From Father Steven - September 27th

Dear Brothers Sisters, After an “eventful summer” with Covid restrictions everywhere, Killer bees, hurricanes, the upcoming elections, now we are faced with the death of Judge Ginsburg, and our city was declared a red zone (high-risk). What will be next? What should we be concerned with? All of these things make me think of the dialogue between Jesus and Martha. Not so much the depth of that conversation, but rather the response from Jesus, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” (Lk 10:41-42) Even Pre-Covid times, often we got sidetracked with so many things or they distracted us from the most important elements in our lives, that is, to be with the Lord. Mary has chosen the better part as Jesus says, “who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.” (v.39) This does not mean that we will drop everything in a heartbeat and only pray (that’s always an option), but hopefully it will help us refocus our lives. Many psalms refer that to be with the Lord is better than anything (“better one day [with the Lord] than a thousand elsewhere” Ps. 84:11), even St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians we heard last week, “I long to be with Christ.” The Psalms also mention that the Lord would deliver his people from different afflictions, as Ps. 34 says “I sought the LORD, and he answered me, delivered me from all my fears…This poor one cried out and the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him.” (v. 5 & 7) In the midst of difficulties and tribulations, we are not alone. God always provides helpers to guide us and protect us. Commonly speaking we often say that God sends “angels” to help us, people like angels to be precise. In truth, God does send people to help us, but he also sends truly Angels! This week we celebrate the feast of the Archangels, angelic beings entrusted with very important messages, and we also celebrate our Guardian Angel. Each person has an Angel, whose mission is to aid that particular person in their salvation. So, what should we do going forward? Trust in the Lord, accept the help of those around us, and continue our journey towards heaven. We, as a parish, will continue to offer different opportunities to get closer to the Lord by prayer and talks. This coming Friday, October 2nd we will have FIRST FRIDAY ADORATION from 6:30am – 4pm in the Church. We will continue with Confessions Tuesdays (4-6pm) and Saturdays (1-3pm), calling the parish office, or talking directly with one of the priests. Our next 24hr of Adoration will be over Columbus day, from 6pm on Sunday, October 11th until 6pm Monday, October 12th. Also in October, we will offer a SERIES OF TALKS Mondays and Thursdays 7:30pm in the Church. We are resuming the talks from the Neocatechumenal Way that was interrupted by the lockdown. As Pope Saint John Paul II described, it’s a tool of evangelization valid for society in our times, in order to reach out to people who may have strayed from the Church, to help others to grow deeper in faith and closer to the Lord. As we continue our journey to heaven let’s be prudent with the situation that we are facing. As much as it can bother us, we need to continue to cover our faces, sanitize our hands, and maintain social distance. We do not know how long it will take for us to return to normality, or even how this winter will be, but we put our trust in the Lord who never forgets us! In the meantime, as we proceed with all precautions and safety, we will continue to grow closer to the Lord. This week the city of Marlboro was added to the list of high-risk communities. We had an increase of 13 new cases, which pushed us into the red zone category. Per Archdiocesan policies, we will have to take the temperature of everyone coming into the church (using infrared thermometers), and collect the name and phone number of one person per household. These are extra measures to insure a safe environment in the church. God bless, Fr. Steven