A Message from Fr. Jay
Dear Friends,
Happy Independence Day! When we greet others ‘Happy July 4th’, it is not just a day to celebrate. The freedom, rights, glory, wealth and sovereignty that we enjoy in our country are the gifts of God through the hard work of our forefathers. They are still to be preserved, protected and promoted to the future generations with our responsible commitment and actions. Let us especially remember and commemorate our forefathers who established this beautiful country with the values reflected in our Constitution.
Last week, we celebrated the Solemnity of ‘Corpus Christi’, the Holy Eucharist as the source of Catholic faith. This week, we celebrate the feast of two important figures, Peter and Paul, who were directly chosen to be the foundation of our church by Jesus, Himself; one during His short lifetime in this earthly world and the other after His death and resurrection. Both Peter and Paul gave their lives as martyrs in Rome, the center of power in that era of time.
The power of the Catholic faith was founded on the rock, Peter. This “rock” is not simply the temporal power of the Catholic Church but rather the strength of values that it stands for. In the challenging situation of values being rocked, the Church needs to stand for the Truth that comes from Jesus. Such convictions have incurred life sacrifices in the past, starting from Peter and Paul.
Our faith and patriotism can only flourish with enduring hardships and sacrifices. We have the duty to pass on faith and freedom to our future generations. The American values are based on the words that appear on our currency: IN GOD WE TRUST!
God Bless America,
Fr. Jay Raju
Reading 1: Acts of the Apostles 12:1-11
Reading 2: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18
Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19
