There is a very old and much-repeated story about St. Augustine, one of the intellectual giants of the Church. He was walking by the seashore one day, attempting to conceive of an intelligible explanation for the mystery of the Trinity. As he walked along, he saw a small boy on the beach, pouring seawater from a shell into a small hole in the sand. “What are you doing, my child?” asked Augustine. “I am emptying the sea into this hole,” the boy answered with an innocent smile. “But that is impossible, my dear child,” said Augustine. The boy stood up, looked straight into the eyes of Augustine and replied, “What you are trying to do – comprehend the immensity of God with your small head – is even more impossible.” Then he vanished. The child was an angel sent by God to teach Augustine a lesson. Later, Augustine wrote: “You see the Trinity, if you see love.” According to him, the Father is the lover, the Son is the loved one and the Holy Spirit is the personification of the very act of loving. This means that we can understand something of the Mystery of the Holy Trinity more readily with the believing heart than with our feeble mind. Evagrius of Pontus, a Greek monk of the 4th century who came from what is now Turkey in Asia and later lived out his vocation in Egypt, said: “God cannot be grasped by the mind. If God could be grasped, God would not be God.”
We are created in love to be a community of loving persons, just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are One in Love. From the day of our Baptism, we have belonged to the One God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. How privileged we are to grow up in such a beautiful Family! Hence, let us turn to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in prayer every day. We belong to the Family of the Triune God. The love, unity, and joy in the relationship among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit should be the supreme model of our relationships within our Christian families. Our families become truly Christian when we live in a relationship of love with God and with others.
Last Tuesday 11 young people, our parishioners, received the gift of the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of confirmation. This Sunday,13 children will receive Jesus for the first time in His sacramental presence. I would like to congratulate all of them as they continue their journey with Jesus. May He always be the center of their lives. May they build their lives on Him and love Him with all their hearts. Thank You to the parents, religious educators and catechists. May God be your reward for the example of your faith you give to your children and students. “Everything you do to these little ones you do to me,” said Jesus.
When I was going to Poland for my vacation, I was thinking to bring back more information about the orphanage my religious community was asked to reopen for the orphans from Ukraine. Unfortunately, because of so many administrative issues the building cannot be reopened. So, with the finance council we have made decision to transfer the money we have already collected to the Archdiocese of Przemysl, Poland, to The Department of Family Pastoral Care who has been taking care of the refugees in their territory (at this moment around 220 people). I want you to know that 100% of the money you donated for the Ukraine will be transferred very soon. I know that many of you made your donations, even a few months ago, but it’s been an ongoing fundraiser, and there still many people who are in need. Thank you for your prayers for peace and your generous donations. This is the website of the Archdiocese of Przemysl where you can find more information
https://rodzina.przemyska.pl/en/home/
With God’s Peace, Fr. Tom