The Most Amazing Freedom

As we celebrate the 245^th anniversary of our country’s independence by flying high our red, white, and blue, watching parades, and enjoying picnics, we are reminded of the exceptional liberty we enjoy here in the United States. The Sacred Scriptures proclaim another kind of freedom, one that is even more profound and amazing than the freedoms guaranteed by the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. In Ephesians 3:12 we read: “In Christ and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” For in Christ, every human person can draw near to God, expressing not only your joys, but also your sorrows, not only your confidence in Him, but also your doubt, not only your pleasure, but also your anger. This is an amazing freedom that no one can take away.                       

        Throughout the ages, countless martyrs of our Catholic faith have given shining witness to this profound truth. In spite of being stripped of all human freedom and tortured in body and spirit, their trust and love for the Lord grew even stronger. This was clearly manifested by their joyful surrender of their very lives into the loving arms of their Lord and Savior.

        This freedom to draw near to God can easily be taken for granted, just as the freedoms we enjoy in our democracy can be held too lightly. Since we are used to praying to God at any time, in any place, and with any words, we can forget the stunning nature of our access to God which no human person can take from us. Ponder this in your heart. The God who created the universe, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, the God of all wisdom and justice, this God invites you to speak your mind, share your thoughts, your feelings, your fears, and your dreams with Him. However, even more amazing is the fact that not only can we approach Him in our prayer, but we are blessed that God Himself comes to us through His Son in the Holy Eucharist. Blessed be God forever!

As we celebrate this day, let us remember to raise our hearts in profound thanksgiving to our AMAZING GOD! 

Gracious God, we thank You for the liberty You have bestowed on us as citizens of the United States. Help us to use this freedom for the good of all. We also praise and thank You for the most amazing gift, the freedom to participate in Mass and receive Your precious Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist, as well as to approach You in prayer, to tell You everything on our minds and hearts without fear but in confidence. What precious, wonderful gifts You have given us! May we never take these most amazing freedoms for granted.  Amen.

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

Saturday July 3rd St. Thomas the Apostle
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday July 4th
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday July 5th St. Anthony Zaccaria
8:00 am † Frank Windle

Tuesday July 6th St. Maria Goretti
8:00 am † Edward Kane

Wednesday July 7th
8:00 am † Gerald Gausch—35th Anniversary

Thursday July 8th
8:00 am † Betty Weinrich

Friday July 9th Ss. Augustine Zhao Rong & companions
8:00 am † Deceased members of the Reilly and McMahon Families

Saturday July 10th Memorial of Blessed Virgin Mary
8:00 am † Deceased members of the Link and Simpson Families

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Frank Fierraro, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, Barbara Linetty, John Flickinger, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

⁺Dear Parishioners,

        Thank you, thank you, Parishioners, for your prayers throughout the school year. It certainly has been a year like no other. Because of your prayers and the safety measures we put in place, we were able to stay open and continue teaching our super-duper students!

Supportive Pastors (Father Anthony Janton and Father Matthew Windle)

+ the prayers and donations of parishioners

+ an inspiring, hard-working, and dedicated faculty/staff

+ encouraging and wonderful parents

+ terrific Home & School and Board of Limited Jurisdiction

+ fantastic students

= QOA where God is alive and the school community THRIVES!

QOA wishes everyone a happy, relaxing, fun, and safe summer. God’s special blessings to you and your loved ones ?

Love, prayers, and lots of gratitude,

Sister Mary

Saturday June 26th Memorial of Blessed Virgin Mary
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday June 27th
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday June 28th St. Irenaeus
8:00 am † George Nama

Tuesday June 29th Ss. Peter & Paul
8:00 am † Daniel Taylor

Wednesday June 30th First Martyrs of the Church of Rome
8:00 am † Thomas Rufe

Thursday July 1st
8:00 am † Doreen Hetrick

Friday July 2nd
8:00 am † Lorraine M. Hendricks

Saturday July 3rd St. Thomas the Apostle
8:00 am † Bernadette McMenamin

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Frank Fierraro, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, Barbara Linetty, John Flickinger, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Storms

There was an old commercial I remember as a kid, in which a woman is being bombarded with the burdens of everyday life. The baby is crying. Her other children are misbehaving. Another needs help with his homework. The dog has made a mess. There is someone at the door.  All of this is happening while she is making dinner. She finally throws her hands into the air and says, “Calgon take me away!” She is instantly transported to a luxurious bubble bath were all her stresses and worries are taken away.  I guess the people selling Calgon thought that if they convince you that Calgon can solve all your problems, or at least calm the storms of your life, then you would buy their product. In all reality, the storm of this woman’s life was still raging on the other side of that bathroom door. The soap company, as well as the woman herself, could not really take away the squall of her life.  In fact, no one is immune from difficulties or issues we may have in life. The only thing we can do is to face them head on and deal with them. If we need help, there is one person who is always by our side, to not only let us know we can get through any crisis, but to share the burden with us.  Jesus Christ is that person.

Saint Augustine once wrote when reflecting on this very Gospel, “When your heart is in this troubled state, do not let the waves overwhelm you. If, since we are only human, the driving wind should stir up in us a tumult of emotions, let us not despair but awaken Christ, so that we may sail in quiet waters, and at last reach our heavenly homeland.”  We hear Christ, after the apostles wake Him, call out, “Be still, be quiet!”  Who is He truly talking to, the waves and the wind? Or is He talking to the apostles? His next statement should clear things up when He says to the apostles, “Why are you, the apostles, lacking in faith?” How could they possibly perish if Christ was with them? This is true for us also. We can never truly perish if we have faith in Jesus, and if we allow Him to calm our hearts. 

Amid that horrible storm, Christ was able to sleep. He is totally comfortable in the fact that His Father loved him and would always be with Him.  So, He was unafraid.  The love of His Father took away any fear He may have had. Christ shares the love that the Father has for Him with us. This love should take away all our fears and allow us to deal with whatever storm may be buffeting us. At some time in our life, we all will succumb to the storms of life, but Jesus will be right there with us taking us to the true life meant for us.

May Jesus live in your heart forever.
Deacon Chris

Saturday June 19th St. Romuald, Memorial of Blessed Virgin Mary
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday June 20th 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday June 21st St. Aloysius Gonzaga
8:00 am † Jack Veasey

Tuesday June 22nd St. Paulinus of Nola, Ss. John Fisher & Thomas More
8:00 am † Cornelius Bonner

Wednesday June 23rd
8:00 am † Special Intention

Thursday June 24th Birth of St. John the Baptist
8:00 am † Anne Windle

Friday June 25th
8:00 am † Mary Kane

Saturday June 26th Memorial of Blessed Virgin Mary
8:00 am † Carl Miller

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Frank Fierraro, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, Barbara Linetty, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Why do we call God “Father”?  We hear throughout the scriptures that the most suitable expression possible for God is calling him our Father. This personal and endearing term for Him is intimate because our Father wants us to come to know Him and love Him, to experience the Father’s love for ourselves. Do we have this relationship with God yet? Do we see him as a loving Father?

Our world right now is very sad because we live in a culture that has tremendous poverty of fatherhood. Far too many people had horrible experiences of fatherhood and yet we are asked to address God as Father. My four brothers and I have been very fortunate to have a good and loving Father. I am so thankful for this. This good experience has helped me in my ongoing relationship in seeing God not as a distant figure, but as my Father who loves me more than I can ever imagine. It has helped me to trust in the one who can see tomorrow although we cannot. 

To live this way is difficult. St. Paul in the second reading says, “we are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.” It is only when we surrender ourselves to our Father that we learn of His great love for us. He loves us more than we love ourselves, but to surrender to this love can scare us because it means giving up control. It means that He may ask something of us that may hurt at times.

When I think about this, I think of an old story told about a five-year-old boy who does not like to get shots. He hates to get them, but he has to get one because he is very sick, so his father takes him in to the doctor. The boy is crying, saying, “Dad, please don’t let him hurt me. Don’t let him give me a shot! Come on, Dad, you know that I trust you and love you, don’t let that doctor hurt me.” The doctor says to the father, “I am sorry, he is very sick and needs a shot.” The father holds the boy while the doctor gives him a shot. Afterwards, the boy looks at his dad and says angrily, “I trusted you, I loved you, and you let that doctor hurt me by giving me that shot. How can you say you are my loving dad if you let that doctor hurt me?”

Often our God is the Father who holds us while we are getting our shots in life and we don’t like it when it happens. We don’t like the pain, we don’t like the struggle, we don’t like all that it entails, but the Father knows that His plan is to always give us life, always to bring us to good. There is no other way to do that except through the cross. We work with Him so that He can show us that the Cross is about us seeing the depths a father’s love will go, so that we drop the things that harm us in life. Next week is Father’s Day. Let us pray and reflect on fatherhood. Let us pray that we can open ourselves up to see God as who He is…our Father who loves all His beloved children. 

Saturday June 12th Immaculate Heart of Mary
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday June 13th 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday June 14th
8:00 am † Dorothy B. Galow

Tuesday June 15th
8:00 am † Sam and Marge Hanna

Wednesday June 16th
8:00 am Lisa Buccini

Thursday June 17th
8:00 am † Edward Jurkiewicz, Sr.

Friday June 18th
8:00 am † Patricia Conway Ratti

Saturday June 19th St. Romuald, Memorial of Blessed Virgin Mary
8:00 am Pauline Meltsch

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Frank Fierraro, Agnes Neas and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

The words spoken at the Consecration of the Mass resonate deeply in our souls. This is my Body which will be given up for you. This is the chalice of my Blood…which will be poured out for you.

At every Mass, we bear witness to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead. Through the gift of the Eucharist, which the Lord instituted at the Last Supper, we receive His pure and boundless love over and over again. As Catholics, we believe that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ. Such a precious gift deserves our reflection and appreciation. It’s not something we can experience virtually. Christ’s presence in the Eucharist is real, and our personal presence is required to receive it.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many changes to our lives, to our routines, and even to our Sunday worship. For a period of time, we were not able to be personally present for the celebration of Sunday Mass at all. For the last several months, many have been a part of Sunday Mass through live streaming. Now, as the pandemic wanes and restrictions are lifting, I invite all the faithful of the Archdiocese to make their way back to the in-person celebration of the Mass. As helpful as livestreaming was during the difficult months of the pandemic, when it comes to the Mass, nothing compares to being there.

I am pleased to announce an Archdiocesan initiative based on this truth called Nothing Compares to Being There. It will involve the entire Archdiocese and feature an invitation for everyone to recognize more profoundly the irreplaceable need to be in person for the celebration of Sunday Mass. During the summer months, pastors and parish leaders will be preparing a heartfelt invitation to their communities, and together we will issue this invitation in September 2021. While the fullness of this invitation happens in September, even now I encourage you, “Nothing compares to being there.” Come home to the in-person celebration of Mass.

May God pour out His Spirit upon us and enkindle in us a renewed desire to be present at the Eucharistic Feast.

Sincerely in Christ Jesus,

Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez, D.D.

Archbishop of Philadelphia

Saturday June 5th St. Boniface
4:00 pm† Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday June 6th Corpus Christi
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am† Intentions of the Presider

Monday June 7th
6:30 am† Sr. Judith Moeller, IHM

Tuesday June 8th
6:30 am Neas Family

Wednesday June 9th St. Ephrem
6:30 am Albert Buccini

Thursday June 10th
6:30 am† Josephine Gallo

Friday June 11th Sacred Heart of Jesus
6:30 am† Helen and Bill McMahon

Saturday June 12th Immaculate Heart of Mary
8:00 am† Josephine Gallo

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, Margaret DeLucas, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adeline Buccini, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Frank Fierraro, Agnes Neas and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Saturday May 29th
4:00 pm† Intentions of the Parishioners

Most Holy Trinity Sunday May 30th
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am† Intentions of the Presider

Monday May 31st Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
6:30 am† Sr. Jeanne Patricia Crowe, I.H.M. 5th Anniversary

Tuesday June 1st St. Justin Martyr
6:30 am† Deceased members of the Dominican Family

Wednesday June 2nd Ss. Marcellinus & Peter
6:30 am† Mrs. Dolores A. Dougherty 10th Anniversary

Thursday June 3rd
6:30 am† Paul Leopold

Friday June 4th
6:30 am† Christopher Galeone

Saturday June 5th St. Boniface
8:00 am† Debora Getz

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, Margaret DeLucas, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adeline Buccini, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Frank Fierraro, Agnes Neas and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased … Dorothy B. Galow

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

+Dear Saint David Parishioners,

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us in CCC #234, the Trinity is the central mystery of the Catholic faith. We can never fully comprehend its meaning due to our human limitations. However, we may recall in our elementary religion classes how Saint Patrick used the three-leaf clover to explain the Trinity to people. As the clover which has three distinct leaves, yet is one, so too in the Trinity we have God the Father – our Creator; God the Son – Jesus, our Redeemer; and God the Holy Spirit – our Advocate, Guide, and Sanctifier, one God, three distinct persons in the Trinity.

Another method of describing the Trinity to young people is by using an apple. In a children’s book entitled A Picture of God: 3 in 1, Joanne Marxhausen explains that the apple has three parts: the peel, the flesh, and the core; so too there is the one true God in three Divine Persons.

Each part of the apple has a specific purpose. As the peel protects the apple, so is God the Father our Creator and Protector. People committed sin, and to take the punishment for us, the Father sent His Son Jesus Who became flesh, died, and rose from the dead. Marxhausen continues. As the apple seed is buried in the ground so was Jesus, and as the seed sprouts from the ground, so Jesus rises from the dead to give us a happy, new life. To have this new life we must have faith in Jesus. Just as we believe a plant will grow from a seed, we believe that Jesus died and lives again to give us new life. That is faith in Jesus.

Our hearts are like the ground. The seed of faith planted in our hearts is God the Holy Spirit Who keeps our faith alive and growing. We water our faith and allow it to grow by reflecting on Scripture, by praying, by participating in the Sacraments, and by loving one another. With a strong faith and with God’s grace, we can then bear fruit. What unconditional love the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has for each one of us. May we continue to allow the Holy Spirit to help us grow in the unity of the one God, 3 in 1!

Happy and blessed Memorial Day to all! Our deep appreciation and prayers are extended to our dedicated veterans living and deceased who gave their all to protect this great United States of America.  God bless America!

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

Saturday May 22nd St. Rita of Cascia
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Pentecost Sunday May 23rd
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday May 24th Mary, Mother of the Church
6:30 am † Joe Lavalle

Tuesday May 25th St. Bede the Venerable, St. Gregory VII, & St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
6:30 am † Mary Ann Volpe

Wednesday May 26th St. Philip Neri
6:30 am † Sandra DeLaurentis

Thursday May 27th St. Augustine of Canterbury
6:30 am† John Brown

Friday May 28th
6:30 am† Edward Rempfer

Saturday May 29th
8:00 am† Marie Estle

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, Margaret DeLucas, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adeline Buccini, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Frank Fierraro, Agnes Neas and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased … David McInerney.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

The Power of the Holy Spirit

What a wondrous and beautiful event we witness today with the coming of the Hoy Spirit to the apostles.  The Holy Spirit that engulfed the apostles both physically and spiritually is the same Holy Spirit that we receive at Baptism and is then strengthened through our Confirmation.  The Spirit of God that dwells within each one of us makes us a true temple of the Spirit.  When God himself resides in us, great power and abilities come along with His residence.  I know you are asking yourself, “Wait, I don’t have any of those abilities that the Spirit came and blessed upon the apostles.”  I promise you that you do. 

 You have the ability to heal and speak other languages.  Have you ever seen someone who was down or sad? Were you able to lift them up with a kind gesture or word? We have the ability to recognize that they need help.  No words are exchanged but we understand their body language and we can make a difference.  We can also comfort through touch.  Have you ever had someone put a hand on your shoulder and felt the comfort of that touch?  These are true healing events.

The Word of God that we hear during our liturgy is also an excellent example of the power of that Spirit that resides in us.  Our liturgy is proclaimed almost in every tongue and dialect in this world.  You could walk into any church in the world and participate in the Mass. Now that is power.

  There is one power from the Holy Spirit that God wants us to use more than any other power we have received.  This power actually makes us more like God and true temples of his Spirit than any other.  This power is the power to forgive.  The ability to forgive heals and strengthens not only us but those who we forgive. In fact, the power of forgiveness is so powerful that our own sins cannot be forgiven unless we forgive. 

We may not have experienced the dramatic scene from the Gospel when we received these gifts at First Holy Communion and Confirmation. The power of the Holy Spirit stirs deep within us each time we use our gifts. 

May Jesus live in our Hearts forever. 
Deacon Chris

Saturday May 15th
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday May 16th
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday May 17th
6:30 am † Donato Buccini

Tuesday May 18th St. John I
6:30 am † Joe Lavalle

Wednesday May 19th
6:30 am † Teresa Lavalle

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

Friday May 21st St. Christopher Magallanes & companions
6:30 am † Teresa Lavalle

Saturday May 22nd St. Rita of Cascia
8:00 am Intentions of Karen & Dennis Campbell

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, Margaret DeLucas, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adeline Buccini, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Frank Fierraro, Agnes Neas and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

There was one time I heard a father talk about an incident in the kitchen with his 2-year-old son.  He was about to make him lunch when the phone rang and the father went to answer it. As he was talking on the phone, he turned around to see his son, Anthony, climb up on the kitchen counter and grab a steak knife. He began to crawl around the countertop with the knife.  The father immediately dropped the phone, ran over to take the knife from him, picked him up, and embraced Anthony by saying, “You can’t do that. You are going to hurt yourself.”

All of us are God’s children and yet there are times where we put ourselves in harm’s way by the sins that we commit.  Sometimes we don’t know the destruction that these sins can cause us. God doesn’t just stand back and shake his head saying, “Jeez, what is he/she doing now? Isn’t he/she ever going to learn?” When we put ourselves in harm’s way, God runs to us.  He takes us into his arms and holds us. He wants to throw away anything that we are clinging to.

That image of the Father is the one that Jesus has when we hear Him pray to His Father lovingly and confidently in today’s Gospel.  He is praying to the Father for all of us, the ones striving for holiness and even the worst sinners that do not seem to want to change.  In this prayer, He knows that He is about to be manhandled by the plotting and blind religious leaders.  He knows that one of His closest friends is going to betray Him.  He knows that most of the rest of His friends will abandon Him on the cross – except for His mother and a few brave disciples. And yet, even though He knows all of this, He knows most of all that He must die on the cross so that we don’t see the Father as a vengeful God out to get us, but as a Father who wants to embrace all sinners lovingly.  

This week and beyond, the challenge for all of us is to listen to Him in prayer for the things that are keeping us from growing closer to God. In prayer, we work with him so that he can show us more and more that the Cross is about us seeing the depths of a Father’s love so that we drop the things that harm us and keep us from eternal life with Him.

Self-Gardening

Every spring my wife and I buy flowers for our yard.  We try and pick the prettiest and spread them throughout our flower beds.  It can be hard work and the flowers seem so delicate as we are planting them.  I worry every year how they will bloom.  I water and feed them and tend to them by removing any leaves or petals that may have died so the flowers do not have the extra burden.  They can grow to be quite beautiful, and I am surprised every year, but it is through the hard work by my wife and I that they look as good as they do.  One weekend last summer we had gone out of town and my children were going to make sure the flowers were watered and fed.  As with all families there was a little miscommunication, and they all thought the other was watering.  Needless to say, no watering or feeding of the flowers took place.  In one hot weekend the flowers took a severe beating.  They were all wilted and dying.  Just one weekend without care we almost lost all of them.  We began watering right way and in about two weeks most of them came back.

It is not a coincidence that Christ uses the metaphor of the vines and branches as to our relationship with him.  A vineyard, like a garden, needs constant work.  The vine provides the life to the branches.  The branches need the vine to provide water and food.  Take the vine away and the branch will die.  Take away Christ, and we surely will die.  The waters of baptism and the food of the Eucharist truly sustain us.  We use these life-giving sacraments to maintain the garden of our faith.  When we have time away our faith can start to wilt.  We can be our own gardeners of our faith, but it takes work.  We need to meet Christ in prayer and in the Eucharist.  The very best thing about our wilting faith is that Christ offers us every opportunity to save it, no matter how wilted it has become.  No matter what conditions our faith has endured, it can always be strengthened again by the true vine.

May Jesus live in your hearts forever.
Deacon Chris

Saturday April 24th
St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday April 25th
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday April 26th
6:30 am † George Smith

Tuesday April 27th
6:30 am † Mary Kies

Wednesday April 28th
St. Peter Chanel & St. Louis Grignon de Montfort
6:30 am † Jack Poole

Thursday April 29th
St. Catherine of Siena
6:30 am † Dorothy Ross

Friday April 30th
St. Pius V
6:30 am Marisa Buccini

Saturday May 1st
St. Joseph the Worker
8:00 am † Mary Flaherty

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, Margaret DeLucas, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adeline Buccini, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Frank Fierraro and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

From the Desk of the Pastor

Being the second oldest of five boys in my family meant growing up I was always wearing my older brother’s clothes after they got too small for him. It also meant that my younger brother would wear the same clothes after I grew and it was the same for the next brother and so on down the line.  My brothers and I actually didn’t mind wearing the hand-me-downs, especially if it was a sports jersey that we liked.  We couldn’t wait until the older brother grew out of it and it was time for us to get it.  But in wearing these hand-me-downs, it always came with a price as sooner or later one of us would put a hole in the clothes.  My mom would try to preserve them the best she could by putting patches on the holes and a lot of times after I was done with the clothes it was usually more patches than cloth.  That’s when my mom would buy new clothes even if my brothers and I didn’t want her to.

Sometimes in our lives, we need people to point out to us that it is time for something new.  That the patches don’t work anymore. Where if we keep on patching things, or go through the motions in life, things won’t get better. We may need a different perspective and do something new.

Saint Peter is a great witness to this.  Throughout the gospels, we hear about both his zealous and sinful heart.  He was first to proclaim Jesus as God, but also denied the very instrument Jesus wanted to use to show his love: the cross.  Peter could not cope with death and suffering as the best way to salvation. He wanted to fix the problem of death on the cross with patches and did not allow Jesus to confront his own fears of death.  Saint Peter’s patchwork did not work and we know this ultimately in his betrayal of denying Jesus on the cross.

His patchwork continued even after the resurrection as he tried to patch his heart by going back to his old way of living; he went back to fishing.  It was only at the end of John’s Gospel in chapter 21 when he finally surrenders and accepts Jesus’ Mercy, love, and peace that helped him to move forward in his fears. It was only when he realized he needed a new heart that it gave him the room to accept those gifts of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  It was after receiving his new heart that he was able to say lovely without point fingers in judgment what we hear in the first reading today “Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.”

We all have a God-shaped hole in our hearts.  Please know that!!  How do we fill that void?  How do we cope with disappointments, suffering, boredom, our own and other people’s weakness, and sins?  Do we try to fix them on our own with patching?  If so, Jesus is calling us to something new, he is calling on us to accept his love, mercy, forgiveness, and peace.  He calls us to his deeper love and a different perceptive in life.

We need to prayerfully examine ourselves regularly to see if God is calling us to change. We need to pray and ask for help to accept any changes He might ask from us.  Through our baptism, we became a new creation and we are called to a life of renewal, so that means no more patching. We are called to fast from hatred, fast from injustice, fast from judgment, and from anything that prevents us from becoming the best that God has called us to be.  We are called to accept this personal encounter with Jesus and allow him in our lives more and more so that others stop seeing our patched hearts and only see his perfect one.

Saturday April 17th
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday April 18th 3rd Sunday of Easter
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday April 19th
6:30 am † Paul Gleason

Tuesday April 20th
6:30 am † Michael O’Brien

Wednesday April 21st St. Anselm of Canterbury
6:30 am † Cheryl Malvoso

Thursday April 22nd
6:30 am † Bernice Coleman

Friday April 23rd St. George & St. Adalbert
6:30 am † Mary M. Rosenbaum

Saturday April 24th St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen
8:00 am Intentions of James Dever and Family

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, Margaret DeLucas, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adeline Buccini, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Frank Fierraro and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased … Margaret DeLucas.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.