Dear Family of God,

We all need to invite the Holy Spirit into our lives. God is a gentle God, if we do not invite Him in, he respects our freedom, and does not barge in to our hearts. We have to invite him in as often as we can, saying: “Come Holy Spirit, Come.” May we all be docile to him as we decide to serve the Lord, and faithfully follow His will.

Yours in Christ, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

Fr. Jess

Dear Family of God,

Do you know why Jesus had to ascend, or go back to the Father?

First, so that the Father can send us the Holy Spirit to be our second Paraclete, (or Divine Helper). Secondly, so Christ can pass us the baton to continue His mission here on earth. As the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Jesus wants us, His Disciples, to continue what He did while He was historically present here on earth. Jesus commissioned the Apostles and their successors: “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciple of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe ALL that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:18-20).

Dear Family of God,

Do you know who asks the disciples to pray the first Novena to the Holy Spirit?

Before Jesus ascends into heaven, He, Himself asks the disciples to pray for the Holy Spirit, the Advocate to come. “And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Lk. 24:49). The Eleven apostles, “…with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus…” (See Acts 1:12-14).

Forty days after the resurrection of Jesus, He ascends into Heaven. That is why in our gospel this weekend, before His Passion, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven, He assures the apostles and us with a two-fold promise: “I will not leave you orphaned; I will come to you” (Jn. 14:18). Jesus remains with us always through the presence and action of the Holy Spirit.

Dear Family of God,

What is priesthood and how do you share the Priesthood of Jesus Christ?

Saint Peter teaches us in the Second Reading this weekend, that you, the laity, are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own…” You share this priesthood through Baptism and anointing of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation. Priests are set apart FROM sin, and are set apart FOR God, to pray and to offer sacrifices to God.

Jesus, the only way to the Father, said: “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” How do you offer sacrifice to God? By being Baptized, by being united to Christ, and by offering your daily works, sufferings, joys and pain, through, with, and in Jesus Christ, during the Mass.

Dear Family of God,

Do you know what the meaning of the word parish is and where it came from?

It comes from the Greek word paroikias which means “exile” or “sojourn”. And it comes from two Greek words: par and oikoos; the word oikos just means “house.” And par means “next to” or “with.” Someone who is paroikos is literally someone dwelling beside the house—not inside the house, but beside the house, which would be the kind of thing that someone who was a sojourner or a traveler would do.

Peter says to his audience, in our Second Reading this weekend: “...conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile” (1Pet. 1:17). What exactly does that mean? This material world is not our true home; we are all on a journey towards heaven, our true and eternal home. As in every journey we need food and drink. Our true food for this journey is the Lamb of God, the risen and glorified Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist.

Dear Family of God,

Our Catechism teaches that the Gospel is the revelation in Jesus Christ of God’s Mercy to sinners (CCC 1846). Today we celebrate the “Heart of the Gospel”, God’s mercy, His Divine Mercy. Benedict XVI said that “Divine Mercy is not a secondary devotion, but an integral dimension of Christian faith and prayer. Mercy is the nucleus of the Gospel Message.”

We will be celebrating this Feast because Jesus told Saint Faustina 14x during her vision in the 1930’s to make a Feast on the Sunday after Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday, He said, “My daughter, tell the whole world about my inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of my tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the Fount of My Mercy. The soul that will go to confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment… Let no soul fear to draw near to me. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of my Mercy” (Diary 699).

Dear Family of God,

In the midst of this pandemic, Jesus assures us, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” This is the Good News for each one of us who believes. Jesus is risen, he conquered death for us. No need to be afraid of death, instead He wants us to trust in Him, trust in his love and mercy for each one of us.

Jesus’ passion death and resurrection recreated us anew to share in the Divine life of God which is eternal, but this eternal life with God starts now where we are. We strive to put to death our “old self” and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us to our “new self” imitating Saint Paul saying: “I have been crucified with Christ; It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). Therefore salvation is not about my self-realization, it is denying myself, taking up my cross and following Jesus. It is about being transformed into Christ, no longer living for ourselves, but for Jesus who loved us and gave himself for us.

Dear Beloved Family of God,

Why did Jesus, our merciful Lord and humble King have to suffer and die?

The introduction of this weekend’s celebration says: “Today we gather together to herald with the whole Church the beginning of the celebration of our Lord’s Paschal Mystery, that is to say, of his passion and resurrection. For it was to accomplish this mystery that he entered his own city of Jerusalem.”

God our Merciful Father, sent Jesus to reveal himself to us as Father. It is because of His great love for each one of us that Jesus suffered and died, to save us from our sin and to make us reclaim our status as beloved children of God our Father. He gave us Jesus so he can pay the debt that we cannot pay. Christ alone is our hope and salvation. “Jesus did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt. 20:28).

Dear Family of God,

Over time many of us have taken for granted our relationship with God and one another. Sin and selfishness have divided us and have allowed our hearts to be cold; cold in our relationship with God and our neighbors. One thing I wish and pray that will come out of this trial is that we put God at the center of our lives. That we once again have warm and loving relationships with one another; united as one. Loving God above all and loving one another as Jesus loved us.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the lord and turn from evil” (Prov. 3: 5-7).

My Dear Parishioners,

Many of us never imagined being without Sunday Mass. The Lord says “Be not afraid, for I am with you always”. In God’s providence this trial is occurring during Lent – the Church’s season of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to give us the “peace that surpasses all understanding” which is the Lord’s promise.

Be assured that you remain in my daily prayers. I know these are difficult and uncertain times. Let us stay in touch with one another as best we can, using the means at our disposal. It is important that we still remain united as the mystical Body of Christ.