Seton Absecon

Clergy Corner as taken from the July 5th bulletin:

This weekend (July 4, 2026) our nation commemorates and celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This historic milestone is an opportunity for us to pause and reflect on our nation’s past, honor the contributions of all Americans, and look ahead toward the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond. We ask God to always bless and guide our beautiful nation. We pray that we may become the nation we pledge our allegiance to: “The United States of America: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Today’s gospel tells us of the tender personal and human qualities of Christ’s love for us. God is full of mercy and compassion and a great comfort in times of sorrow and distress. Jesus invites those who are tired and worn out by the challenges and burdens of life to come to him; with him they will find rest for their souls. He says, “Come to me all who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28). Only a God-man can say that and mean it. We have a God who cares for us, who is concerned for us.

No matter what kind of weariness we feel or what kind of burden we bear, Jesus is advising us, ‘Come to me and I will give you rest. Come to me and I will give you strength. Come to me and I will give you grace.’ If only we could believe
that, we would feel new energy in our bodies, see new visions in our imaginations, and find new reasons for living. If only we could take Jesus at his word, we would fulfill our responsibilities with joy, fight to overcome difficulties with determination, and take on challenges with courage.

Today, we come to Jesus in faith to share with him our sufferings. As we unload our difficulties and sufferings before him, he makes them into an acceptable offering to his heavenly Father. Thus we have to learn to “let go” of our burdens, worries and anxieties and entrust them to God. For if we “let go,” we will experience what Jesus had said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden light and I will give you rest." Let us pray that we may learn to see the hand of God in everything that
happens to us and put our trust completely in Him. Happy 4th of July! Happy 250th Anniversary of the Nation's Independence!

- Fr. Cosme

On this 250th anniversary of our nation's founding, we entrust our nation to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Empress of the Americas. 🇺🇸🙏

May she intercede for our country, that we may grow in faith, hope, and love. ❤️🤍💙