BBQ and 9/11 Memorial Mass

Our annual OLPH BBQ is next weekend, September 27, 28 and 29. Friday we are open 6:00 to 10:00 p.m., Saturday from 4:00 to 10:00 p.m. and Sunday from 2:00 until 8:00 p.m. The forecast is for fine weather, so plan to join us for great food, entertainment and a wonderful time. Please be sure to purchase tickets to our raffle, and this is the last weekend that discounted pre-event ride tickets are also on sale. We still need volunteers, so please make it a point 
to sign up this weekend, even if you are only able to give a couple of hours. 

In coming for the BBQ, please do not park in the lots of our neighboring businesses. Those lots are their property and 
they need them for the purposes of their business activities. It is our Christian obligation to be respectful of our neighbors and their rights. In addition to our own lots, we have arranged for additional parking at Hart High School (through Arcadia Street), and also at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on Orchard Village. There will be volunteers at those parking lots to assist you. 

On Wednesday, September 11, our parish school held its annual assembly to commemorate the events of 9-11 and to 
honor and thank first responders. We had a wonderful turnout from the sheriff and police departments, from firefighters and military personnel, from doctors, nurses, paramedics and others. Many of these are parishioners and parents of our school children. 

The speaker this year was John Dove. John served as a police officer for 21 years and was one of the first responders at the World Trade Center. His presentation moved me deeply. It reflects the best of our Christian faith and of our society. With his permission, I’d like to share a portion of his remarks with you in this message: 

     This will always be a sad day for me and many other people in our country but seeing you here honoring those who were lost that day makes me very happy. We should never forget what happened. We cannot forget. I am honored to have been asked to speak today. . . I came to share a message with all of you especially the children. The people who attacked our country on 9/11 had hate in their hearts. They knocked down buildings, hurt and killed many people but I am here to tell you, as terrible as it was, hate lost that day. I saw it with my own eyes. Because the thing I remember most was the love I saw. I saw people from all different ethnic, religious and political backgrounds and people of all different colors, shapes and sizes coming together to help each other, sometimes sacrificing their own lives to do so. 

     . . So, if I can ask one thing of you today, it would be to not allow hate creep into your heart. Try every day to love your family, your classmates, your neighbors and your teachers. Be kind to each other. When you see someone hurting, sad or in trouble, be a hero to them. If you do that, hate will always lose just like it did on this day 23 years ago. 

This is wisdom that John learned from his reflection on and prayer about the traumatic experiences of that day. This is wisdom we see in Scriptures, and especially in the life, teachings and deeds of Jesus. Because just as John discovered on 9-11, on Calvary, hate lost. On Calvary, though his enemies had their way with Jesus, love triumphed. 
As Mr. Dove asked our schoolchildren, I ask all of us. Please embrace the wisdom of Jesus. Do not allow hate to creep 
into your heart! Be men and women of Christ, of love!

Jesus, you taught us to learn from a little child, help us to be humble servants who love one another. Holy Mary, whose love is beyond all telling, pray that we may always walk in your Son’s way of love and compassion. 

Father Craig