FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK
Dear Beloved St. Mary’s Parishioners,
We fear many things, don’t we? We worry about our families, our health, politics, the list is endless. Each day can seem to bring us new challenges, to the point it is difficult to breathe. To all with heavy hearts, St. Paul speaks directly to us in our Second Reading this Sunday. Hear it again in all its power: “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Cf. Philippians 4:6- 7). He commands us to have no “anxiety” at all. These words are coming from a man who has experienced tremendous suffering in his life. He was beaten numerous times to the point of nearly dying. He was shipwrecked, homeless, starving, arrested, and rejected by his friends and family. If anything, St. Paul had every reason to feel anxious. Yet, he tells us boldly, “Have no anxiety at all….”
The “peace of God” of which he speaks is supernatural. It cannot be conjured up from thin air or acquired by simply thinking positive thoughts. Rather, the “peace” at offer to us comes directly from an encounter with the risen Jesus Christ. The entire Christian life is built upon this. The Christian is one who places all hope and trust in the hands of Our Lord. Nothing else. This peace can only come through a deep, daily prayer life. St. Therese of Lisieux, the famous 19th century French Carmelite nun summed up prayer this way: “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven; it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trail and joy.” She entrusts the core, the heart of her very being, towards heaven. She gives God everything, even her pain. As we begin to pray in this trusting way, our relationship with God is strengthened and solidified like concrete, rebarred with the Holy Spirit.
The more we pray in this trust, the more we will see our love begin to grow. This must be a daily endeavor of the Christian. I must ask, do you pray every day from the heart? Remember, when I say the word “heart”, I am using a biblical notion of the word. In English, heart can simply mean fuzzy feelings. In Hebrew, “heart” is translated as “leb.” It means the innermost core of the human person. It’s much more intense. From this heart, the Christian prays. St. Teresa of Avila, another spiritual giant, put it this way, “prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us. The important thing is not to think much but to love much and so do that which best stirs you to love.” That is why, starting this weekend, we’re adding another opportunity to grow in love. From this point forward, I want to provide an opportunity to pray together with one of the most potent, and strongest spiritual weapons given to us – the holy rosary. Each Sunday at 9:30am in English and 11:30am in Spanish, we lift up our hearts to the Lord with a Family rosary. After all, our parish is named after the Blessed Mother. I want us to be known as a powerhouse of prayer.
A Slave of Jesus Christ,
Fr. Brian J. Soliven
