We Hate to Wait

Have you ever arrived at a doctor’s appointment, as instructed, 15 minutes before your appointment? After waiting in the waiting room for some time, the nurse then takes you back to the examination room where you end up waiting even longer until eventually the doctor comes in.  This is an extremely frustrating situation and we all dislike it very much.  As human beings, we hate to wait.  We hate to wait in traffic.  We hate to wait to be seated at a restaurant. We want our pizza delivered in 30 minutes or less. Our inability to wait for things has even changed the way commerce is done in our country.  We have Amazon which now delivers almost anything our hearts desire in record times.  Instant gratification is now our battle cry.  The problem is that waiting can be good for us.

Sometimes waiting for something gives us an opportunity to evaluate if we really need what we are asking for.  Sometimes waiting can allow us to make other choices.   Sometimes waiting for something allows us to prepare for what we are receiving.  Waiting can be very difficult at times.  Just ask your children who are waiting for Santa.  We actually use this to make our children behave – how sinister of us. But maybe, just maybe, our Lord is using this waiting – this anticipation of His coming – to do the same thing. Advent is the time that we await the coming of our King. Maybe we can use this time to ask of God what we want. Maybe we can reflect on the choices that we have made or will be making. Maybe we can reflect on what the coming of our King means to us and if we are ready to receive what He offers – eternal life through the forgiveness of our sins.  I think that is worth waiting for.

Waiting can actually be a good thing. We can use this time to direct our minds back to the Lord.  We can take advantage of the extra opportunities to go to confession.  We can get back to prayer.  We can use this time to prepare for the coming of the King of Glory.  We can then greet Him with a clear mind and holy hearts.

May Jesus live in your hearts forever. 
Deacon Chris

In an office one time a man attempts to move a desk through a narrow doorway. Another man comes in and tries to help from the other side, after doing this for a while they fail and feel defeated by the desk.  The first man throws in the towel “At this rate,” he says, gasping for air, “We’re never goanna get it in.” “In?” The other man says in disgust and disbelief, “I was trying to get it “out!” 

A lot of times in prayer we can do this with God, where we tell him over and over what we want and think is best is for us, where we may want to push when he wants us to pull. If we ever get caught in this trap, where we don’t want to listen and surrender, we will grow tired and get distressed.  God doesn’t want that for us, He wants us to be as Psalm 46 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

“Be still and know that I am God” is our advent theme for this year and that is what my prayer for you is this advent.  Yet all of us can forget to be still and to listen to him.  We may just want him to listen to us. Advent is a moment for growth and giving the Lord our undivided attention so that He can guide us to a better life. He wants to have a conversation with us this season and one great way to do this is to focus more on learning how to pray.  He wants to teach us how to be still and how to listen. Christ is always present in our lives, but again we can miss Him by the busyness of our lives.  We can make prayer a ritual instead of an encounter moment with our Savior.  Prayer is not something to do, rather it is about being with someone who loves us so much that he would rather die than spend all of eternity without us.   Prayer is all about relationship with our loving God.   Prayer is so much more than seeing God as a lucky charm, a divine rabbit’s foot where we pull him out only when we need him.  If we pray that way only, it really isn’t a loving relationship, it is a relationship of use and convenience and nothing will happen. 

Jesus, the God of the universe, was born in a random place in Bethlehem: not to hide from us, but to be sought out – to be found. We need to have the desire to seek him out because we want to be with him and know him.  Advent is meant to be a time when we lift our minds out of the busyness of life and gaze with wonder and joy at God’s love. So, when we pray we need to be still so that we can listen. We can quiet our minds while we sit and wait for Him.  We may think it is impossible with the busyness life, but if we don’t make it a priority it won’t happen.

One great place to be still is in front of the Blessed Sacrament, but it can take place anywhere. Wherever it is, before we start saying any of our prayers, we must get rid of anything that can distract us at that time. Put away the phones and put away the to do list.  We will get them back when we are done praying. Think at that moment, “I am not alone, God is here.  He is going to get my attention for as long as I am praying.” We must be still and allow ourselves to know that we are in the presence of love and anticipate His love before we pray. There is no better way to spend quality time with God than in prayer – personal, heart-to-heart prayer. So this is advent season, let us prepare ourselves to be still and welcome the greatest gift we can give to ourselves, our families, and the world this Christmas: Jesus.

Works of Mercy

As we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, let us reflect on the importance of growing closer to the Lord by reaching out in love to others. For as Jesus Himself tells us in this Sunday’s Gospel: “Whatever you do to one of the least brothers of Mine, you do for Me” (Mt. 25: 40). As expressed in the article below from the National Eucharistic Revival ‘Spark Series’, the daily practice of the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy fulfills this summons of the Lord.

Can you think of a time when someone did something kind or helpful for you? Maybe they paid for a meal when you were short-changed or made you chicken noodle soup when you were sick. Perhaps it was offering prayers for you or a loved one in a difficult season of life. The smallest, simplest gestures can have profound effects.

As followers of Christ, we are called to serve those in need. But it isn’t always easy to serve others, especially when the people that we serve don’t seem to appreciate our help or reciprocate with any kindness themselves. Of course, we aren’t called to serve others when it is easy or even when it makes us feel good about ourselves.

Christ gave of himself even though we didn’t earn it or deserve it. When that truth dwells in our hearts, “love can also blossom as a response within us” (Deus caritas est, no. 17). When you have experienced the grace of God, you want to show the grace of God. When you have received mercy, you desire to extend mercy.

We can look to Christ as our perfect example. He nurtured people spiritually and healed them physically. He didn’t just do it for those that he knew would reciprocate the gesture. He didn’t reserve his grace for only those who would follow him as a disciple. His mercy didn’t discriminate. As St. Paul reminds us, “for Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6).

There are countless ways in which we can help others. However, the Church has given us seven ways in which we can assist others’ physical needs and seven more ways to address spiritual needs.

“The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities. Instructing, advising, consoling, and comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead” (CCC 2447).

The Eucharist is a sacrament of charity. In fact, the Church teaches us that reception of the Blessed Sacrament commits us to the poor (CCC 1397). As our devotion to the Blessed Sacrament increases, so will our desire to serve others. Whether you are called to help others spiritually or corporally, in big ways or small ways, believe that God will bless others through you. Jesus continues to give us his very best; we are called to follow suit. Today, let us be mindful of those around us and the opportunity we have to meet them in their needs.

Happy Sunday! 

Immediately, a sentence stood out to me when reading the Gospel for this Sunday. “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” This sentence hit home so much more for me as this Gospel came after the Queen of Angels’ Veterans Day Mass. If anyone has been “good and faithful”, it is our service men and women. On November 10th, our QOA school community remembered and honored those individuals who chose to put themselves in harm’s way to protect our rights to, “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. The students have worked hard for weeks memorizing each of the branches of the armed forces’ anthem. As each anthem was sung, and the veterans stood, you could see the proud look on each person’s face. They have devoted their life to a particular branch of the armed forces and that anthem represented that.

Another sentence that struck me in this Gospel is, “Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities.” These men and women have been faithful in great and small ways! Along with the men and women that serve, their families serve right along with them! They are faithful in the everyday small details. Our service men and women can confidently serve home and abroad knowing that their families are being taken care of and are taking care of things at home. Next time you see a service man or woman, thank them and please thank their families. Please pray that one day, we will have peace and so many will not have to risk their lives to protect it!

I can remember walking along the corridor outside the first-grade classroom of school and having memories of my own elementary school days rush through my mind.  I remembered the weeks leading to the Thanksgiving Holiday being filled with stories of the Pilgrim and Native Americans as well as coloring pictures of cornucopia, leaves, turkeys and that first Thanksgiving dinner.  However, the pictures in the corridor stirred up more than nostalgia; they caused me to re-think the events of those early settlers and their new-found companions; to take a good look at what really took place.  With this re-evaluation, I am inspired by their overwhelming trust, their support and acceptance of one another, and willingness to put differences aside.  It was through these actions that they formed the earliest of American communities and perhaps we, so many years later, can learn from their example.   

You might ask why we should be so inspired!  The following brief account of the origin of that first Thanksgiving might shed some light:

The Pilgrims left Plymouth, England on September 6, 1620 and their destination was the New World.  Although they may have been filled with uncertainty and peril, this New World offered both civil and religious liberty.  Having arrived in what is known today as Massachusetts, they gathered in prayer, thanking God for His guidance throughout their journey.  But the months ahead were filled with starvation, sickness and death due to the harsh winter.   However, in early spring their new neighbors, the Native Indians, assisted the Pilgrims to prepare the soil, teaching them so they might reap a bountiful harvest the following summer.  In thanksgiving for the harvest the Pilgrims then declared a three-day feast, to thank God and to celebrate with their new friends. 

This annual day of thanks should be, for us, much more than parades, turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie; much more than gathering as family and friends.  It is a day for us to give thanks and pray that we too, like those Pilgrims and Native Americans, will form a community that reflects grateful hearts, cooperation, acceptance, and support…a community that reflects our oneness in Christ. 

This Thanksgiving I pray that we may be inspired to look beyond our differences to recognize our oneness; that it be a day when we trust more deeply in the God who loves us beyond all our imagining; that it be a day when we reach across the table, both literally and figuratively, to embrace and welcome one another. 

May God continue to bless each of us and may our hearts be filled with gratitude for His Love and the love we share with one another.

God Bless You,
Father Kennedy

Can we be Saints also?

Just this past week we celebrated the Feast of all Saints Day.  It is a wonderful celebration as we honor and celebrate the lives of the saints who have gone before us to be eternally with the Lord God.  During this feast each of us could ask a question to ourselves, “Could I ever be a saint?”  The answer to this question is a resounding YES!  In fact, it is and should be all our ultimate goal in this life.  This is because the actual title of being saint is a declaration that this person is living in heaven with God.  Is this not what we are all striving for?  If we choose it, sainthood is our destiny.  This raises another question – how do we get there?

As we sit in Church today, try to see if you can see outside. Of course, if the windows are open, it may be easier, but you really can’t see much outside because of the beautiful stain glass windows that are present.  And what is portrayed in these windows? – the saints of course.  This means as we look at our lives outside Church, we are looking through the lives of the saints.  During the celebration of the Eucharist, we are joined with the communion of saints. After receiving Christ in the Eucharist, we leave Mass trying to live the life Christ calls us to and we can do this by using the saints as our example.

We may feel that doing this is a daunting task and we may feel unworthy but look at the life of some of the saints.  St. Peter denied Christ three times.  St. Paul persecuted innocent Christians.  St. Theresa, the Little Flower, was just a little girl who went on to be a Doctor of the Church.  St. Augustine led a life partying and drinking and also became a Church Doctor.  The formula in becoming a saint is to give yourself over to Christ.  This is the formula, and it is never too late to apply this formula to our lives.   It truly is just doing the little things out of love for each other and having total faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

May Jesus live in our hearts forever. 
Deacon Chris

Saturday September 30th St. Jerome
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

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

Monday October 2nd Guardian Angels
6:30 am Zac & Alaine Moren

Tuesday October 3rd
6:30 am† John Tobin, Sr.

Wednesday October 4th St. Francis of Assisi
6:30 am† James Tobin

Thursday October 5th
Ss. Faustina Kowalska & Francis Xavier Seelos
6:30 am† Edward and Mary Fitzpatrick

Friday October 6th St. Bruno
6:30 am† Suzanne W. Casazza

Saturday October 7th Our Lady of the Rosary
8:00 am† John Moulder – 4th Anniversary

Saturday September 23rd St. Pio of Pietrelcina
4:00 pm Intentions of the Presider

Sunday September 24th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Parishioners

Monday September 25th
6:30 am † Marie Brown

Tuesday September 26th Ss. Cosmas & Damian
6:30 am † Rita Gerardi

Wednesday September 27th St. Vincent de Paul
6:30 am † Jean & Frank Daily

Thursday September 28th
St. Wenceslaus, Ss. Lawrence Ruiz & companions
6:30 am Intentions of Zac & Alaine Moren

Friday September 29th Ss. Michael, Gabriel & Raphael
6:30 am Intentions of Zac & Alaine Moren

Saturday September 30th St. Jerome
8:00 am † Joseph Garofalo

Saturday September 16th St. Cornelius
4:00 pm Intentions of the Presider

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

Monday September 18th
6:30 am † Mary Jane Howell

Tuesday September 19th St. Januarius
6:30 am † Mary F. Mergen

Wednesday September 20th
St. Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang & companions
6:30 am † William Dehan

Thursday September 21st St. Matthew
6:30 am † Robert Beck, Jr.

Friday September 22nd
6:30 am † Deceased Members of the Gallagher &
    Moore Families

Saturday September 23rd St. Pio of Pietrelcina
8:00 am † Alfred Messina

Saturday September 9^th St. Peter Claver
4:00 pm For Peace in Eastern Europe

Sunday September 10^th
7:00 am Intentions of the Parishioners
9:00 am Intentions of the Presider
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday September 11^th
6:30 am † Francis & Eileen Frankenfield

Tuesday September 12^th Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary
6:30 am † Margaret Johnston

Wednesday September 13^th St. John Chrysostom
6:30 am † Deceased Members of the Link and Simpson Families

Thursday September 14^th Exaltation of the Holy Cross
6:30 am † Lawrence J. Tobin, Jr.

Friday September 15^th Our Lady of Sorrows
6:30 am † Deceased members of the McMahon
& Reilly Families

Saturday September 16^th St. Cornelius
8:00 am † Harry Weckerly

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, Joyce Drexler, Maria Gulach, Earl T. Bauder, Janet McHenry Howarth, Barbara Ramsden, Gilberta Rocha, Touria Majidi, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Saturday September 2nd
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday September 3rd
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am Intentions of the Presider
11:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe

Monday September 4th
8:00 am † Louis P. Troisi – 18th Anniversary

Tuesday September 5th
6:30 am † Kathleen (Kass) Sanders

Wednesday September 6th
6:30 am † Special Remembrance

Thursday September 7th
6:30 am † William Dehan

Friday September 8th Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary
6:30 am † Anne Maureen Hope

Saturday September 9th St. Peter Claver
8:00 am † Deceased Members of the Holy Name Society

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, Joyce Drexler, Maria Gulach, Earl T. Bauder, Janet McHenry Howarth, Barbara Ramsden, Gilberta Rocha, Touria Majidi, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Who Am I To You?

              If Christ were to pose the question He asked the apostles today to you, what would you say to Him? Would you say He was a holy man who performed miracles? Or would you say He was a prophet? How about a man who was elevated to His status by God to finish God’s work? These ideas and deductions were all arguments that took place in the early Church. This is a very important question for our own faith journey, and in the history of the Church, it is pivotal. If we believe and have faith the Scripture and the Gospels were written with Divine Inspiration, we can know who Jesus is. It is through these Scriptures and the witnesses of many that it is revealed to us.

I was once asked why it took God so many attempts to bring His people back to Him. Why did He send prophet after prophet only to be rejected again and again and then send Jesus? Why not Jesus first? The simple answer is we were not ready. The revelation of who Jesus is and God’s plan for us was given to us at perfect the time and place God chose. If Peter’s declaration of who Jesus is in today’s Gospel is true, it places Christ as the Son of God, the final person of the Trinity. If God has existed eternally, then Jesus Himself has existed eternally. He was there at our creation. He was there at the fall in the garden. He was there at the parting of the sea. He was there during the Babylonian exile. And most of all, He was there in the words of the prophets. It was always God’s plan to reveal His Son to us over time. This allowed us to prepare for His arrival. Remember, this was always God’s plan for us.

Our own journey of faith and our own idea of who Christ is for us also takes time. I am personally not the same college fraternity guy I was many years ago, as all of us are not the same we were. It is God working in our lives’, preparing us to receive and embrace His Son. It is through this embrace and the gift of faith from God we too can declare the words that Peter gave us, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

May Jesus live in our hearts forever.
Deacon Chris

Saturday August 26th  
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday August 27th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am Intentions of the Presider
11:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe

Monday August 28th St. Augustine
8:00 am † Thomas Daley

Tuesday August 29th St. John the Baptist
8:00 am † Anne Dehan

Wednesday August 30th  
8:00 am † Francis & Eileen Frankenfield

Thursday August 31st  
8:00 am † Thomas McGettigan

Friday September 1st
8:00 am † Marguerite Troisi – 20th Anniversary

Saturday September 2nd
8:00 am † Elizabeth Rufe

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, Joyce Drexler, Maria Gulach, Earl T. Bauder, Janet McHenry Howarth, Barbara Ramsden, Gilberta Rocha, Touria Majidi, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased … Maria Pires & Anthony Zappitelli…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Two men went fishing one day. One man was an experienced fisherman; the other wasn’t. Every time the experienced fisherman caught a big fish, he put it in his ice chest to keep it fresh. Whenever the inexperienced fisherman caught a big fish, he threw it back. The experienced fisherman watched this go on all day and finally got tired of seeing this man waste good fish. “Why do you keep throwing back all the big fish you catch?” he asked. The inexperienced fisherman replied, “I only have a small frying pan.”

Sometimes, like that fisherman, we throw back the big plans, big dreams, big ideas, and big opportunities that God sends us, because our faith is too small. And we may have laughed at that fisherman who didn’t figure out that all he needed was a bigger frying pan; yet how ready are we to increase the size of our faith? In our faith life, it’s important for us to remember the bigger picture of what God wants to do for us. We just celebrated August 15^th, God assuming Mary into heaven, body and soul, at the end of her earthly mission. So, God will lift the whole Church into communion with Himself in Heaven at the end of history.

Mary’s Assumption, then, is God’s promise to us.  Every Christian who follows Mary’s path of humility and fidelity to God’s can look forward to following her into the joys of heaven. That’s one of the reasons the Church celebrates the Assumption: the Church wants our faith to be big and strong, like Mary’s. It wants us to remember that God is All-Powerful and Loving. He does wonderful things in, through, and for those people who really trust Him, as Mary did. So, God has big hopes for us — Assumption-sized hopes. Seeing how His hopes for the Blessed Virgin Mary were so wonderfully fulfilled should help increase our faith. And as the angel Gabriel said to Mary long before her Assumption, “nothing is impossible for God.”

Let us always then allow our faith to grow, so that God’s works in us may be made to completion, where we can then share eternal Joy — Body and Soul — in Heaven with Him!!

Saturday August 19th St. John Eudes
4:00 pm Intentions of the Presider

Sunday August 20th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Parishioners

Monday August 21st St. Pius X
8:00 am † Marie Forrester

Tuesday August 22nd Queenship of Blessed Virgin Mary
8:00 am † Margaret (Peggy) Johnston

Wednesday August 23rd St. Rose of Lima
8:00 am † Larry Phelps

Thursday August 24th St. Bartholomew the Apostle
8:00 am † Sandra Coyle

Friday August 25th St. Louis; St. Joseph of Calasanz
8:00 am † Joy Burns

Saturday August 26th
8:00 am † Fr. Joseph DeGregorio

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, Joyce Drexler, Maria Gulach, Earl T. Bauder, Janet McHenry Howarth, Barbara Ramsden, Gilberta Rocha, Touria Majidi, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased … Edward Bergan…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Mary, Mother of the Holy Eucharist

       On the upcoming Solemnity of the Assumption, we honor Mary, gloriously assumed body and soul into the splendor of Heaven. However, our Immaculate Mother does not draw attention to herself, but leads us to a more fervent devotion to her Divine Son, Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist. Mary is the Mediatrix of All Grace, especially the greatest grace and gift of all: Her Divine Son in the Sacrament of His Love.

At the Annunciation by her “Yes” to God, Mary became the first tabernacle. In this instant, the Eternal Word leapt down from Heaven and “He whom the whole world cannot contain enclosed Himself in your womb, O Holy Mother of God.” Mary is the new Ark of the Covenant containing not just the Word of the Torah or Law, but the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ. The Litany of Loretto addresses her as the “Cause of our Joy, Spiritual Vessel, Vessel of Honor, Singular Vessel of Devotion” and the “House of God.” She is the “Seat of Wisdom” because once born, Eternal Wisdom made her lap His throne. St. Thomas Aquinas says her greatest honor is being the ‘Theotokos’ – God Bearer or Mother of God.

The Holy Eucharist is the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which He instituted at the Last Supper. The flesh that was to be crucified, raised up in glory by the Father, and given to us sacramentally in the Eucharist is the flesh He received from the Virgin Mary. As the translated antiphon of the Latin text of Ave Verum Corpus proclaims: “Hail, true Body, born of Mary the Virgin”. Truly she is the Mother of the Eucharist, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament!

Devotion to Our Lady leads us to her Son especially in the Eucharist. Saint John Paul II stressed the importance of spending time in prayerful Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, truly present in the monstrance and in the tabernacle, as well as participation in the Mass every Sunday and on weekdays when possible. This holy meal is also a Sacrifice representing that of the Cross and it is the Lord who is present offering Himself to the Father on our behalf.

During this parish year of the National Eucharistic Revival, let us resolve to spend more time in Eucharistic Adoration, attend Holy Mass more frequently, increase our devotion to Mary and participate in the upcoming spiritual programs and social activities our parish offers. Nothing can take us from God when we are armed with the love of Our Lord in the Eucharist and the love of His Mother. We need the Eucharist. We need Mary, Mother of the Holy Eucharist.

May God love and bless you!
Sr. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, IHM

Saturday August 12th St. Jane Frances de Chantal
4:00 pm Intentions of the Presider

Sunday August 13th
7:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe
9:00 am Intentions of the Parishioners
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday August 14th St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe 
8:00 am † Anne Windle

Tuesday August 15th Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
6:30 am † Anne Mitchell
9:00 am † Mary E. Mergen
7:00 pm † Michael D. Mahon 

Wednesday August 16th St. Stephen of Hungary
8:00 am † Kathryn Tordella 

Thursday August 17th
8:00 am † Dorothy Ross

Friday August 18th
8:00 am †  Mary and Walt Kurkowski

Saturday August 19th St. John Eudes
8:00 am † Vincent C. Penecale

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, Joyce Drexler, Maria Gulach, Earl T. Bauder, Janet McHenry Howarth, Barbara Ramsden, Gilberta Rocha, Touria Majidi, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased … Sister M. Odette Dalfo, IHM, and Michael Albanese… 

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Irish Pallottine Fathers

The Pallottine Fathers and Brothers were founded by St. Vincent Pallotti in 1835. The name of our community is derived from the family name of the founder, but we are officially referred to as the Society of the Catholic Apostolate. St. Vincent was a priest in the Diocese of Rome. He founded our community to promote the revival of faith and charity in the world. He ardently believed that every Christian is called to be an apostle in virtue of one’s baptism. He placed great emphasis on developing the lay apostolate and the missionary outreach of the Church. His vision represents the particular charism of the Pallottine Fathers and Brothers to this day. The community now numbers over 2,400 members who are engaged in the works of the apostolate on all continents; we are currently present in 54 countries. St. Vincent Pallotti was canonized by St. John XXIII on January 20, 1963. The Irish Province has missions in East Africa and South America. The Irish Pallottines also work in the US, in two parishes in Detroit, at our Mission Promotion House in Wyandotte, Ml, and in two large parish communities in Texas where we work among the Mexican immigrants.

The Irish Pallottine Fathers were founded as a Missionary Province in 1909, working in Argentina and England, and we opened our first mission in Tanzania in 1940. This area later became a diocese, the Diocese of Mbulu, the first bishop being one of our Irish missionary priests.

Our missionary commitment was later extended to the Diocese of Singida, and successively to the Archdiocese of Nairobi in Kenya, and to the Archdiocese of Arusha in Tanzania. Thirty-six of our priests work in eleven parishes in East Africa; most of which cover extensive territories with several mission stations attached to each parish. The work is arduous and challenging. The growth of Islamic fundamentalism and the energetic advance of various Christian sects are amongst the new challenges we face.

We currently have twenty seminarians in formation in East Africa, one in Ireland, and one in Argentina. In addition to our pastoral work, we have two centers in Tanzania involved in the education and rehabilitation of children with special needs. We have helped in the establishment of three local hospitals, many parish dispensaries, and the building and refurbishment of schools at various levels, presently handed over to local management. Our priests are also involved in other areas of social development, famine relief (when necessary), water projects, AIDS prevention courses and other social services which benefit our deprived communities.

Our work and our missions are extensive and demanding in terms of the effort which is required and the financial burdens involved. While our primary mission is to preach the Gospel, we are also deeply conscious of our obligation to minister to the total person, body and soul. The prayers and support of many people of good will throughout the United States and Europe enable us to fulfill the mandate of Christ to “teach all nations” (Mt. 28: 19). We are immensely grateful to all who help us in our work and in our missions. Our benefactors are remembered every day in the prayers of our Pallottine communities.

Saturday August 5th Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major
4:00 pm For Peace in Eastern Europe

Sunday August 6th Transfiguration of the Lord
7:00 am Intentions of the Parishioners
9:00 am Intentions of the Presider
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday August 7th St. Sixtus II & companions; St. Cajetan
8:00 am † Mrs. Clara Wilson

Tuesday August 8th St. Dominic
8:00 am † Holden and Gawronski Families

Wednesday August 9th St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
8:00 am † Deceased members of the Dominican Family

Thursday August 10th St. Lawrence
8:00 am † Anne Janoski

Friday August 11th St. Clare
8:00 am Thomas Quaresima

Saturday August 12th St. Jane Frances de Chantal
8:00 am † Michael Fedele, Jr.

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, Joyce Drexler, Maria Gulach, Earl T. Bauder, Janet McHenry Howarth, Barbara Ramsden, Gilberta Rocha, Touria Majidi, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

In the years immediately following my ordination, while an Assistant Pastor and then a high school teacher, I began the habit of writing everything in a calendar. Although today I am somewhat crazy about being organized, writing everything in a calendar became necessary. Too often I would forget various appointments and miss parish events. My years in high school were a little easier, not only because the bell would ring every forty-five minutes, but more accurately because of the fear of leaving a classroom full of students with no supervision to cause some disturbance in the corridor.

If I had to venture a guess, I think I would be on target to say that most of us live by a personal or family calendar. Writing all of the important appointments and family events in the small space provided is a reminder that all of us have full lives…we are surrounded by activity…we have much to accomplish each day, each week, each month and year. So the calendar becomes part of our lives.

I wonder though, how often might we write on the calendar…spend uninterrupted time in conversation with family; …relax at home without anything else to do or any place to be; …a quiet day to read or play with the children. In the space provided on any given day, does your calendar ever read: spend some extended quiet time in church giving thanks to God for the gifts in my life?

It seems that with so much activity, it is easy to lose sight of what is most important. All of the “responsibilities” we write on our calendar tend to become our priority; it is what gets our attention, our time, and our energy. Yet daily, we have the opportunity to come together to celebrate as a community, to be refreshed by the Lord and to be strengthened to live out the Gospel message. All of us should want to fill our calendar with that!!!

If our calendar dictates what we must do, where we must be, who we need to visit; perhaps the first thing that should be written in one of the days each week is “St. David Church.” Each of us needs this time to allow Christ to fill us with His love; to be nourished at His table; and to pray for one another. Everything else should be secondary. I encourage you to go to your calendar and simply write “Our time with the Lord at St. David’s Church.”

Let us pray for one another that we give ourselves the time to receive from the Lord.

God Bless You,
Father Kennedy