As we complete the Octave of Easter the Church invites us to dive into the great mystery of God’s unfathomable mercy. It was St. John Paul II who said, “Where, if not in the Divine Mercy, can the world find refuge and the light of hope?” We too are aware of the great storms of our society and world. There is a constant tension in the world in the midst of political instabilities, violence, hatred, and much more. And yet, it is in the Divine Mercy that we find refuge and hope. We seek protection under the great goodness of God who can take on the sinfulness of mankind and offer healing and forgiveness.

Happy Easter!

Jesus Christ is risen! A very happy Easter to each and everyone of you. This is the great solemnity that follows upon the 40 days of Lent and begins the 50 days of the Easter season. We spent 40 days preparing ourselves through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Now the Church invites us to celebrate for 50 days in the joy of the risen Lord.

Happy Palm Sunday!

Holy Week is upon as we celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend. Mass begins outside with the blessing of palms and procession into the church. The movements are important for us. We do not merely go through the motions and walk in like any other Sunday. Rather, we are among the crowd who sing “Hosanna” as Jesus entered Jerusalem the week before His Passion.

Happy Sunday!

I pray everyone has had a good week. Thanks to all of our volunteers for another wonderful Fish Fry! If you haven’t had a chance to join us yet this Lent, next Friday will be our last Fish Fry of the season. Please come on by and grab a plate of our wonderful food prepared by your fellow parishioners. It is always a wonderful time and a good chance to connect with people outside of Mass.

Happy Sunday! Thank you to everyone for your prayers while I was away in Honduras on a mission trip. It was a beautiful time. I was able to serve with Fr. Denis, a Honduran priest I had met 9 years ago when we were both seminarians. He is now the pastor in the town of Taulabe. One of the things he asked our group to help with was visiting some of the small towns, or “aldeas”, that are under his care. His parish includes not only San Gaspar in Taulabe, but also the 36 surrounding aldeas! Our group was able to go to some of the more distant aldeas and put on catechetical programs and offer home visits. I would go to a different town each day to visit the sick, celebrate Mass and hear confessions. My step count certainly went up as many of the homebound live in places that are only accessible on foot.

Hello,

A recent letter in this bulletin got me thinking about some general principles that might be helpful. Put simply, on the one hand, the Church grows and develops over time, but on the other hand, there is also the possibility for corruptions and error. The trick is to know the difference and to be on the right side, that of legitimate development. But it is not just a test or a problem for us, instead it is the nature of the Church and of our Christian life: it changes over time. This is because the Church is a living reality, not frozen in any particular point of time.

Happy Sunday!

It has been great to see everyone coming back and joining us for the Fish Fry! Everything is as good as I remember. It’s great to see so many people form the parish and surrounding parishes coming to enjoy our wonderful operation. Thank you especially to Deacon Andy for organizing everything and to our volunteers who make everything go so smoothly. Many of our volunteers arrive early in the day on Friday and stay until after everything is finished. If you have never volunteered I would encourage you to reach out to Deacon Andy, even if you are only able to help for an hour. Every little bit helps!

There is a debate among some Catholics that claim the only way to receive our Lord in Holy Communion is on the tongue, as opposed to in the hand. Ultimately, this casuistry is without warrant as both forms have a history and tradition in the Church, and they are not pitted against each other as if reception on the tongue is somehow an evolution beyond reception in the hand. Here’s why:

Happy Sunday!

This week we begin the great penitential season of Lent. This important season of the Church spans 40 days, leading us to Holy Week, the Sacred Triduum, and arriving at Easter Sunday. During Lent the Church invites us to deeper conversion through the practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. I want to share with you a few excerpts from Canon Law on Days of Penance. This is the “source” as we say, for what guides fasting in the Church.

Happy Sunday!

Last Sunday we kicked off the Charity and Development Appeal for 2022. Hopefully you were able to grab an envelope at the end of the pew or go online to make a contribution. We are grateful for the many ways that this supports the various apostolates in the Diocese of Phoenix as well as diocesan ministries which parishes benefit from. Among these apostolates the CDA supports are Newman Centers at ASU and NAU, Catholic schools, pro-life ministries, and more. It also supports services from the Diocesan Pastoral Center that we utilize, such as marriage preparation, diaconate services, and seminarian support. Thank you for offering your gift to the CDA to support these important ministries.

Happy Sunday!

This weekend I am on retreat with our Verso l’Alto high school youth group in Prescott. Last year we had a great time spending the weekend in prayer and growing in fellowship. Please keep our teens in prayer as they come off retreat and that they continue to grow in the graces they have received.