Parish Blog

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In this Gospel passage we are confronted by a different outcome experienced by two men: a bad rich man and a good poor man. Riches are not evil in themselves, nor is poverty itself good, but rather the way of living as a wealthy person or as a poor person, since there are good and bad ways of being both rich and poor.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today's readings are a wake-up call to our conscience, as we encouraged to place temporal goods in their proper place and use them intelligently. There are people who make material wealth the main motive behind their activities and even their life; that's all they think about. They make money into an idol on whose altar they sacri ce their values, their family, their own health.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As most of you know, Mary Ellen Jackson, our Director of Religious Education is retiring in December after many years of service to our parish. Accordingly, we are currently seeking a qualified, faith-filled individual to serve as our next Director of Religious Education (DRE). This is a vital leadership role in our parish, responsible for overseeing the formation of children and adults in the Catholic faith.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This weekend we heard one of the most severe and clear Gospel passages. Christ doesn't beat around the bush, but from the first moment he states the conditions for following him. People were surprised to hear such words from Christ, yet the evangelist tells us that his followers were many. For Christ the quality of his followers is more important than the quantity. That is why many walked away after hearing these demands. They were afraid.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today, Jesus prays and then teaches his disciples how to pray. We would do well to pay great attention to what his attitude teaches us. Quite often, Jesus Christ feels the need to meet face-to-face with his Father. In his Gospel, Luke emphasizes this point.

What were Jesus and God the Father talking about that day? We do not know. On the other hand, somewhere else, we have located a fragment of a conversation between his Father and Himself. It was when He was baptized in the Jordan River, and He was in prayer, “And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’” (Lk 3:22). This is an intermission in a tenderly affectionate dialogue.

Dear Parishioners,

Today we clearly see a Jesus that is fully divine and fully human: He is tired of his journey and lets this family He loves so much welcome Him into their home in Bethany. He takes this moment to show us “what matters the most.”

Dear Parishioners,

A teacher of the law approaches Jesus and asks him a question: “What must I do to gain eternal life?” This question, whether we like it or not, is always in the back of our minds. We know well that one day we are going to die and that after this life, eternal life awaits us: eternity with God or eternity apart from Him. But what must we do to attain eternity with God?

Dear Parishioners,

Our Catholic School students are given incentives to do a lot of reading during their summer vacation. It’s a good idea for faithful Catholics to do summer reading as well. Here are some suggestions: What do you really believe about hell? Do you believe it exists, or do you think that God is too merciful to send anyone to hell? I heartily recommend that all Catholics read The Hell There Is: An Exploration of an Often-Rejected Doctrine of the Church, by Msgr. Charles Pope. Msgr. Pope has stated that “Of all the theological errors commonly held today, the most popular is surely the denial of the doctrine of hell.” In a brief and compelling manner, Msgr. Pope clearly presents “The Hell there is.” A must read. Available from catholichomeandchurch.com.

Dear Parishioners,

Today we celebrate those two apostles whom Christ chose as “pillars” to continue his work in the Church. Peter received the mission to found and govern it; Paul, the mission to spread it throughout the world. Remembering them in a single day, we become aware of the Church's dual dimension: to be one and to be catholic. And....this feast is especially important to us because our parish was founded on the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul. This date completes 172 years for our parish!

Dear Parishioners,

This weekend Holy Mother Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, a feast instituted in the late 13th century to commemorate our Lord’s institution of the Eucharist, which is the “source and summit of the Christian life” (Catechism, # 1324). Accordingly, this is a feast in which we are called to give rightful honor to our Lord’s true presence in the Blessed Sacrament. It’s also a good time for us to reconsider our own relationship with the Eucharist, most especially how reverent we are in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, and in particular our own reverence in receiving Holy Communion.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today, we celebrate the solemnity of the mystery at the center of our faith, from where everything originates and to where everything returns: the mystery of the unity of God, and at the same time, his subsistence in three equal and yet, different persons. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, unity in communion and communion in unity. In this great day, we must realize that this great mystery is ever present in our lives: from the very Sacrament of our Baptism — which we have received in the name of the Holy Trinity — to our participation in the mystery of the Eucharist, which is made for the glory of the Father, by his Son Jesus Christ, thanks to the Holy Spirit. And it is also the sign by which we Christians recognize one another: the sign of the Cross, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today, on Pentecost, the promise that Christ made to the Apostles is fulfilled. On the evening of Easter Sunday, He breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." (Jn 20:22) The coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost solemnly renews and brings to completion this gift with outward manifestations, with tongues of fire no less. Thus, the Paschal mystery is culminated.

Dear Friends in Christ,

The disciples knew well that this farewell was forever. They would never see Jesus again with the eyes of the flesh, so feelings of sadness and longing well up in their hearts. However, the promise also comes to mind: “I will be with you until the end of the age.” Christ leaves but stays? How did they understand this paradox?