Parochial Vicar Father Tom McCarthy

Summer and it’s going fast, but hopefully not too fast!

It’s been awhile since I wrote anything new on this webpage. In fact my previous message dealt with Lent, that's a long time ago! So, let me apologize for not updating the webpage sooner. If I had waited any longer to update, the topic of Lent would have become relevant again.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. Summer is a great time! Time to relax and have fun, a time for families to spend together and reconnect-kids coming home from college, younger kids off the entire day from school, and so it’s a popular time for goofing-off and vacations.

Yet, as my rector from my old seminary days would say to us before leaving for the summer, “Gentleman, there are no vacations from your vocation."

Each of us, regardless of our vocations, is always called to praise and thank the Father for His greatness, as well as for the love, mercy, and graces He never takes a vacation from giving us.

So as we enjoy the nice weather, the time off from school and work, the long, warm nights of summer, remember the importance of preserving in your faith, so that no matter where you are or what you are doing you are still witnessing to the teachings of the Gospel.

August is a month filled with many feast days, reminding us of the call of discipleship. Two days in particular, remind us of the benefits and responsibilities of being Catholic.

Friday, August 15th is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This day the Church remembers and rejoices the dogma of faith declaring that Mary was assumed up to heaven entirely; body and spirit.

This dogma upholds the ancient teaching that because Mary was without sin and whose love for Christ was so perfectly united that it would be impossible to separate her spirit, as with everyone else, with her body.

But this feast (as do all feast dealing with Mary and the Saints) has much more to do with Jesus then the person we celebrate. Jesus is the focus; it is the love for Christ and the lives they lived reflecting that love and faith that makes them Saints.

The old saying still holds true, “Through Mary to Jesus.” We focus on Mary, because Mary’s only desires one thing- to lead people to her Son. The rest of the Saints have this same desire, which leads us to our patron St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe.

August 14 is the day in which the Universal Church celebrates the feast of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe. It’s ironic, the man who spent his entire life preaching the motto, “through Mary to Jesus”, has his feast day the day before the Assumption of Mary.

Since St. Maximilian is the Patron of our parish, we will be celebrating his feast day on the Sunday following the Assumption, August 17th. St. Max was a holy man who desired to spread the message of the Gospel through the intercessory powers of the Blessed Mother. St. Max’s story of sacrificing himself for the love of God mirrors the same courage of the early martyrs, and the life of piety reflects that of the most humble saints.

Yet, his witness occurred less than seventy years ago, which is why he is so often referred to as the Modern Saint. So, I invite all to study, research, and reflect on the life of our patron, St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe.

So, as you enjoy the summer days and nights, do not forget who it is that has blessed you with the time off from school and work, the one responsible for the beautiful days, and for giving us and continuing to give us our lives in which to enjoy it all- Our Heavenly Father.

May your faith in our Lord be better today then it was yesterday and more firm tomorrow, than it is today!

In the peace of Christ!

-Fr. Tom McCarthy
 

 Links to Fr. McCarthy's Homilies