This Week’s Message
Stop! Look! Listen!
By Paige Byrne Shortal
Reading has clicked for my little granddaughter and she is very proud of her new skill. One morning, as we approached some railroad tracks, she startled me by shouting: Stop! Look! Listen! I did. And then explained to her the dangers of shouting at the driver.
Jesus cried out such a warning sometimes. He often prefaced life changing statements with “Amen, amen, I say to you (John 3:5).” Perhaps we need something like that in the Gospel Acclamation during Mass. Because we are about to hear something life changing. Because if we do not pay attention, we could be in danger.
As I read through the Sunday Gospel passages for this month, there are two readings that stand out. Perhaps because we have heard them so often and know them so well, I have not paid close enough attention when they are read at Mass. But now, I hear them differently as I think: Stop! Look! Listen!
This weekend, we hear the familiar story of the Lord’s visit to the home of his friends, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus (Luke 10:38-42). This passage is irritating if you are a person like Martha who is trying to keep a clean house, serve a good meal, and attend to the needs of guests. Martha is all that while her sister sits enthralled at the feet of Jesus.
Jesus responds to Martha’s complaining with the equivalent of these words: Stop your unnecessary activity! Look at what you are missing! Listen to me now because I may not always be here! We do not know how Martha reacted. Many assume that she felt scolded, but isn’t it just as possible that she felt a stunning sense of liberation? Perhaps she threw off her apron and said: “Move over, Mary! I want to listen, too! We’ll have leftovers instead!”
Last week, we heard the familiar parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). In response to the lawyer’s question, “Who is my neighbor?”, Jesus tells the story of a robbery victim and the people who pass by, too busy with their own affairs to help. The one who does stop is a Samaritan. We may know that loving God and loving neighbor is what we need to gain eternal life, but our knowledge is worth very little if we do not practice what we know.
I like to think that I would be the Samaritan, but sadly, I am like Martha. I like to stick to my agenda. I make a plan for the day and I do not like it when childcare plans fall through or a friend calls who needs a ride to the doctor or whatever. When I remember, I try to treat an interruption as a message. I ask: “What is it, Jesus? Show me where you are in this.” And quite often, that’s just where I find him — in the interruptions — if I can just remember to Stop! Look! Listen!
About the Author
For four decades, Paige Byrne Shortal served as a pastoral minister in two parishes. She is now semi-retired and living with her husband and three children in rural Missouri. She is also a regular contributor to Bringing Home the Word. A new edition is posted every week at the link below.
CCGR Weekly Newsletter (7-20-25)
Bringing Home the Word (7-20-25)
The Kids Bulletin (7-20-25)
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Not Just Any Guest
Lord’s Day Reflection
Vatican News
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Call to Prayer
An Invocation for Peace
By Pope Francis
Lord, God of peace, hear our prayer!
We have tried so many times and over so many years
to resolve our conflicts by our own powers
and by the force of our arms.
How many moments of darkness and hostility
have we experienced;
how much blood has been shed;
how many lives have been shattered;
how many hopes have been buried.
But our efforts have been in vain.
Now, Lord, come to our assistance!
Grant us peace. Teach us peace.
Guide our steps in the way of peace.
Open our eyes and our hearts. Give us the courage to say:
Never again war! With war, everything is lost!
Instill in our hearts the courage
to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Amen.
Lord, God of Abraham,
God of the Prophets, God of Love,
you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters.
Give us the strength each day to be instruments of peace.
Enable us to see everyone who crosses our path
as our brother or sister.
Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who beg us
to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace,
our trepidation into confident trust,
our quarreling into forgiveness.
Keep alive within us the flame of hope,
so that with patience and perseverance,
we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation.
In this way, may peace triumph at last,
and may the words of division, hatred, and war
be banished from the heart of every person.
Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and hands.
Renew our hearts and minds,
so that the words which always brings us together
will be brother or sister,
and our way of life will always be that of
Shalom! Peace! Salaam! Amen!
Read: Invocation for Peace Message (2014)
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Special Weekend Collection
for Holy Family Parish in Gaza
July 26th & 27th
The Church of the Holy Family is the only Roman Catholic parish and place of worship in Gaza, Palestine. From October 2023 until his death in April 2025, Pope Francis called Father Romanelli, the pastor, every evening to inquire about the health and needs of more than 600 people who are sheltering on the parish campus.
Quite often, the Holy Father also spoke face-to-face via Facetime with elderly parishioners, frightened parents, and even children about the hardships of life during a time of bitter and seemingly endless armed conflict. And in his will, the Holy Father directed that his popemobile be retrofitted, reequipped, and donated as a mobile health clinic to serve the medical needs of Gazans.
For more than a decade, the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport’s longstanding mission has been to live the Gospel, share God’s love, and rebuild the Church. And we remain inspired by the life, legacy, and good example of Pope Francis. In this spirit, we will have a special second collection on July 26th and 27th. All proceeds will go directly to support Holy Family Parish in Gaza.
Caring about people is neither partisan nor political. We do not take a side in an impossible war. We are simply answering the late pope’s call to pray for peace and to become “instruments of peace” and “artisans of communion” in our sick, suffering, and war-torn world. As a small token of gratitude for your prayers and support for our brothers and sisters in Gaza, all parishioners will receive a relic prayer card of Saint Ann and Saint Joachim, the patrons of our own Holy Family Parish, whose feast is celebrated on Saturday, July 26th.
For more information about this special weekend of prayer, devotion, and generosity, please contact Father Jim at frjim@ccgronline.com. Thank you in advance for your prayers, goodwill, and generous support!
Learn More: Gaza Church Damaged in Strike
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The Assisi Project
A Morning of Prayer for Peace
Saturday, August 2nd
All friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners of the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport are invited to join Father Jim, Brother Patrick, and the Assisi Project for a Morning of Prayer for Peace on Saturday, August 2nd beginning with the celebration of Holy Mass at 8:00am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church.
After Mass, we will offer a Rosary for Peace featuring prayers by Pope Francis (1936-2025) during which we will invoke the late Holy Father’s powerful intercession for peace in places known and unknown, for peace in this nation and between all nations, and for peace in our hearts, homes, and hometowns.
For more information about the Assisi Project and its good work in our parishes, please contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@assisiproject.com. Please join us! All are welcome! Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us! Saint Clare of Assisi, pray for us! Our Lady of the Angels, pray for us! Pope Francis, pray for us! May the Lord give you peace!
Learn More: The Assisi Project
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The Assisi Project
We Never Stop Praying For You!
Founded in 2007 by Father Jim and Brother Patrick, the Assisi Project is a Fellowship of Franciscans in Spirit with friends and followers from around the world. We are dedicated to helping believers of all ages more faithfully live the Gospel of the Poor Christ in the spirit of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi. We are now also dedicated to promoting Pope Francis as a patron of peace, mercy, and fraternity in our suffering world.
Members of the Assisi Project range in age from 17 to 100. We pray every day for peace, for an increase in faith, hope, and love; and for all who ask for our prayers. If you would like our fellowship to pray for you, your family, or your special intention, please contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@assisiproject.com. May God bless you! May the Lord give you peace!
Pray Together: Our Daily Prayers
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Our Lady of Good Voyage
Summer Carillon Concerts
Begin Friday, August 8th
A popular summer tradition is returning to Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish and the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport! Our Summer Carillon Concerts begin on Friday, August 8th at 6:30pm! This year, Luann Pallazola, Cynthia Cafasso, and Thomas Dort have prepared programs that include patriotic melodies, popular hymns and songs, and classical and international music, along with selections especially for children!
Installed in 1922, the carillon at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church are the first toned bell set ever in the United States. The carillon’s thirty-one bronze bells hang from a steel beam within the west tower. And our bells range in weight from 16 pounds to 3,000 pounds.
The carillon bells at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church were forged by the Taylor Foundry in Loughboro, England. In order to avoid the payment of a tariff upon their arrival in Gloucester, the church was declared a bonded warehouse by the Collector of Customs in Boston, who happened to be a friend of the local congressman. Soon after, a bill declaring them a “work of art” was passed by the United States Congress and signed into law by President Warren G. Harding.
Although our bells can be heard from blocks away, the sound is always best near the church. Once again this year, Our Lady’s Guild will be selling snacks, cold drinks, and raffle tickets to support the parish. Our Summer Carillon Concerts are an awesome opportunity for the whole family to gather and enjoy the gift of music with friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners!
Additional concerts are scheduled for Friday, August 15th at 6:30pm; Friday, August 22nd at 6:30pm; and Friday, August 29th at 6:30pm. For more information, please contact Luann Pallazola at lpallazola@gmail.com. Save the dates! All are invited! All are welcome!
Watch & Listen: America the Beautiful
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Words of Wisdom from Pope Leo XIV
Today more than ever,
humanity cries out and pleads for peace!
War does not solve problems.
On the contrary, it amplifies them
and causes deep wounds in the history of peoples,
wounds that take generations to heal.
No military victory can ever compensate
for a mother’s pain, a child’s fear,
or a stolen future (6-22-25).
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We Share
Safe & Easy Electronic Giving
Giving liberates the soul of the giver. — Maya Angelou
Electronic giving has become an essential part of parish support in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport; and it is available in both Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish. It is safe and easy to make online donations to your home parish using a credit card, debit card, or electronic check.
Donations can be made on a weekly, monthly, or one-time only basis; and it takes just a few minutes to set up a secure personal account. In addition to the weekly offering, you can also give electronically to our church restoration funds which help us plan for the repair and maintenance of our four beloved and historic churches.
Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish always need your generous support! Please prayerfully considering enrolling in our electronic giving program! For more information about creating a new account or assistance with an existing account, please contact Father Jim at frjim@ccgronline.com. Peace, blessings, and sincere thanks to all!
Support Holy Family Parish
Support Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish
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About Us
Established in 2014, the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport is a collaborative of two historic parishes: Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish. Working together as a family united in prayer, fellowship, and service, we are committed to living the Gospel of Christ, sharing God’s love and mercy with all people, and rebuilding the Church in Gloucester & Rockport. All are invited! All are welcome! Always!
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In Memory of Lawrence Davis