Father Carey’s Pastor’s Corner

(Week of 04/28/24)

My Dear Friends,

This weekend, we celebrate the Fifth Sunday of Easter. Today’s reading from the Gospel of John is part of Jesus’ last words spoken at the Last Supper. It is interesting to note that John tells the story of Jesus’ Last Supper differently from the other Evangelists. In John’s Gospel, the Last Supper begins with Jesus washing His disciples’ feet. Jesus then provides them with a series of instructions. We call this section of the Last Supper, Jesus’ “farewell discourse”. Jesus instructs His disciples about the importance of following His example of love and service, about the gift they will receive when Jesus sends them the Holy Spirit, and about their relationship with Him and with the world. The Last Supper discourse concludes with Jesus’ intimate and heartfelt prayer for His disciples. Jesus speaks about His relationship to His disciples. He uses the metaphor of the “vine and the branches”. In this passage, Jesus teaches them that His relationship with them will not end after His death; He will remain with them always. This unity between Jesus and His disciples is the basis for their ability to continue to do the work that He began on earth. Similarly, Jesus’ presence with us through the Gift of the Holy Spirit enables us to continue the work of love & reconciliation that He began.

Jesus also teaches His disciples about the importance of the words He has taught to them. Just as Jesus will remain in the disciples, so too will His words. We come to know Jesus through the Scriptures, the living Word of God. Our commitment to be Christ’s disciples is sustained through God’s Word. This commitment is also strengthened by our life of prayer and nourished by the Eucharist. Through the Eucharist, Jesus dwells in us, remains with us, and transforms us so that we might bear fruit in his name. We observe many people who act in various ways today that show their commitment to love and serve their neighbor. Yes, Christians and even non-Christians feed the hungry, care for the sick, shelter the homeless, and give alms to the poor. However, these actions become acts of Christian discipleship when they are motivated by our relationship with Jesus. Whatever the immediate results, Jesus promises us that these actions will always bear fruit if and when we carry them out in his name.

This weekend, we have inserted a flyer in the Parish Bulletin inviting all of our parishioners to join Our Lady of the Assumption’s Flocknote page. Flocknote is a completely free mobile app that has been created for churches and ministries to disseminate communications and updates from and within the parish community. Communications such as funeral, wedding and sacrament announcements will be shared through Flocknote for those who wish to share updates. More information will be shared in the coming weeks but if you are interested in joining Flocknote now, you can either text MYOLA FAMILY to 84576 or simply scan the QR code that you find on the flyer this weekend. As I mentioned, we will be following up in the weeks ahead to provide more opportunities to take advantage of this initiative.

This weekend on Saturday, April 27th, we will have our parish celebration of First Holy Communion. I would ask you all to please pray for all of our young children who will celebrate this spiritual milestone in their lives, and that the love and joy for the Lord which they experience on this day will only grow stronger through the years. Congratulations!

Next weekend, on Saturday, May 4th, we will welcome Archbishop Edward Adams to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation. Please keep all our candidates in your prayers as they prepare with great joy to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Also, on that same day we are looking forward to LOLA’s annual Night at the Races to be held at the Italian American Club on Saturday, May 4th at 7 PM (doors open at 5:00). Reservations are still being taken for this event. You may RSVP by visiting olastrafford.org/races lastrafford.org/races or you may call Marge DiGiacomo at (610) 909-5389. The cost is $40.00 per person and all proceeds benefit Our Lady of the Assumption. I thank the Ladies of Our Lady of the Assumption for all of their hard work to make this a fun night for all.

Looking ahead, on Monday, May 13th we will celebrate our Annual May Procession and crown Mary, our Blessed Mother, as Queen of heaven and earth and our hearts. A simple devotional prayer service will be held in the church at 7:00 PM. A special ice cream social in Assumption Hall will continue the festivities of that night. We look forward to seeing you and your families there.

Thank you again for your generosity and all the sacrifices you make for our parish and to help others in need. We are blessed to have such a wonderful parish community and I appreciate all you do to keep our parish faith-filled, alive, and strong. May God bless you and your families!

Love and Prayers,
Father Carey