Where Does God Dwell?

Where does God live, or better said, where does God dwell? The Jews believed that God dwelt in their Temple. This is where they made sacrifices to Him. It is where the Holy of Holies was. Jesus must have believed that also or he would not have been so upset with the merchants and money changers. We can tell He was very passionate by his reaction of going as far as driving them out with a whip. “My Father’s house is not a house of trade!”

But then Jesus adds a twist to the story with His answer to the Jews when asked by what authority He does this. We hear Jesus say he will destroy the Temple and in three days he will rebuild it. You and I have the benefit of knowing that He was talking about His own Death and Resurrection, but to the Jews, it would have been ridiculous. This raises the question again, where does God dwell? If Jesus is our new Temple, God must dwell in Him. It’s almost as if the old way of thinking had to be destroyed for us to be given a new way. Our relationship with God is not through a Temple anymore; it is through His Son, Jesus. Jesus drives out the worldly characteristics of the Temple as a foreshadowing of how the bindings of the world must be driven out for us to have a relationship with Him. Our relationship Him with begins and ends in His Passion, Death and Resurrection. Our salvation is found there.

We can celebrate and receive this relationship with Christ through the Eucharist. In the Eucharist, we participate in His Passion, Death and Resurrection. It is where we truly find Christ: Body, Soul and Divinity.

As Catholics, we truly believe Christ is present in the Eucharist. If Christ dwells in the Eucharist, then God also dwells there. As we consume the Eucharist, His Body and Blood then becomes part of us. Just by this action, God can dwell in each one of us.

On Corpus Christi we celebrate the Eucharist itself and the true presence of Christ in it. Let us prepare our personal temples to allow God to dwell in each of us.

May Jesus live in our hearts forever.
Deacon Chris

Saturday June 18th
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday June 19th Corpus Christi
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 & For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday June 20th
8:00 am † Albina & Daniele DeSantis

Tuesday June 21st St. Aloysius Gonzaga
8:00 am † Daniel Ciampitti

Wednesday June 22nd St. Paulinus of Nola, Ss. John Fisher, & Thomas More
8:00 am † Patricia Kensey

Thursday June 23rd The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
8:00 am † Edward Duross

Friday June 24th The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
8:00 am † Amadio Buccini

Saturday June 25th The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
8:00 am † Mary Garofalo

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Betty Rufe, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Delbert Wallace, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, Magdalena Baumeister, George Weatherford, Mike Dunn, Mark Breitag, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…

 Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Most Blessed Holy Trinity. This is one of the hardest feast days to preach or write about. It is difficult because we can’t fully grasp that our God never had a beginning and never has an end. No one created Him. He always was and always will be.  It’s difficult because this God of ours is one God in three Divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit.  They are one God, and no Divine Person is greater than the other.

It is so hard to wrap our minds around why God created us. He doesn’t need us for anything. He wasn’t one day bored and lonely and said, “I need company, so I am going to create angels and humans.” He lacks nothing, and yet, He still created us.  We can never fully understand the Trinity, but it is so important that we try. It is so important to understand why our God wants us to come to know Him and love Him.  It is so important because we are made in the image and likeness of this Triune God. To learn about the Trinity and ourselves is a process.  St. Francis de Sales said, “You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; and just so, you learn to love by loving.” God is Love, so we learn about Him by loving. Love is the only way we can come to know God and ourselves. In this love, it is always about going beyond oneself.  In this love, it is always more about concern of others.

When thinking about God’s Love, a story that comes to my mind is one I heard from a man named Mark.  He talked about his experience of learning about God as a boy. As a small boy, he was always late for dinner. One day, his parents had warned him not to be late or there would be consequences; and yet, he arrived later than ever.  When he entered the house, he was starving and could smell the food. He went into the dining room and saw his parents already seated at the table about to start to eat.  Set in front of his Mom and Dad was his favorite meal: steak, a baked potato, and asparagus. In the kitchen, he smelled his favorite desert that his mom made excitedly, which was chocolate cake. He sat at his place ready for this great meal, and then noticed what was set before him — just a slice of bread and a glass of water. 

Mark sat there in silence staring at his plate, sad and starving. All of a sudden, his father’s hand reached, picked up Mark’s slice of bread and glass of water, and set it before himself. Then his dad gave Mark his plate of steak, baked potato, and asparagus, smiling as he made the exchange. As an adult, Mark realizes that His father took on the punishment that he deserved. Mark often says that, “All my life, I’ve known what God was like by what my father did that night.” God is so concerned about us that he took on the punishment that we deserved through His Son’s death on the cross. Again, God’s Love is self-giving not because He needs it, but because that is who He is. Is that who we are? Is that who we are striving to be?

We are called to participate in this same self-giving love. Would we be willing to take on the punishment of someone? Would we be willing to take on the punishment of a loved one who doesn’t want anything to do with God anymore? There is great power in this act of love. The more we come to know about this great power, the greater the responsibility we have to share this love in our lives.

This self-giving love gives us the power to become God-like in our sacrifices and offerings for others.  We can share in this saving, life-giving power that God gave to us.  We can offer things up for others as saving actions for their souls. We can offer our real sufferings and pains for others; however, to really offer self-giving love and sustain it, we must see God’s Love at work in our own lives. We must see how God loves us first and we can find God’s messages all around us. There is a love story that is going on in the world right now. God invites all of us to participate in this love story.  So please, fall in love and stay in love with God, because it will make all the difference in the world.

Saturday June 11th St. Barnabas the Apostle
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday June 12th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19 & For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday June 13th St. Anthony of Padua
8:00 am † John Gehris

Tuesday June 14th
8:00 am † Edward and Dolores Duross

Wednesday June 15th
8:00 am † Dolores Duross

Thursday June 16th
8:00 am † Helen Ramsden

Friday June 17th
8:00 am † Jennifer Lyons

Saturday June 18th
8:00 am † Joan Garofalo

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Betty Rufe, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Delbert Wallace, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, Magdalena Baumeister, George Weatherford, Mike Dunn, Mark Breitag, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…

 Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

A Birthday Celebration

Birthdays are occasions of joy and hope! Pentecost Sunday, which we celebrate today, is the birthday of the Church. It is the celebration of the gifts of the Holy Spirit infused in us in Baptism, strengthened in Confirmation, and renewed within us today. Pentecost marks the beginning of the new covenant and the birth of the public life of the Church.

         Our First Reading relates the events of the coming of the Holy Spirit as the great manifestation of God’s power. The speaking in different tongues that were understood by all the Jews that came to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost, was a miracle. It was a clear manifestation of the mission of the universal Church; a call for the Church to be a sign of unity, irrespective of race, color, or language.

          In the Second Reading, St. Paul reminds us that by virtue of our “Pentecostal experience,” which was renewed in us today, we have been specially configured for God’s mission. It is the Holy Spirit that gives life and directs our mission, and through today’s outpouring, we are fully marked as God’s adopted children and fully heirs to God’s throne and heritage.

         The principal roles of the Holy Spirit are highlighted in today’s Gospel. These include: advocating, teaching, and reminding us of the things we ought to know. However, for this to be possible, we must be ready to cooperate with Him. He can only advocate for us if we trust Him and allow Him to be in charge. He can only teach us if we pay attention to His counsels. He can only remind us of the things we ought to know if we pray constantly: “Help me because I am ignorant. Enlighten the eyes of my mind. O Holy Spirit.”

          What will the Holy Spirit who has been renewed in us today help us to accomplish? First, the Holy Spirit is not a spirit of fear and timidity but rather a spirit of courage and hope. The Spirit empowers us to go forth with confidence and strength to proclaim God’s love in word and deed. The Holy Spirit has been given to us that we might bear good fruit that will last (Gal. 5:22). The Spirit was also bestowed on us that we may empower others to spread the Kingdom of God here on earth.

            As we celebrate the birthday of the Church today, let us implore the Holy Spirit to instill His joy and hope in all our hearts, especially those of our suffering brothers and sisters here at home and throughout the world. Let us reflect on the words of God captured in this magnificent poem entitled “HOPE” by Charles Péguy.

God speaks:
The dream you dream is my dream,
The house you are building is my house,
And the love with which you love each other is my love,
And that is the heart of the matter.

May the Holy Spirit fill us with joy and hope!
Sr. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, IHM

Saturday June 4th
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday June 5th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday June 6th Mary, Mother of the Church
6:30 am † Phyllis Talese

Tuesday June 7th
6:30 am † Robert Degnan

Wednesday June 8th
6:30 am † Phyllis Talese

Thursday June 9th St. Ephrem
6:30 am † Frank Woelfel

Friday June 10th
6:30 am † Robert Degnan

Saturday June 11th St. Barnabas the Apostle
8:00 am † Alfred Messina

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Betty Rufe, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Delbert Wallace, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, Magdalena Baumeister, George Weatherford, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased… Beth Yanci.

 Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

+Dear Saint David Parishioners,

              Happy Seventh Sunday of Easter! In today’s first reading, we notice that some of the crowd did not want to hear what Saint Stephen had to say. The most likely reason was that Saint Stephen was reproaching them for their lack of faith. Sometimes we too close our ears and hearts to Jesus and decide not to follow His will, thinking we know better. One sign that we know we are doing Jesus’ will is that we experience peace of mind and heart. Conversely, when we are not following His inspiration – anxiety and uncertainty can settle in.

            If we have a decision or major event coming up in our lives, we can quiet ourselves and talk to Jesus about the situation and then sit and listen to what He has to say. Unfortunately, we will not receive a text or a post as in the TV show God Friended Me, but He will speak to our hearts if we are willing to listen. As a reminder, good listeners give the person speaking 100%  attention. They do not interrupt while the other is talking, and they have an open mind and heart to hear what the speaker has to say.

            In Revelation today, John shares what he heard from Jesus, “I will give to each according to his deeds.” On this Memorial Day weekend, we give thanks to God for all the selfless deeds of men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice of their lives so that we may live in peace and freedom in this beautiful country that we call home.

One important deed that Jesus reminds us to practice is that of unity. Oneness and respect for one another are essential if there is to be a peaceful coexistence among people. It seems that we could use more unity in our homes, our neighborhoods, our country, and our world. May we pray together to Mary, Queen of Peace, for greater unity among all. United with Jesus and one another, all things are possible!

Happy summer blessings to all!

In Mary’s Immaculate Heart, I am,
Sister Mary

Saturday May 28th
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday May 29th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday May 30th
8:00 am † Sister Jeanne Patricia Crowe

Tuesday May 31st Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
6:30 am Intentions of the McGoldrick Family

Wednesday June 1st St. Justin Martyr
6:30 am † William Adelsburger

Thursday June 2nd Ss. Marcellinus & Peter
6:30 am † Phyllis Talese

Friday June 3rd Ss. Charles Lwanga & companions
6:30 am † Dolores Purtell

Saturday June 4th
8:00 am † Mary and Joseph Garofalo

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Betty Rufe, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Delbert Wallace, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, Karen McGettigan, Magdalena Baumeister, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…

 Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

The Power of the Holy Spirit

       Jesus spent such a short time on earth with us.  Thirty-three years seems to be not enough time to do all the work we all wanted Him to do.  In fact, Revelation itself ends when the death of the last apostle takes place.  We have been told everything we need to know about Jesus, who He is, who the Father is, and what He calls us to do.  Our human nature wants everything easy; we always want more. Jesus knew this about us; He created us.  This is why He sends us the Holy Spirit: the Advocate, the Paraclete, the Third Person of the Trinity, who stands beside us and in us to guide us through this part of our eternal lives.

The Holy Spirit is always in motion in our lives.  All of the graces and gifts from God are brought to us by the Holy Spirit.  The authority of our Church and the work of its ministers from the Pope down to the deacon flows through the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit inspired the Word of God we read in Scripture.  It is through the Holy Spirit the sacraments are brought to us, where our relationship with Christ flourishes.  And most of all, it is the Holy Spirit we are sealed with to become full children of God and to spread and proclaim His Word. The Holy Spirit draws our interior spirit close to Jesus. We are called to be closer to Him and to the Father than even the apostles were!

Teilhard Chardin once said that the law of gravity and the law of love ultimately have the same source and are both driven by the same spirit, the Holy Spirit.  We can not deny the power and working of the Holy Spirit in our lives just as much as we cannot ignore the laws of gravity.  What we need to do is embrace the Holy Spirit and let Him guide us through our lives.

May Jesus live in our hearts forever.
Deacon Chris

Saturday May 21st St. Christopher Magallanes & companions
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday May 22nd
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday May 23rd
6:30 am † Elaine Schemm

Tuesday May 24th
6:30 am † Robert Degnan

Wednesday May 25th St. Bede the Venerable; St. Gregory VII; St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
6:30 am † Sr. Judith Moeller, IHM

Thursday May 26th The Ascension
6:30 am † Kevin McGoldrick
9:00 am Intentions of the Parishioners
7:00 pm † Claire Mansfield

Friday May 27th St. Augustine of Canterbury
6:30 am † Deceased members of the McMahon & Reilly Family

Saturday May 28th
8:00 am † Alfred Messina

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Betty Rufe, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Delbert Wallace, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, Karen McGettigan, Magdalena Baumeister, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased… Stephen Plum.

 Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

What Do We Expect From Love?

 We hear about love all the time, and all of Jesus’ commands have to do with love: “Do this in memory of me”; “Go and make disciples of all nations;” “Love one another;” “Love your enemies;” and so on. Love is so important, but sometimes we expect so much from it that we are blinded from seeing it in our lives. We don’t give love a chance to show us what it truly is. We put conditions on it by saying to ourselves — I expect love to be this or that and if this or that doesn’t happen, then it must not be love. Or, even worse, if this or that doesn’t happen, then I must not be loved by God!!

God’s love for us and how He shows us has nothing to do with conditions. God’s love is unconditional. Can we accept love from Him without conditions or expectations?  Can we choose to love Him and others without conditions or expectations like He does? God’s love is a choice. He freely loves us.  “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you.” God loves us first!!! And His love is shown all throughout creation.

Today, take some time and pray and really reflect on: What do I expect from love? Are my expectations blinding me from seeing how God loves me? The more we can stop expecting how we should be loved, the more we will truly see His love in the world.

Saturday May 14th St. Matthias the Apostle
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday May 15th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday May 16th
6:30 am Intentions of Fr. Steven Kiernan

Tuesday May 17th
6:30 am † Donato Buccini

Wednesday May 18th St. John I
6:30 am † Dolores Purtell

Thursday May 19th
6:30 am † Kathleen Barrett

Friday May 20th St. Bernardine of Siena
6:30 am † Betty and Bill Power

Saturday May 21st St. Christopher Magallanes & companions
8:00 am † Francis and Louise Lindgren

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Betty Rufe, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Delbert Wallace, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, Karen McGettigan, Magdalena Baumeister, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…Karen Dorland…

 Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Dear Parishioners,
              On this Good Shepherd Sunday, Jesus tells us that He knows his sheep and his sheep hear his voice. Just as the Palestinian shepherds knew each sheep of their flock by name, and the sheep knew their shepherd and his voice, so Jesus knows each one of us, our needs, our merits and our faults. He loves us as we are, with all our limitations, and He expects us to return his love by listening and fervently responding in faith to his voice. God communicates with us in silence, and through Sacred Scripture, the Sacraments, and other people.

God talks to us in silence, not in noise and screaming and jumping and yelling. He tells us, “I am your shepherd, and my Son is your shepherd, and He walks in great silence through your whole life, every morning, all day, day after day, month after month, year after year.” You have to listen and hear and open your heart to the wonder of the Good Shepherd’s silent caring for you, worrying about you, guiding you through all kinds of situations, and yet you know that He will never leave you, He will always be there, and His joy is to be at the center of the silence in our lives.

Through the inspired words of Sacred Scripture, the Lord speaks to our hearts. Attentive listening to the Readings, the Responsorial Psalm, the Gospel and the Homily every time we attend Mass, fills our minds and our hearts with the voice of God. The daily practice of ‘Lectio Divina’ which is the meditative, sacred reading of a passage from the Holy Bible, is another excellent means to become imbued with the mind of Christ.

The Lord communicates with us powerfully through his gift of the Sacraments. He gives eternal life to us, his sheep by receiving us into his sheepfold, and giving us Faith through Baptism. He strengthens our Faith in Confirmation. The tremendous gift of His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist sharpens our ability to listen and respond in love to his Divine Inspirations in our life. He makes our society holy through the Sacraments of Matrimony and Holy Orders.

Jesus is more than just a shepherd because He is the gate. He is the way to enter a new space, the space where we do what He calls us to do. It is Jesus’ voice which calls us to greater concern for each other and for building a community of trusting relationships so all can benefit. As Jesus knows and cares for us, so should we know and care for each other. That is the space He wants us in. We need to create that space.

Let us resolve to create spaces of silence in our lives, to prayerfully reflect on Sacred Scripture, frequently receive the Sacraments and show love and concern for others. Listen to Jesus, your Shepherd calling you. Listen to others actively. Become a listener!

May the Good Shepherd bless you!
Sr. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, IHM

Saturday May 7th
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday May 8th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday May 9th
6:30 am † Haddie Bofinger and deceased residents of Garden Spring Nursing Home

Tuesday May 10th
6:30 am † Deceased Members of the Link & Simpson Families

Wednesday May 11th
6:30 am † Robert Degnan

Thursday May 12th Ss. Nereus & Achilleus; St. Pancras
6:30 am † Mary Dougherty

Friday May 13th Our Lady of Fatima
6:30 am † Lawrence J. Tobin

Saturday May 14th St. Matthias the Apostle
8:00 am † Ruth McKee

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Betty Rufe, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Delbert Wallace, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, Karen McGettigan, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased… Dominick Tempesta & Marian Gray…

 Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

⁺Dear Saint David Parishioners,

              Happy third Sunday of Easter! In today’s Gospel, we know that, like Peter, we mess up and sin plenty of times. We realize, that on the night before Jesus died, Peter denied Jesus three times. We also recognize that Peter regretted telling others he didn’t even know his dear friend, Jesus, because after denying Him, Peter went out and cried bitterly. Jesus in asking Peter three times did he love Him wasn’t trying to berate Peter and make him feel worse than he already did. Jesus was aware of Peter’s deep sorrow, and in asking Peter did he love Him, was guiding Peter to understand that His love and mercy are stronger than any sin he or we could ever commit. This realization not only humbled proud Peter but, with Jesus’ forgiveness, strengthened him for his new mission of leading the Church.

When we acknowledge our sins and shortcomings before the Lord in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we are given God’s grace to strengthen us as we begin again. This is why we pray, “Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like Yours.” We cannot do it alone, but only with God’s grace in us. Therefore, our faith should fill us with hope!

With these truths in mind, the greatest way we can deepen our relationship with our Redeemer is by receiving His very Body, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist. Participating in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, reading Jesus’ words in the Gospels, spending time with Him in daily prayer, praying the rosary with family and friends, or sitting silently in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament are additional means to strengthen our relationship with Jesus. By incorporating these practices into our lives, we, like Peter, may answer Jesus as He asks each of us individually, “Do you love Me?” “Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You.” Jesus will then invite us, “Follow Me.”  Bishop Barron’s reflection on this Gospel tells us, “The test of love is action. Are we willing to do what Jesus did? Are we willing to go on a mission on His behalf?”

In Mary’s Immaculate Heart, I am,
Sister Mary

Saturday April 30th St. Pius V
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday May 1st
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday May 2nd St. Athanasius
6:30 am † Mary Flaherty

Tuesday May 3rd Ss. Philip & James
6:30 am † Angel Luis Torres III

Wednesday May 4th
6:30 am † Charles Barnes Jr.

Thursday May 5th
6:30 am † Thomas Coates

Friday May 6th
6:30 am † John and Betty Bertman

Saturday May 7th
8:00 am † Pallisco Family

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Betty Rufe, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Delbert Wallace, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, George Pollock, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, Karen McGettigan, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…Patricia Heesen, Dorothy Hammar, Sister Kathleen Dolores Keenan, IHM, & Sister Elizabeth Marie Welding, IHM…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Wounds

       The message given in the Gospel today is an easy one to reflect on. Even without seeing the message of love and faith, it is probably one of the best and most comforting messages we can receive. We Christians of today have not seen, in person, the Risen Christ. We only have the gift of faith from God and the witness of the early Christians. Through their witness and our gift of faith, the Church that Christ founded has been here for over two thousand years. I have heard and read this Gospel many times. I can see the message of faith in it clearly, but there is something in this Gospel that causes me to pause and reflect. Why? Why would the risen and glorified Christ still have the wounds from His passion? He has just completed the task that God the Father had asked him to do. For God’s glory and our own salvation, He has defeated sin and death. Just a short time after this, He will ascend into Heaven and sit at the righthand of God on the throne of power as our true and only King. So, why the wounds?

Jesus was called Rabbi or Teacher during His earthly ministry, and I believe He never stops teaching us how to love one another. He had been betrayed, beaten, whipped, crowned with thorns, mocked, and crucified. He has been deeply marked by injuries, humiliation, and death. Yet, what are the first words He says, “Peace. I forgive you.” The apostles can see the wounds they contributed and yet Christ forgives them. He teaches us that forgiveness, even when not deserved, does not take away the wounds inflicted but it does ease the burden of carrying them. When we are filled with God’s forgiveness, we know how appropriate it is to offer forgiveness without it being earned. Forgiveness frees. We are no longer stuck, caught, or bound down. We can see the power of forgiveness and power of Christ’s wounds in Thomas.

Thomas is defeated. He is incredibly sad. His Master, his Teacher, his Friend has been killed. All the words and teachings that Jesus has spoken seem to be lost. Everything he loved is gone. He is a desperate man. But when he sees the Risen Jesus and the wounds He still carries, Thomas falls to his knees, and is healed and forgiven, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus has taught us to forgive seventy times seven times and through many parables He has taught the importance of forgiveness. Forgiveness is so central to our lives that our own forgiveness is affected by our ability to forgive. Being able to forgive as Christ does, wounds and all, allows us to be free and love as Jesus loves us.

May Jesus live in our hearts forever.
Deacon Chris

Saturday April 23rd
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday April 24th Divine Mercy Sunday
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday April 25th St. Mark the Evangelist
6:30 am † Eileen Delzingaro

Tuesday April 26th
6:30 am † Gertrude O’Hara Dalton

Wednesday April 27th
6:30 am † Mr. and Mrs. Robert Beck

Thursday April 28th St. Peter Chanel & St. Louis Grignion de Montfort
6:30 am † Floss Rush

Friday April 29th St. Catherine of Siena
6:30 am † Mary Rose Tobin

Saturday April 30th St. Pius V
8:00 am † William Morris

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Betty Rufe, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Delbert Wallace, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, George Pollock, Dorothy Hammar, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, Karen McGettigan, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…Helen Jurkiewicz; Josephine Linden; Sister Mary King, IHM; Sister Barbara Maria Bamberger, IHM; Sister M. Patricia Considine, IHM….

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

About 10 years ago, I was out with a couple of friends of mine and we ran into a retired MLB baseball player. I didn’t know who he was, but when my friend saw him, he lit up, as this was one of his favorite baseball players growing up. He went to talk to him and asked if he could take a picture with him, and the player said yes.  My friend handed me his smart phone and I clicked the button about ten times to makes sure I got the picture.  As the player walks off, my friend asks, “Did you get it?” “Yes,” I said very confidently, as I handed him back the phone!  He checked his phone and says, “Where is it?”   I said, “It should be there — I pushed this button ten times to take the picture.” He looked at me with an angry face and said, “That’s the volume button!” To this day, for some reason my friend would rather have a stranger take a picture over me!

It seems like in today’s age, it is so easy to capture a moment with someone whom we admire, whose talent we know on some profound level, as long as they know how to work a camera.  We can capture the moment with a camera and share it with friends on social media instantly, but in Jesus’ time they didn’t have the ability to take a picture.  They didn’t even have the ability to get an autograph, but what they had were these encounters and the stories to share about these encounters.  This way of witness has changed people forever. 

In the next serval weeks, we will hear about these encounters with the Risen Christ.  We will hear about this with Mary Magdala, the apostles in the upper room, the two people on the road to Emmaus and so much more.  These encounters filled people with so much joy and hope that without them sharing their encounters with the Risen Christ, we would not have the Christian faith.  The Resurrection of the dead is the be all and the end all of the Christian faith.

This truth is so important to us that if Jesus had not been raised from the dead, than I and all Christians of the world should just go and do something else. We are confronted with this question daily: Did it happen or not?  He is either our savior who rose from the dead for us, or he is a liar and a bad man. There is no middle ground. 

Through the generations we have had saints upon saints for 2000 years that dedicated their lives to express their witness to the risen Christ.  They believed it in the depths of their hearts. Their belief gives us hope. Their testimonies can help us, the ones who remain in this life, to not fall back into fear: the fear that I am alone, the fear that no one cares, the fear that this is all there is to life.  We Christians have true reason to hope in Christ’s promise of the Easter life.  We have true reasons as the faithful not to fear what everyone else fears. They fear death, but we the faithful rejoice in what Jesus has done for us.  Why do we rejoice? Because we get to go HOME!  This is not our home; we are pilgrim people on an earthly journey to our Home. 

The witness’ of Christ’s Resurrection is so much more powerful than instant pictures shared on social media.  Their true testimony of love should give us Hope that the story of human life is not birth, life, and death. No; for Christians it is life, death, and Resurrection. If we live with Christ and die with Christ, we will rise with Christ.  This Easter way of living has changed even the hardest of hearts to become great Saints.  How has it changed ours? If it hasn’t or our relationship with him isn’t where we think it should be, how are we prepared for this encounter?

Once again, I want to share the vision for our parish, my hope for St David parish for this generation and the next: “Knowing Jesus is the best gift that any person can receive; that we have encountered him is the best thing that has happened in our lives, and making him known by our word and deeds is our joy.” -Pope Benedict

Jesus Christ has Risen today! Do not be afraid to experience His love!!

Saturday April 16th Holy Saturday
8:00 pm Intentions of the Presider

Sunday April 17th Easter Sunday
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday April 18th
8:00 am † Marge Lawnton

Tuesday April 19th
6:30 am † Jennifer Beerley – 30th Anniversary

Wednesday April 20th
6:30 am † Adele Tiburzio

Thursday April 21st
6:30 am † Lawrence J. Tobin

Friday April 22nd
6:30 am † Lawrence Tobin, Jr

Saturday April 23rd
8:00 am † Alfred Messina

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Andrew Wolford, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Betty Rufe, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Delbert Wallace, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, George Pollock, Dorothy Hammar, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, Karen McGettigan, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.