Parish Blog

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I'm excited to share some updates about the wonderful things happening at our parish school. St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church and School are committed to continue to grow and enhance our community for the benefit of our students, staff, families, and parishioners.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On Friday around 6:00pm, we returned from our pilgrimage to Greece and the Greek Isles, following in the footsteps of St. Paul. There were so many highlights and blessings over the 11 days that it is difficult to reflect upon them and process them: Athens and the Acropolis; Mars Hill; Corinth; Ephesus; The House of the Virgin Mary; the island of Patmos; the monastery of St. John; the islands of Crete and Santorini; the hanging monasteries of Meteora; and Thessaloniki. It was truly an amazing experience to see the wonders of God’s creation and reflect upon St. Paul’s journeys and ministry as he was used of God to establish the early Church.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

October 11th is the one-year anniversary of my open-heart surgery. It's hard to believe that one year has gone by since that major event in my life. I want you to know that I'm ever so grateful for your prayers and support over this past year. I feel good, I'm back exercising again. I can ride my bike. I can go to the gym. I feel very healthy. All the same, a major milestone like this is an opportunity to reflect on the many graces that God has given me through this experience.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In this Gospel passage we are confronted by a different outcome experienced by two men: a bad rich man and a good poor man. Riches are not evil in themselves, nor is poverty itself good, but rather the way of living as a wealthy person or as a poor person, since there are good and bad ways of being both rich and poor.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today's readings are a wake-up call to our conscience, as we encouraged to place temporal goods in their proper place and use them intelligently. There are people who make material wealth the main motive behind their activities and even their life; that's all they think about. They make money into an idol on whose altar they sacri ce their values, their family, their own health.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As most of you know, Mary Ellen Jackson, our Director of Religious Education is retiring in December after many years of service to our parish. Accordingly, we are currently seeking a qualified, faith-filled individual to serve as our next Director of Religious Education (DRE). This is a vital leadership role in our parish, responsible for overseeing the formation of children and adults in the Catholic faith.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This weekend we heard one of the most severe and clear Gospel passages. Christ doesn't beat around the bush, but from the first moment he states the conditions for following him. People were surprised to hear such words from Christ, yet the evangelist tells us that his followers were many. For Christ the quality of his followers is more important than the quantity. That is why many walked away after hearing these demands. They were afraid.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today, Jesus prays and then teaches his disciples how to pray. We would do well to pay great attention to what his attitude teaches us. Quite often, Jesus Christ feels the need to meet face-to-face with his Father. In his Gospel, Luke emphasizes this point.

What were Jesus and God the Father talking about that day? We do not know. On the other hand, somewhere else, we have located a fragment of a conversation between his Father and Himself. It was when He was baptized in the Jordan River, and He was in prayer, “And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’” (Lk 3:22). This is an intermission in a tenderly affectionate dialogue.

Dear Parishioners,

Today we clearly see a Jesus that is fully divine and fully human: He is tired of his journey and lets this family He loves so much welcome Him into their home in Bethany. He takes this moment to show us “what matters the most.”

Dear Parishioners,

A teacher of the law approaches Jesus and asks him a question: “What must I do to gain eternal life?” This question, whether we like it or not, is always in the back of our minds. We know well that one day we are going to die and that after this life, eternal life awaits us: eternity with God or eternity apart from Him. But what must we do to attain eternity with God?

Dear Parishioners,

Our Catholic School students are given incentives to do a lot of reading during their summer vacation. It’s a good idea for faithful Catholics to do summer reading as well. Here are some suggestions: What do you really believe about hell? Do you believe it exists, or do you think that God is too merciful to send anyone to hell? I heartily recommend that all Catholics read The Hell There Is: An Exploration of an Often-Rejected Doctrine of the Church, by Msgr. Charles Pope. Msgr. Pope has stated that “Of all the theological errors commonly held today, the most popular is surely the denial of the doctrine of hell.” In a brief and compelling manner, Msgr. Pope clearly presents “The Hell there is.” A must read. Available from catholichomeandchurch.com.