Posted on July 19, 2021 View all News
Dear parishioners:
Today, the Gospel invites us to discover the importance of resting in the Lord. In last week’s Gospel, we heard about the moment when Jesus sends His disciples to evangelize. Today they return from the mission that Jesus gave them. They had cast out demons, cured the sick, and preached the Gospel. But, they were tired, and Jesus told them: “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mk 6:31).
One of the temptations to which any Christian can succumb is to want to do many things while neglecting to deal with the Lord. The Catechism recalls that, when it comes to praying, one of the greatest threats is to think that there are other more urgent things and, in this way, the relationship with God ends up being neglected. That is why Jesus tells His Apostles that they have worked hard, that they are exhausted and euphoric because everything has gone well for them, He asks them to rest. And, the Gospel points out, “they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place” (Mk 6:32). To pray well, at least two things are needed: the first is to be with Jesus because He is the person we will talk to. To make sure that we are with Him. That is why every prayer time begins, generally, and is the most difficult, with an act of God’s presence. Be conscious that we are with Him. And the second is the necessary solitude. If we want to talk to someone, have an intimate and deep conversation, we choose privacy.
For this reason, it is advisable to rest in Jesus after receiving Communion. After receiving the Body of Christ, it is best to be in silence for a while to regain strength by letting Jesus speak to us in the silence of our hearts. Sometimes, rather than explain-ing our projects to Him, it is convenient for Jesus to instruct and encourage us. So let’s find time to be with the Lord.
On a different topic, I announce that we have installed a new telephone system for the parish office That was the reason why last week there was no phone service for at least a day and a half, and many were not able to communicate with the office. We have changed the company, and the new plan offers better service for you and a more effective way to communicate with all the staff of the parish and myself. I apologize for the inconvenience caused.
A few days ago, someone approached me to ask when we could return the missals and the hymnals to the pews since the re-strictions have already ended, and they are right. We should already have them, but unfortunately, last year in Advent, we did not order missals, and ordering them today would be the exact cost, and we would only use them for four months; therefore, to save a little money, we will put them back at the end of November when the new liturgical year begins in Advent. So I ask for your understanding.
Finally, I thank all those who are already working so that the festival starts to take shape, to some members of the staff who are working overtime finalizing the details so that everything goes well, thank you. God bless you for that; at the same time, I do not get tired of encouraging you to participate as volunteers and to collaborate in the raffle, which I imagine you have al-ready received the tickets to participate. Thank you very much for your effort and help.
I hope you have a blessed week, and don’t forget to give God your best.
Fr. Alex
