. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	From the Pastor's Desktop		Fr. Charles Puthota
	A Message from the Pastor
	June 4, 2023
Dear Parishioners of St. Elizabeth,

Ordinary Time of the Liturgical Year: The day after Pentecost last Sunday, we began the Ordinary Time of the Liturgical Year. Did you notice the change of colors in our liturgy? In Lent, we used violet. Throughout Easter season, we used white. Now in Ordinary Time of the Liturgical Year, we use green. The Ordinary Time will last until December 02. December 03 is the First Sunday of Advent. This season we are in now is called the Ordinary Time because it's outside the big, special seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. But during the Ordinary Time, we continue journey with Christ, meditating on his life, teachings, healings, miracles, and his driving out of the demons. We come to dwell on his values and vision. This Ordinary Time is by no means ordinary. It's extraordinary because God's grace continues to accompany us every moment, every day. Like Mary, we too need to say yes to God's grace and find each day a sacred day filled with God's presence and blessings.

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity: One God, Three Persons. This is the mystery we celebrate this Sunday. That God has revealed himself as a Trinity is what we rejoice over. God the Father creates and sustains everything. God the Son redeems and graces us. God the Holy Spirit sanctifies and empowers. Isn't it a consoling conviction for us that God lives not in isolation but in community? There is constant love flowing from one divine person to another, continuous giving and sharing. The Trinity is revealed on many occasions in the Bible. For example, at the baptism of Jesus, the Father speaks, the Spirit descends on Jesus. Our ultimate experience of God is Trinitarian. Let's enter the mystery of the Trinity in awe and worship and treasure the Trinitarian God.

Sayings on the Trinity: "In Christ, for the first time, we see that in God himself there exists --- within his inseparable unity --- the distinction between the Father who gives and the Gift which is given (the Son), but only in the unity of the Holy Spirit." --- Hans Urs von Balthasar. "The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and of Christian life. God alone can make it known to us by revealing himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Incarnation of God's Son reveals that God is the eternal Father and that the Son is consubstantial with the Father, which means that, in the Father and with the Father the Son is one and the same God. The mission of the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father in the name of the Son (Jn 14:26) and by the Son 'from the Father' (Jn 15:26), reveals that, with them, the Spirit is one and the same God." --- Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Eucharistic Congress at Our Cathedral: On Saturday, June 10, the Archdiocese is inviting everyone to consider attending the Eucharistic Congress starting at 9:00 a.m. Please register. See the details on the last page of the bulletin. You are familiar with the truth that the Eucharist is at the heart of the life of the Church. It would be highly beneficial for us to reconnect with Jesus Christ in and through this precious Sacrament. We celebrate the memory of Jesus in the Eucharist. We reaffirm our faith that Jesus is "truly, really and substantially" present in the Eucharist. Because of our celebration of the Eucharist, we are inspired to forge unity in the Church and among the diverse peoples of the world, we help break down barriers and all forms of discrimination, we forge ahead to build up communities of peace and justice, we strive to feed the hungry and uplift the poor, we help transform this world, a world filled with God's presence and blessings for all.

A Story to Think About: A monk was walking in the monastery grounds one day when he heard a bird sing. He listened, spellbound. It seemed to him that never before had he heard, but really heard, the song of a bird. When the singing stopped he returned to the monastery and discovered, to his dismay, that he was a stranger to his fellow monks, and they to him. It was only gradually that they and he discovered that he was returning after centuries. Because his listening was total, time had stopped and he had slipped into eternity.

Quotable Quotes: "Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else."-Margaret Mead. "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." - Robert Louis Stevenson. "I failed my way to success." - Thomas Edison. "Life is ours to be spent, not to be saved." - D. H. Lawrence. "Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air." - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Jokes: 1. A man was applying for a job as a prison guard. The warden said, "Now these are real tough guys in here. Do you think you can handle it?" "No problem," the applicant replied. "If they don't behave, out they go!" 2. People say New Yorkers can't get along. Not true. I saw two New Yorkers, complete strangers, sharing a cab. One guy took the tires and the radio; the other guy took the engine. 3. The inmate was aware that all prison mail passes through censors. When he got a letter from his wife asking about the family garden---"Honey, when do I plant potatoes?---he wrote back. "Do not, under any circumstances, dig up our old garden spot. That's where I buried all my guns." Within days his wife wrote back, "Six investigators came to the house. They dug up every square inch of the back yard." By return mail she got his answer: "Now is the time to plant potatoes."

Your Friend and Pastor,

Father Charles Puthota