St. Matthew Catholic Church

Weekly Message     

In God’s Love, No Orphans

Dear brothers and sisters,   

     I wish all our mothers a Happy Mother’s Day! Also, let us pray for our deceased mothers that they may be in heaven and intercede for our well-being.

    A mother’s love is often the closest human reflection of what God’s love is. It is not abstract or sentimental; it is lived out in countless quiet sacrifices, patient endurance, and faithful presence. Mothers “keep the commandments” of love not by quoting them, but by embodying them: in sleepless nights, in steady guidance, in forgiveness that never runs dry.

   Jesus promises, “I will not leave you orphans.” That assurance resonates deeply today. Every mother, in her own way, becomes a sign of that promise. Through her care, a child learns what it means not to be abandoned, not to be forgotten. Even when imperfect, a mother’s love echoes God’s enduring presence. (Is.49:15)

     My priesthood also shares that same spiritual pattern. The Church has always understood the priest as a father, but also, mysteriously as one who carries a maternal dimension: nurturing souls, feeding them with the Eucharist, accompanying them in their struggles, and holding them in prayer, and forgiving them always. Like a mother, a priest’s love is often hidden, patient, and sacrificial.

     On this day, I give thanks to God for 45 years of my priesthood. Like a mother who does not abandon her children, Christ has never abandoned me. If there has been any good in these 45 years, it is because His promise is true:‘ I will not leave you orphans...and Iwill be with you.”  And I have simply tried, day by day, to be a sign of that presence. Thank you so much for being the companions of my priestly journey. Blessings!

Msgr. Xavier Pappu
                     Insert:  Giving to God/Dar a Dios.pdf

                                    Please pray for vocations to the priesthood,
                              for the Priests of our Diocese; & for our Bishop.

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