Dear Friends,
Today we celebrate the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ – the very presence of Christ that we are fortunate to have each time we gather to celebrate Mass. ‘Corpus Christi’ is the more popular Latin name, meaning the Body of Christ. We receive the Body of Christ in Holy Communion. That’s why we bow our heads and say Amen to the words of the Communion Minister: “The Body of Christ.” But receiving this body of Christ will not be meaningful unless we love and respect the larger body of Christ – the people of God, who are our brothers and sisters in the Lord.
This week has been very special for one group of this Body of Christ in our parish: our 8th Grade students who just had their graduation on Friday. It was an exciting day for them and their families as well as for the teachers and administration. In my message in the 2024 St. Matthias School Year Book, after my words of appreciation to Mrs. Mary Lynch, our Principal, all our teachers, staff, and most of all, parents and families who have guided them along the way, I wrote this to the students:
My dear Graduating Class,
While blessings and congratulations will be showered upon you, the question I wish to ask you is this: Are you prepared to face the challenges of life as you move on from our loving, protective and nurturing environment of St. Matthias? The challenges that teens face are many: anxiety, stress, depression, social media, bullying, cyber bullying, eating disorders, peer pressure, desensitization to violence, low motivation, temptation to drug, alcohol etc. It is only when you make the right choices, you will experience success, fulfillment and happiness, giving you good health in mind, body and soul.
We have tried our best to inculcate in you the values of discipleship in Christ Jesus to help you make the right choices. The regular sight of Fr. Lancelot McGrath in the school has given a much needed priestly presence both to the faculty and students. Attending Mass on a regular basis, holding prayer services on important occasions, highlighting the daily practice of prayer and other practices have given you a good spiritual foundation that should be of great help in dealing with difficult times ahead.
Be assured of our love, prayers and support, for “You are the Body of Christ,” as the Year Book theme reminds us. Do continue your friendship with Jesus and your association with this faith community of St. Matthias. Remember this message from the Bible: “Be strong! Be fearless! Don’t be afraid and don’t be scared by your enemies, because the Lord your God is the one who marches with you. He won’t let you down, and he won’t abandon you” (Deuteronomy 31:6)
As St. Matthias School is part and parcel of the Catholic Community of St. Matthias, I wish to thank the entire parish community for the constant support and encouragement to the school. Without your generous financial support, it would have been very difficult to run our school that has received lots of awards both as an institution and as individual students. God bless our parish and our school.
Your brother in Christ,
Fr. Abraham Orapankal