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An important aspect of our shared journey in faith is one’s identity, established by our name. When we greet someone or vice versa, we generally use that person’s name. This brings us into a personal relationship with that person. If we don’t know the person, we usually ask them what their name is so that we again bring it to a personal level. Did you know that there is another name that we inherited?

How do you expect the Lord Jesus to treat you when you ask for his help? Do you approach with fear and doubt, or with faith and confidence? Jesus never turned anyone aside who approached him with sincerity and trust.

Jesus teaches that we are not defiled by the food we eat, but rather by the sin that emerges from our words and actions. As we continue to pray for healing in our Church, we listen to the Lord’s words which profoundly resonate with us.

Jesus told His disciples that His words were “spirit and life” (John6:63) — His words came from the heavenly Father who is the Author of life and the One who breathes His Spirit into those who believe in Him.

We try to be an inviting and welcoming parish community. We know that in the Old Testament, God was very inviting. God extended many invitations to feasts (Isaiah 25:6-12) as the feast of life to come. We feasted on manna in the wilderness and ate bread and fish with thousands of people on the hillside and we come to know Jesus in the “bread come down from heaven” as we continue with the Bread of Life Discourse in the Gospel.

Sometimes we all feel like Elijah. We see and hear the terrible things that are going on in the Church. We sense that the challenges of our jobs and lives are uphill battles. We feel the frustration, anger, and bitterness. We imagine our journey to be desert-like when we become fed-up, tired and weary. We are tempted to say, “This is enough, O Lord!” just as Elijah did.

A promise is a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen. This Sunday’s Scriptures remind us that God keeps promises.

When Jesus raised His eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to Him, He said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” I don’t think He was talking about a supermarket here. Jesus already knew what He was going to do. This Gospel narrative is one of Pope Francis’ favorite passages and His Holiness offers an interesting take on this: “When the Apostles said to Jesus that the people who had come to listen to His words were hungry, He invited them to go and look for food.

According to the CDC, more than one third of Americans are not getting enough sleep. I know because I am one of them. It seems that the disciples were lacking sleep as well. Jesus asks his disciples to “come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile.” Coming in mid-summer, we often hear this passage preached as an encouragement for us to embrace a needed break from our work and stressful life.

There are two themes that stick out in today’s Gospel message. The first is our partnership in ministry and the second is the commissioning of Jesus to preach and heal. We are reminded that it is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who opens our hearts and not only chooses, but unites, us as co-workers in the vineyard.

So many of us live with the news of the day. We get up in the morning and put the television on to see what the latest news is. We get into our cars and put the radio on to get the latest news. Sometimes it’s just all bad news. We find ourselves dealing with people who are “hard of face and obstinate of heart,” people who take offense at the least suggested change or mild criticism.

Why wasn’t the unnamed woman in today’s Gospel identified? Was it because she would not waiver in her faith commitment or be persuaded by pressure from the crowd? Was it because her determination and her being steadfast in her faith allowed her not to take “no” for an answer?

We read today that Elizabeth's neighbors and relatives rejoice with her because God has shown her mercy in the birth of a son. In what should be a joyous occasion, confusion arises when she tells them that his name is to be John, which means “God has been gracious.” Zechariah has been unable to speak since the Angel Gabriel appeared, because, unlike Mary, he doubted the angel's word. But when he writes on a tablet “John is his name” ...

And so here we are at the end of another school year. Summer is just around the corner. Vacations are being planned and everyone is looking forward to relaxing for a week or two. The parable of the growing seed identifies a mystery that even the advanced farmer or scientist has trouble comprehending. How does the process of germination work?

Jesus asks a tough question: “How can Satan drive out Satan?” There might be many answers to this question but they could be summed up into one short answer: love one another and help one another.

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, historically known by its Latin name Corpus Christi, celebrates the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist — Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.

As members of our Diocesan Family, we are called upon to love and serve our brothers and sisters, in our community and beyond. Your contribution to the Annual Catholic Appeal allows our diocese to continue to serve as a resource to the parishes and other organizations.

The Season of Easter concludes with today’s celebration, the Feast of Pentecost. On Pentecost we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem; this event marks the beginning of the Church. The story of Pentecost is found in our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

Do you see what Jesus promises us: that we are women and men, teens and kids, all consecrated in truth? We have this certainty: that we have God who is love and truth abiding in us. What other certainties are there in this world, so sorely in need of truth and joy?

Love means many different things to different people. To Shakespeare, “love is blind and lovers can’t see.” To Aristotle, “love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.” To Saint Paul, “only these three things last: faith, hope and love—the greatest of these is love.”