Summer filled with opportunity

With the coming of the month of June so much of our daily routines change since school has recessed for the summer. We begin to take all or a part of our annual vacations and the general pace of our lives seems to slow down just a bit. I have always thought that this is not so bad as we all need a change of pace once in a while.

What should not change for any of us, however, is our lives of daily prayer, regular Mass attendance and participation, frequent use of the sacrament of Reconciliation, visits to the Blessed Sacrament, and our good works of mercy. The weather is usually nicer than at other times of the year and this is just one of the great benefits of summer. Do not let it become an excuse for not being faithful to our daily spiritual and sacramental lives. Just because it’s a nice day, and we are on vacation, we still owe God our very best in our prayers, our good works and our worship.

The Church, always a good Mother to us all, keeps us focused in the summer not only with our weekly Sunday liturgies, but also with some of our yearly solemnities. The Solemnities of the Most Holy Trinity and Corpus Christi are this year on Sunday, May 31 and Sunday, June 7 respectively. They are beautiful liturgies in which we celebrate the very heart and core of the Catholic faith, which is God as the Trinity of Persons, and the source and summit of our lives, which is the Most Holy Eucharist. We cannot live without them both!

This year, June 12 is the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus as well as the World Day of Prayer for Priests. If possible, please go to Mass on this day and offer a special prayer for your own parish priest and for all of our priests. Please include a fervent prayer for vocations for our own diocese as well as for the whole Church. June 13 is the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary from which her unconditional “yes” to God’s will emanated. Monday, June 29 is the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul and it is a reminder to all of us that the will of Jesus was to found His Church on the confession of faith of Peter and that its greatest missionary was and still is Paul. Their faith and mission are ours to live and to pass on to those who come after us.

The month of July offers us in the Diocese a wonderful opportunity to join together for prayer, to celebrate the Holy Mass and to enjoy each other’s company as we celebrate our annual Town and Country Mass. This year it is Sunday, July 12 and hosted by the parishes of Spirit of Life, Mandan, St. Martin, Huff, and St. Anthony in St. Anthony at the Marty and Kelly Schaff Angus Valley Ranch in St. Anthony. The information is contained in this issue as well as on our diocesan website. Please plan to come and enjoy and thank Almighty God for His abundant blessings.

Most importantly, please be faithful to your religious obligation to participate at Mass each Sunday. That is what we Catholics do because we believe and know that this is what the Lord wants for us. Have a wonderful few months this summer and know that I continue to pray for all of you each day at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.