Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

    “In the Name of….” We know the rest but so often, we are unaware of what these few words signify as we invoke the Holy Name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Shakespeare asks the question in one of his plays: “What’s in a name?” And from a biblical perspective, especially Hebrew, there is a lot to be said.  For the ancient Hebrews a name was quite a bit more than just a means to identify a person ,i.e. Tom, Dick or Harry, rather it was a revelation of the essence of a unique human being or of God Himself.

    “What am I to tell the people of Israel?” asks Moses in the presence of the burning bush (a physical manifestation of the Presence of God).  The Lord reveals the Sacred Name, “I Am that I Am”, YHWH. Though mystical, mysterious it is nonetheless revealing, from it we may conclude that God has no beginning and no end.  That is quite enough for us to meditate on.  However, in the course of time, God continues to enlighten us about Who He is: “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him,” and, “I, and the Father will send you the Advocate, the Holy Spirit…”.

     Indeed how privileged we are to know Who God is, in spite of our puny minds, and His constant drawing us into the familial relationship of the Three Divine Persons.  A simple meditation on this Mystery can overwhelm our circuitry but what consolation we receive knowing that God loves us so much that He wants us to enter into the joy of the Most Holy Trinity.  

    On Monday, we commemorate those who have served our nation in the armed forces, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and also pray for all our departed loved ones.  Weather permitting Holy Mass will be offered in St. John’s cemetery at 9am.  In case of inclemency, we will move to St. Mary Magdalen Church.

With Blessings,

Father Langan