How Do We Come To Believe?

Dear Parishioners,

No weight of evidence, no nail-scarred proof of death, or glorious risen light can compel you or me to believe. We come to believe, we move into the realm of faith, as an act or personal daring acceptance. We accept our Lord’s death and resurrection for us, we experience his presence within and about us, we celebrate his love among us as gifts received in faith—nothing more, nothing less. Thomas walks around in all of us (John 20:19-31), because our coming to believe in Jesus, our faith in Jesus, is a journey of awareness that takes us from absence to presence. This coming to believe journey was the experience of all the first followers of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

- Deacon Robert

“Don’t proselytize; respect others’ beliefs. We can inspire others through witness so that one grows together in communicating.
But the worse thing of all is religious proselytism, which paralyzes:
‘I am talking to you in order to persuade you.’ No. Each person dialogues,
starting with his and her own identity. The Church grows by attraction,
not proselytizing.”
~ Pope Francis’ “Secrets to Happiness” (#9 of 10)

Happy Easter!

Dear Parishioners,

Today, Jesus is raised up, and we celebrate his triumph over evil, sin, and death (John 20:1-9). But his victory is not just his alone; it is ours as well. We are members of his team, the Body of Christ, the Church. Most frequently, we think about sharing in our Lord’s victory when we leave this world. And, yes, that is where and when the joy will be most complete. However, some of that joy is for here and now. We have periods of darkness in our lives. We have our own personal Good Fridays when things go wrong and we feel alone and abandoned and without hope. But Jesus wants to raise us up to share in his risen glory, to share our burdens, lift up our hearts, and enable us to see the light at the end of the tunnel—the Light of the World—Jesus Christ.

May you and your families come to share in the Resurrection not just today on Easter but throughout the year.

God Bless and Happy Easter!
Father Carl

“Stop being negative. Needing to talk badly about others indicates
low self-esteem. That means, ‘I feel so low that instead of picking myself up, I have to cut others down.’ Letting go of negative things quickly is health.”
~ Pope Francis’ “Secrets to Happiness” (#8 of 10)

Raise Your Spirits from the Doldrums of Winter

Dear Parishioners,

I’m not sure spring is coming to us this year. I just heard that we might have some snow showers today, and the temperature is only 35 degrees. However, Easter will definitely come, and along with it, a renewed faith and hope in God. The Resurrection of Jesus is a sure sign of God’s triumph over sin and evil. Death and the devil don’t have the last word about the world in which we live.

If you want to raise your spirits from the doldrums of this severe winter, come to our Holy Week services, Tenebrae on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m., but especially Holy Thursday at 7:00 p.m., Good Friday at 3:00 p.m., and the Easter Vigil at 8:00 p.m. On Easter Sunday, the Masses will be at 8:00, 10:00 and 11:30 a.m. May this Holy Week be one of spiritual enrichment and joy for you and your family.

God Bless,
Father Carl

“Respect and take care of nature. Environmental
degradation is one of the biggest challenges we have. I
think a question that we’re not asking ourselves is: ‘Isn’t
humanity committing suicide with this indiscriminate
and tyrannical use of nature?’”
~ Pope Francis’ “Secrets to Happiness” (#7 of 10)

A New Covenant

Dear Parishioners,

According to Jeremiah, God says, “I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God and they shall be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

When Ezekiel describes God creating a new Covenant, the prophet speaks of the Creator tracing that promise and commitment over and over on the hearts of the people. What an image of God in action, tenderly and carefully and repeatedly tracing the admonition to love God and neighbor over and over in our own hearts.


- Deacon Robert

“Find innovative ways to create dignified jobs for
young people. We need to be creative with young people.
If they have no opportunities, they will get into
drugs and be more vulnerable to suicide. It’s not enough
to give them food. Dignity is given to you when you can
bring food home from one’s own labor.”
~ Pope Francis’ “Secrets to Happiness” (#6 of 10)

Rejoice Jerusalem

Dear Parishioners,

This Fourth Sunday of Lent is called Laetare Sunday, because the entrance antiphon in Latin begins, “Laetare Jerusalem” — Rejoice Jerusalem. The people of Jerusalem had suffered some hard times having been conquered by the Babylonians in 587 B.C. and would see more hard times when Rome would destroy the temple in 70 A.D. (2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23) So the people needed encouragement for future times. So, too, do we. With the harsh winter we have experienced so far, our hearts could use a lift. That’s what is going to happen in a few weeks. As Jesus is lifted up on his throne (the Cross) to offer the perfect sacrifice for mankind, and as he lifts himself up out of the tomb on Easter Sunday, so too will he raise our hearts and spirits. All we have to do is continue our Lenten journey with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

- Fr. Carl

Sundays should be holidays. Workers should have
Sundays off because “Sunday is for family.”
~ Pope Francis’ “Secrets to Happiness” (#5 of 10)

The Power and Wisdom of God

Dear Parishioners,

Paul’s words to the church in Corinth and to the Church today, “Some demand miraculous signs, and others look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to some and foolishness to others, but to those whom God has called, Christ is the very power and wisdom of God.” (1Corinthians 1:22-25) It all comes down to trust and faith in the power of God to work even through our weakness, to bring the contagious and transforming power of the Gospel to work in the world.

- Deacon Robert

“The pleasures of art, literature and playing together
with children have been lost. Consumerism has brought
us anxiety and stress, causing people to lose a healthy
culture of leisure. People’s time is swallowed up so people
can’t share it with anyone. Even though many parents
work long hours, they must set aside time to play
with their children; work schedules make it complicated,
but you must do it. Families must also turn off the TV
when they sit down to eat, because even though television
is useful for keeping up with the news, having it on
during mealtime doesn’t let you communicate with each
other.”
~ Pope Francis’ “Secrets to Happiness” (#4 of 10)

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Dear Parishioners,

When you set out on a trip, it’s always encouraging to visualize what awaits you at the end. For high school students, it is graduation and either acceptance at college or joining the work force; for vacations, it is the ocean or the mountains; for Christians, it is eternal life with God. No matter how long the journey may take or how difficult the obstacles along the way, as long as we can see what awaits us at the end, we proceed with hope and longing. Jesus knew that, and that is why He gave the disciples the privilege of observing the Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-10). He knew the journey on the road for the disciples would be long and dusty with stormy weather and all sorts of hardships to overcome. He knew the danger of discouragement and wanted the disciples to see a beacon of hope at the end of the tunnel. So He allowed them to see His glorified body and at the same time a glimpse of what they, too, would share, if they persevered.

As we begin our Lenten journey, the Transfiguration is there for you and me to do the same. So let us shoulder our packs as we march off with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving toward the glorious feast of Easter.

- Father Carl

“Proceed calmly in life.” The Pope, who used to teach high school literature, used an image from an Argentine novel by Ricardo Guiraldes, in which the protagonist—gaucho
Don Segundo Sombra— looks back on how he lived his life. “He says that in his youth he was a stream full of rocks that he carried with him; as an adult, a rushing river; and in old age, he was still moving, but slowly, like a pool” of water, the Pope said. He said he likes this image of a pool of water—to have “the ability to move with kindness and humility, a calmness in life.”
~ Pope Francis’ “Secrets to Happiness” (#3 of 10)