As we enter the month of July, I hope and pray you can have a wonderful time with your family and friends. We have been through some hot weather already, but it’s a joy to experience and enjoy the time outside. You can see that my dog Blaise knows what to do. I filled up one of those tiny pools and he just plopped right in and stayed there a while. This month of July, let’s try to slow down and enjoy the long, warm days God gives us!
Always Forward. Every time we get to July 1, we encounter St. Junipero Serra, who lived by one of my favorite mottos: “Always Forward, Never Back.” This way of living gives me so much hope! So often the enemy wants us to pay the most attention to the sins of our past. But God wants us to pay the most attention to the grace of the day and what lies ahead. With God’s abundant grace we can do this.
Pray for peace. As we celebrated the 4th of July this past week, it is a good time to truly pray for our country and for the world. I know peace is lacking as there is unrest throughout the world. This weekend, we pray in the psalm “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.” It is hard to pray and live this psalm when many areas of the earth are at war with each other. When there is war there is no joy, no peace. Mother Teresa said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” Our patron, St. Francis de Sales, reminds us how to live in these times…“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.” Here is a prayer that will help us turn to Jesus and our Blessed Mother, a great conduit of peace in our lives…
Prayer to Our Lady of Peace. O Loving God, your Son, Jesus Christ, came into the world to do your Will and leave us His Peace. Through the intercession and example of our Blessed Mother Mary, Queen of Peace, grant us the wisdom and humility to reflect that peace to the world. Inspire our thoughts, words and deeds to bear witness to your presence in our hearts. May your Holy Spirit fill us with every grace and blessing so that we may pursue what leads to peace for all humanity. Amen.
God’s peace and joy be with you,
Fr. Jeremy
PS See you at the Mass on the Water next weekend at 11:00 a.m. at the Tudor House. Peace!
