Parish Blog

Dear Parishioners, If we wish to follow Christ and find salvation we must learn to carry our cross. This is what Jesus spoke to his disciples about today in the Gospel. What is our own experience of suffering like? What thoughts come to mind when we say the word “cross”?

Christianity is about love, but charity and the cross are inseparable. The language of love is the cross. The cross is always a blessing. The cross transforms us and enriches us. It makes our life more human and profound because it teaches us to love and understand our neighbors.

Dear Parishioners,

Discipleship begins when Christ encounters you and calls you to metanoia—a profound change of mind and heart—so that your life becomes closely following Christ and staying in communion. In the Gospels, to follow is not merely “going with,” but “walking behind” the One who leads. The way is narrow: you must deny yourself, take up your cross, and accept love’s sacrifices. We must expect hardship; our faith will be tested, and Christ may ask, “Do you also want to leave?” (John 6:67)

Dear Parishioners,

Many of you remember the parish mission that Father Ricardo Pineda did for our parish about five years ago. He had a tremendous and long-lasting impact on our parish.

We are most blessed that Father Ricardo is returning to our parish for another mission. Father Pineda’s Adoration and Mission conference will be held from Sunday through Thursday, August 23-27 at Historic St. Mary’s. There will be confessions and adoration each day as well.

Dear Parish Family,

As we begin a new school year, I want to thank all those who support St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic School. Whether you have children enrolled or simply offer your prayers and encouragement, you are an important part of this ministry. Catholic education is a mission of our entire parish as we work together to form young people who know, love, and serve Jesus Christ.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In our Second Reading for today, St. Paul writes with startling confidence: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ?” He then lists hardships that can feel overwhelming—“tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword.” And yet the Apostle does not end in despair. He adds, “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us,” and he finishes with an even greater assurance: “neither death nor life… nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35, 37-39)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In today’s Gospel, Jesus touches our most human concerns through three comparisons: the treasure, the pearl, and the net, as if to tell us that it would be the height of folly not to choose the best when it is within our reach. What is most valuable is the happiness we will have in heaven forever!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Jesus teaches that God’s kingdom resembles a farmer who plants good seed, only to have an enemy sow weeds among the wheat. When the servants ask to pull up the weeds, the farmer refuses, fearing they’ll uproot the wheat as well, and instead commands that both grow together until harvest, when the weeds will be burned and the wheat gathered into the barn. (Matt 13: 24-43)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Last week, I presented a brief teaching on the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity— because they “inform all the moral virtues and give life to them.” (CCC,1841)

The Church teaches that these virtues are not merely human motivation. They are “infused by God into the souls of the faithful,” so that we can act as God’s children and “merit eternal life.” (CCC,1813)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In the life of faith, there are gifts that do not simply help us “manage” the spiritual journey—they guide it. St. Paul teaches that faith, hope, and love abide, and that “the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13:13). Pope St. John Paul II describes these virtues “like three stars” that rise in the sky of our spiritual life to lead us to God, forming a “triptych” whose apex is love (agape). (Pope St. John Paul II’s General Audience, Nov 22, 2000)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the United States—a moment to give thanks, to remember, and to ask God for renewed moral clarity. The Church’s prayer for our nation begins by placing every civic good under divine truth: “open our hearts to the truth of his Gospel, that your peace may rule in our hearts and your justice guide our lives.” (Roman Missal, 3rd ed.) In this anniversary, we ask that the promise of liberty be lived not merely as a political idea, but as a responsibility rooted in God, human dignity, and the common good.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today, after choosing the twelve, Jesus sends them to preach and instructs them. He warns them about the persecution they may likely suffer and advises them on their attitude: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” (Mt 10:28)

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

Christ trusted His apostles to reveal and introduce “salvation” to all His people. He calls us in a personal way, awarding us redemption and conversion. Such tremendous gifts mandate sharing the Gospel throughout the world. A priest is called to be “servant, victim, brother, listener and friend.” (Terence Cardinal Cooke) Above all, a priest must be a good Father. Not everyone can carry out such a demanding task; nor is it a responsibility that can be easily mastered. Men are being called now, more than ever for the “the harvest is great.”

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

It is with great joy that we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through the consecrated bread, Jesus chooses to remain with us for all eternity, as he had so promised after the miracle of the multiplication of loaves. He delivered on that promise on the evening of Holy Thursday. In every tabernacle in the world, Jesus Christ is present within the Eucharist, the very same Christ who suffered, died, and rose, for each one of us.