From the Pastor&#039;s Desk: May 15, 2022

This Sunday, we are brought back to the Last Supper, when Jesus was gathered with His closest companions and opened His heart to them. It was the night when His heart overflowed with love as it never had before. In the five short verses of this Gospel, two words are constantly repeated – glory and love. The Lord speaks to them only after Judas –His disciple who betrayed Him – has gone into the darkness of the night that has totally consumed his soul. This is also time for Jesus’ hour to come – the hour of His glory and love that will become His ultimate self-sacrifice and journey to the resurrection – His new glory, life, and love that He will share with His disciples.

This new life in and with Jesus has a distinguishing mark for His disciples: "This is how all will know that you are my disciples," He said, "if you have love for one another." And not just any kind of love, but Christ-like love: "I give you a new commandment... As I have loved you, so you also should love one another."
Being a Christian is much more than being a member of a club. Being a Christian means having an urgent, important mission in life. It means being another Christ in the world. Jesus gave His very life to fulfill His Father's will and win salvation for sinners. Each one of us is called in our own unique circumstances to dedicate our lives to discovering and fulfilling God's will while striving to help as many people as possible to know, love, and follow Christ.

As we continue our journey of faith through the Season of Easter, today we are invited to ask ourselves if we have really decided to follow Christ's New Commandment. Sometimes we think this New Commandment is only for people who are already saints. But it isn't; it is actually the perfect path to sanctity, to becoming the best version of ourselves. It is time to decide once and for all that following Christ is going to be our highest priority. He can help us, teach us, strengthen us, pick us up when we fall and inspire us when we get discouraged - He can do all of that for us, especially through the sacraments. But what God cannot do for us is choose our highest priority in life; only we can do that with the help of His grace moving our freedom from within.

"If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great... Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation." (Pope Benedict XVI, Installation homily)

This Sunday, after the 11:00 am Mass we will dedicate the new St Joseph Garden located at the drop-off area of the church. This new addition for prayer and reflection is a gift from our parishioners that will benefit so many for years to come. Thank you and may St Joseph intercede for us!

This Sunday during a special Mass at 2:00 pm, 38 children from our parish will bear witness to the love of Christ as they celebrate their First Communion, receiving the precious Body and Blood of Jesus Christ for the first time. I want to congratulate all those who will be receiving their first communion this Sunday. It is a very special moment in your lives – a moment that will change your lives forever. From now on, you will receive the greatest gift of God to us – His creation – the Eucharist. From now on, you will grow ever closer to the One whom you will receive – Jesus Christ. I also want to thank everyone who helped and assisted in any way with the sacramental preparation of our children and to assure you, families and friends, of my prayers on this very special day.

Have a blessed week filled with God’s love. “God does not love us because we are valuable. We are valuable because God loves us.” (The Wisdom of Fulton Sheen)

With prayers,
Fr Andy