Brothers and Sisters,

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all!” This greeting at the Mass is directly borrowed from St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. Paul put a lot of deliberate effort into his greetings. Paul mostly wrote to communities with whom he already had a strong bond, forged during his time with them, sharing the Gospel and laboring beside them in the mission of the Church. Paul understood this most essential truth: we were created for communion and relationship with the Lord.

In his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo reminds us of this essential truth and the Church’s role in accompanying humanity to life with the Lord God. Quoting St. Augustine, Pope Leo knows that we find our deepest satisfaction only in the Lord: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” On this celebration of the Trinity, we celebrate that God is intrinsically always giving in relationship. He has revealed himself as Father, Son, and Spirit. He desires an enduring relationship with you.

While the “rush to post” media has emphasized the encyclical as a commentary on Artificial Intelligence, Pope Leo is framing an important question for us: are we constructing another “Tower of Babel” or building that city “in which God and humanity dwell together.” For that city, we should truly work to build. Pope Leo uses the account of Nehemiah to illustrate how he sought to restore Jerusalem after their return from Exile. In particular, Nehemiah knows the importance of rebuilding the wall. Don’t read into this political satire. Pope Leo is asking if we have clear objectives for the “why” of technology and advancement. To be clear, I’ve only read the Introduction and 1st Chapter so far — but generally that sets the true tone and essential message.

Calling us to build this city to dwell with the Lord, Pope Leo describes four essential elements: (1) build on a “firm relationship with God”, (2) accept our limits and weaknesses of humanity, and not as something to be corrected, (3) everyone is called to shared responsibility, and (4) we must have a language that builds our humanity, not tearing down one another.

Let’s keep striving to truly “advance humanity” by staying true to our faith.

Let’s keep growing our worship and adoration of the Lord. This coming weekend is a great opportunity. Join us for our Festival of Praise on Friday evening, June 5, at 7:30 PM. On Sunday, for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, we’ll have our Eucharistic Procession following the 11:00 AM Mass. Participating in these times of worship is a great way to cultivate a love for Christ in the Eucharist and to center your life on him.

Congratulations to our 8th-grade graduates from Our Lady of Perpetual Help School and to all our parishioners celebrating this milestone. Please note that due to graduation this Friday, Reconciliation will not be available from 4:00–6:00 PM as usual. You are welcome to come at one of our other times this week: Mondays after the 8:00 AM Mass and from 11:00 AM–12:00 Noon, or Tuesdays from 5:30–6:30 PM.

Let us continue to build a vibrant culture of worship and adoration by committing to Eucharistic Adoration each week.

To sign up, scan the QR code.

Join us as we prepare to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our Chapel of the Good Shepherd.