News - June 2016 RSS Feed

Today is the Lord’s Day and the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time.  With the close of both Saint Cecilia School and Sacred Heart of Jesus School the summer vacation season has begun in Rockaway. This is the time of year when not only children but even adults get to slow down a bit and take some time off to enjoy this beautiful season.

The Joey Bella Memorial Fund’s Tricky Tray will be held on Saturday, July 2nd  “under the tent” at Gardner Field, located on Route 46 W in Denville. Doors open at 6 PM and calling begins at 8 PM.  Tickets will be sold at the door only. No one under 18 years will be admitted and no infants are permitted.  Please telephone 973-768-6487 for more information.

We observe the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time as we assemble to celebrate the Lord’s Day. In the Gospel for today we find Jesus speaking to His Apostles about His identity. Saint Peter says that he is “The Christ of God.” The Lord replies that indeed He is and that “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” The Lord also says that all those who are associated with Him will be expected to sacrifice themselves in a similar way if they wish to have life with Him. We call this sharing in and living the Paschal Mystery. We know that being a follower of Christ requires a commitment which calls for sacrifice and service.

Today is the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time as we gather to celebrate the Lord’s Day. The Scriptural texts for this week speak to us about sin and the terrible effect which it has on our lives. Sin not only disrupts our relationship with one another but also with God. But the Lord does not want us to remain estranged from Him and from one another. He continually calls us back to Him so that we might live in peace with Him and one another. So many times we sinners are so proud, we refuse to come before the Lord and ask for pardon and would much rather brood in our evil ways. To remain in this condition is to remain in darkness and the shadows of death.

As we gather to celebrate the Lord’s Day and mark the Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Responsorial Psalm which we sing fills us with great hope in the goodness of God. Many times in life we experience darkness and dismay which can cause us to become despondent. When these times occur we must remember that our God is with us and offers us a means to escape. We find this is the words associated with Divine Mercy, JESUS I TRUST IN YOU! The last sentence of today’s Psalm states: “You changed my mourning into dancing; O Lord, my God, forever will I give you thanks.” Yes, the Lord can transform the pain and anxiety we experience into joy and new life.