Sunday at St James, Aug 17, 2025

WE WELCOME ANYONE WHO CAN ATTEND SUNDAY MASS AT ST. JAMES AT 10:00 A.M.  Considering that many parishioners are still experiencing the effects of the COVID-19 virus and other infections, if you plan to join us in person, we recommend wearing a mask if you exhibit symptoms or are immunocompromised.

WE CONTINUE TO LIVE STREAM OUR 10:00 A.M. SUNDAY MASS, reaching out to parishioners and friends who can’t attend in person. Here is the link to the live stream on our Facebook page for St. James Midtown, KC. A recording of the live-streamed Mass can also be accessed: https://stjkc.org/sundays-at-st-james.   

ST. JAMES’ COMMUNITY GARDEN UPDATE: 

This week’s rain and frequent watering is resulting in late summer and fall seeds popping up. Saturday from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, all are welcome as we weed, mulch, and prune black berries.

Produce ready to be harvested includes the following:

East Garden

• Tomatoes
• Eggplants
• Peppers

• Bed 1 – Dill
• Bed 8 – Kale
• Bed 15 – Swiss Chard
• Raspberries by Troost 39’s back door.

DON’T PUT ALL OF YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET!!!!!

Several handmade cedar baskets are still available for purchase. We won’t put all our eggs in one basket, we promise.

One basket a month will be raffled off. Tickets are $1.00 and available this Sunday. Drawing happens on August 31st.

Come take a peek at this month’s basket. See you Sunday!

NOURISH YOUR SPIRIT BEFORE MASS. Take a few moments to read and reflect on this Sunday’s readings. Let them speak to your heart and prepare you to enter more deeply into the celebration of the Eucharist.

First Reading – Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10: Jeremiah is persecuted for faithfully delivering God’s message, but God uses a courageous outsider, Ebed-Melek, to save him—highlighting both injustice and God’s provision.
Reflection Question: When have you felt pressure to stay silent about what is right or true, and how can you find the courage—like Ebed-Melek—to speak up or take action, even when it’s risky?

Second Reading – Hebrews 12:1-4: Stay strong in your faith, remove distractions, and look to Jesus as your example of endurance and victory.
Reflection Question: What distractions in your life are hindering your spiritual growth, and how can you fix your eyes more fully on Jesus to run your race with endurance?

Gospel -Luke 12:49-53: Jesus’ message will not always bring peace but will often cause division, even among close relationships, due to the radical commitment God requests of us.
Reflection Question: How do you respond when your faith in Jesus causes tension or division in your relationships, and what does it look like to remain faithful to Him in those moments?

FR. DON FARNAN HAS A WONDERFUL WEEKLY PODCAST THAT ADDRESSES important issues of the day and how they intersect with our faith.  Check it out and subscribe https://uponthisrockpodcast.buzzsprout.com/.

HERE IS A RECENT REFLECTION FROM FR. DON FARNAN REGARDING HIS ASSIGNMENT TO THE URBAN CORE.  Some people think that priests who get assigned to inner-city ministries are being punished. Their comments give them away: “You must have done something awfully bad to get sent to the ghetto,” or “The bishop must really have something against you to send you back there.” Though I have done some bad things in life, and it’s possible that some bishops disliked or were disappointed in me, there is no correlation between those realities and my ministry in Kansas City’s urban core churches. 

Rather, I identify with many churchgoers who choose to worship in urban centers of America because they believe that is where God dwells—or we can recognize the presence of God more readily there. 

We drive by many churches to get from our suburban homes or exurban communities to arrive at the heart of the city on Sundays because we recognize it to be holy ground. There, the need is greater; so, there, we think the response should be stronger. I am there because that’s where I feel called to be. I take up the tagline of my alma mater, Rockhurst University: “In the City for Good.” It implies a dedicated presence both for the long term and for its betterment. 

Unfortunately, not many diocesan priests are interested in serving the gut of the city amidst low-income housing, high crime and insurance rates, food deserts, and other notorious struggles. Also, unfortunately, not many Catholics live there. Since the bishop must send priests where the Catholics are, it may appear that the church has fled. 

I am assigned to three small inner-city parishes that are holding on and making a difference “for the good.” I cannot get to all three of them each Sunday because of overlapping Mass times, so other willing priests preside when they’re available. But with a shortage, we sometimes end up “priestless” for Sunday morning worship gatherings. In those cases, parishioners step in to lead prayer: scripture, songs, spiritual reflection, petitions, communion, blessings, etc. Every time it occurs, it brings grace to that community. And sometimes I must depart one Mass early to get to another church for another one on time; in those instances, congregants know which liturgy parts the priest must lead and which parts they can lead—so we shuffle them around a bit. People are happy to realize that they can worship (and often in more meaningful ways) without a priest. It has been going on in many parts of the world for generations.

Though I don’t know what the future holds for urban core churches, I am very pleased that those who gather there on Sundays do so in ways that usher in the future. They are people who don’t tend to get bogged down with religious doctrine, dogma, rules, or rubrics in ways that some others do, people who are not there to fulfill an obligation but to celebrate their faith with a beloved community, people who willingly step up to lead and serve when called to do so.

Wherever people gather in Christ’s name, with or without an ordained cleric, God is present. The central city truly is holy ground, and God dwells in the midst of it.

📚 LOOKING FOR A GOOD READ? St. James has a collection of faith-based books (reviewed by Denise Simeone and Biagio Mazza) that didn’t make the cut for the rectory library—but might be perfect for your shelf. Browse the back tables in church and take what speaks to you. 🖼️And if your walls are feeling bare, check out the framed pictures nearby. They are also free to a good home!

MIGRANT FARMWORKERS ASSISTANCE FUND FUNDRAISER Saturday, August 23 4 pm — 8 pm Chipotle’s at 6920 Mission Road Prairie Village, KS. Take a break from cooking dinner and support our migrant friends. A portion of all sales goes to the Migrant Farmworkers Assistance Fund. Invite others to join you. Together, we make a difference!

ST. FRANCIS XAVIER PARISH’S EMBRACE JUSTICE MINISTRY UPDATES     Members of EmbRace Justice Ministry and The Refugee, Immigrant, and Migrant (RIM) Subcommittee at St. Francis Xavier parish, invite you to support our migrant neighbors with several actions. Mark your calendars for the following events: August 23, Fundraiser for the Migrant Farmworkers Assistance Program, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization supporting migrant workers who harvest our favorite fruits and vegetables. Chipotle in Prairie Village, 6920 Mission Rd, Prairie Village, KS 66208, is hosting a fundraiser from 4 – 8pm for the Migrant Farmworkers Assistance Program in Lexington, MO, and will receive 25% of sales. Please plan to join us there to support their work with healthcare, childcare, clothing, and food. Invite your friends and inform the Chipotle staff before paying that you are there for the fundraiser! You can also call in or order online for pick up using the promo code, BX8YBTW. Delivery orders are not included. This location has an inside and a lovely outside seating area. August 26, St. Francis Xavier Monthly Witness 4:30 – 5:30pm: Join us for our monthly witness to support issues related to immigrants and other social justice issues, followed by a brief prayer service. Signs will be provided. Optional: Pray in the church if the heat is too much for you. September 30, Witness on Troost, 4:30 – 5:30 pm: St. Francis Xavier Monthly Witness will be joined by others invited to stand up for social justice issues along Troost Ave.

MARILLAC RETREAT AND SPIRITUALITY CENTER!     Starting in September, Sister Susan Chase will lead a 6 session focus titled “The Spirituality of Trees” to celebrate the Season of Creation.  People are invited to one or all of the sessions.

• Father Kevin Cullen will lead a Good Conversation session titled “Enjoying Our Pilgrimage” on September 11^th, and Sister Mary Pat Johnson will lead a look into “The Transformative Power of Prayer” September 12-14.
• October 9^th Sister Judith Jackson will lead a gathering titled “Letting Mary matter:  Lessons in Compassion and Contemplation”.
• The Fall Retreat will be October 13-18 led by Scripture Scholar Kathy Coffey, titled “The Genius of Jesus, The World of Women”.
• Directed individual retreats are offered the last week of October into the first of November.
• And we’ll enjoy the Christmas season with “Linger Over Coffee”, pondering the Christmas Story through Scripture, art, poetry, and music.  These will be December 2^nd, 9^th, and 16^th.