Our gospel passage is from the “Last Supper Discourses” of the Gospel of John and the hearts of the disciples are troubled because Jesus has just announced to them that he will be with them for only a little while longer;
We are all bound to fail occasionally in our attempts to listen to and follow the shepherd but, when we do, we have recourse to the sacraments of the church to bring us back to the flock and, hopefully, inspire us to listen more carefully to the voice of the Good Shepherd.
It is through the church that the scriptures are opened to us and that our eyes of faith are opened to recognize Jesus in the sacraments he instituted for the forgiveness of our sins.
Our church is rich in Tradition, much of which is not found in scripture but is part of the fabric of our Catholic faith. And all of that comes to us through the teaching of the church, inspired and confirmed by the Holy Spirit, through 2000 years of history.
The Resurrection is to be experienced by us, in our hearts and in our profession of faith in Jesus, and in the God that raised Him from the dead.
Our gospel passage is the Passion of Christ according to Matthew but also includes Matthew’s account of the Last Supper, which is the institution of the Eucharist, and Peter’s denial of Christ three times (how many times we have done the same?)
The wisdom of scripture is beyond compare, but we have to pay attention to it to see those parallels. There is a reason why the Bible is the number one best seller of all time!
The message for us is that God looks into our hearts to see if that seed of faith has germinated. That seed is part of our nature, but it must be nurtured.
When we seek the deeper meaning in our readings for this week, we see that they are meant for everyone, not just Jews in the desert or unclean Samaritans.
The golden thread of our readings this week is: Look and see what is in store for you if you maintain faith. Abraham remained faithful and became the father of many nations.
The Ascension of the Lord Reading 1: Acts 1:1-11 Responsorial Psalm: Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 Reading 2: Eph 1:17-23 Gospel: Mt 28:16-20 This Sunday, we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. In the gospels, we actually have only two accounts of the Ascension; one in Mark...
Sixth Sunday of Easter, 2026 Reading 1: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 Responsorial Psalm: Ps 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20 Reading 2: 1 Pt 3:15-18 Gospel: Jn 14:15-21 As mentioned previously, during the Easter season our first reading from “Acts” is meant to draw our attention to the...
Fifth Sunday of Easter Reading 1: Acts 6:1-7 Responsorial Psalm: Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19 Reading 2: 1 Pt 2:4-9 Gospel: Jn 14:1-12 As mentioned previously, it is during the Easter Season that we celebrate the origins of the church in the first century. And the early...
Fourth Sunday of Easter Reading 1: Acts 2:14a, 36-41 Responsorial Psalm: Ps 23: 1-3a, 3b4, 5, 6 Reading 2: 1 Pt 2:20b-25 Gospel: Jn 10:1-10 Our first reading this week from chapter 2 of “Acts” is a continuation of our first reading from last Sunday from “Peter’s...
Praise be Jesus Christ now and forever! Praise be His Holy Name. You, God, are all-loving, all-powerful, all-merciful. You are, were, and always will be. You are constant in Your love and pursuit of Your people. You are constant in Your mercy and discipline. You are...
Third Sunday of Easter Reading 1: Acts 2:14, 22-33 Responsorial Psalm: Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11 Reading 2: 1 Pt 1:17-21 Gospel: Lk 24:13-35 Once again, our first reading this week comes from St. Luke’s: “The Acts of the Apostles,” rather than from the Old Testament...
Second Sunday of Easter (or Sunday of Divine Mercy) Reading 1: Acts 2:42-47 Responsorial Psalm: Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 Reading 2: 1 Pt 1:3-9 Gospel: Jn 20:19-31 This week, we celebrate the second Sunday of Easter, also known as “Divine Mercy Sunday.” Divine Mercy...
Easter 2026 Once again, I have chosen not to print out the readings for Easter as there are several and depending upon the Mass you attend this weekend, you will hear one of three different gospels. All of them, of course, deal with the Resurrection of Christ, but the...
The readings for Palm Sunday are far too lengthy to copy into a reflection, and they are scriptures we are all familiar with. On Palm Sunday we first have a processional gospel of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem from the Gospel of Matthew, readings from Isaiah and...
Praise be Jesus Christ! Praise be His holy name! He is all-good, all-knowing, all-merciful. He exacts perfect love and justice. He is God! Thank You, God for Your most holy and perfect love. Thank You for the gift of holy conversations and holy friendships. Thank You...
Para el segundo año de preparación sacramental, los padres siguen siendo los primeros maestros de la fe (CCC n.º 2226). Este es un rol continuo tanto para los padres como para la vida de los estudiantes.
La preparación sacramental se llevará a cabo una vez al mes. Se pide a las familias que asistan semanalmente a la misa dominical, compartan el Evangelio en casa, participen en un retiro, recen el Rosario y que los padres asistan a una charla mensual con nuestro querido sacerdote.
Se ponen recursos a disposición de los padres, especialmente en lo relativo a la misa. Se pide a los estudiantes que traigan un misal para que lo firmen al finalizar la misa de su elección (sábado o domingo).
A continuación, se presentan las fechas de las charlas dirigidas a los padres. Los estudiantes asistirán a clases en un aula en la misma fecha y horario: de 6:30 p. m. a 8:00 p. m.
Se realizarán evaluaciones a los estudiantes; por favor, consulten las Pautas Sacramentales.
La preparación para la Primera Reconciliación y la Primera Comunión está abierta a todos los jóvenes bautizados - a partir del segundo grado escolar - que cumplan con los siguientes requisitos del programa:
El Párroco, el Coordinador de Preparación Sacramental y los padres determinarán conjuntamente la disposición del niño - tanto catequética como espiritual - para recibir los sacramentos.
For year 2, sacramental preparation, parents are still the first teachers of faith CCC#2226. This is an ongoing role for the parents and for the students' lives.
Sacramental preparation would be once a month. Families are asked to attend weekly Sunday mass, share the Gospel at home, participate in a retreat, pray the Rosary, and have parents attend a monthly talk with our beloved priest.
Resources are available to parents, especially for Mass. Students are asked to bring a Mass book to be signed by the end of the Mass of their choice (Saturday or Sunday).
Here are the dates for parent talks. The students will be in a classroom setting on the same date and time: 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Evaluations will be held for students, please refer to the Sacrament Guidelines.
First Reconciliation and First Communion preparation is open to all baptized youth, second grade or older, who meet the following program requirements:
The Pastor, Sacramental Preparation Coordinator, and the parents together determine the child’s readiness, both catechetical and spiritual, to receive the sacraments.
Last year, first-year families followed the new Faith at Home curriculum. Even though we have a lot to grow in, we are very happy that our families have completed the year and are now practicing their faith and following a new way of life.
Faith at Home is a new program where our families do not have to come in person weekly, but once a month. Families are asked to attend weekly Sunday mass, share the Gospel at home, participate in a retreat, pray the Rosary, and have parents attend a monthly talk with our beloved priest.
Resources are available to parents, especially for Mass. Students are asked to bring a Mass book with them to be signed by the end of any Mass of their choice (Saturday or Sunday).
Here are the dates for parent talks. The students will be in a classroom setting on the same date and time:
April 20th from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
