Did you look up when you entered church last Sunday? What did you see? Anything new? SEVEN WORDS: MAY WE ALL BE ONE IN CHRIST! These seven words became a theme for the celebration of our Parish Feast Day. Whenever you enter our church, remember to look up...You are entering the HOUSE OF GOD! This is where HEAVEN AND EARTH MEET. Do not keep your eyes down worrying about the daily challenges and tribulations you face. Enter the House of God with your hearts open and at PEACE. God will provide. God the Father, God the Son, and God the HOLY SPIRIT will provide.
JESUS LOVES YOU. THE RISEN LORD will never abandon you. As he says to his disciples, to all of us: "PEACE, I LEAVE YOU! MY PEACE, I GIVE YOU. DO NOT LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED OR AFRAID" (John 14:23-29). At every Mass, before the distribution of the HOLY COMMUNION, the celebrant repeats these words from Jesus loud and clear: "Peace, I leave you. My peace I give you." Jesus is our Peace. He is our only Peace. We will never find lasting Peace in the world. Everything passes. Only Jesus remains the same.
Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.
Jesus is the only One who can truly UNITE US. In his last prayer to the Father before entering into his Agony at the Garden of Gethsemane, he prays for all of us:
"Father, I pray that THEY MAY ALL BE ONE as you, Father are I me and I in You." (John 17:21). This unity begins in each one of us, it extends to each family, and also to the parish, the FAMILY OF FAMILIES.
We all know how challenging it is to follow Jesus' new commandment: "LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU. This is how all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another" (last week's Gospel John 13:34-35). This is true love, unconditional love: AGAPE. This is to think of the other not so much of ourselves. This is to do everything for God's s Glory, not for our own glory. We are totally dependent on God. The greatest unity we can achieve is through the HOLY COMMUNION: when we receive the BODY OF CHRIST, we become ONE IN CHRIST, and we become ONE with everyone receiving the Holy Communion.
Despite the heat and humidity, many of you chose to come to attend the Crowning of Mary and the Outdoor 11:30 am Mass. It was awesome. There was a sense of Unity, Joy, and Peace. This was our parish "family of families" at best. The HOLY SPIRIT was fully present and filling our hearts with the FIRE of HIS LOVE. HIS SPOUSE MARY, our patroness Saint, Mary Help of Christians, our Mother in Heaven, was protecting each one of us and uniting us as her sons and daughters. We had long lines for COMMUNION.
Like every family, our parish "family of families" faces some division and tension. The devil does not like it when we are united and getting closer to God. But we know that with God's help, we can always find a solution to the daily problems we face. As we enter the last 10 days of the 50 days of the Easter Season, let us celebrate the ASCENSION OF OUR LORD and the DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AT PENTECOST in Unity, Peace, and Joy!
Heavenly Father, help all of us to remain truly United as Brothers and Sisters in CHRIST.
Our prayer is that with the guidance of the HOLY SPIRIT, of JESUS your Son, and Mary your Mother that "MAY WILL ALL BE ONE IN CHRIST".
One in Christ,
Fr. Alain