Have you ever wanted to be part of something bigger? Even the most independent among us likes to make changes and have an impact on others. In this Sunday's Gospel reading, Jesus demonstrates one of his most iconic miracles -- the multiplication of the loaves. It is a sign of the institution of the Eucharist, when we are fed not by bread but by the Body of Christ.

Ray was born and raised in the California Bay Area. He is the youngest of 6 kids! Ray excelled in football, wrestling, and baseball all throughout grade school and high school. Ray grew up as a Parishioner of Saint Martins in San Jose! He has over 25 years work experience.

While in the Bay Area, he was a contractor for some of Silicon Valley’s finest corporations. He was onsite working in facilities at Apple Computer and Oracle Corporation to name a couple. He was hired as a Facilities Manager for a Software gaming company. He spent 6 years with them. He moved to Arizona in 2003. He then went to work as a Service Technician for a Phoenix based medical equipment company. He was with them for 15 years.

Ray and his wife have 4 daughters and 4 grandchildren. Ray is an avid SF Giants, SF 49’rs, and Golden State Warriors Fan. He loves the beach ,camping, traveling, sports and being outdoors.

"He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two." This Sunday we read the first sending of the Apostles to preach, teach, and heal. For many of us, it can be easy to think we "just don't have enough" to be disciples and evangelists ourselves. We don't have enough education and training. We don't have enough experience talking to people about Jesus. We don't pray enough. We don't have enough faith.

Today's Gospel offers a rare framework - a story in a story. Most of the healing miracles are standalone encounters. One person approaches Jesus, demonstrates faith, and is healed. The evangelist tells the next story. This Gospel, however, is different. Jesus is on his way to heal one person, a young girl of twelve, and is interrupted on his journey by "a woman afflicted with hemorrhages." She bravely approaches Jesus in a crowd, despite being ritually unclean from her bleeding, and stretches out to touch his cloak. She is healed! Jesus meets her eye, confirms her faith, and continues on to resurrect the young girl.

Reading this passage, it might be easier to identify with one story - the long-suffering woman or the young, innocent girl - and to move past the other. But here they sit side by side. The girl is twelve. The woman has been suffering for twelve years. For the Gospel writers, number parallels have deep symbolic meaning.

Tiny fingers and toes. A little yawn. A loud cry. An infant wrapped in swaddling clothes. "What will this child be?" It is a question every parent asks time and time again. As first steps are taken, as personalities emerge, as a child shows interest in reading or drawing or climbing, the question is on our lips. "What will this child be?" This question is asked as John the Baptist is born. Will he be a priest like his father? Does his strange, unexpected name signal a departure from that inheritance? Could Elizabeth and Zechariah ever have predicted what would be?

"This is how it is with the kingdom of God." What is a kingdom? Is it the brick and mortar that build up the castle? Is it the expanse of land a king can reasonably defend? Our notions of kingdoms may be romanticized in the modern era, but for the Israelites, a kingdom held deep historical meaning. Thousands of years before the birth of Christ, the Israelites had asked God for a king. After the reigns of David and Solomon, the united kingdom dissolved into factions, and the land was conquered by the Assyrians, Babylonians, and, finally, Romans. For the Israelites, a kingdom was something to build, both structurally and civilly. While this had ended in ruin for their ancestors, many of Jesus' contemporaries longed for the restoration of an earthly kingdom.

I was reflecting on how our first Stewardship of Serving season has progressed. Honestly, I’m a little saddened. We’re a loving, welcoming parish. I hear people say this all the time. And yet, we struggle to find parishioners willing to serve. I think to some extent this is a sign of the times. We’re living in a world that is focused on self. We need to break out of this way of thinking and remember our earthly days are a means to an ultimate end (heaven).

Last weekend was St Rose’s first Stewardship of Serving commitment weekend. Cookies and donuts were enjoyed by all, and we even had a few volunteers step forward.

I wanted to commend and thank Pat and Sheryl Brutto (and Abigail and Sarah too) for sharing their personal story with us at all Masses. What a great witness of how parish ministry returns fruits to those willing to make it a prioritized part of their life.

This week we return to ordinary time in our liturgical calendar. After the power of the Easter season, with its conclusion, on Pentecost Sunday, it can seem to be a little bit of a lull.

It may be ordinary time, but we are always an Easter people. This means we live as a people, all parts of Christ’s Body working together toward a single purpose: love. The challenge for us is to continue working through our ordinary days to always to follow God’s will for us. The great news is that we’re never alone in this journey. As we were told last week, He has left His advocate, the Holy Spirit, to be with us always.

Pentecost celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the Advocate to the Apostles. The power of the Spirit was given to them so they could boldly carry out the mission Jesus gave them before his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. The mission to bring the Word of God and its saving grace to all corners of the earth. The verses following our first reading from Acts of the Apostles tells us that over 3000 persons joined the Church and its mission that day.

Every once and awhile, it seems that God throws us a bone. If we are honest, we’d have to admit that it’s more often than it seems. It’s just that we miss it. On a small scale, I was offered and noticed and was, therefore, able to receive a nice freebie.

Our Church was created to evangelize; to bring the message of the Gospel to all corners of the earth. We weren’t called to just attend Mass once a week for an hour. We are called to be lights of His love to all people at all times. It’s simple to understand but sometimes difficult to live. Those that accept this mission are called disciples.