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:...
Our parish celebrates its Feast Day on the Sunday preceding May 24, the exact date for the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians. You are all invited to join our children and youth at 11 am for the crowning of Mary (outdoor statue) and to attend the 11:30 am outdoor Mass organized by our Youth. We are blessed to have such a large number of children and youth at OLHOC. Let us all celebrate with them with great joy on our Parish Feast Day! Since the dedication of our new altar..
I will never forget the sad eyes of a 10-year-old boy in Bethlehem. He was following our 21 pilgrims together with some friends selling shawls and wallets. In every pilgrimage, I constantly remind our fellow pilgrims: NO SHOPPING! I do not want our wasting precious spiritual time by being continually harassed at every street corner... I noticed that the 10-year-old boy was staying close to me...He was holding a sheep on his frail shoulders ...and suddenly, he put his sheep on my shoulders and shouted...
It is good to be back home REJUVENATED! The 21 pilgrims of our parish who went to the Holy Land truly experienced the HOLY SPIRIT AND THE JOY of THE RISEN LORD! The pilgrimage was a great celebration of the JOY OF THE EASTER SEASON! We left Waldorf tired and worried on EASTER Tuesday ....but as soon as we arrived in the Holy Land within the beautiful Octave of Easter, the HOLY SPIRIT took over and YES we became OVERJOYED! We celebrated Mass together every day and many times the readings of the day referred to the exact places we were visiting! WOW!!! Every day we were truly "OVERCOME WITH PASCHAL JOY" as concluded in every one of the five Prefaces of the Easter Season: "Therefore, OVERCOME WITH PASCHAL JOY, every land, every people EXULTS IN YOUR PRAISE ..." Upon our return,...