March 31st, 2024 – Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord
He is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!
What a great day! We have spent the last forty days preparing to celebrate. We have fasted, and now it is time to feast, for our Lord and Savior has conquered death—he has destroyed death. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Today begins the great day of the Easter season which lasts for the next fifty days. For the entirety of the season, we will see the Easter candle at the ambo as a reminder of what we are celebrating—the resurrection of the Lord.
It has been a beautiful week preparing for the celebration of the resurrection of the Lord. Thank you to all our staff and volunteers who have made Holy Week especially holy. A special thanks to our choirs, musicians, liturgists, decorators, liturgical ministers, and everyone else that made this week great! A very special thanks to everyone who came to pray with us throughout the week.
Now for the important piece of information. One of my favorite lines from one of my mentors is, “We fast so we can feast.” We have fasted for forty days, so let us feast for the Easter season.
On behalf of our Pastor and Rector, Fr. Tim, and all our priests, including Fr. Carlos and myself, we wish you a very holy and blessed Easter season.
He is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!
God Bless,
Fr. Joseph
March 24th, 2024 – Palm Sunday of the Passion of Our Lord
Dear friends,
We begin Holy Week with the celebration of Palm Sunday today.
As the Lord enters Jerusalem, he prepares to face all that is dark about us and this world: cruelty, deep institutional injustice that victimizes, denial of friends, betrayal, excruciating pain on the cross, etc.
God reaches these places of suffering to transform them. If the light of the world, Jesus Christ, visits the depths of human darkness, darkness loses its power and is not as dark anymore.
At times, we face difficult challenges. Yet as Christians, we believe and know that we are not alone in doing so: Christ is there with us. He knows what it feels like to be in deep pain.
We also begin to live the mysteries of Holy Week with much anticipated joy: we know how it all ends. As 
Christians, we proclaim Christ’s victory over death as the definitive trait of our faith, a conviction that changes our perspective on life itself. It does not matter how dark it gets at times, we are loved through thick and thin by the One who assures us, “I am with you always until the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20.)
With love,
Fr. Carlos
March 17th, 2024 – Fifth Sunday of Lent
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
(Albert Einstein)
Dear Friends,
As we approach the late days of Lent and prepare for the holiest week of the year, perhaps it is time to ask for those miracles we as individuals and our crazy world need more than ever. The thing about miracles is that they happen not so much “out there,” but within, in the way we look at things.
The stories of Jesus and his life on earth (including the miraculous story that is about to unfold as we remember his passion, death and Resurrection) challenge us to look at things differently. They invite us to look where the power of God can shine through and triumph, even in the most painful situations. We are encouraged to ponder where the seeming impossible happens without our knowing how, even when it is happening, but in the end takes us right where we need to be to see the miracle.
It takes time, patience, even suffering and ambiguity. But Jesus reminds us he is right there always, “even to the end of the ages.” So have blessed holy days. Go to as many services as possible, pray more intently, give a bit more to the poor. Take some quiet time — right now, whatever is going on in your life, in the life of the world, is the very soil where seeds of miracles can produce abundant growth.
Miracles, small and large, mysterious and obvious, are waiting for you and your families, and for a world waiting for Hope, whose name we know is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!
Sincerely, with love
Fr. Tim
March 10th, 2024 – Fourth Sunday of Lent
Happy Lent!
Today’s Gospel has what may be the most quoted bible passage ever:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish, but might have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
These profound words are the source of hope for us today. We are past the halfway point of Lent. It may sometimes feel that Lent lasts forever, and we can easily lose hope. Today, the Gospel of John reminds us of why we participate in Lent — because God gave his only Son.
I hope that you are having the best Lent ever! If you aren’t, that’s okay. Today is a great day to commit to finishing strong. A good coach will tell an athlete who is struggling to make sure they finish strong. It may not be their best performance, but it is important to not give up. As a spiritual coach, I encourage you to finish Lent strong.
We are two weeks from Holy Week, so it is a good time to think about what you can do to prepare to celebrate Holy Week well. Today is a great day to make a resolution to finish strong.
The Father gave his Son so that we can have eternal life; what is the Father asking you to sacrifice to join with Christ’s sacrifice?
God Bless,
Fr. Joseph
March 3rd, 2024 – Third Sunday of Lent
Dear friends,
Lent is a special time to meditate on the passion of our Lord Jesus.
Sometimes, what we appreciate and hold dear is taken away from us. Such was the case of our Lord Jesus on the Cross.
The beloved one of the Father, Jesus was crucified and, at some point during his Passion, he could not experience the loving presence of his Father, to the extent that he exclaims: “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?” The enjoyment of God’s love was taken away from God’s very own Son.
The Lord Jesus did not fall into despair, but he trusted in and clung to the One who saves, saying, “Into your hands I commend my Spirit.”
Today, I am writing these lines from my hometown in Colombia. Two weeks ago, I went to the U.S. embassy in Bogotá to apply for a visa renewal. My application was then put in administrative processing. Right now, I am still waiting for a response from the embassy regarding my visa application.
I miss all of you, and thank you in advance for your prayers that I can return to the parishes very soon!
With love,
Fr. Carlos
