim.
In today's Gospel Jesus feeds the five thousand with five barley loaves and two fish and there were even leftovers. This miracle was foretold in the first reading when Elisha fed a hundred people with 20 barley loaves. "For thus says the Lord, 'They shall eat and there shall be some left over.'" This all prefigures the Eucharist. Just think about how many people throughout the world are being fed the Body and Blood of Jesus this morning! If we all eat the same food for the journey, shouldn't that reinforce in us that we are really brothers and sisters in Christ? I know it does for me. Just recall the last lines in today's second reading from St. Paul: "you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
As you may have heard, we had a minor flood in the basement with the last heavy rain. I have had a company come in to find out where the rain came in and how to fix it. I have others coming in this week to give us bids on the project. This will be a big one, since there are many leaks in the walls of the basement. Fortunately, due to your generosity we have the money in savings to do the job. I have checked with the diocese as well. The bid I have in hand is from EVERDRY, which is local. It will cost us about $32,000.00 to waterproof the basement. Please keep this in your prayers.