October 12-13

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

     Have you a list of people you would like to meet and chat with when you get to Heaven?  -I certainly do.  And one of them is the young fellow who inquires of our Lord how to get to Heaven.  He has just encountered the God Who created him and Who is the source of all his good fortune but his attachment prevented him from dropping all and following Jesus.  You can almost hear the joyfulness in his question and then his mood becomes sullen because he cannot detach from his possessions.  How sad in deed but how prevalent in our own day and age.  This certainly is the reason why there are so few vocations to the Priesthood these days.

      I could not have imagined when I was ordained 47 years ago the number of good people, children and adults who have become a part of my life.  So when our Lord informs His disciples about the real “riches” they will receive because they have given up a personal family and property it is not an empty promise.  My only regret is that there is not enough time to keep in contact with all those who have blessed me on my journey.  The hope and joy of Heaven will be to enjoy them all again for eternity.   I bet anything that the young man in today’s Gospel came to the realization that only Jesus Christ could provide the joy he longed for and at some point left everything for the Lord.  Would that many other young men and women would come to the same conclusion and find their happiness in HIM.

    Remember that this is Rosary month and that next Saturday we have our rally in Central Square and of course our Spaghetti Dinner featuring the beautiful baskets is also coming up.  Let’s have a tremendous showing for both.

With Blessings,

Father Langan

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

     Passing through Beach Lake one can see some ramshackled structures that at one time were abuzz with tourists, probably from the hot big city looking for a respite from the summer heat.  Now they quietly remind us of a more simple bucolic time when families could really enjoy being together and could relax without running to and fro. Nostalgic, no doubt, but also a time and place for contemplation, peaceful reflection and enjoyment of God’s beautiful creation.  Sadly, we have lost the appreciation for the quiet life. Now, in order to enjoy, we have to be in a constant state of movement.  Is it better? I think not.

     We are celebrating the 100th anniversary of St. Bernard’s Church in Beach Lake this weekend.  It was dedicated on the 24th of August, the feast day of St. Bernard, in 1924. Because of scheduling, we have chosen today for our festivities.  In the order of things 100 years does not seem to be so long but the rapid change in society and technology since WW II makes 1924 sound like the dark ages.  What was so dynamic about those early years was the practice of the Faith to the point that it necessitated the construction of a fitting House of God to accommodate the worship needs of Catholics in the area.  

     From our perspective we are indebted to those pioneers who sacrificed to build the first church in Beach Lake and to all those who, again by sacrifice and devotion, maintain the beauty of this lovely edifice to this very day.  The anniversary of a church building speaks of something more profound than wood and shingles.  It speaks of the power of Faith still vibrant in our area and above all we give thanks to God for the grace of our Faith in Him and in each other.

     Many parishioners have contributed in one way or another to prepare and bring this anniversary celebration to fruition.  As your pastor I am profoundly grateful for your selfless efforts and the good example you have set for the generations to come after us.  We pray that they will be instilled with your enthusiasm and devotion to your parish church.  May what we celebrate today by your kindness and generosity be the seed-ground for the next hundred years.

A Blessed Anniversary,

Father Langan

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Welcome autumn reveling in these halcyon days as we transition from one season to another. With the change of seasons, we anticipate darker days and  colder temps either happily or not depending upon  our perspective. Nonetheless, it is a time of change and we begin our preparations in a timely fashion.  The first thing to remind us about this time of year is the newly named Catholic Ministries Appeal, for mally known as the Diocesan, and prior to that, the  Bishop’s Appeal. This new emphasis concentrates on  all the good things that are able to be accomplished  by your generous and sacrificial gifts. Every year we  have met our goals and even surpassed it, and I trust  we will be able to once again meet the challenge. 

Transition is also the point of the Scripture Readings  for this Sunday. Up until this time Our Lord has been  preaching the Good News of the Kingdom of God,  evidenced by the many healings and miracles that He  performed. But now, He begins to prepare His disciples for the ultimate reason of His Presence among  us, and that is the Cross and Resurrection which  effect the conquering of death and the forgiveness of  sins. For many this is a much more difficult transition  to handle, but without this Divine Action we would  still be stuck in darkness and despair.  

Tomorrow is the feast of St. Padre Pio, a beloved saint  of our own time, and this afternoon at 2:30PM we  will conduct our final for-the-season Prayer Group.  All are invited. 

Our special thanks to the men of the Knights of  Columbus who prepared and served an excellent  breakfast for the beginning of our Faith Formation  Program. I highly encourage and recommend the  men of our parish to consider joining the Knights.  You will not regret it. 

Please remember that next Sunday is the 100th anniversary of St. Bernard’s Church. Bishop Bambera will  be celebrating Mass Sunday at 10:30AM there. There  

will NOT be a 4:00PM Mass on Saturday next week  and No Mass at St. John’s at 10:30AM on Sunday. We  hope all will make an effort to participate at St. Bernard’s. 

With Blessings,

Father Langan