This week’s memory verse: Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us — Ephesians 3:20

  • 7/6 – John 10:10
  • 7/7 – Luke 6:38
  • 7/8 – Matthew 6:33
  • 7/9 – Psalm 37:11
  • 7/10 – Philippians 4:19
  • 7/11 – 2 Corinthians 9:8
  • 7/12 – Psalm 23:5

Pray the Week: Lord Jesus, You have sent me out to do Your work since the moment of my baptism. You protect me and provide for me abundantly. Increase my trust in Your provision so that nothing distracts me from Your mission. Amen.

When you see this, your heart shall rejoice and your bodies flourish like the grass; the LORD’s power shall be known to his servants.

Imagine you are in Galilee, the seaside area where Jesus did a lot of His teaching. It is much like this place, where we are, at Kurs. There are hills, rivers, lakes, an abundance of life.

We are there with Jesus and He is sending us out, out of His immediate protection, out into the world. Even more than that He is asking us to take nothing, to simply trust that God will take care of us.

Can you imagine going on a trip without a change of clothes, I’m sure you have a few here at our encampment. I’m sure you’ve brought some money for snacks and other stuff. Jesus asked them to take no money, nothing.

Jesus asked them to head out without even making friends along the way. You will certainly make friends here.

Jesus was asking some incredible things – and they did what He asked. A little secret not in today’s gospel – they were very successful.

We find it very hard to trust, to expect things to be great. Yet, that is what God promises. He will take care of us. He will see to our needs. Beyond that, He will do it in ways that are abundant.

I ask that you think of something you really like. It may be a food, a game, a time shared with friends, a time with family. Then imagine that thing times ten thousand. 

That is the abundance the Prophet Isaiah was talking about. That is the abundance that God promises – and provides.

With God nothing is lacking. With God, no risk is without backup. If we are doing His will, He is there with us and He has our back.

We often doubt. We often wonder, will God take care of little ‘ole me. Jesus is showing us in a very practical way that He will take care of us. The disciples experienced God’s care, and they’ve passed it onto us.

It is essential that we take the time to trust in Jesus. That means a lot. It means doing as He asks without fear. It means stepping out of our comfort zone and simply saying yes to God.

This week’s memory verse: But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” — Matthew 4:4

  • 6/29 – Hebrews 4:1
  • 6/30 – Psalm 119:105
  • 7/1 – John 1:1
  • 7/2 – Matthew 24:35
  • 7/3 – Colossians 3:16
  • 7/4 – Luke 11:28
  • 7/5 – Isaiah 40:8

Pray the Week: Word of God, change me throughout and re-create me. Plant Yourself deeply in me so that all I am is but a reflection of Your life in me. Amen.

As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a life worthy of God

Brothers and sisters, welcome on this great day in the life of our Church and our parish. 

Today we celebrate that blessed sacrament, which only our Church calls sacrament, the powerful and life-giving Word of God. We have cause for joy, a day to celebrate the great graces we receive through God’s holy Word.

Today we also celebrate three young people who will be regenerated, reborn into that life of faith wherein they and their godparents and family commit to walking in the way God teaches through His Word.

As Jesus speaks of today, the seed which is God’s word is scattered over us. It is scattered over Max, Lucuss, and Juliett. In the Sacrament of the Word we ask the Holy Spirit to inspire us so that the Word may take deep root in us.

The Word calls us to shake off the cheap allurements of the world and the worldly, and to live deeply in the Word. That is where real life is, where true depth and riches are found.

I’m going to do a little sci-fi and math here. I promise I won’t go too deep.

In Star Trek, the Wrath of Khan, we find the ship Khan has stolen and the Enterprise with Captain Kirk looking for each other. They are in a nebula where their screens and gadgets don’t work. They must go by what is in them. Think of how that applies today.

Spock tells Captain Kirk that Khan (the evil one) thinks two dimensionally. He does not recognize the fact that the ship can move in more ways than front/back, left/right. Rather, the ship can move three dimensionally. Left/right, front/back, up/down, and even at angles. 

We are called to recognize God’s Word as not just two-dimensional history; a flat retelling of what Jesus did. It is an invitation to life in Christ, participation in the Eternal Reality of Jesus Life. Jesus tells us that the Word must be alive, deep, and living and active in us. The Word transcends time, history, and dimension. We must allow it to build us up so we may truly live and bear witness to the saving life of Christ.

We are hosting a Flea Market on August 9th from 9am until 4:30pm at Blessed Virgin Mary Parish Hall at 250 Old Maxwell Road in Latham. Come out and enjoy sellers and vendors from across the region. We will serve refreshments and there will be raffles as well. If you a vendor or seller, please see our Vendor’s Page here. We look forward to seeing you on August 9th.

  

We are hosting a Flea Market on August 9th at Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Latham. We are seeking vendors/sellers for the Flea Market. Please fill out the form below if you want to sell in the market. Also feel free to tell any other Vendors you feel may want to participate.  

To reserve your space at the Market

Please complete this application form below and acknowledge the Important Vendor Information below. Please send payment to Holy Name of Jesus by 7/19/25 to: 

Holy Name of Jesus PNCC Flea Market Committee 
1040 Pearl St
Schenectady, NY 12303

If you have any questions, we would be happy to assist.  Call/text Gayle Clas 518-588-0908 after 1 pm; or Paul Zawistowski at 518-461-2314, or E-mail us here.

Application deadline is July 19, 2025. 


Important Vendor Information: 

DATE & HOURS: 

The market will be held Saturday August 9, 2025 from 9 AM until 4:30 PM at the Blessed Virgin Mary church hall/grounds, 250 Old Maxwell Rd, Latham, NY 12110 

SET-UP/ BREAKDOWN: 

Vendors are expected to set up between the hours of 7 PM and 9 PM on Friday evening before the event or between 8 AM and 9 AM, on Saturday morning. Break down can start no sooner than 4:30 PM on Saturday and must be completed by 6 PM. Sellers are responsible for their selling spaces. Before leaving, be sure your area is clean and trash-free. Vendors are required to remove all items brought to the church grounds.

RESTRICTIONS:

Vendors may not bring or sell alcohol, drugs (including cannabis), firearms, or ammunition. No smoking is allowed on church grounds. Vendors may not sell items in conflict with the faith of the Church.

SPACE ALLOCATION: 

The flea market committee will assign vendor spaces. Placement, flow and competition will be taken into consideration to provide the best experience for attendees. If you have special space needs, please include your request with your application and the committee will make every effort to accommodate you. Each vendor will be offered an 8’ table, or equivalent space, and 2 chairs. Vendors may bring their own tables and chairs, if desired. Vendors may bring canopies or small tents for their area if they want to sell items outside the hall.

STAFF: 

Each vendor is responsible for the conduct of his employees and/or representatives and activities must not detract from the image or welfare of the market. Vendor spaces must be manned at all times. **Holy Name of Jesus is not responsible for merchandise or display materials. ** 

FEES: 

8′ table or equivalent Space: $25, Additional 8’ Table if needed is $5. There will be no refund of registration fees if notice is not provided 14 days in advance.

TAXES AND GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS.

Vendors are solely responsible for New York State sales tax obligations. Please visit the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance sales tax website at: http://www.tax.ny.gov/bus/st/stidx.htm or call the New York State Sales Tax Information Center at 518-485-2889 for more information. Flea Markets are often subject to “spot audits” and failure to comply with sales tax laws may subject you to severe penalties.

AGREEMENT:

By agreeing with this “Important Vendor Information” presented here, I agree to abide by these terms and conditions. I accept full responsibility for my products, displays, and needs. I agree that Holy Name of Jesus employees and representatives are in no way responsible for any claims for damages resulting from my participation in this event and are in no way responsible for my products or my actions.

This week’s memory verse: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace — Ephesians 1:7

  • 6/22 – Hebrews 9:14
  • 6/23 – Hebrews 9:22
  • 6/24 – 1 John 1:7
  • 6/25 – Hebrews 10:19
  • 6/26 – Hebrews 13:12
  • 6/27 – Luke 22:20
  • 6/28 – 1 Peter 1:18-19

Pray the Week: Body and Blood of Christ, change me throughout and re-create me in Your image. Amen.

Corpus Christi 2025

I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread, and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”

Let’s talk about food. 

Perhaps, a part of our nature, our cultural heritages, or just because we live our faith in tangible ways – we love to feed people and to feed them well. We love to carry food into the community through the giving of food. There is our parish food pantry and our food collections.

There is also our food centered fundraising efforts, Polish, food sales, goulash and soup sales. No one approaches these things with a grumpy attitude. Rather we come together to do the work and most importantly we serve with smiling faces.

When we have guests over at home, whether it be family or friends or members of the church family none of us would likely serve corned beef hash from a can with a side of cheese whiz (although I love cheese whiz).  Rather, we pull out the best. We spend the extra. We take the time to present something lovely. We hear people say, they really pulled out all the stops, they went over the top in preparing that food.

Take a moment to reflect on some of those special moments in our lives, the looks on people’s faces, the way they really dug into that food. We could call it joy, pure pleasure, happiness. Following Thanksgiving dinner my father-in-law always tells me: “You can cook for me anytime.”

Thinking of all these things, the food, the experiences, let’s ask: What would we feed Jesus if He was coming over?

One of the best places to start planning is to get an appreciation for what Jesus ate and drank.

When we read through scripture we tend to place a lot of our own experience into the moments. Jesus ate bread and drank wine. Jesus liked figs and grains in the field. We think of the stuff we can get at a local farm or down at the supermarket.

Jesus did not eat like that at all.

First, we must consider what was available. God made promises to Israel about the produce the land would yield. There were seven essential foods, or species, that God promised. These were wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates. 

In Deuteronomy 8:7-8 we read: For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths, springing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig-trees and pomegranates; a land of olive-trees and honey.

Some of these were a regular part of Jesus’ diet, but not all. For ordinary Jews, and especially itinerant preachers like Jesus, their diet was at the bottom of the economic ladder. The foods Jesus ate were produced locally. It was really farm to table for Jesus.

The poor only ate barley bread. Barley was less expensive since it was ground roughly, not fine like wheat flour. We see this at Jesus’ miraculous feeding recorded in John 6:9, “There is a boy here who has five loaves of barley bread and two fish with him.”

Most ordinary people’s diet in Jesus’ time was bread, barley bread, up to seventy percent of daily calories. Bread was essential, important to each person. As such, Jesus’ teaching us to pray included a verse that resonated for everyone because it came from their need: Give us our necessary bread today. (Matthew 6:11)

While there was bee honey in Israel, that was also expensive and unavailable to ordinary people. They ate a honey produced from figs. Grapes produced juice and wine. Olives gave every form of oil from oil for burning in Temple worship (the best), to oil for cooking and healing as in Luke 10:34  “And he came and bound his wounds and poured wine and oil on them and set him on his donkey and he took him to an inn and cared for him,” to the lowliest oil used to light homes. 

Jesus certainly enjoyed fish which was inexpensive and abundant in His seaside headquarters in Capernaum. Even after His resurrection we see Jesus preparing fish at His seaside barbeque: But when they came up to the land they saw burning coals, which had been set, and fish were lying on them, and bread. (John 21:9) As far as other meat protein sources there was likely none. Lamb was super expensive as was cattle. If anything besides fish, proteins were derived from beans and other legumes.

Jesus used food as symbolic objects in His teachings, referencing things from everyday life. In addressing the hypocrisy of the leaders of the time He says: “Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, impostors, for you tithe mint and dill and cummin and you forsake the weighty things of the law: Justice, mercy and faith!” (Matthew 23:23)

We see from all this that Jesus was well versed in Scripture and in food. Both Scripture and food were key to Jesus’ feeding of the disciples.

Finally, we arrive at the ultimate meal, the Last Supper and the gift we celebrate in this Octave. Archeologists suggest that the items on the Last Supper table included a bean stew, lamb, olives, bitter herbs, a fish sauce, unleavened bread from wheat, dates and aromatized wine. The seven species of Israel are there, and most importantly, it is all top-of-the-line stuff – the best.

In having the best prepared for that supper Jesus foreshadows the best food gift of all, His very Body and Blood which is for us.

Jesus understood our need for Him, our need for nourishment, for what is best, for what is simply comprehended and gloriously deep. 

What would we prepare for Jesus? 

The best dinner we can prepare for Jesus is that of our very selves, the giving of our hearts and lives to Jesus in all things and in every way. “For as often as we eat this bread and drink the cup” we place our lives, families, work, courage, trust, and future into His hands. Don’t give Him anything less than what He gave us.

This week’s memory verse: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” — Matthew 28:19

  • 6/15 – Matthew 3:16-17
  • 6/16 – Genesis 1:26
  • 6/17 – 1 Peter 1:2
  • 6/18 – John 1:1
  • 6/19 – John 1:14
  • 6/20 – 1 John 5:7
  • 6/21 – Hebrews 9:14

Pray the Week: Holy Trinity, grant that I may perceive the joy You have in my very being. Help me to live up to Your joy in all situations and circumstances. Amen.

I beside him as His craftsman, and I was His delight day by day, playing before Him all the while,              playing on the surface of His earth; and I found delight in the human race.”

During the Easter Season we heard a great deal of Jesus’ teaching on the nature and character of His Father in heaven. We learned about the Father from the Son and He introduced us to the gift that was to come: But when He comes, the Spirit of truth, He will guide you to all truth.

In the brief passage given for today’s gospel we get a picture of the interrelationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. None acts in isolation or apart from the others. They are in perfect eternal union.

We know that the Father’s love was most perfectly expressed in Jesus’ sacrifice for us. We know the Father’s love is most perfectly expressed in His ongoing relationship with us through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

What the Father sent the Son to do and the Holy Spirit to carry on is the re-establishment of what Proverbs paints for us – a relationship of delight, joy, and love.

This is easy to picture, the Son playing in the garden of the earth and taking delight in the human race. 

Humanity created in the image of the Trinity’s relationship is an object of love for God. The Trinity wants what is best for us. The Trinity wants what will pull us from sin, pain, and sorrow into the realm of heavenly glory.

One key take-away from today’s Solemnity is the joy God takes in us. We tend to think of ourselves as less than worthy/ Perhaps we see ourselves as not quite a joy to ourselves, others, and God. But we are a joy for God. We are His delight.

The Father, Son, and Spirit delight in each other – and they reflect that very same delight toward us.

In the end, this is the very reason for the Son’s sacrifice, for His opening the gates of haven to us. It is so we can get back to our rightful place in God’s presence, so we will be His delight eternally.

As we face the week ahead, let us concentrate on who we are in the Trinity’s eyes and live up to being Their delight.