Alerts

May  Main Events

May 4            : Holy Communion And Confirmation

May 9            : Ascension of the Lord

May 10-12     : Pastoral Visit by Bishop Mar Jacob Angadiath

May 19           : Pentecost Sunday

May 26           : Feast of The Most Holy Trinity

Click here to view / download Parish Bulletin - May 2013

A Friend of Jesus: Living in the Holy Eucharist and Holy Spirit

My Dear Brothers, Sisters and Children,

We have so many reasons to rejoice in and celebrate the month of May, a month dedicated to Mary the Mother of God, First Holy Communion and Confirmation of our children. An added reason for celebration is our beloved Bishop, His Excellency Mar Jacob Angadiath’s Pastoral visit to our parish.

Traditionally the month of May is dedicated to Mary, our beloved Mother. The faithful pray the Rosary and offer themselves to the powerful intercession of Mary. I would like to share with you a true story of a woman who had depression for ten years. She was under many medications for all those years. One day a friend told her that if she prayed the Rosary every day, her depression would go away and she would be completely healed. At first this woman would not believe her friend. But then she thought to herself, “Why don’t I pray the Rosary and see if it works.” She started to pray the Rosary everyday in the month of May and offered herself to Mother Mary. She told her friend, “It was amazing. You wouldn’t believe that I began to feel the love of my God. In a month I was cured of my depression and I never stopped praying the Rosary ever since.”

Let us take time and pray the Rosary every day. Many people have told me that they have no time to pray the Rosary because it takes 20 -25 minutes to say it. I suggest that one of the best times to pray the Rosary is when you are driving to and from work. Students, before you start your home work say a decade of the Rosary and you will see a difference in your power of concentration to and in your grades.

First Holy Communion: It is your first personal meeting with Jesus who is in the Eucharist as our most special friend with whom we can talk our hearts out and whom we can receive as our spiritual food. Children, this is one of the most memorable days of your life as you receive Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time. “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”(Jn 6: 54-56) Jesus expresses clearly His friendship with one who eats His Body and drinks His Blood. Children are called upon to develop a friendship with Jesus through the reception of Holy Communion. If we hurt our best friend, we say, ‘I am sorry’ because we don’t want to lose our friend. In the same way, when we hurt Jesus through our sins, tell him, ‘I am sorry’ and go to confession. Through sincere confession and reception of Holy Communion keep up your everlasting friendship with Jesus.

Sacrament of Confirmation: For "by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.”(CCC1285) “…Confirmation is the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit as once granted to the apostles on the day of Pentecost. From this fact, Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace:

- it roots us more deeply in the divine filiation which makes us cry, "Abba! Father!";
- it unites us more firmly to Christ;
- it increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us;
- it renders our bond with the Church more perfect;
- it gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross:

Recall then that you have received the spiritual seal, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence, the spirit of holy fear in God's presence. Guard what you have received. God the Father has marked you with his sign; Christ the Lord has confirmed you and has placed his pledge, the Spirit, in your hearts. “(CCC 1302, 1303)

I invite all parishioners to prepare ourselves spiritually to welcome Mar Jacob Angadiath, the Bishop of St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago to
St. Alphonsa Church for his pastoral visit.

Yours in Christ Jesus,
Fr. Mathew Elayadathamadam, msfs
Vicar, St. Alphonsa Catholic Church

Mar George Alencherry was born on 19th April 1945 in the parish of Thuruthy in the archdiocese of Changancherry as the sixth child of the ten children of Mr. Philipose and Mary Alencherry of whom two others are priests (Fr. Jose Alencherry and Fr. Francis Alencherry, SDB) and one, a religious sister (Sr. Cherupushpam, S.A.B.S.). Geevarghese is his baptismal name. Mar George Alencherry had his primary schooling at St Mary’s School, Thuruthy and secondary education at St Berchman’s High School, Changanacherry read more...