In remembrance M Father Ronald J. Szudarek In Remembrance May 24, 2021 Visitation for Father Ronald J. Szudarek, senior priestretired, will be 58 p.m. June 10 at Golubski Funeral Home 5986 Ridge Road, Parma. Bishop Edward Malesic will preside at vespers at 3 p.m. June 11 in St. Colette Church, 330 W. 130th St., Brunswick. Father Jim Roach will be the homilist. Visitation will continue until 7 p.m. in the church. Bishop Martin Amos, retired bishop of Davenport, Iowa, will be the principal celebrant at Father Szudarek’s funeral Mass at 11 a.m. June 12 in St. Colette Church. Father Wm. Krizner will be the homilist. Father Szudarek, 69, died on May 21. He was the son of the late Stanley and Jean (Gos) Szudarek. Father Szudarek was educated at Immaculate Heart of Mary School and South High School, both in Cleveland; St. Mary College, Orchard Lake, Michigan; SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary, Orchard Lake, Michigan; and Saint Mary Seminary, Cleveland. Bishop Anthony Pilla ordained him to the priesthood for service to the Diocese of Cleveland on June 13, 1982 in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Father Szudarek’s first assignment was as parochial vicar of SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Garfield Heights. During that assignment, he served a threeyear term, effective June 19, 1982, as chaplain, Catholic Committee on Scouting. In addition, he served as assistant chaplain, Knights of Columbus, Garfield Heights Council 4130, effective Aug. 7, 1985. On June 24, 1986, he was appointed parochial vicar of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Sheffield Lake. Father Szudarek was transferred to serve as parochial vicar at Corpus Christi Parish in Cleveland on June 16, 1988. He served as administrator pro tem of Corpus Christi Parish from July 31, 1989 until May 31, 1991, when he was appointed pastor. Father Szudarek retired on Sept. 15, 2008. He was proud of his Polish heritage and was grateful for the opportunity to serve the PolishAmerican community throughout most of his ministry. Those who knew him said his devotion to the Blessed Mother gave him great strength as he dealt with many health issues. Interment will be at St. Mary Cemetery in Cuyahoga Heights. Live in the Light of the Lord whom you served so faithfully! GOSPEL MEDITATION ENCOURAGE DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF SCRIPTURE May 30, 2021 The Most Holy Trinity Let God be who God is. This is often one of the hardest things to do. Rather than allowing the mystery of being created in the image and likeness of God unfold and take root in our lives, we change the dynamic. We want to be the creators who want to make God into the image and likeness we need God to be. We have a hardenough time letting the people in our lives be who they are. We struggle even more so with God. It is almost as if we want God to be our imaginary friend who is not only with us whenever we need but becomes the Being we need God to be. Who is it that we want God to be today? A protector, disciplinarian, champion for justice, healer, advocate for our cause, grantor of prayers, guardian of my life, or the avenger? Our prayers tell an interesting story. When you pray, what does God look like? Recently, a young woman who was feeling invisible, overlooked, ignored, and misunderstood by her husband struggled to make her feelings known and get his attention. Finally, she screamed, “Listen to me!” Thus, birth was given to a renewed and healthier relationship. We spend so much time storming heaven with our agenda and trying to make God into a “god” of our desires that we do not hear God saying, “Listen to me!” God is desperately trying to get our attention. God is saying, I am here among you as not one but three, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Many people seldom notice God’s presence because they are so caught up with other spiritual cares and concerns. And, when the “god” they fashion and create doesn’t produce as they desire, they shake the dust from their feet and move on. “I tried,” they exclaim, “but God didn’t listen.” Healthy relationships aren’t built on making someone be who we need them to be. Healthy relationships are built on encounters of persons and the development of an appreciation of someone solely for who they are. Deeper relationships can even be found with two people marveling at each other and almost experiencing a childlike joy and giddiness when they see the other coming. Do you ever have these feelings about God? Believe it or not, God does for you! There is a joyful laughter that gives rise to and connects all three members of the Holy Trinity. It is this laughter, flowing from the very depths of the Godhead that not only keeps the Trinity in joyful unity but spills over into the creation of all beings and things. It is an expression of Divine Delight! Have you ever taken time away from your agenda to experience the Divine Joyfulness of God? We can reach a connection of Presence wherein even the smallest of creatures suddenly radiate the fullness of God: the wonderful creation of their being, the innocence and playfulness of their movements, and the sustaining life breath that flows through their veins. The same God who created the heavens and the earth is the same God who wants you to call him ‘Dad’ and the same God who preserves your life and has all things in His care. ©LPi EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP RECOGNIZE GOD IN YOUR ORDINARY MOMENTS LIVE THE LITURGY God Doesn’t Take a Break INSPIRATION FOR THE WEEK The immensity, scope, intimacy, and An acquaintance who works in church ministry pervasiveness of God’s presence is too once told me a story about one of the students intense for the human mind. We often she had in Faith Formation. This student limit God by our expectations of Him informed my friend that his family doesn’t and have a hard time just letting God come to Mass in summer. “God takes a break in be God. Some people all too easily lose summer, and so do we,” he said. faith because God does not meet their expectations. Worse still, the idea of There’s a lot to unpack here. First, it’s tragic to faith is rejected altogether by others think of anyone voluntarily missing out on the because of polarities and experiences Eucharist for so long. It’s also a real problem in they have that don’t square with who the church today that a lot of our folks don’t they need God to be. The Holy Trinity understand the beauty of the Sunday obligation. is one of those teachings that is best But if I had to dissect this situation and pinpoint encountered rather than dissected. It is the thing I find most troubling, it’s the idea of only through being present with the God taking a break. Trinity that we can experience both the immensity and otherness of God’s I hope it’s starting to look like summer where presence as well as the intimacy of the you are. We’ve still got a few weeks left before God who wants us to call Him “dad.” it’s official, but the school year should be We feel the loving guidance of a God winding up for most kids, the birds should be who wants to take us from fear and chirping a little louder, and hopefully your lawn give us confidence. Our God of is starting to green up nicely. You’re probably yesterday, today, and tomorrow is a daydreaming about the annual cabin getaway God of all ages whose threefold weekend or waterskiing on the Fourth of July. Presence invades all senses, seasons, and times. God, who is Father, Son, All in all, summer is going to be a nice break, and Holy Spirit, is much more than any even if N like typical Americans N our break of our expectations if we simply let is full of productive work. God be who God is. Thank God N literally N that He doesn’t take a ©LPi break, even if we do. Can we try to remember that, even in the midst of our many wonderful distractions? Let’s enjoy this summer. Let’s live it to the full. But let’s see it for the gift that it is N and remember the thanks we owe the Giver. N Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS ©LPi WHY DO WE DO THAT? CATHOLIC LIFE EXPLAINED Question: If it isn’t only for people who are dying, when should someone receive The Legend of of St. Augustine & the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick? the little Boy….. Answer: “As the legend goes, once St. Augustine was One of the unfortunate realities in the walking on the beach, contemplating the Church today is that so few people nature of the Holy Trinity. He had been understand the meaning and value of the working for over thirty years on a grand Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, treatise, De Trinitate,in which he sought to largely because so many people still explain the rationality of the Trinity. After all, the Holy Trinity is a difficult subject that mistakenly think of this sacrament as many people simply have a hard time “Last Rites” or “Extreme Unction.” grasping. And he, being a rational person who In his life and ministry, Jesus healed the was one of the best apologists that the sick.