StRaphaelparish

This weekend, we offered special blessings to those in our parish family who are heading to college. In this picture, Fr. Leo is blessing one of our lectors Leila Fernando and her cousin Kyle Sarmiento. Leila is going to St Johns University and got accepted in the Catholic Scholars Program! Kyle is going to Villanova University! St. Raphael, patron of travelers, protect them on their journeys. 🙏🏻

Book Club News:

“Money may come and go, but the impact you make on others lasts forever.” Marjorie Post

All are invited to join the book club to discuss “The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post” by Allison Pataki on Wednesday, September 18th at 7 pm in the Bethany Center.

Copies of the book are on reserve at the EM Public Library (ask at the desk). New members are always welcome!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As some of you know, I was away from the parish for a little over a week recently. I went on an unplanned vacation/pilgrimage to Southern Germany, Austria, and northern Italy. It was an amazing trip! It’s funny because initially, I didn’t want to go.

A month ago, I caught up with a dear friend and priest mentor, Fr. Andrew. I hadn’t seen or talked to him in a while due to our busy schedules. If you recall, he was the parish priest who encouraged me to become a priest when I was in my 20s (Fr. Andrew saw something in me and planted the seed of my priestly vocation). During dinner, he invited me to join him and a mutual priest friend for a vacation in Munich, Germany. I told him that sounded nice but, I was busy and didn’t need a vacation. My initial response didn’t deter him just like my reluctance to consider a priestly vocation didn’t stop him from continuing to help me see my calling many years ago. He encouraged me to slow down with all the things I wanted to get done at St. Raphael’s because “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” He’s a wise pastor who knew me well. He knew that taking some time away from the parish would be good for me and the parish. Eventually, I told Fr. Andrew that I would look at the schedule and see if the associate pastor, Fr. Peter, would be willing to cover for me to make the trip possible. Fr. Peter was gracious and very happy to cover the parish during my absence. So, I got the green light and booked my flights. The thing that really tipped my decision to join Fr. Andrew was not his characteristic joyful persistence. When I prayed about it, I didn’t have a good reason not to go. On the other hand, I had many good reasons to go. The biggest, good reason was my wanting to spend quality time with Fr. Andrew. A few months ago, he had a bout with cancer which required the surgical removal of one of his organs. It was a scary time but thank God, the operation was successful, and he was on the mend. I didn’t know how many opportunities I would have to travel with him which is why I did something uncomfortable and decided to change my summer plans.

The fact is none of us know how much time we have left with our loved ones. While we still have time, we should take advantage of the opportunities given to us and make the most of them. I’m glad I listened again to God speaking through Fr. Andrew.

One of the graces I received during the trip came towards the end as we were preparing to return home to the States. Although the trip was fun and uplifting, both spiritually and mentally, I found myself looking forward to returning to St. Raphael’s. I missed parish life and serving as a priest and pastor. This was a vastly different experience compared to vacations I’ve had in the past when I did NOT want the vacation to end and return to the “real world”. What a blessing and gift it is to be a priest of Jesus Christ! It’s great to be back home in East Meadow! The words of our Blessed Lord came to mind, “Where your treasure is, there also your heart will be.” (Mt 6:21)

Faithfully Yours in Christ,
Fr. Leo

On Saturday, July 21, 2001, a Mass was celebrated on the site where our new church would be built.

To give everyone a physical sense of the new church's space, the field was marked with the planned location of the altar, doors, aisles, and seating areas. Fr. Tom Haggerty, was the principal concelebrant along with Fr. Anthony Assir, Deacon Vic Costa, and Deacon Chris Sissini. Our choir provided music led by Sonny Paladino, our Music Director at the time. The Mass was organized by the building committee to ensure that all events related to the construction of the new building would be rooted in prayer.

There are four doctrines or dogmas dealing with the Blessed Mother. MARY- The Mother of God celebrated on January 1st, The Immaculate Conception celebrated on December 8th, The Blessed Mother, perpetual virgin, taught as far back as the 3rd Century, and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven, celebrated August 15th.

What is a dogma? A principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true.

The Dogma of the Assumption is that while all humanity suffers as a result of sin, by the grace of her Immaculate Conception it is believed that Mary was taken into heaven, body and soul when her earthly life was finished by the power of God. The reason why this is important is that Mary was not only protected from sin because of her Immaculate Conception, she had free will and chose to never sin and therefore did not experience corruption in her soul or body. Although we are born with Original Sin, that sin is washed away in the sacrament of Baptism and although we many choose to sin, those sins can be forgiven in the Sacrament of reconciliation. Strengthened by the grace of the sacraments we have firm hope that we will join Mary and all the Saints in Heaven.

August 14th is the feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe.

Raymund Kolbe was born in Poland in 1894. His family was very poor, but they were rich in spirit.

St. Maximilian, according to several biographies, was personally called by the Virgin Mary, both to his holy life and to his eventual martyrdom. As an impulsive and badly-behaved child, he prayed to her for guidance, and later described how she miraculously appeared to him holding two crowns: one was white, representing purity, the other red, for martyrdom.

When he was asked to choose between these two destinies, the troublesome child and future saint said he wanted both. Radically changed by the incident, he entered the minor seminary of the Conventual Franciscans at age 13, in 1907. He was ordained at the age of 20 taking the name Maximilian Maria. After studying in Rome, Maximilian returned to Poland in 1919. He used modern printing presses to spread the Good News through monthly, and eventually daily, religious publications.

During World War II, Father Kolbe hid as many as 2,000 Jewish people and Poles, who were also persecuted, in his Polish monastery. In 1941, Maximilian was arrested by the N***s, who soon sent him to Auschwitz concentration camp.
In July of that year, several prisoners escaped, and as punishment, the camp commander picked 10 men to be starved to death. One of those selected for death was Sgt. Francis Gajowniczek, a young husband and father who had been conscripted into the Polish army. He begged the guards for mercy and pleaded on behalf of his wife and children who would have no one to care for them.
As they prepared to drag him away, Father Kolbe stepped forward and said to the commandant: "I am a Catholic priest. I wish to die for that man. I am old and sick; he has a wife and children."

The commandant looked at the weakened condition of the priest and quickly realized that he could get much more work out of the young soldier. He pushed Gajowniczek aside and ordered the Franciscan priest sent to the death chamber.
He was killed by a lethal injection of carbolic acid on August 14, 1941 at the age of 47.

On October 10, 1982, Pope John Paul II canonized Maximilian Kolbe as a “martyr of charity.” Present at the ceremony was Franciszek Gajowniczek, the Auschwitz prisoner whose place Maximilian had taken in giving his own life. Gajowniczek who died in 1995 at the age of 94, lived for 54 years after St. Maximilian Kolbe had taken his place in death.

St. Maximilian Kolbe - Pray for us!

Here is the schedule for this week, including the Holy Day of Obligation on Thursday 8/15. For the most up-to-date information, click the link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19tsmhRK8ATHzk6AD3zYoMtUU8TDbrycIRaI5IJy-f-k/edit?usp=sharing

https://svdpli.org/walk/

16th Annual Friends of the Poor Walk - The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Long Island Save the Date! Our 16th Annual Friends of the Poor Walk will take place on Saturday, September 21, 2024 at Heckscher State Park in East Islip, NY. Registration is Open!Friends of the Poor Walk 2024 Registration & Donations If you would like to sponsor this year’s Walk, please see the Sponsorship F...

At all the Masses this weekend the Knights of Columbus invited us to pray for the Canonization of Fr. Michael McGivney. When feast days fall on a Sunday, the Sunday celebration takes precedence; however, August 13th is the feast of Blessed Michael McGivney.

Michael J. McGivney was the oldest of 13 children born to Irish immigrants, he was ordained a priest in 1877 for what was then the Diocese of Hartford, Connecticut. Catholics were a minority in New Haven, where Fr. McGivney served as a parish priest, and waves of immigrants were greeted by anti-Catholic sentiments.

Recognizing the struggle of many Catholic immigrants to assimilate into American society and the economy, Fr. McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus as a fraternal mutual aid society in the basement of St. Mary’s Parish. Known for his tireless work in the care of widows and orphans, he died of pneumonia in 1890 at age 38.

The Knights of Columbus became a major force of evangelization, charity, racial integration and the defense of religious freedom. Today there are over 2 million members in more than 16,000 K of C councils located in all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico, and the Philippines, as well as in recently established councils in Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, France, and South Korea. During the past year, Knights around the world donated more than 77 million service hours and $187 million for worthy causes in their communities.

Fr. McGivney was recognized as “Venerable” by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008. The celebration of the beatification of Blessed Michael McGivney on Oct. 31, 2020, in the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut, was historic, as it marked the first beatification of a parish priest held on U.S. soil.

The Knights Museum in New Haven, Conn, is now the Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center and contains exhibits on the life of Fr. McGivney and the Knight of Columbus. Father McGivney's remains are entombed in St. Mary's Church in New Haven near the museum. For more information visit their website:

Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center | New Haven, Connecticut, USA Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center is dedicated to Knights of Columbus founder, Venerable Michael McGivney, offers exhibits of artwork and history reflecting his life and legacy.

Join us on Sunday, September 1st at the 10 am Mass for a special event.
All students are invited to bring their backpacks and start the new school year with a special blessing.

Saint Clare, Virgin, pray for us!

Are parents and grandparents responsible for the faith of their children/grandchildren?

I was born into the Catholic faith in Ghana and have remained a catholic since then. Growing up, my parents and grandmother made conscious efforts each day to support my siblings and me in imbibing faith in the best possible way. This was a crucial role they played in my life because as stated in the Second Vatican Council’s dogmatic constitution of the church: “The family is so to speak, the domestic church.” (Lumen Gentium #11). This means that a child first learns who God is and prayerfully seeks the will of God for us in the context of the family. This was very important for me especially since I was born into a society that fostered the development and growth of various religious sects. My parents and grandmother became my first influencers in the catholic faith and further modeled my behavior. I grew up learning and observing them closely, which prepared me to become an active church member. It was through such a positive influence that all my siblings became members of the local church choir because my dad was the choirmaster and took us along whenever they had choir rehearsals. They made sure they attended daily masses which were held at 5:30 am on weekdays with us before we went to school, and they also went to work. We had our Sunday masses at 9 am and they made sure we observed the Eucharistic fast. We had prayer meetings and bible study as a family on Saturday mornings to share ideas on the Sunday mass readings to give us an idea of the homily. They taught us the various prayers of the church and ensured we prayed them at the appropriate times. Some of us became altar servers and lectors at the early stages of our lives because my parents prepared us from home to make it easy to take up such roles in the church. Hence, my family provided a nurturing environment where our faith as children grew and developed.
The role of my parents and grandmother did not end with our reception of the sacraments. They provided us with the needed spiritual guidance and support as we navigated faith questions and challenges. There were times they consciously shared their life experiences as they passed on their legacy of faith to us.

It is a spiritual mandate for parents to teach their children about God and his ways (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Hence, I give a lot of credit to my parents and grandmother for the faith I have today as well as that of my siblings who are still very strong Catholics.

While the faith of parents and grandparents is significant, it’s essential to recognize that ultimately, an individual’s faith is their personal choice and journey, especially when they become adults. It is also worthy of note that parents have a great responsibility to help their children lay a solid foundation for their faith. I wish to encourage our dear catholic parents through this letter, to take a keen interest in bringing up their children in the catholic faith as much as possible so that when they grow, they do not depart from it. Yours is just to lay the foundation and God through the holy spirit will complete the building.

Rev. Peter Sarpong

Saint Lawrence was martyred on August 10, 258 during the persecution of the emperor Valerian and many other Roman clergy members. He was the last of the seven deacons of Rome to die.

After the pope, Sixtus II was martyred on August 6, Lawrence became the principal authority of the Roman Church, having been the Church's treasurer. When he was summoned before the emperor and he was ordered to bring all the wealth of the Church with him. He showed up with a handful of crippled, poor, and sick men, and when questioned, replied that "These are the true wealth of the Church." He was immediately sent to his death, being cooked alive on a gridiron.
Tradition records massive conversions to the Christian faith as a result of the holy life and death of one Deacon who understood the true heart of his vocation. He was buried in a cemetery on the Via Tiburtina. On that spot, Constantine would later build a Basilica.

St. Lawrence was a deacon in the early Church, not a priest. The word deacon comes from the Greek word "diakonia," which means service. Deacons of the early Church often helped widows, orphans, the poor and the elderly. Take a moment today to pray for the Deacons in our church today. Especially for our Deacons Dennis and Vic.

Picture: El martirio de san Lorenzo by Hipólito de Rioja 17th Century on display at Museo Nacional de Arte, Mexico City, Mexico.

In the month of August, the church honors the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary means to recall the emotions of joy and sadness that Mary experienced in her own life. When you look at an image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, you see a burning heart surrounded by a crown of thorns and pierced with a sword. The Immaculate Heart of Mary shows us that despite the sufferings of Jesus (crown of thorns), he loves all of us, regardless of our sins, and spilled his blood (the sword) in the hope that we would join him in heaven. It is for this reason that despite the trials and sufferings of Jesus, Mary’s heart still burns with love and devotion.

As the mother of Jesus, Mary experienced all of the same feelings that your own mother has for you. Whether you are happy or sad, your mother shares in your feelings (even if she doesn’t tell you). The Bible tells us that “his mother kept all these things in her heart” (Lk 2:51)

We invite you to pray:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my mother;
to you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.

On August 9 the Catholic Church remembers St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, also known as St. Edith Stein. St. Teresa converted from Judaism to Catholicism in the course of her work as a philosopher and later entered the Carmelite Order. She died in the N**i concentration camp at Auschwitz in 1942.

After earning her degree with the highest honors from Gottingen University in 1915, she served as a nurse in an Austrian field hospital during World War I. She returned to academic work in 1916, earning her doctorate after writing a highly-regarded thesis on the phenomenon of empathy. She remained interested in the idea of religious commitment but had not yet made such a commitment herself.
In 1921, while visiting friends, Edith spent an entire night reading the autobiography of the 16th-century Carmelite nun St. Teresa of Avila. “When I had finished the book,” she later recalled, “I said to myself: This is the truth.” She was baptized into the Catholic Church on the first day of January 1922.
She was baptized at the Cathedral Church in Cologne, Germany, and began to teach at a Catholic girls' school. She then taught at a university but was forced to resign from her position by the N**i government. In 1933, the rise of N***sm, combined with Edith's Jewish ethnicity, put an end to her teaching career. After a painful parting with her mother, who did not understand her Christian conversion, she entered a Carmelite convent in 1934, taking the name “Teresa Benedicta of the Cross” as a symbol of her acceptance of suffering.

“I felt,” she wrote, “that those who understood the Cross of Christ should take upon themselves on everybody's behalf.” She saw it as her vocation “to intercede with God for everyone,” but she prayed especially for the Jews of Germany whose tragic fate was becoming clear.

“I ask the Lord to accept my life and my death,” she wrote in 1939, “so that the Lord will be accepted by his people and that his kingdom may come in glory, for the salvation of Germany and the peace of the world.”

Shortly after completing her final work, a study of St. John of the Cross entitled “The Science of the Cross,” Teresa Benedicta was arrested along with her sister Rosa (who had also become a Catholic), and the members of her religious community, on August 7, 1942. The arrests came in retaliation against a protest letter by the Dutch Bishops, decrying the N**i treatment of Jews.

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross was murdered in the gas chamber at Auschwitz on August 9, 1942. She was 50 years old. Pope John Paul II canonized her in 1998 and proclaimed her a co-patroness of Europe the next year. She is considered a martyr for the faith.

Even though her life was snuffed out by the evil of genocide, her memory stands as a light undimmed in the midst of evil, darkness, and suffering. St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, PRAY FOR US!

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15, is a Holy Day of Obligation.

Here's a list of upcoming events from our Faith Formation office.

If you have a child entering 1st grade, now is the time to register!

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the Faith Formation office -516-221-9096

Join our Book Club as we discuss our newest selection, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. We’re meeting TONIGHT - Wednesday, August 7th at 7 pm in the Bethany Center. New members are always welcome.

The Knights of Columbus are hosting two bus trips to Wind Creek Casino in Bethlehem PA, Saturday, August 10 & September 14

All are invited to enjoy a day of shopping, shows, and gambling.

Bus departs at 8:30am from the St. Raphael's parking lot and starts home seven hours after arrival at the casino

$55 per person includes a $35 slot play bonus.
Bring your Wind Creek Players Card or valid photo ID to claim the bonus.

To reserve your seat or for more information call Tom at 516.633.4229 or see the church bulletin for more information.

“Good friends find pleasure in one another’s company. Let us know pleasure in the company of our best Friend, a Friend who can do everything for us, a friend who loves us beyond measure. Here in the Blessed Sacrament we can talk to him straight from the heart.”
St Alphonsus de Liguori

On August 6, we celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. This feast calls to our attention the importance of this event in Jesus' life, further affirmed by its report in each of the Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
In each Gospel, Jesus takes three of his disciples—Peter, James, and John—to a high mountain. While they are there, Elijah and Moses appear with Jesus. In Matthew's and Mark's Gospel, there is a reference to a conversation between Jesus, Elijah, and Moses, but only Luke's Gospel includes the detail that this conversation is about what Jesus will accomplish in Jerusalem.

Elijah and Moses are both significant figures in the history of Israel. Moses led the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and received the Ten Commandments. Appearing with Jesus at his Transfiguration, Moses represents the Law, which guides the lives of the Jewish people. Elijah is remembered as one of the most important prophets of Israel who helped the Israelites stay faithful to God. Some believe that Elijah's return would signal the coming of the Messiah for the Jewish people. This belief is evidenced in the question posed by Jesus' disciples after they have witnessed the Transfiguration. The appearance of these two important figures from Israel's history indicates Jesus' continuity with the Law and the prophets. They also reveal that Jesus is the fulfillment of all that was promised to the people of Israel.

Upon seeing Jesus with Elijah and Moses and having witnessed his Transfiguration, Peter offered to construct three tents for them. Luke's Gospel reports that Peter's offer was made in confusion. As if in reply to Peter's confusion, a voice from heaven spoke, affirming Jesus as God's Son and commanding the disciples to obey him. This voice from heaven recalls the voice that was heard at Jesus' baptism.

In his Transfiguration, we see an anticipation of the glory of Jesus' Resurrection. In each of the reports of the Transfiguration, Jesus instructed the disciples to keep secret what they had seen until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. The disciples' confusion continued as they wondered what Jesus meant by “rising from the dead.” Until they also witness his passion and death, the disciples cannot possibly understand Jesus' Transfiguration. We, however, have the benefit of hindsight, we see in this event an anticipation of Jesus' Resurrection, a foreshadowing of Christ's glory in heaven, and the promise of our own resurrection.

Rome holds the four most important church buildings in Catholicism. St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican is one, of course, and the three others are the Basilica of St. John Lateran, where the pope presides as bishop of Rome; the Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, where the apostle Paul is buried; and the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

The Church honors these four churches in the liturgical year because they are pilgrimage sites and they connect all the faithful with the pope and the universal Church. The Basilica of St. Mary Major is so called because it is the oldest church dedicated to God in honor of Mary. It serves the Church as the oldest Marian shrine for pilgrims.
The origins of this Basilica are wrapped in legend. Two Roman Christians, a Roman official named John and his wife, received a vision from Mary in 358. They were childless and wanted to dedicate their estate to Mary, so they prayed to her for a sign as to how this should be done. She appeared to them both in dreams and told them that a prominent hill in the city would be covered with snow, and this is where they should build a church.

John immediately told the pope, who had the same dream, and they went to the hill to find it covered in snow on this date, during the hottest time of the year. The pope then walked through the snow to mark out the outline of the church that was to be built there.

This story probably is more fiction than fact, but it is the origin of one of Mary’s titles, Our Lady of the Snow.
On this feast day in the Basilica in Rome, flower petals are dropped from the ceiling to recall the legend of Our Lady of the Snow. The Basilica of St. Mary Major is also the site of an important commemoration of Christmas in Rome because of its famous nativity scene.
On this feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, let us honor Mary as the Mother of God!

Here is the schedule for this week. For the most up-to-date information, click the link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/19tsmhRK8ATHzk6AD3zYoMtUU8TDbrycIRaI5IJy-f-k/edit?usp=sharing

Congratulations!

A statement from the Diocese of Rockville Centre regarding the appointment of Bishop Richard G. Henning as Archbishop of Boston.

Today is the feast of St. John Vianney, the patron saint of priests. Please take an extra moment to pray for our priests who work so hard on our behalf.

A PRAYER FOR OUR PRIESTS

We thank you, God, our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry. Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill them with the sure knowledge of your love. Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit. Lead them to greater union with your Son. Increase their faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of St. John Vianney, grant that your priests will be inspired to strive for holiness by the power of his example. As men of prayer, may they ponder your word, follow your will, and faithfully lead the flocks you have entrusted to their care.

St. John Vianney, obtain for the Church an abundance of vocations to the holy priesthood. Through your intercession, may many faithful men hear Christ’s call, and respond with courage and generosity.

Mary our Mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones. Intercede for our priests, so that by offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

St. John Vianney, patron of parish priests, pray for us!

Some of you may have noticed that we are having technical difficulties with the program that sends our weekly bulletin by email. We have contacted the company and are working on a solution. The bulletin is available on our parish website straphaelparish.org and printed copies are in the church every weekend.

Thank you for your patience.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This past Monday we celebrated the feast day of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. They were siblings and special friends of Jesus who welcomed Him into their home. There are other things we know about them from the Gospels. In brief, we know that Martha was an active sort of person who prepared a meal for Jesus and other guests when He visited her home. Saint Mary of Bethany (not to be confused with Mary Magdalen) sat quietly at Jesus’ feet listening to Him speak. She also anointed His feet in preparation for His death and burial. Their brother, Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus.

How do you define a saint? One definition I love is “someone who’s a good friend to Jesus”. By this definition, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are surely saints and outstanding examples for us to follow. This is how I see our parish family as well. I consider all of us to be family: brothers and sisters in Christ (see above). Everything we do here at St. Raphael’s should help us grow closer in friendship with Christ and with one another. I hope everyone reading this can share this vision of the parish. I hope and pray we can be of one heart and mind in our love for Christ and for one another.

One thing that friends do together to grow in love and fellowship is the sharing of a meal. It’s one of my favorite things to do with my own friends (including with parishioners). The elements of a good meal among friends include a nice environment (especially one that is conducive to good conversations), good service, good music (in the background and sometimes even live), and wonderful and nourishing food and drink. If you think and reflect on it, these important elements are also present in our celebration of the Holy Mass! Our beautiful church offers a comfortable setting to partake in this sacred meal. For conversation, we listen to God’s Word and respond vocally as well as quietly/interiorly. In terms of service, our ministers do a wonderful job in serving with love and devotion. For music, we have John, our cantors, and choirs who do a marvelous job in supporting and elevating the sacred liturgy. And lastly, for the food and drink, what more can we ask for than Jesus Himself in the Eucharist who satisfies our yearning souls?

As we continue our journey through the 6th Chapter of the Gospel of John, let’s open our eyes, ears, and all our senses (bodily and spiritual) to realize that the Mass is a special and sacred meal among family and friends. Please feel free to invite others to our Masses. No reservation required.

Faithfully Yours in Our Eucharistic Lord,
Fr. Leo

P.S. For next week’s letter, I’ve asked Fr. Peter to write to you. Something to look forward to!