Happy Easter!

On this third Sunday in Easter I am filled with so much gratitude and appreciation to all the hard work from the staff and volunteers to make our Holy Week one to remember. Reflecting back to the festivities, so many moving parts culminated at the Easter Vigil. As I blessed the Easter fire for the first time as a priest, the noticeable prayer granted us to celebrate the paschal feasts in such a way that we may be so inflamed with heavenly desires and unending splendor.

My first experience of the Divine Mercy was through the chaplet. The beautiful and meditative words “for the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world” resonates with those who hear this prayer. The image of the Divine Mercy helps us receive those words and offer them for our loved ones.

Happy Easter!

One memory from the Easter celebration as a child comes from the “new fire” of the Easter Vigil. So much precaution was taken that our local fire department was on standby. This large bonfire served its purpose by dispelling the darkness and lighting up the night. This “new fire” then becomes the source of light for the central and symbolic Paschal Candle because it represents the risen Lord in His glory. Our paschal candle will be lit throughout the Easter season until Pentecost.

Happy Palm Sunday!

As we enter into Holy Week with the solemn procession of Palm Sunday, I want to update you on the status of the beautiful artwork for our church that has been in process. In a previous update, the two large paintings of St. Joan of Arc were scheduled to be installed before Easter, and the rest of the artwork sometime soon after Easter. I need to inform you that our timeline will have to change due to some unfortunate circumstances.

A middle-aged woman sat on the couch in my parish office and recounted to me a shocking list of terrible calamities in her life: addictions, terminal illnesses, financial loss, broken relationships, and so on. She smiled as she did so. “Please forgive me,” I asked, “but you seem to be smiling as you share this.” She said, “Father John, I am totally overwhelmed. But I’m smiling because I just can’t wait to see what good things God does with this mess.” She expected God would manifest His glory when she most needed it.

Happy Lent!

This week we celebrate the Solemnity of Saint Joseph on March 19th! To further add to his honor, the entire month of March is dedicated to him. Pope Leo XIII writes: “The special motives for which St. Joseph has been proclaimed Patron of the Church, and from which the Church looks for singular benefit from his patronage and protection, are that Joseph was the spouse of Mary and that he was reputed the Father of Jesus Christ. From these sources have sprung his dignity, his holiness, his glory.” Ask for his intercession for your families, for fathers and a good model for young men to follow. Here is a prayer from Pope Leo XIII to pray with the family:

Happy Lent!

This penitential season contains so many blessings in the ordinary life of the church. Several members of our community will receive some attention and many blessings. Beginning the 3rd, 4th and 5th Sundays in lent you will notice the newly “Elect” receive three successive rites called “the Scrutinies.” The themes connect closely with the Gospel readings for Mass on Sunday.