<div dir="ltr"><br><div class="gmail_extra"><br><table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%;border-collapse:initial" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr id="gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout-row14468" class="gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout-row gmail-m_3557768870427945241widget gmail-m_3557768870427945241_widget_html gmail-m_3557768870427945241style14468" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><td id="gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout-row-padding14468" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);padding:30px 30px 0px" valign="top"><table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td id="gmail-m_3557768870427945241html_div14094" width="590" align="left"><p style="margin:0px;outline:medium none;padding:0px;color:black;font-family:Sorts Mill Goudy;font-size:28px;font-style:italic;line-height:1.25;text-align:center"><span class="gmail-aBn" tabindex="0"><span class="gmail-aQJ">Saturday, September 23, 2017</span></span></p>
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<table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%;border-collapse:initial" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr id="gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout-row14471" class="gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout-row gmail-m_3557768870427945241widget gmail-m_3557768870427945241_widget_picture gmail-m_3557768870427945241style14471" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)" align="center"><td id="gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout-row-padding14471" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);padding:20px 30px 0px" valign="top"><table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td class="gmail-m_3557768870427945241image-td" width="590" valign="top" align="center"><a href="http://wordonfire.acemlnb.com/lt.php?s=f4b404287914110dac7009c89e87fa0d&i=977A1176A29A1263116" style="margin:0px;outline:medium none;padding:0px;color:rgb(237,119,34);display:block;min-width:100%" target="_blank"><img src="http://wordonfire.imgus11.com/public/7e2867fcaf0c2ddd581483e5e17f4d20.png?r=37441727" alt="" style="display: block; border-width: medium; border-style: none; border-color: currentcolor; border-image: none; outline: medium none; width: 220px; opacity: 1; max-width: 100%;" class="gmail-CToWUd" width="220"></a></td>
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<table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%;border-collapse:initial" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr id="gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout-row14466" class="gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout-row gmail-m_3557768870427945241widget gmail-m_3557768870427945241_widget_html gmail-m_3557768870427945241style14466" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><td id="gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout-row-padding14466" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);padding:30px 30px 0px" valign="top"><table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td id="gmail-m_3557768870427945241html_div14092" width="590" align="left"> <p style="margin:0px;outline:medium none;padding:0px;color:black;font-family:Avenir Next;font-size:20px;font-weight:500;line-height:1.25;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase">Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina
(Padre Pio), Year I</p>
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<table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%;border-collapse:initial" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr id="gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout-row14467" class="gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout-row gmail-m_3557768870427945241widget gmail-m_3557768870427945241_widget_html gmail-m_3557768870427945241style14467" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><td id="gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout-row-padding14467" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);padding:5px 30px 0px" valign="top"><table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td id="gmail-m_3557768870427945241html_div14093" width="590" align="left"> <p style="margin:0px;outline:medium none;padding:0px;color:rgb(237,119,34);font-family:Avenir Next;font-size:18px;line-height:1.25;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase">Luke 8:4-15</p>
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<table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%;border-collapse:initial" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr id="gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout-row14472" class="gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout-row gmail-m_3557768870427945241widget gmail-m_3557768870427945241_widget_html gmail-m_3557768870427945241style14472" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><td id="gmail-m_3557768870427945241layout-row-padding14472" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);padding:30px 30px 0px" valign="top"><table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td id="gmail-m_3557768870427945241html_div14098" width="590" align="left"> <p style="margin:0px;outline:medium none;padding:0px;color:black;font-family:Sorts Mill Goudy;font-size:18px;line-height:1.5">Friends,
today's Gospel gives us the parable of the sower. I want to say
something about the seed that falls on the path, because it reveals an
obstacle to our efforts at religious education.</p>
<p style="margin:0px;outline:medium none;padding:0px;color:black;font-family:Sorts Mill Goudy;font-size:18px;line-height:1.5"> </p>
<p style="margin:0px;outline:medium none;padding:0px;color:black;font-family:Sorts Mill Goudy;font-size:18px;line-height:1.5">One
of the blocks of receiving the seed is lack of understanding, lack of
education in the ways of the Spirit. Israel was the extensive and
complex preparation for the reception of the Word. The fundamentals have
to be in place before the word can be accepted. What a prophetic word
to our time!</p>
<p style="margin:0px;outline:medium none;padding:0px;color:black;font-family:Sorts Mill Goudy;font-size:18px;line-height:1.5"> </p>
<p style="margin:0px;outline:medium none;padding:0px;color:black;font-family:Sorts Mill Goudy;font-size:18px;line-height:1.5">A
recent study shows that Catholics are second only to Jews in the
ineffectiveness of passing on their religious tradition and heritage. A
recent poll concerning religious attitudes in America shows that <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>most
Americans favor a radical tolerance in regard to <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">religious beliefs.</span></b></span> It
also shows that <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>there was a shocking ignorance</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b>in regard to</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>belief
systems, dogmas, and the history of one's religion.</b></span></p>
<p style="margin:0px;outline:medium none;padding:0px;color:black;font-family:Sorts Mill Goudy;font-size:18px;line-height:1.5"> </p>
<p style="margin:0px;outline:medium none;padding:0px;color:black;font-family:Sorts Mill Goudy;font-size:18px;line-height:1.5">There's
nothing in the world wrong with <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b>tolerance</b></span>, but it <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>can sometimes be a
cover for indifference. One belief is as good as another.</b></span> Do we accept
that kind of thinking in regard to politics? <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>Religious education
programs</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>are falling far behind </b></span>what they should be.</p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div id="DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2"><br> <table style="border-top:1px solid #d3d4de">
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