A GOD NOT TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE BUT BOTH GOOD AND TRUE
“Did anything so great ever happen before? Was it ever heard of?” –Deut 4:32
The best thing about Christ’s revelation of God as a Trinity of persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—is that it is true! Our first reading from Deuteronomy includes several rhetorical questions which drive home the remarkable truth of God which we celebrate on this Trinity Sunday. In the breathtaking beauty of the eighth chapter of Romans, we are reminded that we are able to so identify with Jesus Christ as to be able to say confidently, “Abba, Father!” (Rm 8:15). It is the Holy Spirit who makes that divine adoption and total identification with the Son possible. In this sense, the liturgical celebration of the Most Holy Trinity this weekend is a continuation of the grace of Pentecost which we celebrated this past weekend. Glory be to God!
I include several miscellaneous notes:
+ ART-A-WHIRL at St. Clement last weekend was a wild success. Thanks to all our volunteers, our visitors and our artists. The presence of so many artists and the celebration of so much beauty reminds us that our God is not only the fullness of Goodness and the ground of Truth, but also the source of Beauty as well! + Congratulations to those from our parish and from St. John Paul II Catholic School who were confirmed by Archbishop Hebda this past week at the Cathedral of St. Paul. May these young people come to know God more fully and thereby come to recognize His call upon their lives.
+ On Thursday, June 13th we celebrate the patron of the City of Minneapolis, St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231). This year marks the 175th anniversary from the establishment of St. Anthony of Padua parish, which was the first parish of Minneapolis dating back to 1849. I hope you might consider joining for a special Feast Day Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Chapel at 10:45 am to celebrate one of our patron saints. + The newest priests of our Archdiocese are receiving the gift of Priestly Ordination this weekend at the Cathedral through the laying on of hands of Archbishop Hebda. Deo gratias! As I come to my eleventh anniversary, I am reminded of the gift and mystery of priesthood.
+ Welcome to the National Eucharistic Pilgrims who have already traveled a long way from the birthplace of the Mississippi in northern Minnesota and who are present for our annual NE Eucharistic Procession which begins this Sunday at 1:00 pm from Holy Cross! You are all invited to join us—if not for the entire procession to All Saints, at least for the first stage from Holy Cross to Sts. Cyril and Methodius church.
+ Fr. Cyprian has announced his new assignment as Pastor of St. Casimir and St. Patrick Churches in St. Paul which will begin this summer. We are grateful for his service to our parish over the past four years. I invite you to come by Kolbe Hall to send him off with our gratitude on Sunday, June 16th at 12:45 pm which is Father’s Day. A secondary opportunity to send him off will be on Tuesday, June 11th after the 10 am St. Hedwig Mass.
+ As we head towards the start of summer, all are invited to join us for the 6 pm end-of-the-year Mass on Wednesday, May 29th at Holy Cross for our Faith Formation, Discovering Catholicism and Small Group communities followed by a social and dinner in the courtyard.
There is much to celebrate! God is good!
-Fr. Howe, Pastor