As many of you know I will be moving to another parish in a week’s time. I am most thankful for what will be the nine months that I have spent here. This is very much so a vibrant parish community and I know that each of you will come to welcome Father Peter Iorio and Father Andres Cano with open arms. Despite having to leave, I am thankful, that I will remain under the intercession of our Blessed Mother. My first assignment as a priest was Saint Mary Parish in Oak Ridge, then I was sent here to Our Lady of Fatima, and starting July 15th I will become the parachial administrator of Saint Mary Parish in Johnson City.
Our reading from Isaiah left us with an ancient depiction of our Blessed Mother: “Oh, that you may suck fully of the milk of her comfort, that you may nurse with delight at her abundant breasts!” This is the image of Our Lady who is found feeding our Blessed Lord in His infancy. Here she provides for His nourishment and needs. So too we must stick close to our Blessed Mother in order that she may intercede for us and draw us closer to her Son.
Sometimes I think we have allowed devotion to her to slip away from our life and home. Nevertheless, we must reinkindle this devotion because through devotion to her we are brought into a greater relationship with her Son. Mary leads us forth in Christian virtue and allows our heart to come and dwell with her Son.
From Fatima she proclaimed to us: “Pray the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace in the world . . . for she alone can save it." Saint John Paul II stated of the rosary and its connection to the family: “The revival of the Rosary in Christian families, within the context of a broader pastoral ministry to the family, will be an effective aid to countering the devastating effects of this crisis typical of our age.”
Therefore, let us, continue to turn our sight towards our Blessed Mother. Let her intercede for us as she interceded for those at the Wedding Feast of Cana. Let us foster proper devotion to her within our homes, especially through the taking up of the weapon of the rosary. May Mary provide for our needs as she provided for those needs of the Christ child. Together let us invoke her intercession and pray:
