Mission Appeals at Our Lady Queen of Peace, Brodheadsville, Harrisburg Diocese in Pennsylvannia

Last weekend, May 25th - May 26th, I was in Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Brodheadsville, Harrisburg Diocese, Pennsylvania. The warm reception by the Pastor, Fr. Michael and the Associate, Fr. Sean tells something already about the Parish. It is a Parish of happy people. I pray for these two priests and their parishioners, thanking God for their generosity and their hospitality.

It was Trinity Sunday, when we celebrate the Solemnity of the Godhead-Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons, equal in majesty, and are all One God. I was trying to explain it to the understanding of a child; someone can be your mother, and that same person is a teacher, and that same person is also a pilote. Though not distinct persons, it explains the fact that the mother, the teacher and the pilote are all one person; call that person Mary: Mother, teacher, pilote = Mary.

Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Brodheadsville, Harrisburg Diocese in Pennsylvannia (Pray for us)

People are seeking the Lord and finding him by donating to the help of the neediest children in other parts of the world. Someone unknown to the children and to us is helping them  to go to school. Please, join us and help at least one child to go to school, help a village to get water, help a village to get a hospital, help a village to get a church. Thank you all.





Mr/Mrs Neva Mattheiss of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Baltimore.

When I celebrated the tenth anniversary of  my priestly ordination on April 19th 2011 in the Church of the Immaculate heart of Mary, two people were particularly touched by my story, Maura Ford, and Mr/Mrs Neva Mattheiss. Maura was an altar girl, and she pledged to give her own help for Kumbo kids which she substantially did. Mr/Mrs. Neva Mattheiss did not only help, but have continued to be of help till now. On Tuesday April 23, 2013, I received a substantial donation from them. 

 

 I therefore extend the best wishes of those children whose lives have changed to Maura and Mr/Mrs Neva Mattheiss. The children have promised their relentless effort to pray for you and to study harder so that at the end, they too will be of help to others.

 

I equally acknowledge the regular support from Mr. Andrew Gutierrez, 6042 Wood Pass San Antonio, TX 78249.  Andrew has pledged a monthly support, whic he has faithfully kept. May God replenish your effort with plenty.

 

 Good and gracious Lord, bless and reward these people for their kindness.

Our Christian life and Our Public Life

I would like to underscore certain pressing issues in society today. The killings that we hear about everyday in our society are like a boomerang for the exclusion of God in our public life. I believe that an individual is created to serve his Creator, and when he/she fails to do this, he/she pays allegiance to nothing or to something/somebody else rather than the Almighty God. The true God is  "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob," and most especially the God of Jesus Christ. We are supposed to be free to worship God the way we want, and when the worship of God is impeded by a set of rules that prevent citizens from expressing their faith freely, freedom is tampered upon, and the consequences are disastrous - hatred, killing, promiscuity, intolerance, lack of forgiveness, and in fact, a total degeneration of moral values.

When children prayed in school, there were less killings. Religion should teach us love, forgiveness, dialog, peace, honesty, solidarity, unity, patience, kindness, politeness, respect, justice, equity, equality, sympathy,etc. These values will go contrary to violence, hatred, revenge, abuse and so on. When children learn from childhood to be respectful, they grow with that in mind. Things will be different when our entire life respects the Creator. We may not be able to stamp out evil, but we will reduce it to the bearest minimum.

The human being is one single individual with all his body parts in tact. The spiritual separation of "pray in private and not in public" disintergrates man. Such a separation does not bear upon the love of God; it is man's desire to control and manipulate the underprivileged, and to give room to the atheists. The atheist has the right not to pray or say anything about God. His right is protected when we ban spiritual activities from public institutions. We promulgate laws that defend the freedom of the atheist. What about promulgating laws that defend the freedom of the believer? Praying or carrying out spiritual activities in public institutions does not disrupt the freedom of the atheist, because he is not forced to take part in such activities, but banning prayer in public life infringes in another's freedom - the christian.

I  will teach children to respect God in public and in private. Society will become better when we realize these values and make good use of them. When people learn the values of Christianity and live by them, the society becomes more loving.

Dear God, help world leaders to know and honor you as the One, True God, living and true for all eternity. Amen.