This weekend’s passage from the Holy Gospel tells us about a trip Jesus made to the temple and how upset He was with what was happening there. He found people selling livestock and changing money…not exactly what you would expect to find in a holy place. How do you look upon your own place of worship…St. Michael’s Church? Our church is the place where we come together as a community to love and praise God together. It is the holy place where we gather strength to support one another in the task of living the Gospel. It is the place where we sometimes come privately to pray for our needs. In this building many “sinners” have met our merciful and compassionate Savior in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and have been welcomed back to our community of faith. In this building tears have been shed by those in pain and grief as they bid good-bye to a loved one. Take a moment to look around our church and give thanks for it. Make a promise to respect it and to pick up after yourself when you are leaving…put the song book back in the holder…take your tissues with you…let someone exit before you (with a smile) in the parking lot…when you pass our beautiful church, pull in and take the time to make a brief visit…participate in the liturgy by singing and answering the prayers…approach the Eucharist without chewing gum or talking to your neighbor…offer your time and talents in the various ministries of the parish. Make this YOUR parish, not just by having your name on a list, but by being actively involved. CBS News anchor Dan Rather tells about attending a revival as a boy in his home town of Bloomington, Texas. It was a spectacular extravaganza the whole town attended. One night during the revival while Dan was sitting on a wooden bench with his grandparents, the preacher had worked himself up to a furious pitch about their shaky loyalty to the Lord. At the height of emotion the preacher reached behind him into a chest, grabbed two snakes and tossed them into the crowd. Apparently the preacher thought the snakes would be the perfect object lesson. People in the crowd couldn't tell if the snakes were poisonous or not by just looking at them. There was screaming and a mass exodus out of the revival tent. Dan says it was a sight to behold. "You see," thundered the preacher triumphantly, "your faith is fragile." That was the last time Dan's grandmother would ever attend a revival. She just didn't see the point of the snakes. Dan couldn't figure out what the snakes were supposed to have to do with his religious faith, which was and is in fine shape, he thinks. There are times in our lives when we need someone to get our attention. Sometimes we get stuck in a rut and the only way out of it is for someone to shake us up. GOSPEL QUESTION OF THE WEEK: What are you contributing to the life of your parish (we’re not talking about money here)?