“Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be take away from her.” Lk 10,42

Dear parishioners,

As we bask in the beauty of these summer days, the message from today’s readings couldn’t be more clear, more appropriate. In the heat of summer, Abraham welcomes three visitors, has them sit down in a cool place, and feeds them a generous, delicious meal. In the gospel, Jesus gives his blessing to Mary, who is seated at his feet, listening to his every word. The message is clear. By the grace of God, may we all find time this summer, indeed, make time, for stillness, for rest, for calm, for listening in the stillness, for something, anything, from the Father, from Jesus, from the Holy Spirit. Two well-known verses pop into my mind as I meditate on this season. From the book of Kings, “After the fire, there was a sound of sheer silence. And Elijah heard the voice of God in the silence.” Cf 1 K 19,12-14. And from psalm 46: “Be still and know that I am God, supreme in the Heavens, supreme on the earth”. It is my hope and my prayer for us all this summer, that we will be still, and in the stillness, receive something of the certainty of God’s presence to us, to those we love, that we don ‘t already have.

As you read these lines, I will already be in Tultenango, Mexico, for a second chapter, this time, our Dominican General Chapter. I will be returning on August 9. I leave you in good hands since not only are Fr. Gabriel and Deacon Gilles here for the duration of my absence, but a new member has been added to our Dominican community and parish team: Fr. Joseph D’Souza, a Dominican  confrere from India who has joined our team. You will have the pleasure of meeting him as he presides masses over the coming days and weeks during my absence. Thanks be to God and to the Indian Dominican province for lending him to us!

The next edition of the parish bulletin will appear on Sunday August 14th. However, this edition of the bulletin will be available at all Sunday masses until the next edition appears.

I leave you with a prayer for God’s blessing upon you all in the coming weeks of summer, above all the blessing of stillness and calm of the kind that God prefers for revealing something of himself, of his presence to us.

Keep safe, God bless, and see you on August 14th.

Fr. Guy