Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 14, 2013
Praised be Jesus Christ! As the deadlines dictate, this is the first message I am writing to you after my First Sunday here at our beloved St. Paul the Apostle. May I express sincere gratitude to all of you who welcomed me so warmly in the charity of Christ. I am deeply grateful to all those who prepared such lovely receptions for me to meet you after each Mass. We are grateful to our friends, neighbors and parishioners at the Milleridge Inn who donated all the danish. (May God reward each and every one of you)! You will be happy to know that all the left-over goodies were brought to Queen of Peace Residence of the Little Sisters of the Poor (where I lived for thirteen years) and your kindness brought much happiness to the dear elderly who are there. Mother Celine Therese is deeply grateful and assures the parishioners of St. Paul that they are daily remembered in the prayers of the Little Sisters of the Poor. It is my hope that you will all come to know and love the Little Sisters of the Poor. After all, we always love our old friends and new friends to meet and become friends.
The month of July is the month of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Just as we can truly say that had it not been for the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776) we would not be here so we may also say had it not been for the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord we would not be here at Holy Mass today. Our Lord’s Most Precious Blood, shed for love of us sinners, is the very reason why we are here, why we have the hope of heaven, and why we have been redeemed. And just as many may forget the privileges that our American citizenship has brought to us, so many may forget that true freedom from sin that Our Lord’s Most Precious Blood has brought us. Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.
I have been so inspired in my short time here with your devotion and love for Our Lord and His Blessed Mother that I have seen so beautifully exemplified. May I express sincere gratitude to all of you and our dear Marianist Fathers and Brothers who for so long have been not visitors here but an integral part of our parish family. Their dedicated and selfless service, so much of it unseen, is deeply appreciated. May God bless and reward them and give many more vocations to their wonderful congregation.
May God bless all of you and may The Virgin Mary bless us all with her divine Child. In Latin we express that thought as:
Benedicat Virgo Maria!
In Jesus and Mary,
Monsignor Pereda