Dear Friends,
Over the past three weekends, we have been privileged to witness the celebration of First Eucharist, First Holy Communion, for 238 of our children, and to join with their families in the joy of the occasion. Many parishes celebrate First Eucharist at their Sunday liturgies, inspiring the entire community with the experience and knowledge of faith growing and being shared. We have found it hard to do this because of the numbers here at Mount Carmel, but I don’t want the occasion to go unnoticed and unrecognized by our entire parish. That’s why we publish all their names in this edition of the bulletin. Say a prayer for them and be encouraged by their faith and the faith and commitment of their families. Congratulations, once again, and God bless all of you.
This weekend is also the weekend of ordinations to the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Newark. On Saturday, Archbishop Myers will have ordained thirteen deacons for service as servants in the image of Jesus Christ the High Priest. While we have not had a transitional deacon (one who is going on to the priesthood) in several years, there is a young man, Mate Skublics, who has walked in one of our NeoCatechumenal communities for several years, who was ordained yesterday. Pray for him and his classmates, that God may help them be true servants of Jesus Christ, in love with Him and the people to whom they are sent. And pray for the Church, that it may be ever more holy, ever more conscious of the Lord’s presence and ever more courageous in announcing Jesus as Lord through their ministry.
Finally, as I always do, I want to put in a word about another celebration this weekend, Memorial Day. It is the special day set aside by the nation to remember all those who gave their lives for the cause of freedom, and the other precious gifts we enjoy as a free people. These men and women, from all the wars our nation fought, answered a call to look at life in a larger way, beyond their homes, families and work. They were asked to see that life cannot be measured by what I have, or even what concerns or affects me; but to see, at times, I need to acknowledge that I am part of a wider world, and what happens “out there” also impacts on me. Certainly, the economic events of these last eight months must have reminded all of us of that reality.
These men and women made the supreme sacrifice in giving their lives, sometimes in causes they may not have fully understood. But, by their sacrifice, they secured a way of life for us and we now reap the benefits of our national heritage because of them. And the call to serve, with the same risk, continues to be made and men and women continue to offer the same supreme sacrifice. Since last Memorial Day, over two hundred Americans have given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. While the numbers decline, it still means that there are those for whom the sacrifice is very real, and their families, as well.
Take time out on Monday to remember them and come to the Memorial Service at the monument at Van Neste Square Park at 11:00 AM. If you cannot, say a prayer for them, be inspired by them and learn from them that we do not live our lives just for ourselves.
God Bless & happy Memorial Day,
Fr. Ron
