July 5, 2020: 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.“
Matthew 11:28
Pastor’s Message
Today, we celebrate the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time. All of us enjoy receiving invitations—to a meal, a wedding, or a concert. Usually, when the invitation is printed on a little card, there are cryptic letters written at the bottom: RSVP. They are an abbreviation of a French request to reply to the invitation. We know what those letters mean but, not everyone knows that. In our gospel today, Jesus speaks what are among the most tender and appealing words he ever uttered. Jesus extends to us an invitation: Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Do you sometimes find yourself weary – from struggles, pains, disappointments? Jesus’ invitation, ‘Come to me’ is always open, especially when you really need the peace, rest, protection and God’s love. What will be your RSVP? You can ask God to come into your poor heart and to fill it with what only God can give. In that secret place heart can speak to heart. Ask today for what you want and be open to what God sees best to give you.
Have you ever wondered why you need to register with your church? Can’t you just come to Mass and go about your business? Of course, the short answer to that is, yes, you can, but there are very good reasons to register. Church is about our experience of God in community. The first step to community is getting to know one another. When people register at the church, it gives the staff an opportunity to know a little about you: your name, where you live, your profession, languages you speak, your interests, hobbies, etc. It also gives you a chance to know your church better because the staff can then contact you and keep you informed. Registering is the first step toward getting involved and becoming a member of the community. You also need to be a registered parishioner and practicing Catholic in order to be a Godparent for Baptism and Sponsor for Confirmation. For those who are registered, we thank you and we want you to know we are working hard for you. If you haven’t yet registered, are new or are not registered here at St. Helena, please call the rectory for an appointment to get you started as a member of our parish faith community.
Finally, Philadelphia has been given the OK to move into the green phase of recovery. Although we are in the green/open phase, the faithful continue to be dispensed from the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days until restored by an announcement from the Archbishop. Now that we are in the green/open phase, the Reception into the Church (RCIA) will take place on Saturday, July 25th at the 4:30pm Mass and First Communion will take place on Sunday, July 26th at the 11:15am Mass. Both of these celebrations will be in the Lower Church. We are grateful that we are gradually getting back to some sense of normality. Thanks for reading, stay healthy, reach out to those close to you. Have a good week.
Your Brother and Shepherd,
Rev. Msgr. Joseph Trinh