Dear Brothers and Sisters in  Christ, 

Desperate people come to our  Lord in today’s Gospel, a distraught father and a long-suffering elderly person, the high and the low of society. Jesus, as the Divine Physician, brings healing to all. We sometimes forget that our Lord continues  His healing grace to this day, namely in the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Ever faithful to His Promise that: “I am with you always until the end of  time,” Jesus comes to those who come to Him for  both spiritual and physical healing. This consoling  Anointing has a two-fold purpose: the forgiveness of  sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation which is part  of the ritual and the hope for physical healing if it be  God’s will. Always there is the remission of sins, but  sometimes the Lord permits our suffering for a greater good that we have to discern through prayer. 

Even though we may not experience the satisfaction  of a physical healing there is the guarantee from the  Lord that He is with us to help us carry our cross  whatever it may be. When we surrender ourselves to  this truth, we begin to see the meaning and purpose  of suffering. It is certainly not that God is punishing  us. Did He after all punish his Son? Certainly not!  Rather, the suffering of Christ became redemptive  and so too may ours be when we offer it to God for  a particular purpose .i.e., the conversion of sinners.  Therefore, let no suffering be wasted, but let it be a  share in the redemptive work of Christ. 

With Blessings,

Father Langan 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

           We move from the still small voice of God speaking to Ezekiel in last week’s Reading from Kings to the power of Christ calming a violent storm that put the disciples on edge.  These same disciples had no idea what power could be exercised by Jesus but they nonetheless blame Him for  “sleeping” through the turmoil.  How often we too may have, ever so sheepishly, wondered where God is in times of distress or calamities?  Being overwhelmed causes us to forget that the Lord is with us always but we let our fear and distraction get the best of us.  That’s when we have to make the leap of Faith:” Lord I know You are here.”

There are a couple of ways that can help us remember the Presence of the Lord.  First, is making the sign of the Cross and invoking the Name of the Most Holy Trinity.  Secondly, very many wear and all should wear a Cross, or Miraculous Medal or a Scapular and clutch it when the anxiety rises in us.  Remember that these sacramentals are not just a decorative piece of jewelry but an expression of Faith and witness to It.

    Yes, there will always be storms, but the love of God has given us the means to call upon Him and be reassured of His abiding Presence even in the greatest challenges in life.

          Saturday and Sunday are momentous occasions for our Parish and in the life of Reverend William Asinari.  Henceforth he will be known as Father and the salvation of souls will be entrusted to his care in obedience to his Bishop.  Most people, I dare say, do not realize the magnitude of Ordination to the Holy Priesthood but when you attend and listen attentively to the ritual a greater understanding and appreciation of Holy Orders will become known to you.  Since we have the august privilege of hosting the Ordination we hope many will come to support Fr. Bill and the Priesthood in general.

With Blessings,

Father Langan

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

    By now, those of you who like to have a summer garden, be it flowers or vegetables, have planted your seeds and sprouts and are awaiting fruitful yield.  In today’s Scriptures we hear a lot about planting and waiting and subsequently the “surprise” that comes from patient waiting and cultivating.  We take our lesson from the natural cycle around us.  But we know that if the garden and the field are not well tended all of our efforts could be a flop!

   How much more than our souls and our spiritual life?  Our Faith reminds us that the interior life needs diligent attention and nourishment.  Our Lord provides for us with the Sacraments.  Each in its own way provides nourishment for the soul, most especially the Holy Eucharist. To disregard the grace and gifts that God offers us continually means that we will dry up and perish.  What then do we have to show for ourselves when we stand before the just judgement seat of the Lord?

   On Thursday, June 20th, our planning committee for the 100th anniversary of St. Bernard’s will meet at 6;30pm in the Church.

     Keep in mind and prayer Deacon WIlliam Asinari who will be ordained to the Holy Priesthood on June 29th at 10 AM in St. John’s Church.  This is a blessed day for our Parish.  Please make every effort to attend, as well the First Mass the next day at 10;30 AM.

With Blessings,

Father Langan

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

     The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Though the Feast has been commemorated this past Friday and The Immaculate Heart of Mary on Saturday we nonetheless continue our devotions and seek daily to conform our hearts to Theirs.  For millennia the heart has been considered to be the seat of our emotions, our thoughts and aspirations.  Only with modern science have we repositioned the proper source of where these metaphysical attributes lie.  But the heart will always remain the focus when it comes to love.  

     We contemplate the Divine Love that comes from Christ’s Heart.  Adorned with eternal flames and a crown of thorns we are mindful of both suffering and purifying endured by that Heart.  He suffered to purify us so that our hearts might be prepared for entrance into heaven.

    The Immaculate Heart, adorned similarly. evokes compassions, mercy and motherly tenderness directed to all of us.  What consolation that brings in the midst of a world grown cold and distance from God.  In fact it was for this very reason that Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and directed her to foster recognition and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  St. Padre Pio and many others have prayed this novena daily asking God to break through the most hardened hearts and avail themselves to the mercy of Christ.  Perhaps we can and should make that part of our prayer routine.

    As pastors and parishioners we extend our very best to those who are graduating this season.  May God strengthen you in living the Christian Faith, being resolute disciples of Jesus, and unafraid to profess your loyalty to Him.

With Blessings,

Father Langan

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

     Something wonderful is happening in our nation and something wonderful will happen come July 17th to the 21st!  I am referring to the National Eucharistic Congress that will take place in Indianapolis, Indiana this summer.  What has already happened is the beginning of four pilgrimages from the four compass points in the US that will converge on Indianapolis the day before the Congress.  Already we should be aware of what is going on by following on the website: Eucharisticcongress.org.  If not in person at least virtually we can participate in this great witness to our Faith especially in our belief in the Real Presence of Christ our Lord in the Holy Eucharist.

    Sadly, many of our brethren have lost their belief in what Jesus taught us particularly in John 16, the Bread of Life discourse and also a lack of belief in His promise: “I am with you unto the end of the world.”  Christ’s Eucharistic Presence among us is what gets us through the trials and difficulties of life.  He never promised that He would eliminate life’s challenges and disappointments but that He would be with us through them and assure us  that if we believe and remain faithful only good will come of it. Did not Good Friday bring us Easter Sunday? 

     This Sunday we celebrate Corpus Christi, the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.  We profess boldly the Real Presence in Christ in the Holy Eucharist, a mystery that will be completely understood when we get to Heaven.  And as that teenage apostle of the Holy Eucharist for our day and time, Carlos Acutis, said: “the Eucharist is our highway to heaven.”  Again, too many have abandoned this path and fallen on the wayside and it is only by our fervor witness that they may see the right road again and walk with us and HIM.

     Following our 10:30 Mass today we will process around St John’s Church, hopefully outside, to give evidence of our profound belief in the Holy Eucharist.  Even if you have attended a previous Mass this weekend I encourage you to join us and in solidarity with those who pilgrimage from coast to coast and north to south in giving witness to the truth that Christ is with us, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity now and forever.

       Remember also that at the end of this month we have the blessed and unique privilege of celebrating the Priesthood Ordination of Deacon WIlliam Asinari.  Mark your calendars for the Ordination on Saturday, June 29th at 10 Am; and Sunday June 30th for his First Mass at 10:30 Am .  Remember: ” No priest, no Eucharist”

      And we are now selling dinner tickets for the celebratory dinner at Lukan’s Farm Resort following the 100th Anniversary Mass at St. Bernard’s , Beach Lake, September 29th at 10:30 Am.  (there will not be Mass at St John’s that day).

With Blessings,

Father Langan

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

Dear Brothers and Sisters in  Christ, 

The Great 50 Days have come to an end with the celebration of  the Solemnity of Pentecost. In  ancient Israel the people came to  God with the sheaves of their first  

harvest in thankfulness to God. Later, as they grew in  greater understanding of God’s love and concern for  them, they celebrated the giving of the Law, the Torah,  

the first Five Books of Moses. This became a great  feast wherein they made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, as  they did for Passover (Pesach), again to celebrate the  blessings of God upon them. It is at this time that,  after the Ascension of Our Lord, the Mother of God,  The Apostles, and the disciples were gathered and  awaiting the promise of the Holy Spirit. 

The transformation to place from a huddled mass of  simple folk to a powerhouse of an evangelizing whirl wind. From timid to bold, from shy to on fire, they  who received the 7 fold gifts of the Holy Spirit could  not have imagined what God had in store for them.  By the hundreds, many were converted to Christ and  the Church flourished. Enlightened and emboldened  they left the comfort of the Upper Room to proclaim  the Good News–the Gospel to the world. 

How very much the world needs now a resurgence  of this Divine energy. The same Holy Spirit has come  upon us at our Confirmation. What is the difference?  Perhaps we are reluctant to cooperate with the grace  that the Holy Spirit brings. Grace needs a vessel in  which to operate and that vessel has to be free of  any impediments which would curtail the working of  grace. That is the crux of the problem today. Temerity, fear of rejection or offending, seems to be the  dam that prevents the flowing waters of the Spirit to  inundate the world. All of our recent pontiffs have  called for a new Pentecost and rightly so, but it can  only happen when we courageously open ourselves  to the power of the Holy Spirit and let Him lead us  where He wills. 

With Blessings,

Father Langan

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

    We are presently in the “in-between” days of the Church.  Our Lord Jesus has Ascended to the Father’s right hand and the infant Church has been weaned by Christ and like a fledgling bird is waiting to spread Its wings.  There is thunderous prayer arising from the Upper Room as Our Lady and the Apostles and disciples await the coming of the Advocate, the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit.  There is excitement and anxiety as they wonder: “what will the future bring?”  Who of us has not gone through the same?  Just think of the many new and future graduates struggling with the same emotions.

   But infused with this questioning and uncertainty is the power of prayer.  The Church’s first novena is underway.  And the confidence that comes from bringing all things to Christ, even our trepidations, assures us that the future, which is always in God’s hands, will be beyond our expectations.   Did Peter ever think that he would end up, both literally and physically in Rome?  Did Paul ever anticipate taking Europe by storm?  We learn from and imitate the trust that the Mother of God and the followers of Christ placed in the power of prayer and the confidence that God will bring to fruition His purpose.  All we need to do is cooperate.  In these nine days between Ascension and Pentecost may we prepare our hearts for renewal especially in greater reverence and devotion to Christ in the Holy Eucharist.  In a special way we pray for our children who next Saturday will receive Our Divine Lord for the first time.  May they and their parents and family be filled with zeal and steadfast faith in coming to Christ, the Bread of Life.

With Blessings,

Father Langan

Wednesday (Vigil) 5:30 St. Joseph’s, Rileyville

Thursday:

St. Mary Magdalen- 7:25 AM, 12:05 PM

St. Bernard’s, Beach Lake-5:30 PM