“Become Rich in What Matters to God”

What matters to God is that little children learn their catechism, love Jesus, and receive him in Holy Communion. What matters to God is that the teens have a place to go where they can be safe from the evils of society. What matters to God is that adults continue to grow in their faith. What matters to God is that the poor and the needy are served. What matters to God is what our parish does. When we support the church, we are building up the place that matters most to God. In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns us not to be like the man whose land produced a bountiful harvest and decided to build larger barns to store up “many good things” for himself so that he could “eat, drink, and be merry.” Jesus warns us that if we hold on to everything, we will lose everything: “Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.” When we tithe to the parish, we become rich in what matters to God. Recently, we have been asking everyone to increase their weekly donation to the parish because our offertory has not kept up with increasing costs. I ask everyone to try to give more so that we can continue to do the same work that matters to God. One of the richest men in America was a man named George Strake. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1894, the youngest of ten children in an impoverished family. He had to drop out of school to work as a Western Union messenger boy, earning nine dollars a week. Of his nine dollars, he faithfully gave two each week in the Sunday collection at the Catholic Church. For some years, he worked for Gulf Oil in Mexico and became an expert in finding oil in frontier areas. Eventually, he went on his own and became a “Wildcatter,” searching for oil deposits in remote places. He married a woman from Texas. During the depression, they became broke, but got their wife’s permission to spend their last money to purchase a piece of land near the town of Conroe, about forty miles north of Houston, where he believed he would find oil. He drilled five thousand feet deep and hit a vast underground ocean of oil, and instantly became one of the wealthiest men in the world. For the rest of his life, he gave generous contributions to many charities, but especially to the Catholic Church. 

In 1940, Pope Pius XII secretly asked George Strake to pay for the secret excavations under 

St. Peter’s Basilica, which led to the discovery of the bones of St. Peter. The excavations were kept secret because it was during World War II, and Rome was occupied by the Fascists under Mussolini. This story is told in a marvelous book called “The Fisherman’s Tomb”, by John O’Neill. The author was interviewed by Raymond Arroyo (see video at youtube.com/watch?v=C1lp3o_-qw8 ). Stake’s money helped to prove the 2000-year-old belief that the tomb of St. Peter was directly under the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. Strake’s oilfield also helped us win World War II by producing five hundred million barrels of crude oil to fuel Allied planes, ships, and tanks around the globe. George Strake believed that his wealth was a gift from God because it came from God’s Earth. He knew that he was like the rich man in today’s parable: “There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.” Here is a quotation from the book which reveals the beautiful attitude of George Strake, who was truly “rich in what matters to God.” “George Strake held the curious belief that he was simply a stakeholder of the vast Conroe Field, and that it was a gift from God, not the result of his own cleverness or worth. He said that far from being a crazy Lone Wolf Wildcatter, he was actually a team of two. His job was to return the field’s vast wealth to the causes God approved. As a result of this conviction, he was strongly devoted to causes such as St. Joseph’s Hospital, the Boy Scouts, high schools and universities, but most of all to the Catholic Church. On his desk, he kept the saying of another legendary oilman and philanthropist from Pittsburgh, Michael Benedum: ‘God doesn’t care how much money you have when you die. God does care what you did with the money while you were alive.’ Stake deeply feared leaving substantial funds to his children because of the corrosive effect of money. In fact, he intended to give everything away while he was still alive, even the things he loved most. In all his contributions, he demanded total anonymity. He often said that he intended to give his last dollar away anonymously with his last breath” (The Fisherman’s Tomb, page 34)

St. Catherine of Siena had a similar experience. One day, she was praying “Create a clean heart within me” (Psalm 51) and asking Jesus to take her heart and her will, and Jesus comforted her with a mystical vision. Jesus “appeared to her that her Heavenly Bridegroom came to her as usual, opened her left side, took out her heart, and then went away…” A few days later Jesus appeared again and showed his Sacred Heart to her and said: “Dearest daughter, as I took your heart away from you the other day, now, you see, I am giving you mine, so that you can go on living with it forever.” (From the writings of her spiritual director Bl. Raymond of Capua). Jesus wants to steal our hearts and give us his! 

Of course, we know that Jesus remains with us on Earth in the Blessed Sacrament, which is the everlasting token of his love, and which is his very self. Jesus left us his precious Body and Blood as “a memorial of his death and Resurrection.” At every Mass, Jesus gives us the love of his Heart, which has suffered so greatly for us! This month, we will prepare for the great Feast of the Body and Blood of the Lord (June 21) by having an entire week of events related to the Eucharist here at Presentation BVM Parish. We will once again host the “Eucharistic Miracles Exhibit” in our Community Center (June 13-19). There will be “Forty Hours” of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament exposed in the monstrance day and night in our church (June 15-17). All this will prepare us for a grand “Corpus Christi Procession” through the streets of our neighborhood. We will publicly show our love for Jesus with this solemn parade and will honor him with songs, prayers, and flower petals in the street! (Saturday, June 20). The following Friday is the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which we will celebrate with a bilingual Mass (June 27). 

The holy teenager Carlos Acutis (1991-2006), who will be canonized a saint later this year, was the one who created the Eucharistic Miracles Exhibit, which now tours the world. This young man understood the significance of the amazing miracles that have happened throughout the centuries. Eucharistic Hosts have caused healings, extinguished fires, levitated, and flown through the air. These miracles have caused instantaneous conversions of sinners, Satanists, skeptics, and scientists. Even brute animals have miraculously recognized the Real Presence of Jesus. In recent years, there have been famous cases in which Sacred Hosts have been transformed in appearance. Using microscopes and scientific analysis, scientists recognize living human heart tissue, which seems to be that of a suffering, dying man. These extraordinary miracles point to the truth of the ordinary miracle that happens at every Mass: Jesus has left us his heart!

Do we sometimes think that Jesus is given only to the highly qualified, special religious people? In the Gospel of Luke today we hear about the presentation of the Lord in the temple. The newborn son of God is passed around like a baton in a relay race, not guarded like a precious jewel or a breakable china dish. We can see him going from the arms of Mary to Joseph, then to the priest performing the ceremony, then to Simeon the old man, and then to Anna the old widow. Each one receives him and then hands him to the next. A tidal wave of joy and thanksgiving follows wherever he is placed. Believe me, you are qualified to hold Jesus in your arms. How can I say that with such confidence? Because the mother decides who is qualified. The Blessed Virgin, embodied in the Church, holds him out to you and me. She rejoices to place him in our arms to hold and to hand him on, too.

— Father John Muir

Many people are suffering from ailments of some form or another. Please join us as we pray for the sick, their families, and caregivers. ​

Alejandra Hernandez

Angelina Munar

Ashraf Ghangosar

Ann Wall 

Barbara Gini

Bill Galvez

Bob Weber 

Carlos Felipe Ruiz

Carmen Parrish

Celine Hoban

Connie Heim

Connie Tracy

Debbie Brockney

Deborah Balisteri

Derk Hoban 

Edgar Felipe Ramirez Romero

Edith Contreras Ochoa

Elsa Valdez

Enos Gomes 

Evelyn Gesell

Fernando Rodriguez

Frank Gomez Jr 

Galdina Guzmán

George Reyes

Gilbert Ramirez

Gloria Fernandez 

Gloria Rangel Ortiz

Graciela Alegria Vargas 

Guadalupe Deleon 

Jack Avery 

Janet Kavanaugh

Jeanette Toloy

Joan Reyes 

Joann Shannon 

Jocelyn Gonzales

Kenneth McKellar 

Kim Bach

Kimberly Ginsberg

Lillian Martinez

Luz Maria Camarillo

Luzviminda Evaristo 

María Guadalupe Barajas

Maria Ochoa

Matt Johnston

Mayra A. Castillo

Michael Bohi

Michael A. Mallare

Michael James Miller

Nélida Pineda Gómez 

Paloma Ochoa

Paulette Vetter

Rachel Stafford

Sheila Bacus 

Shirley Ann Arquines

Star Cunanan

Susan Klass

Tammie Parrino

Terri Lomeli

Terry Cabauatan 

Tomas Larios Ortiz

Yolanda N. Dulay 

​To add or remove names, please contact the Communications Coordinator at comms@presentationchurch.net.

To see additional 'Prayers for the Sick', please click here. 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2025

7:00 AM: † Tony and Marti Kulisch  

8:45 AM: † Harvey Woodward Addie  

10:30 AM: Lulu Menor and Family 

   — thanksgiving 

12:15 PM: Gabby Tovar 

2:15 PM: † Benigno Saavedra and 

 † Juana Olivas

5:00 PM: Parish Families

MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 2025

7:00 AM: † Rafael Alvarez Ruiz

12:15 PM: † Salvador Alvarez Ruiz 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2025

7:00 AM: † Louis T. and † Dolores F. Arbios 

12:15 PM: † Rafael S. Benabaye Jr.  

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2025

7:00 AM: † Roger Roman

12:15 PM: Orino Family — thanksgiving

THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2025

7:00 AM: † Catalina Gomez

12:15 PM: † Maya Tutupalli

FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2025

7:00 AM: Parish Families

12:15 PM: † Sonia Bautista

SATURDAY, AUGUST 9, 2025

8:00 AM: † Emma Golis

5:00 PM: Jeanette Toloy

In remembrance of those who have gone before us.

Shirley Spadafore

MaryLou Knisley

Alejandro Ramirez

Carmel Breakfield

Beverly Limbaugh

Marlene Neri

Marietta Quizana

Mel Pagala

Andrea Weesner

Olga Mendoza

Thelma Adams

Pushpamma Manda

Thelma Perdue

Ruth Segarini

Jose Salud Garcia Jasso

Norma Jean Luder

James R Fenelon

Vernon Franzi 

Henrietta Melinda Gietzen

Donna Mae Monaco

Estela Cortes

Salvador De Leon Samson

Marina Cueva

Nasser Y. Saleh

Myrna Garces

Fr. Joe Maghinay

Lolita Hilario

Benjamin Morelos

Nancy Bertilacchi

JoAnn Campigli

Romulo Gonzales

Antonio D. Alamo, Sr.

Pierce Lawrence (Chris) Brothers

Shirley Benecke

Arnold Arnulfo Rangel

Mario Gines

Yvonne G. Mariani

Frank Ramalho

Patricia Rut

Angelina R. Agpawa

Jack Jerome Vernon

Agnes Sombra

David Wagner

Ramon Espiritu

Marlo Eduardo Gesell, Jr.

Anne Marie Saiers Fowler

Christopher Thomas

Manuel J. Angel

Christofer Gores

Judith Gores

Mario Sepulveda

Armando Fernandez

Marilyn McLean

Gwen Lagesse

Ronald Ramirez

David Perez

Teresita Perez

Jeanette Cuthbert 

Loretta Castro

Genevieve Johnson

Rosalie Mello

John Mendonca 

Joann Phillips

 Maria Trinidad Espinosa Montiel

Jeremiah Bersola

Lorraine Coburn

Ben Munar Cables

David Rodahaffer

Helen Medina

Elvin Tyler

Norah Bennington

Bernice Nickols

Jose Manuel Gutierrez

Gail-Victoria Galela

Dina DeMartini

Bertha Gonzales

Felicidad Albinto

Bernarda Maldonado Camargo

Rita Sepulveda

Victoria Mgbanwa

Perla Rosal Crisologo

Ange Mouttapa

Herminia Espiritu 

Eldina Tronco

Antonio Elopre

Mildred Aquino 

Rosa Montoya

Dan Lucchesi 

Mildred Quitoriano

David Trummer

Olimpio Sisante

Julie Low

Eberhard Schwertzke

Lucy Valverde 

Ramon Mendez

Ernie Medina

Alfred Del Prato

David Rodahaffer

Alberto Barican

Babette Zafra

Roger Roman

Annie Zavala Hernandez

Susan Wolford

Andy Tancioco

Kathleen Devers

Maria Luisa Francisco Bermudez

Michael Paul Dutra

Dcn. Scott Johnson

Maria Candelaria Ybarra

Flordelis Seward

David Velazquez

Jacqueline Gutierrez

Raul Aquino

Bruce Joseph Mahan

Pedro Zuniga Ortega

Barbara Gibson

Narcisa Miro

We pray that we let our lives reflect God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness. 

Rezamos que permitamos que nuestras vidas reflejen el amor, la misericordia y el perdón de Dios. 

Even if one cannot sacramentally receive the Eucharist, everyone should be aware of the practice of making a spiritual communion. The following is a daily prayer for Spiritual Communion:

O my Jesus, I believe that You are in the Blessed Sacrament.

I love you above all things, and I desire to receive you into my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally,

come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace you as if you were already there and

unite myself wholly to you.

Never permit me to be separated from you.

Amen.

-St. Alphonsus Liguori

For more resources on Spiritual Communion, click here.

From the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

To view full readings, click here.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3

Eccl 1:2; 2:21–23/(1)/Col 3:1–5, 9–11/

Lk 12:13–21

MONDAY, AUGUST 4

Nm 11:4b–15/Mt 14:13–21

TUESDAY, AUGUST 5

Nm 12:1–13/Mt 14:22–36 or Mt 15:1–2, 10–14

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6

Dn 7:9–10,13–14/2 Pt 1:16–19/Lk 9:28b–36

THURSDAY, AUGUST 7

Nm 20:1–13/Mt 16:13–23

FRIDAY, AUGUST 8

Dt 4:32–40/Mt 16:24–28

SATURDAY, AUGUST 9

Dt 6:4–13/Mt 17:14–20

NEXT SUNDAY, AUGUST 10

Wis 18:6–9/Heb 11:1–2, 8-19 or 11:1–2, 8–12/Lk 12:32–48 or 12:35–40

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” — Revelations 22:13

This is a reminder of how we should live our lives 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – putting God first in all that we do. Not only when I am at Mass and parish activities, but when I am in the world, at work, or at school. Living gratefully and generously is an intentional lifestyle. Every decision you make either moves you closer to God or farther away. Choose wisely! 

“Yo soy el Alfa y la Omega, el primero y el último, el principio y el fin.” — Apocalipsis 22:13

Eso es un recordatorio de cómo debemos vivir nuestras vidas las 24 horas del dia, 7 días a la semana - poniendo a Dios en primer lugar en todo lo que hacemos. No solo cuando estamos en Misa y en las actividades parroquiales, sino cuando estoy en el mundo, en el trabajo o en la escuela. Vivir una vida agradecida y generosa es un estilo de vida intencional. Cada decisión que usted toma lo acerca más a Dios o lo aparta de Él. ¡Escoja sabiamente! 

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for showing us through your Word that Jesus is our  Savior. Amen.  

Something to Draw

Draw a picture of Jesus glowing on top of the mountain. 

Mission for the Week

Read today’s Gospel with your family. What would have surprised you most about seeing Jesus like that on top of the mountain

© 2008 LPi • PO Box 510817, New Berlin, WI 53151-0817 • 1-800-950-9952 x2469 • LPiResourceCenter.com 

ST. PETER JULIAN EYMARD | 1811–1868 | FEAST DAY: 2 AUGUST

St. Peter Julian Eymard grew up in a poor family after the French Revolution, at a time when Catholicism was not looked upon kindly. There is a story about Peter from when he was only about five years old. His sister was caring for him and he disappeared. She was frightened and began to search the whole town, looking for the little boy. She finally looked into the village church, where she saw that her brother had pulled a small ladder over to the tabernacle and had his ear up against its door. When she scolded him and asked what he was doing, the child told her, “I can hear Him better this way.” Before his First Holy Communion at the age of 12, the young boy wrote a small book of prayers. The prayer to be recited after Communion was written as follows: “My dear Jesus, I thank you for the grace which you have given me that you have come to dwell in my heart.” It was clear from an early age that Peter wanted to be a priest, although his father was not happy with that idea. After he entered the seminary, illness forced him to leave. But he persisted and was finally ordained for the Diocese of Grenoble when he was 23. A few years later he heard some Marist Priests preach. The Marist order is dedicated to Mary, the Blessed Mother. Their message appealed to Father Eymard, and he eventually joined their congregation. He traveled through Europe, giving retreats and missions. As time passed, he felt very drawn to Jesus through the Eucharist and decided that there needed to be priests who urged devision to this. In 1856, Father Eymard founded the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. The men who joined the congregation guarded the Blessed Sacrament 24 hours a day and soon attracted lay persons to do the same. This practice of prayer and devotion before the Blessed Sacrament became known as Eucharistic devotion. The congregation struggled and was very poor. But Father Eymard did not give up. Despite continuing problems with his health, he even helped form the Sister Servants of the Blessed Sacrament with one of the women who came to him for direction, Marguerite Guillot. Along with the men and women of these congregations, he visited the poor and those in prison, and he tried to educate Catholics in the teachings of the faith. In 1868, at the age of 57, Father Eymard died. He was canonized 1962 by Pope John XXIII. He has been referred to as “the Apostle of the Eucharist.” 

SAN PEDRO JULIÁN EYMARD | 1811–1868 

San Pedro Julián Eymard nació el 4 de febrero de 1811 en La Mure, Francia. Creció en una familia pobre tras la Revolución Francesa, en una época en la que el catolicismo no era bien visto. Existe una historia sobre Pedro cuando tenía apenas cinco años. Su hermana estaba cuidando de él y, de repente, desapareció. Ella se asustó y comenzó a buscarlo por todo el pueblo. Finalmente, miró dentro de la iglesia del pueblo y vio que su hermano había llevado una pequeña escalera hasta el sagrario y tenía la oreja pegada a su puerta. Cuando ella lo regañó y le preguntó qué estaba haciendo, el niño le respondió: “Así lo escucho mejor”. Antes de su Primera Comunión, a los 12 años, el joven escribió un pequeño libro de oraciones. La oración para después de la Comunión decía: “Mi querido Jesús, te doy gracias por la gracia que me has concedido al venir a habitar en mi corazón.” Desde muy pequeño, Pedro mostraba un deseo ferviente de ser sacerdote, aunque su padre no estaba de acuerdo con esa idea. Luego de ingresar al seminario, una enfermedad lo obligó a abandonarlo. Sin embargo, perseveró y finalmente fue ordenado sacerdote para la Diócesis de Grenoble a los 23 años. Pocos años después, escuchó predicar a unos sacerdotes maristas. Esta orden, dedicada a la Virgen María, atrajo a Pedro Eymard, quien eventualmente se unió a su congregación. Viajó por Europa predicando retiros y misiones.

Con el tiempo, sintió una fuerte atracción hacia Jesús en la Eucaristía y concluyó que era necesario que existieran sacerdotes que promovieran la devoción al Santísimo Sacramento. En 1856, el Padre Eymard fundó la Congregación del Santísimo Sacramento. Los hombres que se unieron a la congregación velaban el Santísimo las 24 horas del día, y pronto también laicos comenzaron a unirse a esta práctica. Esta dedicación se convirtió en lo que hoy conocemos como devoción eucarística. La congregación enfrentó muchas dificultades económicas, pero el Padre Eymard no se rindió. A pesar de sus problemas de salud, incluso ayudó a fundar las Siervas del Santísimo Sacramento con Marguerite Guillot, una mujer que acudía a él en busca de dirección espiritual. Junto con los hombres y mujeres de estas congregaciones, visitaba a los pobres y a los encarcelados, y se dedicaba a educar a los católicos en la doctrina de la fe. En 1868, a los 57 años, el Padre Eymard falleció. Fue canonizado en 1962 por el Papa Juan XXIII. Se le conoce como “el Apóstol de la Eucaristía”.