Dear Friends in Christ,
Last weekend we celebrated the great feast of Corpus Christi. Our focus was on the Most Blessed Sacrament. Saint Alphonsus Liguori once said, “Good friends find pleasure in one another’s company. Let us know pleasure in the company of our best Friend, a Friend who can do everything for us, a friend who loves us beyond measure. Here in the Blessed Sacrament we can talk to him straight from the heart.” With the hot weather, it is not good for us to air condition the entire church, so the chapel will now be open every day for prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Please come and adore our Lord before His Real Presence. The benefits are so magnificent. A poll was taken amongst Catholics in the Philippines as to what they believe about the Most Blessed Sacrament. 97% of Filipinos believe that after transubstantiation, the bread and wine are truly the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ! This is compared to Catholics in the Church in the United Sates where about 30% believe this fact. It is no wonder that the Filipinos around the world have such great faith. Along with our dear Deacon Andy, we have so many Filipinos who are parishioners whom I love very much. Their love for the Blessed Sacrament and “Mama Mary” always inspires me. Every First Friday, we have a Mass at 7:00 PM in honor of the Sacred Heart followed by confessions and then prayers for hours until a Midnight Mass on the Frist Saturday to usher in devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is hosted by the Alliance of the Two Hearts whose roots are Filipino. Everyone is invited to these Masses and time for prayer. The more we spend time before the Real Presence, the deeper our faith will grow. Of course, we can pray anywhere, but it may seem more like speaking on the phone when not before the Sacrament. When we are in His Presence, we can feel His love. Another opportunity is a devotion called 2000 Hail Mary’s. All are invited to this as well. Watch for information in the bulletin or speak to Deacon Andy. I praise my dear Filipino friends every time I eat a good pancit! But even more importantly, this latest statistic about the Filipino’s belief in the Holy Presence does not surprise me and yet I can only admire such great faith. Pagpalain ka ng Diyos at siguraduhin ang aking pag-ibig!
God bless you,
Father Szolack