"Hallelujah! Praise the LORD, my soul; I will praise the LORD all my life, sing praise to my God while I live." These words of praise from Psalm 146, from which our responsorial Psalm for this Sunday's Mass is derived, clearly express the ongoing emotions in my heart since the celebration of the Silver Jubilee of my priestly ordination on September 23rd.
Praise is the apt word for the feelings I felt when I celebrated Mass at the grotto of St. Michael the Archangel last Tuesday. I praise God for the privilege of the sacred priesthood of Jesus Christ, which He bestowed on me, his unworthy son. My soul praises God for the pilgrims of praise and many others who gathered in the pews of the sacred space at Monte Sant'Angelo to celebrate with me. I am particularly grateful for the choice gift of a grape-engraved chalice from the Pilgrims of Praise in honor of my priestly ordination anniversary.
I praise God for demonstrations of sincere affection from all of you, my beloved ones of St. Peter Catholic Church in Elizabethtown. I'm eternally grateful to God for bestowing the awesome grace of ministerial priesthood on me, "To him be honor and eternal power. Amen" (1 Timothy 6:16).
In Christ, the Eternal High Priest,
Fr. Alayode, OP
The collage of pictures from San Giovanni Rotondo on my anniversary gives you a picture of why my soul praises the Lord.




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