Dear friends,

This weekend, we celebrate the feast of the Divine Mercy. The devotion to the Divine Mercy has its roots in the visions and writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun who lived in the early 20th century. This is how it happened: In 1931, Saint Faustina began experiencing visions of Jesus Christ, which she recorded in her diary. These visions revealed the infinite mercy of God and the need for humanity to trust in His goodness. Jesus asked Saint Faustina to spread the message of Divine Mercy and to establish a feast day in honor of His mercy.

The Paschal Candle represents Christ, the Light of the World. It is blessed and solemnly processed into a darkened church at the Easter Vigil, bringing the Light of the Risen Christ into the church. The beeswax of which the candle is made represents the sinless Christ who was formed in the womb of His Mother, as is paralleled in the Exsultet, a proclamation chanted at the Easter Vigil: "a fire into many flames divided, yet never dimmed by sharing of its light, for it is fed by melting wax, drawn out by mother bees to build a torch so precious."

Dear friends,

I want to wish you all a Happy and Blessed Easter! As we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ on this glorious Easter Sunday, let us rejoice in the profound truth that shapes our faith: He is Risen!

In the darkness of the tomb, Jesus Christ conquered death and sin, emerging victorious in the light of eternal life. This triumph is not just a historical event but a living reality that not only transforms our lives today but forever.

Dear friends,

Before Vatican II, the reading of the Passion, which we hear today, was greeted with absolute silence. No homily. Even the concluding acclamation: “The gospel of the Lord,” was omitted. So, on a day like this Palm Sunday, I sometimes feel that the most eloquent response to the word of God we have is silence because even the best of homilies could be a distraction from the deep meditation in which many of us find ourselves at the end of the story of the suffering and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. But then also, I am aware that a good homily might be useful to direct and focus our meditation in the right direction.

Coming up in 6 days, we arrive at the most important Mass of the entire church year, a beautiful and majestic hours-long tapestry of symbolism, poetry, and powerful scripture recounting the story of Salvation History. This is the Easter Vigil. This Mass is also when the Church grows since the Easter Vigil is the night when catechumens can receive the Catholic sacrament of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion on the same night. The Easter Vigil is a one-of-akind Mass, more different than a regular Sunday liturgy than any other Mass of the year.

Dear friends,

Last week's blessing of our Perpetual Adoration Chapel was a momentous occasion for our parish. It was a special day filled with joy, gratitude, and a deep sense of reverence that radiated throughout the entire liturgy. I have heard so many testimonies to this fact from many of you who attended the blessing Mass led by bishop Nevares.

The most sacred three days of the entire year in the Church is the Sacred Triduum, encompassing Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. The liturgy, and yes, it is a single liturgy that spans the course of three days, is a tapestry of symbolism, poetry, and sublime beauty.