Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • September 3, 2021 3 Gulf Pine Catholic (ISSN No. 0746-3804) September 3, 2021 Volume 39, Issue 1 The GULF PINE CATHOLIC , published every other week, is an official publication of the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi. Editorial offices are located at 1790 Popps Ferry Road Biloxi, MS 39532. Periodical postage paid at Gulfport, MS. —POSTMASTER— Send address changes to: The GULF PINE CATHOLIC 1790 Popps Ferry Road Biloxi, MS 39532 —PUBLISHER— Most Rev. Louis F. Kihneman —EDITOR— Terry Dickson —PRODUCTION/ ADVERTISING — Shirley M c Cusker —CIRCULATION— Aimee McLendon —PHOTOGRAPHY/ VIDEOGRAPHY— Juliana Skelton —OFFICEHOURS— 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday —PHONE NUMBERS— Editor: 228-702-2126 Production/Advertising: 228-702-2109 Circulation: 228-702-2127 Photography/Videography: 228-702-2172 FAX: 228-702-2128 —EMAIL— News: tdickson@biloxidiocese.org Production / Advertising: smccusker@biloxidiocese.org Circulation: amclendon@biloxidiocese.org Photography / Videography: jskelton@biloxidiocese.org —OFFICEAND MAILINGADDRESS — 1790 Popps Ferry Road Biloxi, MS 39532 —WEBSITE— www.biloxidiocese.org —SUBSCRIPTIONS — Subscription rate is $18 per year. When changing address, renewing or inquiring about a subscription, customer should include a recent address label with old address and new address. Allow three weeks for changes of address. —DEADLINES for SEPT. 17 EDITION— News copy and photos: Due SEPT. 9, 4 p.m. Advertising: Completed Ad and/or copy due SEPT. 9, 10 a.m. Bishop Kihneman’s Schedule Sept. 4 Mass, Installation of Pastor, Father Alfred Ayem, SVD, St. Rose de Lima Parish, Bay St. Louis, 4 p.m. Sept. 5 Homecoming, Confirmation, St. Peter, Bassfield, 10 a.m. Sept. 8 Nativity School Mass & Visit, 9 a.m. Sept. 9 Presbyteral Counsel, 10:30 a.m. Sept. 10 SVdP School Mass & Visit, Holy Family Church, 8:30 a.m. Sept. 11 Mass, St. Patrick Catholic High School, 6 p.m. Sept. 12 Blue Mass, Nativity BVM, 11 a.m. Sept. 15 Staff Workshop, St. Mary, Gautier Sept. 16 Finance Council, 2 p.m. Sept. 17 Sister Jackie Howard Jubilee Mass, Our Lady of the Gulf, Bay St. Louis, 10 a.m. Sept. 18 ?New Parish Catechists, Pastoral Center, 9 a.m. Sept. 19 Mass, Installation of Pastor, Father Hyginus Boboh, SSJ, St. Therese of Lisieux, Gulfport, 9 a.m. Sept. 20 Mission Bishops’ Sept. 23 Conference, Chicago Sept. 26 Mass, honoring ministries of St. Vincent de Paul Societies & related parish charities, 11 a.m. BY BISHOP LOUIS F. KIHNEMAN III Bishop of the Diocese of Biloxi The Prophet Elijah had a point in his life when he was really in serious crisis and he felt he that he could no longer go on as he prayed to God. Hearing his prayer God sent an angel to him. God fed him twice through that angel and that moment of God’s love enabled him to travel for forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God to be able to listen to God which changed his life and enabled him to continue as God’s messenger. (1 Kgs 19) Elijah’s journey of forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God really is sym- bolic of our journey of faith in life. Similarly as we gather around the table of the Lord to pray Jesus literally gives Himself to us to feed us. Jesus says: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” Bishop Kihneman Food for the heavenly journey (John 6:51). God hearing our prayer during Mass and sending His Son Jesus to strengthen us as God did for Elijah, the Prophet. If we take to heart the words of the Gospel of John chapter six, it is impossible for us to read it without asking God to feed us on life’s journey, without hearing the invitation that we are called to believe that Jesus has given us Himself to feed us for the journey of faith and that it is truly Jesus’s flesh and blood -- the flesh and blood of God -- that we share in. We need to take note that as Jesus was offering Himself, the people were asking, “How in the world can He give us His flesh to eat? How in the world can He be considered coming down from heaven?” (John 6:52) For us, it really is a step in faith and that’s what Jesus was really calling the people to in His day. But He’s also calling us now as He lives among us and as He gives us Himself -- His Body and His Blood -- personally to us. Jesus says to us ”For My flesh is real food and My blood real drink.” (John 6:55) For those of us who have made our First Holy Communion, it’s one of those moments where we’ve done it before but I think it’s easy for us to forget what it really means in our lives -- Jesus giving us His flesh to eat -- and that becomes truly the promise of the food of heaven. If we have stuff going on in our lives, we bring it to Him but we are united with Him as we hear the words, The Body of Christ, and we say Amen! Jesus is saying to us, I love you intimately, I love you person- ally, I love you so that anything that is hap- pening in life….I share with you and I am one with you. ”Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me.” (John 6: 56-57) I remember a wonderful example of this reading when I was taking care of my Dad as he was coming to the end of his life. He was at the nursing care facility where he was liv- ing and I got a call that he was not doing well so I rushed over to see him. As soon as I walked into his room he asked me if I had brought Holy Communion. I said no that I came straight over to see him. As only my Dad could say he said turn around and go get him, Holy Communion, and bring him to me which is what I did. My father received the Body and Blood of Jesus as one of his last meals. It was truly heavenly food for the jour- ney. I was reminded of Jesus’s words “This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” (John 6:58) SEE BISHOP KIHNEMAN, PAGE 4 Vocation Prayer Loving Father, Your Son, Jesus Christ the High Priest, has told us that the harvest is great but the laborers are few. We ask you now to send more laborers into your vineyard. Please touch with your Holy Spirit the hearts of all those you are calling to live a life of service in your Church as Priests, Deacons, Consecrated men and women, Dedicated Married couples, and Committed Single persons. Help us to follow Christ faithfully and to answer the call to holiness an0d discipleship. We ask this prayer through your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. AMEN