My dear parishioners and visitors:
We are now in the last long weekend of this summer. It is my wish and prayer that you have enjoyed a good, safe and well-rested times for last two months and will be ready to come back to our new pastoral season, beginning after this weekend.
St. Mark, in today’s gospel, tells us that “they (people) brought to him (Jesus) a man who was deaf …… and they begged him to lay hand on him” (Mk. 7:32).
The people’s action of bringing a deaf and mute man to Jesus clearly teaches us that we, who come to mass every day and every Sunday, never come alone, but always take someone with us either physically or spiritually. Everyone needs God’s blessings. So please help and encourage one another to come to the mass to meet Jesus.
We often can’t physically bring sick persons to the church. However we must always take them spiritually to be with us at mass and earnestly beg Jesus to lay his hand on them and to heal them. We are here faithfully in the church for everyone in our community, and for the whole world, not only for our personal salvation or needs.
May our Lord Jesus Christ touch, heal and open our eyes, ears, hearts and minds so that we may see, hear, understand clearly the goodness of the Lord abundantly given to us “he has done everything well” (Mk. 7:37) then gratefully praise him “Praise the Lord, my soul” (Ps. 146), and also to see, hear and feel one another’s pains and then to encourage one another “be strong, do not fear”
(Is. 35:4).
Have a blessed weekend. Fr. Peter Hoan Nguyen.