Corpus Christi Parish

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06/03/2026

There are words we say so often that they can lose their weight if we’re not careful. One of those phrases is this: “I’ll pray for you.”
But today, we are invited to rediscover what those words truly mean.

Because when we say, “I’ll pray for you,” it is not a polite closing to a conversation. It is not a way of stepping back from someone’s pain. It is, in fact, a profound act of love.
It means: I am bringing you before God.

As Sacred Scripture reminds us,
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).
That is not poetic exaggeration. That is truth.

When we turn to God in prayer, we are not speaking into emptiness. We are speaking to a Father who sees what we cannot see, who heals what we cannot heal, and who carries what feels far too heavy for human strength alone.

Think of how often in the Gospels people are brought to Jesus Christ not by their own strength, but by the faith of others:
The paralytic lowered through the roof…
The friend interceding…
The crowd making space…

Again and again, we see that faith is not always solitary—it is shared. Sometimes, when someone is too weak to pray, someone else prays for them.
And that is where we come in.

Every time a person crosses your mind—unexpectedly, quietly, without explanation—it may not be random. It may be an invitation from the Holy Spirit.

An invitation to pause.
To lift that person up.
To love them in the most powerful way possible.
Because prayer is love in action.
It is quiet, yes. Hidden, often. There is no applause for it. No recognition. But in the eyes of God, it is deeply effective.

The world often measures love by visibility—by what can be seen, shared, or praised. But the Kingdom of God measures love by faithfulness, by intention, by the heart.
And some of the most important acts of love happen in silence.

So today, if someone comes to mind… pause.
Pray.
Love them through that prayer.
And leave the rest in the hands of God.

Blessings,
Fr Gary

06/02/2026

One of the most beautiful truths of our Catholic faith is that God is always giving us another chance. Every sunrise is a gift. Every Mass is an invitation. Every reception of the Eucharist is a new encounter with the living Christ.
As June begins, we hear the words of the prophet Jeremiah:

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.”

Not merely every year. Not merely every month. Every morning.

The God who sustained you is the same God who goes before you. He already knows the challenges you will face. He already sees the prayers you will offer. He already knows the victories and struggles that await you.
And His grace is already there.

Before you face the difficult conversation, His grace is there.
Before the medical appointment, His grace is there.

Before the financial concern, His grace is there.
Before the family challenge, His grace is there.
Before the decision you must make, His grace is there.

This is why Christians are people of hope. Our confidence does not rest in favorable circumstances but in a faithful God.

St. Padre Pio once said, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.” Those words are not a call to ignore reality. They are a call to trust that God’s providence is greater than our fears.

As we enter June, let us carry forward the lessons God has taught us. Let us remember the blessings He has given us. Let us repent of our sins, release our regrets, and renew our commitment to holiness.
And wherever God’s grace is present, there is always hope.

Blessings for this day and the month ahead!
Fr Gary

06/01/2026

St. Paul writes, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). Notice that kindness is not presented as a personality trait or a social preference. It is presented as a reflection of God Himself. We are kind not simply because others always respond well or deserve it in the moment, but because we have first received kindness from Christ.

The measure of Christian kindness is not merit—it is mercy.

Jesus Himself shows us this constantly in the Gospels. He sees beyond appearances. He looks at the woman at the well and sees not her past mistakes, but her thirst for living water. He sees Zacchaeus not as a corrupt tax collector, but as someone longing to be seen. He sees Peter not only in his failure, but in his future mission. Christ always looks deeper than what is visible—and then He responds with love.

To follow Christ, then, is to begin seeing people as He sees them.

This changes everything about how we speak, how we react, and how we treat one another in ordinary moments. A sharp word may cost us nothing in the moment, but it may wound someone who is already barely holding on. A patient response, on the other hand, may become the very place where God’s mercy is experienced.

We often underestimate how small acts carry spiritual weight.

A gentle word spoken instead of a harsh one.
A pause before reacting in anger.
A willingness to listen instead of dismiss.
A quiet act of patience when frustration would be easier.

These are not insignificant gestures. In the mystery of grace, they become ways that Christ’s light enters another person’s darkness.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux understood this deeply. She did not perform great public works, but she believed that holiness was found in “little things done with great love.” In her hidden life, she discovered that charity is often lived in the smallest choices—how we respond, how we endure, how we choose kindness when it would be easier not to.

And this is where the challenge of the Gospel becomes very concrete: love is not only for the moments when it is easy. It is especially for the moments when it is not.

Anyone can be kind when they feel appreciated. Anyone can be patient when life is smooth. But Christian love is revealed when kindness is chosen in ordinary frustration, when patience is chosen in misunderstanding, when gentleness is chosen in tension.

This is what it means to reflect Christ.

Because Christ does not love us only when we are easy to love. He loves us in our weakness, in our confusion, in our sin, and in our struggle. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). His love is not reactive—it is freely given.

So when we choose kindness, even when it is not returned, we are not simply being polite. We are participating in the very life of God.

Blessings,
Fr Gary

Thanks Ginger for capturing our vigil Mass for the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity. We are certainly blest in the reverenc...
06/01/2026

Thanks Ginger for capturing our vigil Mass for the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity. We are certainly blest in the reverence and care with which the Sacred Liturgy is celebrated here - the ministers of the altar, music and hospitality - as well as the beauty of our sacred space!
Never taken for granted for sure!

05/31/2026

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity invites us to stand before one of the deepest and most beautiful mysteries of the Catholic faith: one God in three Divine Persons — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is a mystery not meant to confuse us, but to draw us into wonder, worship, and love.

The Father is the eternal Creator who spoke the universe into existence and lovingly formed humanity in His image.

The Son, Jesus Christ, is the eternal Word made flesh who entered our broken world, carried our sins upon the Cross, and opened the gates of salvation.

The Holy Spirit is the Advocate, the Sanctifier, the breath of God who strengthens, guides, and transforms the hearts of believers.

Three Divine Persons. One eternal God.

The human mind struggles to fully comprehend the Trinity because God is infinitely greater than our understanding. Throughout history, saints and theologians have tried to explain the Trinity through analogies found in nature and daily life. Some have compared the Trinity to water existing as liquid, ice, and v***r. Others have described the sun as having light, heat, and form. While these examples may help us approach the mystery, none can fully contain the greatness of God.

And perhaps that is precisely what makes the Trinity so humbling. God is not a puzzle to be solved but a mystery to be adored.

The Trinity reveals that at the center of all existence is not loneliness, but communion. Before the world was ever created, there existed perfect love between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is eternal relationship. God is eternal self-giving love.

This truth changes the way we understand our own lives.

Human beings were created in the image and likeness of God. If God exists in perfect communion, then we too are made for communion. We are not meant to live isolated lives consumed only with ourselves. We are made for relationship — relationship with God and relationship with one another.

The Trinity teaches us what true love looks like.

The Father pours Himself out completely for the Son.

The Son offers Himself completely to the Father.

The Holy Spirit is the eternal bond of love flowing between them.

There is no selfishness within the Trinity.
No pride.
No division.
No jealousy.
Only perfect unity and sacrificial love.

In a world filled with hatred, division, anger, and self-centeredness, the Trinity becomes both our model and our calling. Families are called to reflect the unity of the Trinity through love and forgiveness. The Church is called to reflect the unity of the Trinity by becoming one Body in Christ. Every Christian is called to reflect the Trinity by living lives marked by charity, humility, and mercy.

The Trinity is not only a doctrine to memorize in catechism classes. The Trinity is the living God actively present in our daily lives.

The Father watches over us with providential care.

The Son walks beside us in suffering and redemption.

The Holy Spirit strengthens us with grace and truth.

May we appreciate this anew each time we sign ourselves - In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!

Blessings,
Fr Gary

05/30/2026

Grace can enter even the most broken places of the human heart. Through prayer, the sacraments, forgiveness, and surrender to God, a person slowly begins to heal. Sometimes healing happens dramatically. More often, it happens quietly — through daily acts of mercy, patience, humility, and trust in God.

Every time a person chooses compassion instead of cruelty, grace is at work. Every time someone forgives when bitterness would feel easier, grace is at work. Every time a parent chooses gentleness after growing up without it, grace is at work. Every time someone refuses to spread gossip, hatred, division, or resentment, grace is at work.

These moments may seem small to the world, but God sees them differently. Small acts of holiness change lives. A kind word can stop despair from growing in another soul. A patient response can prevent anger from becoming deeper division. A merciful heart can become a reflection of Christ to someone who has forgotten what love looks like.

The saints understood this deeply. Many of them endured rejection, persecution, suffering, or great personal weakness. Yet they allowed God to transform their pain into compassion for others instead of bitterness. Their holiness was not found in never suffering, but in allowing God to redeem their suffering.

The past cannot be changed. The sins committed, the wounds received, and the failures experienced are real. But through Christ, the future is not chained to the past. God is always capable of creating something new.

This is the hope of the Christian life:
that hatred does not have the final word,
that sin does not have the final word,
that suffering does not have the final word.
Christ does.
And when a person allows the love of God to heal their heart, they become part of that healing for others. They help create a gentler world in a harsh age. They become instruments of peace in places filled with division. They become witnesses that mercy is still possible. This truth anchors us in hope!

Blessings,
Fr Gary

05/29/2026

St Augustine would often pray "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief." Thats a powerful petition that we all need to make our own as "we walk by faith, not by sight" - as the Scriptures remind us in both Old and New Testaments.

Faith is often lived one step at a time. Not the whole journey at once—just the next faithful step.
And here is the comfort: God does not ask us to see the entire road. He asks us to walk with Him.

Even when your heart feels unsure, even when your thoughts are unsettled, even when the future feels unclear, grace is still present. God has not stopped leading. Silence is not abandonment. Delay is not absence. Mystery is not rejection.
The Lord remains faithful! (Even at times when we feel like Peter who walks toward Jesus on the water, and in starting to sink, reaches out to the hand that is there - outstretched!)

So today, the invitation is simple but profound: choose faith again. Not because you feel strong, but because God is strong. Not because everything makes sense, but because God is trustworthy. Not because you see the whole path, but because you know Who walks with you.

And step by step, in that steady yes, faith becomes not just something you have—but Someone you trust.

Blessings,
Fr Gary

05/28/2026

St. John Paul II often reminded us, “Do not be afraid.” That phrase became one of the most repeated invitations of his pontificate because he understood something deeply human: fear often silences hope. And yet, a word spoken in faith can reopen the heart to courage.

So today, the Lord invites us to examine not only what we do, but how we speak. Are our words marked by impatience or by patience? By criticism or by encouragement? By indifference or by love?

And if we have fallen short—and all of us have at times—we return to Christ, the Word made flesh, who heals even our speech. We ask Him to purify our hearts so that what comes from our lips becomes a reflection of His presence within us.

Because ultimately, to speak well is not merely a social skill. It is a spiritual act. It is participation in God’s own creative love, the same love that spoke the world into being and continues to speak life into weary souls.

And so, the invitation is simple but profound: speak life. Speak hope. Speak Christ!

You may never fully know who is waiting to hear it—but God does.

Blessings,
Fr Gary

05/27/2026

Not every opinion needs your defense. Not every misunderstanding needs your correction. Not every battle is yours to win.
There is a holy restraint that comes from knowing who you are in God. When your identity is anchored in Him, you no longer need to chase validation from every direction. You no longer need to exhaust yourself explaining what God already understands. You can rest.
And this is the invitation of grace: to release the need to prove yourself.
Because when you are rooted in Christ, your worth is not up for debate. Your dignity is not fragile. Your name is already known to God, and His judgment is the only one that ultimately matters.
So today, ask for the grace of holy silence—not the silence of fear, but the silence of trust. Ask for the maturity that does not rush to defend itself, but instead rests in God’s defense. Ask for the peace that comes from knowing that truth does not need constant noise to survive.
And above all, rest in this quiet confidence: you are already held, already known, already loved by God.
That is enough.
Blessings,
Fr Gary

05/26/2026

"Do not grieve over the temptations you suffer. When the Lord intends to bestow a particular virtue on us, He often permits us first to be tempted by the opposite vice. Therefore, look upon every temptation as an invitation to grow in a particular virtue and a promise by God that you will be successful, if only you stand fast."
-St Philip Neri

Blessings on this, his feast day. His words ring true! Its why the confessional can be called the "launching pad" to virtue not simlly the dumping sight of vice!
Fr Gary

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98 Summer Street
Portsmouth, NH
03801

Telephone

+16034364555

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