Parish Blog

: 07 May 2023

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER | MESSAGE SERIES WEEK 1

Dear Friends,

This is my first letter to you since returning from the Holy Land. I am so grateful for all your prayers and support. So many of you have asked about our pilgrimage and mentioned how you were remembering us in prayer. Thank you! You can be sure we remembered you in our prayers as well. I look forward to sharing bits of wisdom and insight from the trip over the next weeks and months.

Thank you also to everyone who shared in the beautiful send off for Deacon Ron and Eileen Meyers. It was a wonderful celebration of our time together, worshiping God and loving our neighbor, building up the Body of Christ right here in Maple Shade. While we cannot replace them, we do need to work towards filling the space they leave vacant with other members, who share a desire to follow the Lord and invite others.

The church throughout America has begun a special time of Eucharistic Revival. Over this past year, the focus has been at the Diocesan level. Now for the coming year, we at the local parish will have the chance to spend time reviving our love for the Eucharist and deepening our understanding of what it means to receive the Real Presence of Christ Jesus into ourselves. I could not think of a better weekend to begin to focus our attention on the Holy Eucharist than this weekend, when many of our young people will receive Jesus, the Living Bread, for the first time.

: 02 May 2023

Dear Parish Family,

As St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthians, “Now, there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

What does this mean to our parish community? Our parish members have a variety of talents that have been bestowed upon them by God. There are many ways in which these talents can be offered to help in Building up the Body of Christ here in Maple Shade. Some have the talents of hospitality, while others are best suited to behind the scenes organizing. Some have the talent of reading the Word while others are better suited to operational standards. No matter what talents we have each been given by God, how do we use them? Do we offer them back to God and His people?

: 02 May 2023

Last week Marianne wrote about the very beginning of the path (Service) to discipleship here at Our Lady of Perpetual Help. If you are not familiar with the path to discipleship here it is pretty simple. To get started you just need to remember STEPS. Serve, Tithe, Engage, Practice, Share (STEPS).

The first reading this week reminds us of the importance of the third step: Engage. St. Peter exhorts the crowd “they were cut to the heart, and they asked…‘What are we to do, my brothers?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized.’” We too are offered a challenge. We are presented with the Gospel with discipleship with Jesus Christ and offered the very life of God in the Eucharist. Are we cut to the heart like the people in the reading from Acts today? Are we aware of our shortcomings in contrast to the gifts God desires to give us?

From Father's Desk: Living Bread - Eucharistic Revival

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER | MESSAGE SERIES WEEK 1

From Marianne's Desk: Treasuring Our Time & Talents

From John's Desk: Engage In Your Faith

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church