August 19, 2018
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saint Teresa of Calcutta once narrated how one day she visited an old people’s home in Sweden. It was sufficiently run. The food was good. The members of staff were well trained, and treated the elderly well. It seemed an ideal place in which to end ones’ day. There were about forty elderly people in the home. They seemed to have everything they wanted. Yet as she went around and she noticed that none of them smiled. She also noticed something else. They kept looking towards the door. She asked one the nurses why this
was so.
‘They are longing for someone to come to visit them,’ the nurse replied. They are always looking, and thinking, “Maybe my son,
maybe my daughter, maybe someone will come and visit me today.” But no one comes. It is the same every day.” ‘No one comes!’
The phrase haunted Saint Teresa so much that she had to do something about it.
We hunger for many things. However, only God can satisfy our deepest hungers. Today with our theme on Eucharistic
celebration or Banquet of the Eucharist, we hear again quarreling among the Jews, last Sunday still from Chapter six of John
Gospel, we heard them murmuring. Why? The reason is because Jesus publicly declares that “unless you eat the flesh of the Son
of Man and drinks His blood you do not have life within you.” This statement if it is taken literally can be misinterpreted. Here, John the Evangelist in his poetic or symbolic language is laying out the basic element that makes the Christian Eucharistic celebration nourishing to our spiritual life.
In the Gospel, the theme is exclusively Eucharistic. The language shifts from eating and drinking, to flesh and blood. This shift
was very uncomfortable to the Jewish elders. ‘Flesh and blood’ is a Hebrew idiom for the whole person. So, in our celebration of the Word we are fed with the divine revelation; in the service of the Sacrament we are fed with flesh and blood of Christ,
(John 1:14).
Physical presence is a great need in our human life. We don’t realize this until a loved one is absent. Not all physical
presence produces the intimacy we long for in human life. People can be sitting side by side without being really present to one
another. On the other hand, they may be no communication verbally but are in deep communion with one another on a
spiritual level.
We believe that Jesus is present in the Eucharist. But He is not physically present. The mode of His presence is beyond our
understanding. We call this ‘the real presence’ because it is presence in the fullest sense. To receive the gift of the Eucharist
is to receive the Lord Himself. Of, course this requires faith. As we hear in John 6:47, “Amen, amen I say to you, whoever
believes has eternal life.” In the Eucharist Jesus comes to us personally as though each of us was the only person in the world at that moment. We are able to enter a deeper intimacy with Him. We are not just in communication with Him, but in communion with Him in the Holy Communion. The Eucharist enables us to grow in intimacy and friendship with our Lord provided we receive Him worthily like Saint Paul puts it, He who receives Him worthily receives, receives eternal but He who receives Him unworthily receive condemnation.
Take a look around our world today, how modern life has created serious problem with the real presence of our Lord Jesus in our lives. Apart from the fact that our world has become a global village, they are many who longing for the real presence and a
physical presence of a dear one in their lives. No WIFI, no GPS, BLUETOOTH, no SKYPE, nor WhatsApp video call can satisfy inner longing except we find time to deepen that intimacy with our Lord in the Eucharist. It is from here that we are animated to love one another and to build up a true Eucharistic Community.
Thank you from Sr. Xaverian
“I would like to thank Fr Tony, Fr Felino, Fr Fares and the entire parish Community for your warm
welcome to me this past weekend. It was a great opportunity for me to be in your parish. I felt at home with
the people at all the Masses. They were wonderful and awesome. May the good Lord continue to bless you all for your generosity towards the Mission Appeal last weekend.”
Pastor Fr. Tony, MSP
Collection: The collection for last Sunday, August 12, 2018 was $ 3,470
Second collection: Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit Appeal ($ 1,535)
Next Sunday the 2nd collection will be our monthly Church Property Insurance Collection.
Our 2018 Cardinal’s Annual Stewardship Appeal Update
Pledged: $27,842 (68% of goal)
Goal: $41,000 (We need $13,158 to reach our goal!)
Families/Parishioners Participating Today: 100 – Our Goal: 194
Now is the time to make your pledge TODAY!
Today’s Focus: Using What We Have:
The actions of eating and drinking at the Eucharist are the same as we use we daily. But
Eucharist calls us to a deeper, more engaged eating and drinking.
Living and Praying with the world:
How holy is this feast, in which Christ is truly our food, in which we recall His passion and
and receive a promise.
Food Collection: Next Sunday August 26, 2018 we will have monthly food collection for needed in our community. Please remember we only collect non perishable items. Once again for your
generosity.
Workshop Training
There will be a training for those who are interested in serving as
-Lector
-Extraordinary minister of the Holy Communion on Friday, August 31, 2018 at 7:00pm in our Chapel.
Registration for 2018-2019 Religious Education Program is on going since June 2018 if you still need to register your child there is still time these are the dates to come in and register July 23 to July 30 and in August 4th, 20th and the 27th. New parents to the program need to bring their child's birth certificate and a copy of the baptismal certificate. There will be a fee of $25.00 per child at the time of registration for both returning parents and new parents to the program which is non-refundable.
Our religious Education Program is on Saturday mornings from 9:20 am to 11:00 am.
Registration Fees are as follows:
Registration for one child is $100.00
Registration for two children is $ 175.00
Registration for three or four children is $ 200.00
If your child will be receiving one of the following Sacraments the fees are as follows:
Holy Communion fee is $80.00 per child
Confirmation fee is $100.00 per child
Mass Schedule for the week of
August 19, 2018 to August 26, 2018
Mass are daily at 8:15 and 12:05 in English and in Spanish on Thursdays at 7:00pm
Below are the Special Intentions for this week
Sunday August 19, 2018:
7:30 am For the Parishioners
9:00 am-Juaquim Neto Eduardo & Esther Rodrigues
11:00 am-Maria & Antao Eduardo & Esther Rodrigues
Monday August 20, 2018:
8:15-Juanquin Neto Maria Delfino & Family
Wednesday August 22, 2018:
12:05 pm Kathleen Shaw Joan Murphy
Thursday August 23, 2018:
12:05 pm Pasqual Obama & Family Francisco & Claudia Dougan
Friday August 24, 2018:
12:05 pm Mary & Joseph Haggerty Bob & Chirs Naggerty
Saturday August 25, 2018:
12:05 pm Sister Maria Divine Mercy 0, Carm
5pm J. Anthony & Elizabeth Anthony Mr. & Mrs. Michael Anthony
7:30 pm Luis Rayon & Francisca Viviana Rayon
Sunday August 26, 2018:
7:30 am –For the Parishioners
9:00 am-In Thanksgiving for the Holy Spirit Ana Linares
11:00 am– Esther & Jose Duarte Esther & Eduardo Rodrigues