We begin our Jubilee Year on Tuesday: The Jubilee Is A Special Year of Grace. We begin our Golden Jubilee with The Special ‘Bread of Life’ Retreat

Every three years we get to make a very special Eucharistic retreat with the Lord. Because St. Mark’s Gospel is very short, we enhance it with readings from the Bread of Life Discourse, the sixth Chapter of St. John’s Gospel. We pick up from last week: “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” … and he began to teach them many things.

“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while?” (Mark 6:31). We all need a break after lots of hard work. Jesus invites us to pray, to be alone with Him. He wants each one of you to know His perfect love more intimately and personally, to develop our loving friendship with Him. Our Catholic Faith requires that we grow in our prayer life. This requires daily quiet, meditative time, free from any distractions.

“Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two” (Mark 6:7).

Two by two? Recall St. Matthew’s words:

“Where two or more are gathered in my name, I am there in their midst”

“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9).

Well, having celebrated Independence Day this past week, it is a good time to reflect on the past year. As we welcomed Fr. Samuel Aliba this past week, likewise a year ago, you all warmly welcomed me to Blessed Sacrament Pariah as your new Pastor.

I am confident that you will agree that it has been a very good year. Together, we have achieved a lot in twelve months with the Lord’s grace and with your generous support also.