Posted on August 18, 2023 View all Pastor's Letter
Dear parishioners:
Today we contemplate the scene of the Canaanite woman: a pagan woman, not an Israelite, who had a very sick daughter, possessed of demons, and she heard about Jesus. He goes out to meet her and shouts at him: «Have compassion on me, Lord… My daughter has a very bad demon» (Mt 15,22). Something curious is that he really does not ask for anything, he only exposes the evil that his daughter suffers, trusting that Jesus will act. Jesus “plays a deaf ear” because he had discovered that woman’s faith and wanted to increase it. The faith of this woman is manifested, above all, in her humble insistence, highlighted by the words of the disciples: “Listen to her, she is coming behind screaming” (Mt 15:23). The silence of Jesus is the silence of God, sometimes it torments us. How many times have we complained about this silence? But the Canaanite prostrated herself, she gets on her knees. It is the posture of adoration, and by adoring Jesus, he manages to achieve the miracle. Jesus always expects us to fall down and ask in faith if that is his will.
This week some new parishioners have asked me about the sound in the church, and that it is somewhat difficult for them to hear, and if it is a technical problem; the truth is that it is a structural problem, it greatly affects the way the church was built. When we changed the sound system in November 2020, the technicians said that there is no more to do; Now, if someone has hearing problems, in the ushers’ room we have some small devices that receive the direct signal and they can put their headphones on and listen more easily; You can request these devices from the ushers and return them at the end of the Eucharist.
Last week the school teachers returned to their work and have already begun to prepare to receive the children for the new year, I welcome the new teachers and as a parish community we welcome them and pray for them so that they have a great and blessed year. We also welcome the children who start classes next Wednesday the 23rd, and we will hear their enthusiasm and their games in the school hallways, as well as in the parish parking lot. I am especially grateful to those parishioners who, through their generosity, have donated scholarships so that low-income students can thus access a quality education at our school. God will reward you for your kind generosity.
Finally, I thank all those volunteers who have made the success of the festival possible. We made a great team, shepherd and sheep working together, this should encourage us moving forward. In particular, I not only see the economic gain of an activity, but also the spiritual gain that it must bring us; because we have all won, we are friends, we know each other better, we have shared as a family and we have proven that as a parish we are capable of doing and reaching whatever we want. I also thank many who with their companies sponsored the festival, may God multiply your donations. Thank you for your effort and for supporting me as your pastor, thank you to everyone who gave a little of themselves to make this third festival a success and I hope the next one will be much better. Remember when we are united we are stronger.
May the Queen of Apostles continue to guide and bless us and lead us deeper, as Jesus tells us in his gospel.
God bless you.
