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This past Sunday we celebrated Divine Mercy Sunday, which was dedicated by Saint John Paul II April 30, 2000. This is a spiritual practice, based on the diary writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska, we can personally participate in by attending Mass, receiving the Eucharist and reciting the Divine Mercy Chaplet along with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. It is a beautiful way to build our faith. Christ’s Mercy is always available to us, not just this particular day; all we need to do is ask for his Mercy.

As our beloved Pope Francis said: “There is no sin that God’s mercy cannot reach and wipe away when it finds a repentant heart seeking to be reconciled with the Father.” (Jubilee Year of Mercy, November 2016).

As we continue to pray for Pope Francis, we thank him for shepherding his flock these last 12 years. We also pray for the Holy Spirit to guide the papal conclave of the College of Cardinals in the choosing of a new Pope to shepherd us on our journey.

PJP

ALLELUIA! CHRIST HAS RISIEN!

Today, Easter Sunday, we celebrate the glorious event of the Resurrection of Christ from the dead, destroying sin, and providing the promise of our own eternal life one day. “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it”. Psalm 118:24.

Easter is not just this one day; it is a season. We celebrate the Easter season for fifty days, ending Pentecost Sunday. Each day we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ reflecting on Jesus’ time He remained on earth before His Ascension to Heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father. It is to be a time of joy, renewal, and spiritual reflection with various customs in different countries. Some of the common symbols are eggs (new life), the lamb (representing Jesus as the sacrificial Lamb of God), water (which is used in Baptism), and fireworks (representing joy and light, especially in Greek and Italian customs), taken from Eastertide: How it’s Celebrated in the Americas and Across Europe: Peptide Sciences Ebook.

However you chose to celebrate this wonderful Day of Resurrection, may you be filled with purpose, joy and positives with a heart blessed with hope and renewal. Christ is Risen: Indeed, He is risen!

PJP

Today marks the day that we as Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus and His death at Calvary. We believe that this day is the most momentous day since the beginning of time in our world. From Corinthians 15:3-4: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance; that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures”.

He willingly did this for us, a sacrifice for our sins, victory over sin and death. It is said that the cross is the convergence of great suffering and God’s forgiveness, the perfect reminder of God’s love and the promise of eternal life through the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

I recently read this very powerful reflection on one of the Christian sites I subscribe to. The author (and I can’t find the reference sorry) asked that as we go through the Good Friday services, to place ourselves in front of Jesus when he falls with the cross on his back, to make eye contact with Him. Envisioning this ……..Jesus will say to you, looking you in the eye “It’s okay. I did it for you”.

That my friends is a deeply moving thought which I will hold in my heart.

PJP

This past Sunday we entered into the most Holy Week of the year, seven days leading up to the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Let’s begin with Palm Sunday.

Palm Sunday is a happy joyful day when we relive Christ’s entry into Jerusalem. It is recorded in all four of the Gospels. On this day, Christ is hailed as King, riding on a donkey, cheered and hailed as the people lay down cloaks and palm branches shouting “Hosanna” Messiah as He enters Jerusalem. It is the first step on His journey to Calvary, where He will suffer, be crucified and die, all for us.

There are many ways to celebrate this Holy Week and one of the most important is to really take time to reflect on how the events of Palm Sunday, the rest of the events leading to Calvary and ultimately the crucifixion impact our lives today. Two thousand years later, how do we react to what the Son of God did for us? What do we believe this means in our life? What does it mean for our salvation?

We move on through the Week to Holy Thursday which commemorates the Last Supper, the washing of the apostle’s feet, the establishing of the Eucharist, and the institution of priesthood. This marks the first day of the Paschal Triduum. This is one of my favorite liturgies in that it is a reminder that we are all called to wash our brother’s feet, to be a humble servant, serving others as best we can. We are blessed to be given the sacrament of Holy Communion/Eucharist that we may have eternal life.

The next blog will be about Good Friday. Until then, may you have a quiet, reflective and prayerful week.

PJP

“Life has many seasons
Each with different purpose and reason.

Some are filled with renewal, growth and grace.
Others are shaped by expectations within the journey, yet have a strong foundational base.

Seasons filled with sunshine, warmth and God’s loving hand;
Questions, choices, nuances subtly written, hard to understand.

There also will be rain and surprise storms of which in the beginning one cannot know. Yet, trust in the journey; the Hand that leads only takes us where He wills for us to go.

Life’s seasons have a rhythm of their own, set in motion through our Creator’s perfect hand.
Only at the end will it be told so that we truly understand.

Until that day, we pray for the Grace that lights our path, so as not to go astray. Just letting it be with complete trust
and love for every gift of that day. “

PJP

As we move forward on our Lenten journey of 40 days, we are reminded that the first full week of Lent is about the desert, where Jesus spent 40 days in prayer, fasting and being tempted by the devil. It represents a place of renewal and strength, especially for our interior lives. A place to sort through our own personal desert; we all have experienced it at one time or another in our lives. Through prayer and fasting, we can re-order what is important in our lives, give a high priority to our spiritual being, and where we can do a better job in particular areas of our life. Spiritual growth in our desert happens when we do the work: deepening our conversations with Our Lord, being honest about our failings and making a concerted effort to do better in word and deed.

Week 2 is about the mountain. Jesus takes Peter, James and John with him up to the high mountain to pray (Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-10, Luke 9:28-36). While praying, Jesus is Transfigured by a blinding light and God the Father’s voice is heard to say “This is my Son, my Chosen One: listen to him.” Jesus wants his disciples to know WHO he really is in preparation for His death to come. The mountain is the symbol for where human meets God, the temporal and the eternal. What we can take away from this according to the Catholic Catechism is this: “The aim of the Transfiguration was to strengthen the apostles’ faith in anticipation of His Passion: the ascent onto the high mountain prepares for the ascent to Calvary. Christ, Head of the Church manifests what his body contains and radiates in the sacraments: ‘the hope of glory’ [CCC 568].

More to come for Week 3 coming up. Happy Lent.

PJP

”For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

Just as we have prepared our home and our family for this day, so too we have prepared our hearts in the waiting with prayer and doing small acts of kindness toward others. Our Savior is born. Now the day is here and the wait is over. The darkness of the night has been filled with the wonderful everlasting Light who will guide us through our journey and help us to make straight our path. We resolve to continue prayer, kindness toward others and peace where we can build it.

The picture is of our creche at my parish. I was filled with Joy as I was able to be as lay minister of the Eucharist at the Christmas morning Mass. That for me is Christmas.

Merry Christmas Blessings to all.

PJP