Par Excellence: This weekend is the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Jesus. There are seven Sacraments in the Catholic Church, but the Eucharist is considered “par excellence” because while in the other Sacraments Christ bestows His grace upon us, in the Eucharist it is Christ Himself that we receive. We are so blessed! Jesus gives His very life to us. In one of his talks, Jeff Cavins, a former Protestant turned Catholic, remarked how he would never leave the Catholic Church even if the music or preaching is better somewhere else because the Catholic Church has the Eucharist. Christ not only talks with us, but He offers His very Body to us.
Evangelion: Speaking of the Eucharist, this Tuesday, June 20, I am presenting a talk on Eucharistic Miracles to our young adult group, Evangelion. There have been many Eucharistic Miracles over the centuries—including several in the last 25 years. Why does God provide these miracles? My sense is that God deeply desires to bring everyone to believe and receive His Presence in the Eucharist—the Bread from heaven and the food of eternal life.
Father’s Day: Pope Francis spoke to fathers saying, “ I ask that you have the grace to be very close to your children, letting them grow, but being by their side. They need you, your presence, to be there, your love!” Thank you, fathers, for your presence and love for our families.
Vacation Bible School: This week is an exciting week of Vacation Bible School. The theme this year is Passport to Peru.
Safety: Area Church leaders are invited to attend a safety and security session this Thursday, June 22, at the Grand Blanc Township offices. I look forward to attending and learning more about how we can ensure safety on our campus.
Fr. Gary: Sad to even mention this, but next weekend, June 24-25, is Fr. Gary’s last weekend with us. It’s going to be hard to see him leave. I will write more about him next weekend ☺. Please don’t forget to stop by at his farewell reception on June 25 from 1 – 3 pm.
FaithFest: On Saturday, June 24, I am hoping to head to the St. Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt for the 2nd annual FaithFest. Last year more than 5,000 people attended and they are expecting more this year. Musical artists such as Jason Gray, Chris August, Brandon Heath and Sanctus Real will be performing. You can get tickets and find out more information at www.FaithFest.com.
Trish: We were hoping this would never happen, but one of our most beloved teachers, preschool teacher Trish DiFalco, has retired. She will be greatly missed. She combined a deep faith with a great love for her students. If you know of someone who would be interested in heading our preschool program, please let our principal, Mrs. Purcell, know.
Running: I am going to give the Crim Race another try. Fr. Gary seems to think I “faked” my stress fracture injury last year so I could get out of the race! If you are interested in training for the Crim or just want to join other parishioners in running, please attend the Holy Family running club. They meet at Kings Pointe on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm and Saturdays at 9 am. The cost is free. All ages and families are welcome.
Hope your flowers are blooming and you are enjoying the weather. Let’s keep one another in prayer.
With love and blessings,
Msgr. Jerry
“Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament. There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings and many other books.