A message from Fr. Ben Keller, OP
Beauty in Sacrifice
There is such beauty in the Mass. One piece of the Mass that has been sitting with me and that I have been pondering lately is the Great Amen. This is the point in the Mass where the priest elevates the chalice and paten and proclaims, “Through Him, and with Him, and in Him, Oh God Almighty Father, in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, all Glory and honor is yours, forever and ever.” And everyone responds, “Amen.”
At this point in the Mass, Jesus has already become fully present in the Eucharist (during the Consecration) and everyone present is entering into the one moment of sacrifice on Calvary. In this one moment, Jesus, in the person of the priest, is offering Jesus, in the Eucharist, and Jesus, as a Mystical Body, the entire people of God, are uniting and offering their sacrifices to that one sacrifice which is being offered by Jesus as well. Jesus is so present in so many places in this one moment at Mass, and it is all in the context of sacrifice.
There is an interesting aspect to the word sacrifice. In Latin, it comes from the two roots, sacra, “holy,” and facere, “to make or do.” Therefore, sacrifice, while it is often painful, it is also something done “to be made holy.” It is something that brings about a transformation. When we come to the Mass, we all bring our own offerings, our own sacrifices, the things that we might need to surrender to the Lord but will be painful to let go of, and we unite them with the one sacrifice of Christ on the altar. We give these to Christ, unite them to His Sacrifice so that He may bring about this transformation and we may be made holy.
Then for the climax of the Mass, at this moment, where Jesus, in the person of the priest, offering Jesus, in the Eucharist, united with Jesus, the entire Mystical Body, joining all of the sacrifices they are bringing, and the people respond, “AMEN,” which means “so be it.” We are all consenting to this sacrifice. Jesus will never do something against our will. He is such a gentle Savior. He might need to correct Peter sometimes and even correct us sometimes, but he will not force us into transformation without our consent. In singing the Great Amen we are allowing Jesus to be our Savior, to offer Himself for us, and to unite each of our crosses to His one Cross so that He may make us holy.
God Bless You All,
Fr. Ben
Fr. Ben
Why should we return to Mass?
Whether you've already started coming back to Mass or not, we hope our weekly series of reasons to return will inspire you and your friends and family.
SHARE these messages with those who need to hear of God's love for them!
Reason #7: We need the peace of God.
Why should you come back to Mass? Because only in God do we find the peace we so desperately seek.
The peace we seek can never be satisfied by the world, politics, or even human relationships. Our ambitions and desires can drive us to restless busyness. Can anything on earth satisfy?
God gave us the gift of the Mass to slow us down, to feed us with his Word and his Body in the Eucharist. On the Sabbath, we're invited to set aside everything causing us stress and anxiety and be re-ordered to rest in the peace of Christ.
Listen to this message from Jared Zimmerer, author and senior director of the Word on Fire Institute. on the necessity of God's grace and the peace only he can give:
Fr. Ben Keller, OP
Mass Resources:
Livestream Mass @ 9AM (Note: Livestream Mass is NOT recorded for later viewing.)
Sunday Bulletin (PDF)
Readings: Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Faith Direct e-giving
St. Tom's welcomes all Boiler Catholics to participate in our Homecoming 2021 event. Join us for morning brunch at St. Tom's, in the stadium cheering on the Boilermaker football team (Purdue vs. Minnesota at noon), and at the Saturday Vigil "Alumni" Mass at 5:30 p.m. Purchase tickets online to sit with St. Tom's alumni at the game. Attend and/or participate in the Vigil Mass. If you would like to participate in music ministry during the Mass, email Brad Bodine, music coordinator. If you are an alum who would like to participate in liturgical ministries for the Mass, email liturgy@boilercatholics.org
Be a Part of Hunger Hike 2021
Join Hunger Hike as a participant on or donor to the St. Tom’s team while helping to raise awareness of hunger in our community. The 3K event takes place on Sunday, Sept. 19 at Riehle Plaza downtown Lafayette. Proceeds benefit Lafayette Urban Ministry, Food Finders Food Bank, and St. Tom’s Haiti Ministry. So far, the team has raised $26,829.01 towards its $35,000 goal. Join the St. Tom's team or donate!
The Mass intention for Vigil Mass on Saturday, Sept. 25 will be for the repose of souls from COVID-19. You are invited to submit names and a memorial image. A Holy Hour with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will take place after Mass.
A recently arrived international student is in need of a bicycle. If you have one you’d be willing to donate, please email Fr. Tom,
Also, the Missionary Sisters of the Divine Spirit from Columbia are opening a convent in Reynolds, IN, and are in need of two cars in good condition. If you’d like to make a tax-deductible gift, please contact Dr. Dora Tobar, Office of Hispanic Ministry, Diocese of Lafayette, at Dtobar@dol-in.org or 765-269-4678.
Announcements
Pro-life Warrior 5K is slated for Sept. 18
Matrix Lifecare of Lafayette is calling all Pro-life Warriors! Join us as we fight for life every step of the way at Central Catholic Jr./Sr. High School for the Pro-life Warrior 5k Walk/Run on Saturday, Sept. 18 The funds raised at this family-friendly event directly support women with unintended pregnancies, encouraging them to make life-affirming decisions. For more information or to sign up, visit: www.prolifewarriorrun.com. Questions? Email Traves Freeland: tfreeland@matrixcares.org
Volunteer Office Receptionists
Volunteers are still needed to staff the office reception desk on Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon and noon to 2:00 p.m. and Fridays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Volunteer substitutes also are appreciated. If you would like to help, please email Mary Riehle at mary@boilercatholics.org.
German Mini-Fest at St. Boniface
A little smaller but still great fun, the German Mini-fest will take place on Saturday, Sept. 11, from 5:00 to 11:00 p.m. at St. Boniface Church in downtown Lafayette. Featuring new food from area vendors and the priests’ “Hamburger Stand.” Fun for kids includes games and a bounce house. Polka Boy returns this year with a new name—Polkatz.
The Third Option Starts Sept. 13
The Third Option, an inter-faith, skills-based program to build strong and healthy marriages, will be offered on Mondays from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. starting September 13 at Blessed Sacrament Church, 2224 Sacramento Dr., West Lafayette. There is no cost to attend, and babysitting is available with 48 hours notice. One or both spouses are welcome. For more information, call this confidential phone (765) 421-06541 or email ttOlafayette@gmail.com.
September Schoenstatt Events (All are welcome)
18: Rosary Walk at 1:30 p.m. at the Schoenstatt Wayside Shrine, Delphi
21: Adoration and Prayer Hour at 7:00 p.m., St. Lawrence Church, Lafayette, with Fr. Jeff Martin.
For more information, visit the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement webpage.
Adult Confirmation begins September 23
Are you an adult Baptized Catholic that has received the Holy Eucharist, but you are still not Confirmed? If you desire the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Tom’s is offering a four-week preparation course for the Sacrament of Confirmation starting on September 23. To register, please contact John Strong, director of Adult Faith Formation, at: john@boilercatholics.org
Fall Bible Studies for Adults begin this month
Gain a greater understanding of Scripture while growing closer to your faith community and our Lord. Online and in-person options are available.
WOMEN ON A JOURNEY'S STUDY OF JOHN PAUL II'S "LETTER TO WOMEN"
Thursdays, beginning September 23, 9:00 AM
Location: Siena Rooms
Women of all phases of life – both resident parishioners and student parishioners – are invited to join us as we grow in fellowship and discover God’s plan for our unique femininity. The group will be led by Molly Long & Colleen Duffy."ACTS: THE SPREAD OF THE KINGDOM" BIBLE STUDY
Starts the week of September 27
Select a Session: Mondays at 7:00 p.m. (in-person - Siena Rooms) and Wednesdays at 7:00 a.m. (Zoom)
Acts is the story of how a few Christians, empowered by the Holy Spirit, were chosen to bring Christ and the Good News to the ends of the earth. They faced secular forces, internal strife, and hostile crowds, and despite all of this, they brought the kingdom of God to a broken world and the love of God to the hearts of men. This 20-week study (10 weeks in the Fall and 10 weeks in the Spring) is open to resident and student parishioners.
To register and for questions, email John Strong, director of adult faith formation, John@boilercatholics.org.
Youth Choir rehearsals begin Wednesday
St. Tom’s Youth Choir rehearses on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.in the Thomas More Room downstairs. Children in second-to-eighth-grade are encouraged to participate. Special singers’ masks will be provided. For more information, please contact Dr. Brad Bodine,coordinator of music ministry, brad@boilercatholics.org.
State Street doors locked at Midnight
To ensure everyone’s safety, the State Street doors are now locked at midnight. You can still gain access to the church at all hours through the Gather Space entrances.
Join Morning Prayer
Seeking a few minutes of peace in your life? Thinking about how to build a closer relationship with our Lord and faith community? Join others (in the comfort of your own home) for 15-minutes of prayer and fellowship weekday mornings. To join Virtual Morning Prayer, visit St. Tom’s parish calendar. Select the day, and click on Morning Prayer link within the calendar entry. If you have any challenges connecting or would like any additional information, contact Dcn. Dan Finn at deacondanfinn@gmail.com
Volunteer for Liturgical Ministries
St. Tom's is in need of people to fill our liturgical ministries (Sacristans, EMHCs, Readers, and Altar Servers) for all our masses and especially the Sunday evening masses. If you have served as a liturgical minister before (At St. Tom's), please log in to your Ministry Scheduler profile and update your preferences so you can be added to the schedule. Please also plan on attending one of the training sessions (see the times below). If you have never served as a liturgical minister before OR have done so at another Church, we would love to see you at one of our upcoming liturgical minister training sessions.
Training Sessions (attend one of the two dates)
Saturday, September 11
10 AM - Readers
10:10 AM - Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
10:25 AM - Altar Servers
10:45 AM - Sacristans
Saturday, September 18
7 PM - Readers
7:10 PM - Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
7:25 PM - Altar Servers
7:45 PM - Sacristans
Visit the liturgical ministries page for more information. If you have any questions, please email liturgy@boilercatholics.org
Family Promise Volunteer Week, Sept. 13 to 19
Please consider a volunteer opportunity with Family Promise by clicking on this "sign up" link. Follow the instructions for setting up an account by entering your e-mail plus your own password. Thank you for volunteering in our worthwhile ministry. Please note that these volunteering opportunities are at the Family Promise Day Center, 2010 Elmwood Ave., Lafayette. Due to COVID19, we have been asked to provide meals ONLY.
Christendom Courses offered this Fall
The Christendom@ program is offering three courses this Fall. These credits have transferred to Purdue transcripts in previous years. There are no prerequisites. Fall classes include:
Early Christian Literature, HIST 501
Learn about the lives, conceptual themes, and historical events that shaped the development of Christian writings in the first six centuries. 3 credits. Tuesdays, 5:00 – 7:00pm, ETThe Bible, SCRI 502
Investigate the religious content of the Christian Scriptures in light of the historical, social, and intellectual contexts out of which they emerged. The student will be introduced to problems and methods of interpretation. 3 credits.Tuesdays, 5:00 - 7:00pm, ETCatholicism and Modernity: From Vatican I to John Paul II
Explore the life of the Catholic Church from see . 1870-2005. Questions about faith and reason, Church authority and structure, the role of the laity, and social action will be focalized as students study the documents of the two most recent ecumenical councils. 3 credits. Mondays, 5:00 - 7:00pm, ETRegister today! For questions, contact Grant Freeman
grant.freeman@christendom.edu or (765) 430-8307.
To provide a one-time or recurring gift to St. Tom's, visit our FaithDirect giving page. We are grateful for your generosity to our mission and ministries.
