Just two weeks ago, Jesus spoke about the importance of going away by yourselves and resting so that you can be rejuvenated to continue the mission of sharing and spreading the gospel. God knows I’m not the best at this. To help me with this, I woke up Monday with a pretty bad sore throat which caused me to cancel my appointments and strive to live the gospel in a real way: by resting. While I did a good job on Monday, by Tuesday it was challenging. But it did give me a great chance to enter into the Eucharistic Congress that happened last week from July 17-21. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to any of the talks, simply watch them on Youtube. They have posted full speeches from great leaders like Bishop Barron, Fr. Michael Schmitz, Chris Stefanick, and more! In a particular way, the speech from Msgr. James Shea was great and connected well to this Sunday’s gospel, as Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.” He focused on the words “satisfy” and “hungry.” It’s well worth the watch!
St. John Vianney’s Feast Day. If you didn’t realize it, today is also the day we celebrate St. John Vianney, patron of parish priests. Through his intercession, may all priests be strengthened and renewed in their ministry. St. John Vianney was extremely devoted to the sacrament of Reconciliation. Because of this, Fr. David and I will be offering Reconciliation after the 11:00 a.m. Mass on August 4 in our confessionals. Come celebrate God’s mercy while your family is getting donuts. See you there!
Blessings. On August 11, we invite all college students to come to Mass and receive a blessing as they enter into their endeavors and studies. On August 18, we are offering a special backpack blessing for all students at the 11:00 a.m. Mass. We will bless all preschool through 12th grade students at each Mass that weekend.
Outdoor Eucharistic Adoration. That same evening, on August 18, we will praise and adore the Eucharistic Lord behind the Memorare Center from 7:00-8:00 p.m. Colleen Wilson, who was able to attend the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, will also share her experiences during the evening.
May God bless you in this month of August,
Fr. Jeremy
