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MOST HOLY TRINITY SUNDAY   May 27, 2018

5/27/2018

 
From the Pastor
May 27, 2018
MOST HOLY TRINITY SUNDAY

ST. PHILIP NERI: On Saturday May 26th the Church keeps the liturgical commemoration of St. Philip Neri.  Interestingly, it will be kept on the Saturday before Memorial Day (observed) when we pray for the members of the armed forces, our soldiers.  St. Philip who died on May 26, 1595, was indeed a soldier also.  He was a soldier in the never ending battle against the world, the flesh and the devil.  And his weapon in this war was penance.

St. Philip died on a Wednesday evening in Rome, the Vigil of Corpus Christi.  Had he lived until Saturday of that week he would have attained the great age of 80.  And all but the first eighteen years of that long life were spent in the City of Rome.  Although a Florentine by birth, he is called the Apostle of Rome, the City he had vowed never to leave.

It is said of the Emperor Augustus that he found Rome made of brick and left it marble.  The same could be said of St. Philip in the spiritual sense.  For he found a decadent Rome far from God and converted it into a paradise.  He did so not with brick and mortar but with kindness and humility.  He was called in his own life time Pippo Buono, Phil the Good. 

Philip arrived in Rome at the age of 18 and was ordained a priest in the Church of St. Bartholomew at the age of 36, eighteen years after his arrival in the City.  On the eve of his first Pentecost in Rome he prayed at the catacombs of St. Sebastian for the entire night.  During the night a visible flame descended and entered into his body.  Throughout his whole life that flame burned within him – the flame of charity.  To be in his presence was to feel a warmth and goodness.

When the Prince Paolo Massimo died at the age of 12 on March 16, 1588, Philip raised him from the dead by simply touching the child.  To this day, the Massimo family opens their home every March 16th and invites the poor to dine with them. Any priest may enter the chapel and say Mass there. While I was a student in Rome many years ago I offered Mass in the chapel and the prince himself served as the acolyte. (It is a long story for another time, but during the Mass parts of the ancient ceiling began to fall around the altar!)  I tried to finish the Mass very quickly that day, celebrating Mass in Latin and preaching in Italian. Interestingly, Father Elias and his parents were present at that Mass.  They were also present at our Golf Outing Dinner on May 7th of this year.

Philip was three times asked to accept the dignity of being a bishop, and three times refused in humility.  He eschewed all civil and Church honors. When one of his early followers Cesario Baronio received his doctorate in canon law (the J.C.D.) Philip made him tear up the diploma and with it line the bed of the many cats who came to the Church of San Giralomo della Carità.  Thus did he teach Baronio of the vanity of worldly learning and the enduring treasure of humility.  When offered any honors, Philip simply responded Preferisco il Paradiso! (I prefer Heaven).

Philip founded the Oratory, a religious congregation in the Church.  The great Cardinal Newman was an Oratorian and there is an Oratory at the Church of St. Boniface in Brooklyn. Philip used music to evangelize the young people of Rome and the musical form that he founded is called the oratorio.

Philip’s devotion while celebrating Holy Mass was so great that he would often go into a trance and be unable to continue for several hours.  The little altar server would extinguish the candles and go for something to eat and then return to the Mass.  Soon Philip began to levitate during Mass and the Pope forbade him to offer Mass in public.  The pope prudently, if not understatedly, said that it would be distracting to the faithful at Mass.

Philip never trusted himself and each day prayed to God: Beware, O Lord, for today Philip will betray you unless you help him!

St. Philip’s picture and relic are in our Daily Mass Chapel.  May St. Philip ever guide and protect us.  From heaven he asks the question he always did on earth: When shall we have a mind to begin to do good?

MEMORIAL DAY: This weekend we observe Memorial Day when we pray for and thank God for the service of those in the armed forces of our nation. The day began as a day when the graves of our fallen soldiers would be adorned with spring flowers.  Thus the original name of the holiday, Decoration Day.  (My good father always called the holiday “Decoration Day” until the day of his death 25 years ago.  But he also called any sound system the “Victrola.”)  May God bless my fellow veterans and all who have served in the armed forces of our nation.

ANNUAL COMMUNION BREAKFAST: Last Sunday Our Knights of Columbus Council and Marian Guild sponsored our annual communion breakfast.  This is always a most pleasant occasion when we get to greet our fellow parishioners and enjoy a delicious breakfast.  Our guest speaker for the breakfast was Monsignor James McDonald, the pastor of St. Aidan’s in Williston Park . He gave a most uplifting talk for our edification. 

ST. RITA: Last Tuesday May 22nd was the Feast of Saint Rita of Cascia, the saint of the Impossible. She has worked innumerable miracles for her clients. I would encourage all of you to pray to her unceasingly. Over  thirty years ago a wonderful gentleman whom I had befriended while I was living and studying in Rome and his son (Andrea and Carlo respectively) drove me the great distance from Rome to St. Rita’s shrine in Cascia (I had no use of a car while I was a student in Rome).  The father Andrea had been miraculously spared when he was in a terrible car accident at the age of 17.  He attributed the saving of his life to St. Rita and every year went to her shrine on her feast to thank her.  How well I remember being with them that day many years ago.  I even remember stopping for pranzo with them in the city of Norcia and eating delicious trout that had just been caught and had been roasted in aluminum foil.  Sadly I have lost contact with Andrea and presume God has called him home where he may be with St. Rita forever. Ever since that day, I have been a devoted client of St. Rita, and my mother, although her baptismal name was Marie, was known as Rita. It is she who also instilled into me a love of St. Rita, the Saint of the Impossible.

In Jesus and Mary,


May 20, 2018 - Pentecost Sunday

5/20/2018

 
From the Pastor
May 20, 2018 - Pentecost Sunday

COME HOLY SPIRIT

PENTECOST:  Today we celebrate the glorious Solemnity of Pentecost which brings the Easter mystery to a glorious finale.  The Holy Spirit is poured forth upon the earth.

O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth:
You are everywhere present and fill all things.
Treasury of Blessings and Giver of Life, come and dwell within us,
Cleanse us of all stain, and save our souls,
O Gracious Lord!

The first Book of the Holy Bible tells us of the origin of the different languages of the human race.  In their pride the ancients built the Tower of Babel as if to show they were greater than God Himself.  God Our Lord scatters the proud in the imagination of their hearts and Himself came down from heaven to confuse their tongues.  The very opposite occurs at Pentecost when God the Holy Spirit distributed the tongues of fire and called all men to unity of speech.  Therefore today with one voice let us praise God the Holy Spirit.

CORPUS CHRISTI SUNDAY: Sunday June 3rd is Corpus Christi Sunday.  After the 11.00AM Mass we will have the Procession with the Blessed Eucharist.  All the First Communion Children are invited to come to Mass and be in the procession wearing their Communion outfits. Please make every effort to attend this which will be so pleasing to God.

Come Holy Spirit, Creator, Come
From thy bright heavenly throne!
Come, take possession of our souls,
And make them all thine own!

DEACON RAY: We congratulate Deacon Ray who celebrated the tenth anniversary of his ordination to the diaconate in Christ last Thursday, May 14, 2018.  We pray God will give him many more years in health and happiness as he serves so faithfully at St. Paul’s.

MARIAN GUILD AND KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS MASS AND COMMUNION BREAKFAST: Today, Sunday, May 20th there will be the Marian Guild and Knights of Columbus Communion Breakfast.  The members of the Guild and the Knights of Columbus who are so devoted to the parish, will attend the 9.30 Mass.  Afterwards there will be breakfast in Monsignor Costa Hall.  Our guest speaker at the Communion Breakfast will be Monsignor James M. McDonald, the Pastor of St. Aidan in Williston Park.  Please make every effort to attend the Mass and breakfast and to welcome Monsignor McDonald. May will be a beautiful month at St. Paul’s both in the supernatural and natural order.

In Jesus and Mary,
Monsignor James F. Pereda

May 13th, 2018

5/13/2018

 
 From the Pastor
May 13, 2018
Seventh Sunday of Easter

THE EFFECTS OF GRACE UPON SOUL AND BODY

Dear Parishioners of Our Beloved St. Paul:

Christ is risen!  He is truly risen! Praised be Jesus Christ and Mary His Most Holy Mother!

Mother’s Day:  Today is Mother’s day.  May God bless and reward all the mothers in our parish.  A mother gives of herself completely to her family and very often in unnoticed and unseen ways.  The only one of the Ten Commandments which has a blessing attached to it is the Fourth Commandment – Honor thy father and thy mother.

A mother is a person who receives a child into her own flesh, providing for him the stuff of his own body.  And yet, the Christian mother is called to more: to receive the child in Christ’s name.

So many of the saints of the Church were mothers who exemplified the beatitudes.  St. Elizabeth of Portugal was a peace maker.  She rode out between the warring armies of her husband and son and restored peace.  St. Matilda meekly removed herself from her own home rather than stir up her son’s anger. St. Margaret Clitherow, on the eve of her brutal martyrdom, sent her shoes to her daughter with the clear message, follow my path. St. Monica relentlessly prayed for her son St. Augustine to return to the Church.  Augustine wrote in his Confessions, “She wept more for me than mothers weep over their children’s dead bodies.” May these saints who were mothers ever intercede for our dear mothers!

Please be sure to enroll your mothers in the Mother’s Day Novena of Masses.

Marian Guild and Knights of Columbus Communion Breakfast: Sunday, May 20th will be the Marian Guild Communion Breakfast.  The members of the guild and the knights, who are so devoted to the parish, will attend the 9.30 Mass.  Afterwards there will be breakfast in Monsignor Costa Hall.  Our guest speak is Monsignor James M. McDonald the Pastor of St. Aidan, Williston Park.

Days of Grace: The days between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday are among the most holy of the Church’s Year of Grace. They are the days which, in fact, constituted the first novena ever prayed in the Church.

The Apostles gathered with our Blessed Mother, who is also Mother of the Church, from Ascension Day until Pentecost.  Our Lady consoled them on the physical absence of our Risen Savior.  At the end of the nine days the Holy Spirit was poured forth upon the earth to bring it to life with warmth and grace.  The Holy Spirit is the Sanctifier and renews the face of the earth.

Francisca Javiera del Vale was a Mexican laywoman who died in Mexico City during the 1950’s.  After her death her profound and mystical writings were discovered.  Speaking of the Holy Spirit, she wrote, You must make a firm resolution to beg the Holy Spirit to come into your soul and to live an interior life.  Do not ask how much this will cost you, but rather ask how much it is worth. This has always been the case.  What is worth a lot costs a lot. And what is the effort we put into knowing ourselves. When we compare it with the great benefit that we derive from it?

Beg the Holy Spirit to come into your souls and there remain forever.  Grace is the very life of God in which we share.  We speak of being in the state of grace.  That means we are living as friends of God and have not snuffed out his life of grace through mortal sin. Grace obviously disposes us to receive even more graces.  But it also has physical effects.
The great French missionary Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre did incomparable work in bringing the native peoples of Africa to the faith.  He often remarked that when a village’s people had accepted baptism there was a completely different atmosphere.  The village was cleaner, more serene, less noisy, and filled with peace and order.  So it is also for individuals.  The life of grace brings a calm, serenity, and health.  It softens the features and makes one look radiant.  That is why those hardened in sin appear so unhappy and coarse.  In an area where large numbers of the unbaptized live, there is a coarseness and meanness in the atmosphere.

Golf and Tennis Outing and Awards Dinner: Monday, May 7th was our second annual Golf and Tennis Outing and Awards Dinner at the Nassau Club.  I am particularly grateful to the Knights of Columbus who first proposed such an endeavor for our parish and to the Committee which has worked so diligently and selflessly to bring this wonderful event to fruition. Our Committee members are Don Cavanaugh (chair), Anne Maione, James and Jill Galante, Tom Principe, Chris Hein, and Paula Maturo. This dedicated group of parishioners has been working and planning for this day for well over a year. They were joined by many others, too many to be named.

On behalf of the whole parish may I extend sincere best wishes and congratulations to our honorees this year. The Monsignor Mario C. Costa Award was given to John and Joanne Schmitt who have been so dedicated in their service to our parish for so many decades. Their example of Catholic family life and devotion has been an inspiration. The Sister Regina Kraft Award was given to Brother Joseph Bellizzi, the principal of Chaminade High School and our own director of religious education (DRE).  This award is given particularly to those whose dedication to our parish has been expressed in serving the youth of the parish.  Brother Joe has done this in a heroic way.

It was a wonderful day and evening.  The day was picture perfect in regard to the weather.  The Chaminade Glee Club sang at the cocktail hour and Mr. Joe Namath, former quarterback of the New York Jets, surprised his former teammate Mr. Schmitt by spending the whole day with us.  He was most gracious to everyone and never tired of having pictures taken with all who wanted one.  It is a day we will always remember and I am most grateful to all of you for such a successful and beautiful occasion where we all came together as a parish family.

Come Holy Spirit, Creator, Come
From thy bright heavenly throne!
Come, take possession of our souls,
And make them all thine own!


In Jesus and Mary,
Monsignor James F. Pereda



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