Last week I shared with you a special piece of my life. Sitting down at my field desk in our Fleet Hospital I was able to let prayer strengthen my soul and lift my spirit so that I could be a source of spiritual life to the men and women sent to us in varying stages of brokenness spiritually, physically and emotionally. With the strength and power of prayer, the mystery of the resurrected Lord transforms me to minister to the needs of God’s children.

May the blessings of Easter be with yours for He is risen as He said, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Today, throughout the world, men, women and children celebrate this day in prayer rejoicing in Christ who conquers death and restores life. Notice I just said "conquers and restores." This is the present tense. We celebrate and live the resurrection of Christ in the present moments of our daily life. Jesus did not just rise from the dead in the past; He is risen in the present.

After the Second Vatican Council, the bishops refreshed the liturgy of the church to make our sacramental life more personally interactive with God. I recall the phrase "We are a resurrection people, and Alleluia is our song." For many it was and exciting time when the Holy Spirit came to life in ways that were truly inspiring. Putting aside (for this writing) the parallel moments of the distorting of truth and reason, the thought of being a "resurrection people, and Alleluia is our song" was thought to be corny, to say the least. Nevertheless, there is something special about being a people of the resurrection.

If I lead you into the mystery of the passion of Christ so that you can realize how much Christ loves you in your sinfulness, I cannot leave you in that painful moment. Neither does Christ. Entering into the mystery of how deeply God loves us that he sent his only begotten Son to suffer and die for us, not only causes us to reflect on our sinfulness and the sinfulness of the world around us, but also, causes us to see in Christ the way, the truth and the life that leads to resurrection.

Therefore, we are a people of the resurrection. We are a people of life and that life is the resurrected Lord. Toss your pain on the cross with Christ and let it die with Him. Bury your sorrows and those of your family and the world in the tomb of Christ, the Anointed One.

Now, look into the tomb today, Easter Sunday, it is empty. He has taken you sins, your suffering, your losses and destroyed them. Rise with Him from the tomb today and every day. Live in the resurrection of Christ. Be a resurrection people and make "Alleluia" "Praise God" your song to thanksgiving and life.

If you die in Christ, you shall rise in Christ, and if you rise in Christ, you shall live forever. Join me, as your pastor, in leading people to the discovery of the resurrected Christ. Support the ministries of the parish to evangelize (spread the Good New of Christ) to the people of our parish who come once or twice a year to find solace and peace. Join me in welcoming them and let them know that we want them to know they are always welcomed here in God’s house, our family dwelling where Christ’s resurrection is our Easter joy and our gift to them.

There is a Hole in the Basket?

             On the day of my installation, I let you know that thanks to the financial focus given to the parish by Msgr. Hamilton we are able to move forward to refurbish and update the church, school and rectory.  That is still the case although it takes time to bring the pieces together and now we will be creating a timeline for the beginning and completion of needed work and projects.  However, the reason I am saying this is to draw everyone’s attention to the continued responsibility of being good stewards of the faith and supporting the parish financially.  To that end, I want to thank all of you who have already contributed and/or made pledges to the Catholic Ministries Appeal.  As the figures show elsewhere in the bulletin, we are 11% above our goal in pledges and have approximately 52% in paid pledges.  You all need to know that these numbers and percentages represent 499 pledges, which represent 11 % of our registered parishioners.  A sincere Thank you, sincerely, to all who have contributed.

            This 11% of registered parishioners cannot support our parish finances alone.  What can I say about the remaining 89%?  Well, presuming that some of them are reading this letter, I can only plead for your support.  Allow me to interject the fact that I am not blind to the economic struggle going on in our nation, state and county.  It is too painfully present.  I want to make it clear that I am not asking anyone to do the impossible.  I receive letters and notes from people “apologizing” that they cannot contribute, from others who explain their present illnesses and difficulties, and from others who enclose back envelopes because they were away or unable to contribute and “want to catch up.”  These individuals and families are a blessing to us and call us to challenge the non-givers in the area of contributing to support the work of the Church.

            I am asking that everyone who is a wage earner (not those who are on fixed incomes) to take stock of your financial support of OLPH as a thriving community of believers who have so much more to do.  Please see the daily challenges to supply spiritual, physical, emotional and temporal support that goes undone because of fiscal restraints.  To do this we must maintain four major buildings (church, rectory, school, and convent) and our ministries house (the gray house).  Like all of you in your homes, the cost of operations rises in every Diocesan institution and program and in every Parish facility and program.

            The money presently we are spending is a blessing to be able to repair, refurbish, replace, renovate, update and maintain what is our spiritual headquarters.  This is an important piece of good stewardship.

            One of the basic Precepts of the Church that are the basic, minimum expectation of membership in the Catholic Church is “To strengthen and support the Church: one’s own parish community and parish priests; the worldwide Church and the Holy Father.”  I fear that many reading this have never either heard this exhortation, or have forgotten it.

            By virtue of our apparent need for a visible inter-active relationship with God, the Christ established the Church gave it, for purposes of evangelization and development, into the hands of one, Peter, the Fisherman.  The success of fulfilling God’s plan to spread the good news of Christ and build a community founded upon a living, vibrant faith in the dignity of all humanity depends on you.

            I remain positive and enthusiastic about the future of our parish Church and School.  Good common sense, logic, vision, a growing understanding of belonging and the importance of giving of not just time and talent, but also treasure, and the joint hard work of “everyone” will continue to move us into the Christ-centered, life-giving people of God we are called to be here in Lindenhurst.  The widow’s coin is not just a nice story, it is a message in sacrifice and giving, and it works to build living faith.

            What is Hell?  Hell is a real place, a state of existence where one becomes painfully and consciously aware of the burning absence of all meaning in life. Hell is a world without God, the creator of all Life.  Hell is a world that kills unborn children because it hates the inconveniences of childbearing and fears the responsibility of parenthood.  Hell is a world that believes in the stars, the moon, and all the planets, but does not believe in their Creator.  Hell is a world where people would rather listen to inanimate objects then in the living God, the source of all truth.  Hell is believing that changing the definition of life, love, marriage, family, sexuality, and truth will make the world a happier place.  Hell is where people believe and practice all these things, and, where they have never, never, and will never achieve anything more than pain, suffering, distortion and the death of God’s children.

            The battle against the powers of light and darkness motivates me.  This is the battle of Christ, which we become a part of as baptized members of His Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.  This is the battle, which Benedict XVI will address in the days ahead as he speaks to leaders of our nation and other countries, and, to the people here and around the world who will indeed hear his voice.

            The Good News of Jesus Christ motivates me.  The fact that I am privileged to lead people in this spiritual battle by finding ways to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ into the homes of the unchurched motivates me.  The joy of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist motivates me.  I am motivated to make our church a visible sign of our faith and its beliefs.  I am motivated by challenging the development of spiritual, moral, academic and physical, and financial excellence in our Catholic School

            My parishioners, I do not do “Smoke and Mirror,” and I will not let myself be tricked into a false sense of security, spiritually, emotionally, physically, or, financially.  This is what motivates me to do Christ’s work on earth.  Pray about your motivations and be a part of the parish journey to motivate Christ back into the hearts, minds and spirits of the people of God.

            Pray each day for the Journey of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States.  St. Michael the Archangel protect our Holy Father. Our Lady of Perpetual Help, help those who see and hear him come to a deeper knowledge of the truth, your Son, Jesus Christ.

This past week I met with our marble restoration company and we are moving forward to our  beginning the next phase of restoring the sanctuary and creating the environment for the placement of the tabernacle between the two pillars atop the center platform in the sanctuary.  The restoration team will use the present marble in the restoration and store the remainder for future use as the work continues.

Today we celebrate Trinity Sunday, our belief not just in God, but the Triune God.  Not only do we acknowledge the existence of God, but also we believe that God is the Creator of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.  We believe that this God is, to us, a Father who cares for and watches over our individual lives.  We believe that He came into our lives as one like us in all things but sin, His Son, Jesus Christ.  We believe that the love the Son, Christ, has for us in union with the Father forms itself into a third person, the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.  What power there is in God, and we live in the path of that power.  In fact, we live with the power of this Triune God that can transform the darkness of this world into the Light of everlasting Hope.

            Once again, we remember Benedict XVI proclaiming, “Christ is our Hope.”  However, He is not just our hope in the enclosed limits of our family or parish membership.  Christ is the Hope of everyone we meet whose lives we touch ever so limitedly.  “They will know we are Christians (followers of Christ) by our love.  This is the core of “The Great Commission” to “Go forth and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you, and know that I am with you all days, even to the end of time.”

            The work of evangelization belongs to all of us and must renew our efforts here at OLPH not just as a one time program, but as an ongoing effort to touch the hearts and souls of God’s people in our families and the entire community.  Our five-year goal, which the Pastoral Council has agreed to pursue, is to double the attendance at Mass by the year September 2013.

            Allow me to share with you part of the article, “The Great Omission”  written by Fr. Ray Ryland , a convert from the Episcopal Church, and the chaplain for the Coming Home Network and Catholics United for the Faith. He writes from Steubenville, Ohio, where he lives with his wife, Ruth.  The subtitle of the article is “If you don’t evangelize you are useless.”  In the article, he writes:

            “Recently I saw a sign on a bulletin board in the yard of a local Protestant church. The message was this: "Keep the faith, but not to yourself!"

            This reminded me of our Lord's words, "You are the light of the world. . . . Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:14, 16).  Too often we shorten the command-"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works"-and miss the whole purpose of letting your light shine-so that men may "give glory to your father who is in heaven."

            All around us people are stumbling in spiritual and moral darkness. Jesus calls us to shine our light-our love, our compassion, our eagerness to serve others-into that darkness. He wants our light to show the way to him for those in darkness. Remember his words: "I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness" (John 12:46).

            Jesus also told us, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John 9:5). Now that he is in heaven, he needs other lights to shine for him in the world's darkness.

            What are we talking about? Evangelization. We need to talk about it, because we Catholics aren't very adept at evangelizing. We all know the Great Commission: "Go . . . and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matt. 28:19-20). Judging from the small number of new members that we bring into the Church each year, one would think that for us the Great Commission has become the Great Omission.  Make no mistake about it: Evangelization is serious business. First, the purpose for which the Catholic Church exists is evangelization. In his encyclical On Evangelization in the Modern World, Pope Paul VI made this fact clear. He spoke of the "joy and consolation" with which we heard these words from the 1974 Synod of Bishops: "'We wish to confirm once more that the task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church.'" (14).

            The Holy Father continued, "It is a task and mission which the vast and profound changes of present-day society make all the more urgent. Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize, that is to say in order to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gift of grace, to reconcile sinners with God, and to perpetuate Christ's sacrifice in the Mass, which is the memorial of his death and glorious Resurrection." Years later, in his encyclical on the laity, Pope John Paul II said the same in different words: "The entire witness of the Church is concentrated and manifested in evangelization" (The Lay Members of Christ's Faithful People, 33).”  Thank you Fr. Ray, we have much to reflect on for OLPH.

From the Pastor’s Desk - Sunday, June 1, 2008:

               Congratulations to our 169 Catholic School, Religious Education and RCIA students who received the Sacrament of Confirmation through the laying on of hands of Bishop Peter Libasci, Auxiliary Bishop of our Diocese of Rockville Centre.  It was a pleasure to hear him speak of the power of the Holy Spirit and its influence, through all of us, overall the world.  He used the analogy of focusing sunlight through a magnifying glass causing the movement of molecules at a speed that produces heat and then ignites into flame.  We are the sunshine of the world as we live our lives in Christ, for Christ is the focus of our light in and through Him.  When we focus our light and our life through Christ, we begin to cause a change that generates a new fire of life and light.  We transform all we are and we transform all we have within us, thus transforming the world.  That world begins in our individual soul and in the soul of each of our families.  From there we set the Church afire with the love of God, in Christ and in the unity of the Holy Spirit.  Bishop Peter also reminded our confirmation class and all of us that we must hold on to our faith with all of our might.  He told us that the world tells us that we do not need God or the Church and that no one can tell us what we can and cannot do.  He reminded us that the world offers us so many ways to find happiness that are wrong, unsafe and often disastrous to our lives .  He told us not to forget that when we do what the world tells us we should do, and we fail and fall, that same world is not there to pick us up and help us to restore our life.  He recalled how the Holy Spirit gives us the gifts of Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge and Counsel as four gift that guarantee a way to make good decisions in life.  These are enhanced by the gifts of courage (fortitude) which gives us the strength to believe and trust in ourselves and in God who made us and loves us more than the world will ever love us.  Moreover, these five gifts are further enhanced by the gifts of Holiness (Piety) and the Awesome Awareness of God’s Presence (Fear of the Lord).

              As I listened to his words to our Confirmation Students and to all of us, I could not help but realize that the beliefs that encompass the Sacrament of Confirmation are the building blocks of our parish Mission, to evangelize every person in our parish.  The spiritual outreach that will happen must be marked by our firm belief the all we do to bring Christ, our Savior, into the lives of our parish families is done through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.  You and I have that Holy Spirit by virtue of our Baptism and by our special encounter with the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation.

            Never put yourself down.  Never say, “I can’t do it.”  Never say we will never accomplish it.  Remember the words at Mass that apply always in our lives… “Through Him, with Him and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, Almighty Father, forever and ever.”  Now turn them around… All glory and honor is yours, that is, we can and do give honor and glory to God, and we can change our life, our parish, our community, our nation and our world through Him, with Him and in Him in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

            We all know people who have died who lived by a “can do” attitude.  I believe the Holy Sprit is an empowering part of that attitude.  All of us know people like that, and, in fact, all of us have or want that attitude.  Well, let me tell you that this attitude is the Holy Sprit wanting to focus us alive in Christ, wanting to ignite a flame of life and hope and peace throughout our parish, nation and world.  Start igniting that flame in yourself and let us set our parish ablaze with the Love of God.

For months, we have been inundated with political rhetoric and the months ahead will undoubtedly bring us more verbiage, many promises and, hopefully, we will begin to see just where candidates stand on the important issues facing our nation.  As Catholic Christians, we have an overwhelming, but vital part to play in the development of our nation from a moral perspective on every issue facing us today.  Popes Paul VI, John XXIII, John Paul II and Benedict XVI have all spoken out on issues of Human Life, Family Life, Social Justice and Global Solidarity.  Our nation and the nations of the world have been warned of the trend that has led now to living in a culture of death.  The world political arena no longer accepts the guidance of Judeo-Christian values.  Every day our nation is challenged as more and more ways are found to take God out of our homes, schools, civic centers, government offices, and out of the very mind and hearts of our nation’s leaders and the great American people.  The willful destruction of human life, the deliberate negation of the dignity and sacredness of marriage as an institution of love exclusively between a man and a woman, are only two of the numerous issues of life, justice and global solidarity that need to be addressed by all citizens and candidates on all levels of local, state and national government.

            As citizens of this great nation, we must prepare ourselves to make the best choices of the individuals who lead our country.  This is not just a matter of who can win a debate or who has the loudest voice, but rather who possesses the fullness of truth that will enable all, faithful and loyal citizens and leaders to make the right decisions based on the complete formation of consciences.  Our nation’s bishops see this as “A call to political responsibility….”  As in years gone by, from the founding of this great nation, the Church is called to help the faithful to address social and political questions by helping everyone to develop a well-formed conscience; to aid in the development of the virtue of prudence; to lead us in the direction of doing good and avoiding evil; and, directing  us in how to make informed moral choices.

            There are seven key themes that we must embrace regarding Catholic Social Teaching in the Public Square:  The Right to Life and the Dignity of the Human Person; The Call to Family, Community, and Participation; Rights and Responsibilities of individuals and a nation; Option for the Poor and Vulnerable; the Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers; Solidarity; and, Caring for God’s Creation.  The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has produced a document entitled, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” which is available on its website www.usccbpublishing.org under “New Titles.”  In the weeks ahead, I will make copies of this available to you along with other materials through the USCCB and our Diocese of Rockville.

            The first paragraph of this document states:“1. As a nation, we share many blessings and strengths, including a tradition of religious freedom and political participation.  However, as a people, we face serious challenges that are clearly political and also profoundly moral.”  “…5. This statement highlights the role of the Church in the formation of conscience, and the corresponding moral responsibility of each Catholic to hear, receive, and act upon the Church’s teaching in the lifelong task of forming his or her own conscience.  With this foundation, Catholics are better able to evaluate policy positions, party platforms, and candidates’ promises and actions in light of the Gospel and the moral and social teaching of the Church in order to help build a better world.”

            Along with our Bishops, I encourage you to seek those voting resources authorized by our bishop, state Catholic conference, and the USCCB.  You and I must have the complete picture when it comes to “the issues” and what we believe and why we believe it is a vital part of all issues if we intend to discover the truth.  As our bishops conclude, “…we encourage Catholics throughout the United States to be active in the political process, particularly in these challenging times.”  God +bless America… the future of the world depends on His Truth..

May God +bless you, and yours, now and forever.

Father Anthony

            Last week I spoke of our responsibility to educate ourselves in the areas of moral teachings so that we might prepare ourselves to exercise our constitutional right to vote.  Again, we must prepare to vote by being involved in the process of letting our voices be heard even before the final choices are made.  This week not only are our moral beliefs being challenged, but the moral integrity of the very fiber of our society has been challenge in the New York State governor’s order that the State of New York recognize same sex marriages that are recognized in other States.

           There is not open discussion, no concern of the will of the legislature or the will of the people.  In this week’s Long Island Catholic, Bishop Murphy wrote an article on the issue, and he refers us to the official statement of the Bishops of the State of New York on page 13 of the Long Island Catholic.  This serious issue affects the present and future status of the dignity of marriage between man and a woman and will have far-reaching consequences of the development of children and their sexual identity.  No matter what aspect of the issue of homosexuality we address, we must always see it, as we see all life, in the context of the Divine and Natural law.  As our bishops make clear, this is not a matter of discriminating against homosexuals, but a matter of defending fundamental truths of life and relationships that have been part of human life from the beginning of time.

            Please be sure to read both statements and join Bishop Murphy and all our state’s bishops in opposing all government efforts to legalize and promote same-sex ‘marriage’ – whether through legislation as proposed by the state Assembly, or through the efforts of Gov. Paterson to impose such policy through universal executive action.  Please make your views known by going to the New York State Catholic Conference Web site at www.nyscatholic.org. Click on “Take Action Now,” then under “Stand Up for Traditional Marriage,” click “Take Action.”  Alternatively, you can e-mail the governor www.state.ny.us/governor or write to him at the State Capitol.  This is putting our faith in action.  We cannot stand idly by and “let someone else do it.”  Christ calls us to action in the defense of our freedoms and the rights given to us to vote and to protect and defend the fundamental principals of life on all levels.

            You probably would not think it, but even parking is a moral issue.  Is it right on Sunday when coming to Church to park in the CVS parking lot?  By parking there, you take away space designated for patrons of CVS to park, and you affect CVS financial rights and responsibilities.  To some that sounds ridiculous, but actually, when you think about it with a moral mind, it is a form of stealing.  You are taking something that does not belong to you without permission.  Even though you give the space back, you have already “cost” the business the “loss” of one or more hours of business from a potential customer, and, you have denied a person who wants or needs to patronize CVS their parking privilege.  I hope that the few extra spaces that the Village created will help.  Please act responsibly and respect all of our businesses.

            As a final note, we welcome St. Joseph and St. Theresa back into the Divine Mercy Chapel.  Pedestals will be built into some of the corners to accommodate the other statues we have yet to place back.  I have been too patient with the company who restored the ICON of OLPH.  There are a couple of mistakes that need to be corrected, but I need an artist to insert the missing Greek letters and touch up the gold leaf and the crowns of Mary and the Child Jesus.  If you have that talent or know someone who does, please let me know.

May God +bless you, and yours, now and forever.

Father Anthony

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From the Pastor’s Desk - Sunday, June 22, 2008:

            As you can see, the work has begun to create the space for a New Altar of Eucharist that will enthrone the Tabernacle of the Real Presence of Christ.  Below are photos of the new altars that I want to purchase for our sanctuary.  The altars are white Carrera marble, the arch inserts are red Verona marble, the arches are gold mosaic and the images are colorful Eucharistic Mosaics of the Pelican feeding her young and the Chalice and Host with grapes and wheat clusters.  Both altars are beautifully hand crafted in Italy.  I do not have a final price, but preliminary estimates are approximately $40,000 for both altars including shipping to the Port of New York and may include shipping to OLPH.

         I would like to offer parishioners the opportunity to make donations in memory of a loved one or a family.  Each altar will have a bronze plaque placed on the back of each altar with the names of those memorialized.  These donations will begin at $500.00.  Donations collected above the cost of these altars will be used to cover the cost of labor and materials to prepare the sanctuary, create, and set the foundations to accept and create the altars.  Please pray about this before you donate.  Donation cards will be available beginning next Sunday.

New Altar of Atonement		New Altar of Eucharist

             Next Friday, June 27 will mark my one-year anniversary as your pastor.  To be at this point in bringing the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist to the center of our lives is a spiritually exciting and uplifting moment in my life.  Moreover, I know that it could not happen and would not happen without your support and spiritual energy.  There is a fire burning in your hearts and souls and Christ is kindling that fire with His Love.  The road ahead is bright even though I know it will be filled with many challenges.  I am convinced that there is no challenge that cannot be met and no difficulty that will not be overcome.  Christ, my friends, is the center of our life here at OLPH.  Mary is our patroness under the title of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.  I know she is smiling down on us because of what we are doing to bring her Son into the center of our life.  Many blessings await our parish and many blessings have already been received.  Our numbers are growing as people who have been away from the church are finding there way back to Christ and His Church.  Confessions are growing as people surrender their hearts to Christ.  There are new beginnings on the horizon as we enter the final stages of selecting a new youth minister.  Challenges in our school are being met as our School Board and new Parents Association Board work hand in hand to strengthen the financial base of the school.  In the midst of financial struggles, we have recommitted ourselves to the growth and support of Catholic Education in our parish.  The diocesan Catholic Charities Office has asked, and I have accepted the challenge to expand our parish outreach in conjunction with the already fine ministry of the St. Vincent de Paul Society (more to come).

         Thank you for a blessed first year as your pastor and pray for me as I will for you.

         “Introibo ad Altare Dei.  Ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meum.”  “I go to the Altar of God.  To God who gives joy to my youth.”

May God +bless you, and yours, now and forever.

Father Anthony

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From the Pastor’s Desk - Sunday, June 29, 2008:

            This week you will find, in the bulletin and on the ledges of the pews, donation forms for memorials for our new Altars and Sanctuary renovation.  Good news is we have a personal contact in Carrara, Italy who is going to see if we can get a special price and have them crafted in the city of Carrara.  I will keep you informed.

            Some interesting news:  As you heard in the announcements, someone stole three of our large “International Feast” signs from their locations.  The police verified that they are considered stolen merchandise since they were on property with permission of the owners.  If they show up, it will probably be too late and they are too expensive to reproduce.  Fortunately, we have others out in the community along with newspaper coverage and other advertising spots.  If anyone has information they would like to share with the police, you can call them anonymously.  How cruel and petty people are when they carry a grudge or get angry with the Church in such a vial manner. Join me in praying for whoever this person is.

            Work on the feast is proceeding well.  If you have not sent in your chance books please do so as soon as possible.  We still need volunteers.  The sign up from school parents is very low.  I can only remind school parents that this fundraiser supports the school.  I hope and pray that no one is still holding on to issues from last year.  Come and join in the fun.  Our school families are special to us as they support the need for good, solid Catholic education.  Financing the school is a joint responsibility between the parish and the school.  Let us not hurt the many ongoing efforts, including our International Feast, to support Catholic Education here at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church.

Now for some summer guidelines:

1.  Remember that summer time is not a vacation from Church.  Wherever you travel, near or far, be sure to locate the closest Catholic Church on the internet at http://www.CatholicWeb.com

2.  Dress for Church is NOT THE SAME as dress for the beach or a picnic.  As we begin summer we must remember when coming to church that there is a dress code. We must remember to dress respectfully. No short shorts, halter tops, thin strapped tops, bare feet or any other dress that is not appropriate. This is God's house, not ours.

3.  Here are some excellent thoughts I found on the internet regarding “Modesty.”  “Whenever the Blessed Sacrament is present in the tabernacle, carried in procession, or taken to the sick; whenever the Sacred Host is raised at the Consecration in the Mass, our infallible faith says to us:  ‘Behold your King! Behold your Redeemer, your Judge, your Creator, and your God!’

     “If, in the presence of the Most Holy Sacrament we feel no devotion interiorly and show no modesty exteriorly, what would someone think? They would say with truth and justice, “That person does not believe that God is present there”; or again, “that person’s faith is cold and dead.” 

     “Who could believe that Jesus Christ is present in this Sacrament and fail to reverence Him?

     “In the Holy Eucharist, faith tells us that God Himself is present.   He who made all things out of nothing and could destroy them in a moment is here.   He who at the last day will come on the clouds of Heaven to judge the living and the dead is here..

     “If only Catholics will believe this with a lively faith, then our churches will be filled with worshippers, whose deportment will correspond to their belief.  The modest attire, the guarded eye, the bended knee, the meekly folded hands will speak of the conviction of their hearts.  Let Catholics have a lively faith in this Mystery, and our dear Jesus will seldom be left alone.”¹ Müller, THE BLESSED EUCHARIST p30-31

            I pray that we at all parishioners and visitors will come to see modesty of body and eyes as the deep expression of love and respect for God and self that they truly are now and always.

May God +bless you, and yours, now and forever.

Father Anthony

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From the Pastor’s Desk - Sunday, July 6, 2008:

Over the past few months, I have been in consultation with the regional superior of the Sisters of St. Joseph regarding personal life issues of Sisters Paul and Rose.  Unfortunately, it became necessary to require the Sisters to return to the Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse in Brentwood.  As of June 30^th the Sisters took up residence with the other Sisters in residence at St. Joseph’s.  This has been a very difficult time for the Sisters and for the community to resolve this issue in the best interest of the Sisters and their need for community life, support and guidance.  Please pray for them and for their community leadership as they strive to respond to the personal needs of each of their Religious Sisters.  

I pray that you have had a happy and relaxing 4^th of July weekend.  I often wonder what independence means to people.  Do we realize that it is a gift given to us by God.  “…all men are created equal, and they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights amongst which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”  How else could men and women exist if they did not have these rights?  Moreover, these rights are only a few rights among many that we have as God’s created human beings.  Every day people struggle with their lives trying to come to know who they are, why they exist and what their purpose is in life.  Independence or Freedom is the key to life.  The door opened by this key is knowledge of the Creator and knowledge of ourselves.  The Book of Genesis brings us to the Garden of Eden in the center of which was the tree of life, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Adam and Eve ate of the fruit and came to know good and evil, but where not strong enough to deal with the truth and reality of good and evil.  Why?  Because they did now yet know their Creator, therefore, they did not know themselves.  They chose to be independent of God.  Independence is defined as “freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others.”  However, one can only be free from the control, influence, support, aid, of others when he or she embraces the truth that is the Creator and the unity that is the community of the human race.  Independence is guaranteed, but for it to be viable, we must be prepared to be independent.  The phrase “freedom is not free” is only concerned about war and dying to uphold freedom, it reflects the reality that we must all prepare ourselves for freedom and independence.  We will never be free and independent until we understand the life given to us by the Creator, God.  That is where developing a relationship with God, as Creator, leads to “theology” which is the study of God.  Learning about God, and His meaning and expectations of life is the path to true and lasting freedom and independence.  “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.”  God is all in all and all is one in God.  Independence frees us to live our lives in union with God and with each other, and because of what we come to know and love about God and ourselves, we come to know and love in every other human being and in all of creation.

As we end another celebration of Independence, I pray that we will ask God for the graces to come to know our independent natures and innate desire for freedom in the Will of the Creator and His knowledge of each of us.  Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Your love.  Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created and You shall renew the face of the Earth.

            Cell phone vs. Bible:  Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?  What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?   What if we flipped through it several time a day?  What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?  What if we used it to receive messages from the text?  What if we treated it as if we could not live without it?  What if we gave it to kids as gifts?  What if we used it when we traveled?  What if we used it in case of emergency?  This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible?  Oh, and one more thing.  Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.  Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities? In addition, no dropped calls!  Oh, and by the way, when you come to church no one will ever tell you to “turn off your bible,” but they will tell you to “turn off your cell phone.”

           On another topic, I would like to address a concern among the parents of some of our Religious Education students who are having a problem with our requirement that their children attend Mass every Sunday and Holy Day.  The question “at the bus stop” seems to be, “Why do you have to go to Church?”  Let’s get some help from William J. Bradley, a married man, and the father of five boys who wrote this for “Catholic Mission Leaflets” in Canada.

            The election is over.  The voice of the nation has spoken.  My concern at the outcome is that we realize that this now intensifies our need, as a total parish, to enter fully into the challenge of learning more about our faith, focusing on the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and in our lives, studying the Sacred Scriptures and working tirelessly on the evangelization of our parish community of Lindenhurst.

            I renew myself to the efforts we have begun here at OLPH.  I am deeply concerned that the fundamental moral fiber of our Catholic, Christian faith will be rejected more now than ever before in our nation.  The ballots cast in this election were not just for a new President and Vice President, they were for change in the way we view the essence of life.  If the leadership and people of our nation reject God, then all His values of life begin to unravel.  When this begins to happen, and it has, then the sacredness of life from the moment of natural conception to the moment of natural death begins to fade and die.  If families continue to be sold (and they buy) a bogus attitude about the role of father, mother and the place of children in the family (and they have) then every family member’s identity and purpose come into question and the family becomes divided and falls apart.  If marriage is no longer a gift from God, part of His plan in the creation of man and woman and they no longer need to become one flesh, then this incredible, life-giving share in the creative power of God, for all intents and purposes, ends.  If two individuals of the same sex are “legally” joined as wife and wife or husband and husband, with the same rights and responsibilities of a man and a woman; then marriage, as it has existed as the cause of the development of the human race, will be unimportant.  Moreover, this, as you must know, is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.  All moral standards, in every area of life are up for grabs, one piece at a time.

            Nevertheless, this is our country, yes, land that we love and this is our faith, and we profess it with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.  I pray that we will continue to grow together as a faith-filled community of believers.  When I took over as pastor on June of 2007 I knew that parishes needed continual renewal and revival.  To this end, we are off to a good start with growing support from the parish community.  I thank all of you for your spiritual, emotional and financial support of the work of our parish ministries.  I thank you for coming on board with the changes in the sanctuary.  Just to let you know, the altars are ordered and the plan is to have them here for Christmas.  “Innovative Stone,” of Hauppauge, NY will build both altars, to specifications, in cooperation with a mosaic factory in Italy.  The altars will be cut-to-design in the factory, assembled and installed in the sanctuary.

            Bishop Murphy, during his visit here two weeks ago, commented on how beautiful the church is with the restoration of the marble sanctuary floor.  I invited him to come when the new altars arrive.  Before Mass is celebrated for the first time, he wants to come and consecrate them.  Bringing Christ back into the center of the church sanctuary is the Bishop’s desire throughout the Diocese.  There is no other place for Christ in the Blessed Sacrament then at the center of our sanctuary and our lives.  I have been saying this since I arrived, and you will continue to hear me, and all the priests, emphasize this until we saturate this community with faith in God and the His life-giving values of moral certainty.

            Our nation is dedicated to Mary Immaculate, and she will intercede for all of us to keep this “one nation, under God.”

May God +bless you, and yours, now and forever.

May God +bless you, and yours, now and forever.

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