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November 2, 2024
by Fr. Elmer Galiza, MS
We have once again witnessed how our love for God and
for our community became evident in the just concluded 35th
Annual Harvest Festival last October 25-27, 2024. It was
such a great event seeing our community working together
sharing each other’s time, talent and treasure. What a
beautiful sight seeing the body of Christ tirelessly making
visible and concrete the two greatest commandments, love
of God and love of neighbor which is the theme of our
Gospel this 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time.
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October 26, 2024
by Fr. Elmer Galiza, MS
This weekend (October 25-27, 2024) is our 35th Harvest
Festival. For the past years, it has become a way of gathering our community from all walks of life and all ages. Days to
nurture and deepen our relationships as we celebrate the
giftedness of each other’s presence. These are days to
create memories that can be added to our stories as one
family of God.
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October 12, 2024
by Fr. Elmer Galiza, MS
October is Holy Rosary month. This is one among the
most well-known Catholic prayer devotions, if not, the
most popular one. A Catholic theologian by the name of
Romano Guardini described praying the Rosary as
“participation in the life of Mary whose focus was Christ.”
Indeed, in praying the Rosary, we are one with Mary and
while contemplating on her life, we are as well imitating
her ways of discipleship.
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October 5, 2024
by Fr. Elmer Galiza, MS
As I share with you my first bulletin article, I would like to
take this opportunity to thank the whole community of
St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church for opening up your
hearts and for welcoming me warmly. I must admit that I
was hesitant at first, and of course, a feeling of uncertainty filled my heart before I responded yes and ultimately
accepted this new assignment.
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September 28, 2024
by Fr. Joseph Pilotin, MS
This will be the last bulletin article you will be reading from
me. I will finally leave on October 1, 2024, to begin my
new role in my religious community. I say this with mixed
feelings – sadness because I am leaving a great parish
that has become my home for the past nine years; excitement because I am looking forward to doing the ministry I
have always wanted to explore; and anxiety because I am
not sure what exactly the life dynamics would be. Nonetheless, I trust in the Lord who generously provides necessary graces for those whom He calls.
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September 21, 2024
by Fr. Joseph CM Pilotin, MS
The twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time for Year B
brings us to the second passion prediction of Jesus
in the Gospel of Mark. Notice that we call it the
passion prediction but we really should call it the
passion and resurrection predictions because Jesus
never just predicts his death and leaves it there. He
always links his passion with his resurrection.
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September 19, 2024
by Fr. Joseph CM Pilotin, MS
On September 19, the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette,
of which I am a member, will celebrate the 178th Anniversary
of our founding event - Mary’s Apparition at La Salette. La
Salette is not a household name, but you hear it preached in
many countries in Asia, America, Australia, Africa, and
Europe, and in a small alpine village where it was first heard.
Two Congregations bear the name of La Salette. Some
others are linked to it. All over the world, pilgrims, saints,
writers have sung its praises and continue to make it known.
You can see it over entrances, in parishes, spiritual centers
and cooperatives; at shelters for lepers and their families; you
see it in humble places where the handicapped work, and you
see it at high mountain shrine.
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September 7, 2024
by Fr. Joseph CM Pilotin, MS
Why does Mary have a special role in helping us?
As the Mother of God, the Virgin Mary has a unique position
among the saints, indeed, among all creatures. She is exalted, yet still one of us. Redeemed by reason of the merits of
her Son and united to Him by a close and indissoluble tie,
she is endowed with the high office and dignity of being the
Mother of the Son of God, by which account she is also the
beloved daughter of the Father and the temple of the Holy
Spirit. Because of this gift of sublime grace, she far surpasses all creatures, both in heaven and on earth. At the same
time, however, because she belongs to the offspring of
Adam, she is one with all those who are to be saved.
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August 23, 2024
by Fr. Joseph CM Pilotin, MS
Our Gospel this weekend brings to a close the Bread of Life
Discourse we have been hearing for five weeks now,
beginning with the Feeding of the Multitude, and then the
following three weeks with the teaching of Jesus on himself
as the bread of life. “I am the bread of life. Anyone who eats
of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give
is my flesh, for the life of the world.”
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August 17, 2024
by Fr. Joseph CM Pilotin, MS
Stewardship is our approach to the gifts that God has
bestowed upon us. It is living out a commitment to be
Christ-centered rather than self-centered. Profound gratitude, justice and love become the fundamental motives
for giving back to God. Everything that God has given to
us is intended to serve the divine plan.
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August 10, 2024
by Fr. Joseph CM Pilotin, MS
With profound gratitude and overflowing joy, I report to
you the significant growth we have seen in our beloved
parish this past fiscal year. The fiscal year 2022-2023 was
already a great year as we strived to rise from the stifling
effects of the pandemic. But the fiscal year 2023-2024
proved us that things can go even better.
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August 7, 2024
Anh chị em thân mến! Lời Chúa hôm nay xoay quanh vấn đề bánh hằng sống. Trong bài
Cựu ước thiên thần đưa bánh và nước đến cho tiên tri Êlia ăn uống. Ăn uống rồi ông ngủ
tiếp, thiên thần lại phải đánh thức dậy, dục ông ăn uống nữa, hầu có sức vượt hết đoạn
đường gian khổ để đến núi Hôreb. Êlia đã mang một thái độ dửng dưng, bất cần trước của
ăn Thiên Chúa ban cho, vì ông chán nản và muốn chết. Nhưng ăn uống xong, ông lấy lại khí
thế, sức mạnh và niềm vui để tiếp tục cuộc hành trình. Trong bài Tin Mừng Đức Kitô ban
bánh trường sinh cho dân chúng, và nhiều người cũng có thái độ thản nhiên hoặc nghi ngờ,
khiến Chúa phải nói mạnh: Ta là bánh ban sự sống, cha ông các ngươi ăn Manna rồi chết,
nhưng ai ăn bánh này sẽ sống đời đời. Bánh là lương thực không thể thiếu đối với sự sống
tự nhiên của con người. Nhưng còn một sự sống khác, sự sống siêu nhiên, nên con người
cần một thứ bánh có thể ban sự sống siêu nhiên ấy cho con người. Lạy Thiên Chúa toàn
năng hằng hữu, chúng con cúi đầu, xin Chúa hãy thứ tha những thiếu sót và thái độ dửng
dưng trước lương thực Mình và Máu Chúa Kitô trong bí tích Thánh Thể. Chúng con đã được
phúc gọi Chúa là Cha; xin cho chúng con ngày càng thêm lòng hiếu thảo, hầu đáng được
hưởng gia nghiệp Chúa hứa ban. Chúa hằng sống và hiển trị muôn đời. Amen.
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August 1, 2024
by Fr. Joseph CM Pilotin, MS
Just like the disciples who were sent forth by Jesus and
now are rejoining Jesus, I was also sent forth and I now
need to rejoin my community, bringing with me all the
learnings I have gained and ready to bring in new
perspective and fresh vigor to the community that will
continue to send forth missionaries. I am filled with
sadness because I am leaving; with anxiety because I will
start again; and with fear because I am taking on new
responsibilities. But I am at peace because I trust that the
Lord knows better, and he will surprise me with beautiful
things beyond my imagination, as I have proven many
times in the past.
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July 13, 2024
by Fr. Joseph CM Pilotin, MS
What does this Gospel say to the Church today? How, in
today’s world, should we interpret the command of Jesus
to go forth without money or food, with only sandals, staff
and a single garment? New Testament scholar Brendan
Byrne offers this insight: “Today’s Gospel reminds the
Church that the effectiveness of its prophetic role – its
critique of prevailing cultural assumptions and practices -
will largely be in proportion to the ‘lightness’ with which it
travels, its trust in the goodness (hospitality) of ordinary
people, and the lack of self-seeking its clergy present to
the world.”
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July 5, 2024
by Fr. Joseph CM Pilotin, MS
The Gospel reading for this Sunday takes us to the story of
Jesus’ rejection by the people of Nazareth. Jesus is coming “to
his own country.” The literal Greek is patrída which means his
fatherland, the place from which he hailed, his hometown. He
has come back in order to teach and preach. But they took
offense at him. They said, “Where did this man get all this? Is
he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James
and Joses and Judas and Simon?”
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June 29, 2024
by Fr. Joseph CM Pilotin, MS
Despite the differences in social standing, in the manner of approaching Jesus, in age and in the gravity of condition, the little girl and the hemorrhaging woman received miraculous healing. Jesus does not discriminate. He heals us all. What is needed is faith, and always faith.
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June 22, 2024
The works of the God of Israel in the Old Testament are the same works that Jesus does in the New Testament. So, to the question of Mark, “Who then is this [Jesus] whom even wind and sea obey?”, he is God. He is one with the God of Israel. He is God who became flesh and dwelt among men.
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June 15, 2024
A father is a source of strength and support. He strives to provide for and raise his children to know right from wrong, to develop sound moral values. A dad puts the needs of his family before his own. A dad teaches his children the value of hard work, courage, honesty and good judgment. A dad creates memories with his children that will last them a lifetime… by teaching them to ride a two-wheel bicycle or how to throw a curveball or simply just by quiet-time together, allowing his children to revel in the security of a protective, paternal love. A dad encourages his children to live lives of holiness and quiet fortitude. Most of all, through his own life of faith, a father teaches his children by example to cultivate a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father through prayer, to live their lives according to God’s word and guide them firmly along the path to their eternal, Heavenly destination. Whether he realizes it or not, it is through such dedication and commitment to his family, that a dad emulates Saint Joseph.
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June 8, 2024
Carlo Acutis was born May 3, 1991, in London though his family moved to Milan shortly after. From a young age, Carlo seemed to have a special love for God, even though his parents weren’t especially devout. The priest promoting his cause for sainthood noted that Carlo “managed to drag his relatives, his parents to Mass every day. It was not the other way around; it was not his parents bringing the little boy to Mass, but it was he who managed to get himself to Mass and to convince others to receive Communion daily.” What an inspiration for a child to model faith witness to a family!
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June 1, 2024
by Fr. Joseph CM Pilotin, MS
As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, we also take this opportunity to understand Communion. Fr. Joseph McGloin teaches that, “The word ‘communion’ is almost self-explanatory. Literally, it means ‘union with.’ It suggests a sharing, a mutual participation. Holy Communion, is, then, an intimate sharing in the life of Christ” (How to Get More Out of the Mass, p. 128).
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