Dear brothers and sisters,

Well, I would like to congratulate all of our young people who have recently graduated this month. I hope you have a wonderful summer before you begin anew in September. I would also like to congratulate our own Holy Innocents School alumni who graduated Friday, June 17th. A special thank you goes to you and your parents for believing in Catholic Education at Holy Innocents. May God continue to bless all of the graduates of our parish family.

In our Gospel this week, we get a glimpse of the compassion and patience of Jesus. When the Samaritans would not greet them because their destination was Jerusalem, the disciples wanted to call down fire from heaven on them and exact revenge. However, Jesus corrects them by revealing part of His mission, to save all people and to restore that which is lost. Simply put He has come to save all men and women, not destroy them. He also was patient with His disciples by slowly bringing them along to see things His way. Saint Ambrose said it well when he said, “The Lord does everything in an admirable way. He acts in this way to teach us that perfect virtue retains no desire for vengeance, and that where there is true charity there is no room for anger. In other words, that weakness should not be treated with harshness but that should be helped. Indignation should be very far from holy souls, and desire for vengeance very far from great souls.” Let us pray that we can be brought along in the school of discipleship with our Lord Jesus.

Peace,

Fr. Mike