What is the greatest gift you have received in your life? First, God gave you the amazing GIFT of Life through your parents. But since then, what is your greatest gift? Constant incredible acts of love from your parents, grandparents, or siblings despite many difficult family situations? Or the love of good friends? An amazing teacher in your Catholic upbringing? A good wife? A good husband? Your own children? A good job? Your faith in God? Your belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist? Your belief in the absolution of your sins in Confession? The reliance on the presence of the Holy Spirit’s love in your heart, especially when you face difficult times? God’s gift to allow you to forgive those who have hurt you deeply in your childhood or adulthood? God’s gift to accept sufferings you cannot change? The general gift of the Mass? The community God has given you through the Catholic Church? The assurance of the Gift of Eternal Life? Did the 60,000 Catholics who gathered in Indianapolis for 5 full days last week share the same great gifts from God? You could say they all came from distant places all over the United States of their own free will to spend an incredible time together. But why?...

At the end of the Mass, after are having received Jesus in the Eucharist, the celebrant blesses us and sends us out: "GO AND ANNOUNCE THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD." This is a call to go out and share the Good News (the Gospel) of Our Lord Jesus Christ! Having heard the Word of God and received Jesus Himself really present in the EUCHARIST, our hearts are filled with the Peace, Love and Joy of the Holy Spirit and we are asked to share the Good News of Jesus with everyone we encounter. This is the way Jesus sent out his first Apostles: “He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two" ( Mark 6:7-13, this Sunday’s Gospel). Another way of sending out people at the end of Mass is: “GO IN PEACE, GLORIFYING THE LORD BY YOUR LIFE.” I tend to use this sending out as it is more comprehensive: it covers our entire way of life to glorify the Lord. As St Ignatius said so powerfully: do everything FOR the GREATER GLORY OF GOD...not for your own glory. We announce the Good News of Our Lord through both our words and actions. Our lives can be an example to help others to get closer to Jesus. Our desire is that they too can have an encounter with Jesus and experience His Love. Actions can speak louder than words. But it all starts with...

Great News! Last Monday (July 1), the College of Cardinals presided by Pope Francis approved the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, the first Millennial to be a Saint. Blessed Carlo Acutis used to repeat these seven words: THE EUCHARIST IS MY HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN! Like many of you my greatest desire is to be with God in Heaven. In this Year of Eucharistic Revival, Blessed Carlo, is an inspiration to all our Youth but also to all of us. One day we hope to meet this first Millenium Saint in Heaven. Blessed Carlo reminds me of Little Flower, Saint Therese of Lisieux, who said at the young age of 15 (age of Carlo when he died in 2006) that for her the way to Heaven was an elevator, and that elevator was Jesus and therefore she should remain “little” to make it easy for Jesus. You may recall that in June 2022 we were blessed to host in our parish Blessed Carlo First Class Relic and Eucharistic Miracles (150) of the World Exhibit (gathered by little Carlo on his computer). This was held just one year after we had experienced our own Little Eucharistic Miracle (April 2021 - see picture of Host with blood next to our Lady of Fatima Statue). This long introduction is to encourage all our parishioners, including our 40 pilgrims leaving Tuesday for Indianapolis, to...

Last week Jesus saved the lives of his disciples whom a powerful storm could have drowned in the Sea of Galilea. Today, Jesus made a greater miracle: He gave life to a little girl who was dead “:TALITHA KOUM” , ‘Little girl ARISE! Her father Jairus, one of the synagogue’s officials, had heard of Jesus’ miracle powers. He had faith in Jesus and had asked Him to come and help his daughter who was near death by laying His hands on her so that she may get well and live ( Mark 5:21-43). Jesus agreed immediately to go with Jairus. On their way, people told Jairus that her daughter had died:”Why trouble the teacher any longer?” Then Jesus said to Jairus: “DO NOT BE AFRAID; JUST HAVE FAITH.” Arriving at the house, Jesus took the child by the hand and asked her to ARISE! She immediately got up and walked. Everyone present was amazed and Jesus asked them to give her something to eat. What can we learn...