Today is the Feast of Corpus Christi, also known as the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. This is truly a very important feast in the Church because it celebrates, that is, calls to mind, the REAL PRESENCE of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The words that Jesus spoke at the Last Supper the night before He died on the cross for us and the words that the priest repeats at every Mass clearly teaches us that the bread and wine BECOME the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. This is no sign or symbol. It is the REAL PRESENCE of Jesus, His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. This is the same Jesus who was conceived by Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit, the same Jesus who was born in Bethlehem, the same Jesus who was baptized by John in the Jordan, the same Jesus who cured the sick, forgave sinners, raised the dead to life, suffered and died on the cross, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. This is the same Jesus who remains with us until the end of the ages and the same Jesus who will come again in glory!
The Holy Eucharist, or the Blessed Sacrament, is the center jewel of our wonderful Catholic Faith. In our parish we are extremely blessed to have the opportunity to pray before the Blessed Sacrament any time we desire since our Chapel of Divine Mercy is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This blessing is made possible through the commitment of many good people who have committed themselves to a Holy Hour each week. If you ask anyone who makes a Holy Hour each week, you will find out what a blessing that hour is for them in their daily lives. Our Lord is waiting for us to come to Him and spend some time with Him in the Chapel of Divine Mercy. Are we too busy to spend some time with Him? Indeed, if we are that busy, then maybe it is time to take another look at our lives so that we can make some more time for Him who has given us all that we have.
Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers of our parish community! We thank God for the gift of our fathers. The vocation of being a father is of the utmost importance to all of us. Fathers are meant to show their children the love of God, our Father in heaven. Jesus teaches us to call God our Father and so He reveals to us the kind of love that God has for us. God is our loving Father. He watches over us, He guides us, He encourages us, He comforts us, and He loves us more than we can even imagine. God does all these things through the fathers He has given us here on earth. The role of a father in the life of a child is most essential because through our earthly fathers, we can get a sense of what God our Father in heaven is really like. How sad when children do not have the benefit of a loving father to guide them in this life. So let us pray for all fathers on this special day that God will help them to be a true reflection of the love that He has for all His children. We pray also for all our fathers who have died, that God may give them the rewards of their labors in the eternal joy of His heavenly kingdom.
The FEAST OF THE SACRED HEART is next weekend and we will celebrate our patronal feast at all the Masses. After the 5 PM Mass on Sunday we will have our annual parish picnic. The picnic will be held in the pavilion next to the warehouse. WE WILL PROVIDE THE HAMBURGERS AND HOT DOGS, WHICH WILL BE GRILLED BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, AND WE ASK THOSE ATTENDING TO BRING SIDE DISHES TO SHARE. (Families with last names beginning with A to M, please bring a dish to share and families with last names beginning with N to Z please bring a dessert to share.) SO PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND WITH YOUR FAMILIES. THERE WILL BE GAMES FOR THE KIDS, MUSIC, AND BEER TOO! DON’T FORGET: JUNE 26 AT THE 5PM MASS AND FOLLOWING. Please note that included in our celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart we will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ordination of Deacon Roger. Deacon Roger has done so much for our parish family so please take the time to pray for him and his wife Helen. May the Lord bless them both for their service to the people of God especially over these past 25 years.
