St. Mary Parish Berea

09/05/2026

This week's St Mary's Parish Berea bulletin https://bulletins.discovermass.com/download.php?bulletin=jkTonbaU%2BySjJ2N0DizV3rxLES%2BNPMXNSnYqT5Uw1irMrIKlxNR2IO1ifZQATnkaoIfJc9XPGrxP9JYTxfN2arDHjQUnchpkJIQIlZwDLfs%3D

09/05/2026

Hosanna 2026 is HERE! Mark your calendars. Bring your picnic basket, bring your family, bring your friends.

09/04/2026

08/18/2026

Join St. Mary's parishioners as we support the Kiwanis blood drive.

08/15/2026

Your St Mary's Weekly Bulletin for August 16th 2026

https://bulletins.discovermass.com/download.php?bulletin=AttZxhT7q%2FOiRDauGJTYLzJ4FRQ3EUNcw3BYxq5RaqdZr0hKnETybahyld7KDQcW%2FdKCTdKstRNmOM%2FAbD%2F%2B6bMUZMU1xETqQlVuJ8L%2B1jA%3D

08/13/2026

Great Community! Delicious Food! Big Prizes! SEE YOU SUNDAY AT ST MARY'S

08/10/2026

Come join Father John and your fellow parishioners for a special evening of community. Please RSVP to the rectory office or by scanning the qr code.

08/07/2026

What is a food that makes your soul feel happy?

07/27/2026

The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request. So God said to him:

"Because you have asked for this—not for a long life for yourself,nor for riches,nor for the life of your enemies,but for understanding so that you may know what is right—I do as you requested.I give you a heart so wise and understandingthat there has never been anyone like you up to now,and after you there will come no one to equal you."

I really love that Solomon asked for "an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong." He's asking for one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit—the gift of understanding.

We all wonder what we would ask for if we were given our heart's desire or if we had a genie in a bottle. Would we ask for a heart that can truly understand? Yeah...probably not.

Most of us would ask for good health, to lose weight, to look beautiful, for super strength, riches, a nice house, or a fast car. But would we ask God for one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that would help us do His will or love others better?

Years ago, while working with our second graders in their sacramental preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we were talking about the Ten Commandments and trying to be the best version of ourselves. It really hit me that the Ten Commandments aren't just laws that we break. I mean, they are—but they're also God's guide for how to live a good, holy, and truly happy life. They're a guide for loving God, loving others, and doing His will.

Today's Responsorial Psalm says:

"Lord, I love your commands.Wonderful are your decrees;therefore I observe them.The revelation of your words sheds light,giving understanding to the simple."

God loves us and wants us to become the best version of ourselves. Part of that journey means shedding who we naturally are and embracing who God is.

The Catholic Church teaches about the seven deadly sins: pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust. They're called "deadly" not simply because they are serious sins, but because they are the root from which so many other sins grow. Left unchecked, they shape our thoughts, our actions, and our relationships, leading us further away from God.

We have to repent and turn away from our own ways so that we can turn toward God's ways. We have to choose Christ over self.

The chapel at my college has the words "Illum oportet crescere, me autem minui" above the entrance, which translates, "He must increase, but I must decrease."

I struggled to understand that for a long time. Eventually, I came to realize that we need to shed some of "us." Our human nature struggles so much with sin, and sin often leads to more sin, more hurt, and more pain. But when there is less of our selfishness, pride, and sinful tendencies, we make more room for God. We open our hearts so He can transform us.

That's why I love what Solomon asked for. He didn't ask for something that would satisfy his own human desires. He asked for understanding—something that would help him know right from wrong, lead God's people well, and do God's will.

Maybe that's something we should all be asking for a little more often.

Katie Laubert Sabol