Dear Parish Family,

These past few weeks have been blessed as we have celebrated Holy Week, the Sacred Triduum, Divine Mercy Sunday, and now we are already at the third week of Easter. We have made a good Easter practice with each of those events. We now mourn our Holy Father Pope Francis, and we have offered him two requiem Masses while we wait for the coming conclave beginning May 7.

We were blessed to have so many come out to join us at Holy Thursday at my Installation as your Pastor. Bishop John was pleased to have shared the evening with us. The Gospel readings during Eastertime are important as we gain much perspective of the Early Church, and just how Jesus intended to leave Himself to us by establishing the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

Today we find ourselves faced with the question like Peter, when Jesus asked how much do you love me? To appreciate this question, and the answer, we must acknowledge that the apostles are just your average run-of-the-mill people. They were rough around the edges. They argued, they bickered, they murmured, dropped a curse word or two, they complained, they were possibly mean, they were rude at times, they complained again, they could be nice or angry, tired, frustrated, or bold in faith. We are like the twelve Jesus chose even though we are unpolished, imperfect, and unworthy. Yes, not one of us is worthy of what Jesus offered us, but in spite of that, we are redeemed—that is what makes us Easter People. Jesus drew many people, and they followed Him. Jesus also challenged people, and some parted ways with Him.

Today, we, like Peter, are asked to respond to the Lord about how much we love Him. Peter, though totally unworthy, imperfect, and the one who went down in history as the one who denied Jesus, still managed to love Jesus and even died a martyr’s death as a testament of such love. How far are we willing to take it—this love for Jesus? Three times Peter was asked by Jesus, Do you love me?, and Peter said, Yes Lord, I love you. Then Jesus told him, Feed my sheep, and Peter did, and even sustained a bite or two like our shepherds of today often do in a world that is opposed to Christ, even among those that say Lord, Lord. No one is immune from sin, but all of us are redeemable. Our goal is the same, as we strive toward holiness each day. Even in our imperfections and the not-so-beautiful sides of our nature, God still finds in His heart a desire to love and a capacity to forgive, and to shower His mercy upon us. We are called to do the same—Be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect, and be merciful as our Heavenly Father is merciful!

Generally, when I have encounters with people—whether nurses, servers, retail workers, or even the faithful—I observe that people are honestly struggling today. People are often very kind to priests, and I can attest to that, but even priests can face their share of shade and lack of charity and can struggle with loving in return because of it. I don’t know if the struggles are greater than in the past, but people today are struggling nonetheless. People will often express how their families are divided, there is contention, disrespect, disunity, or a total lack of charity. For us in the modern world, we can answer Jesus with a resounding Yes, I love you Lord, not so much by what we say, but by what we do, how we respond, and how we live—especially toward people who show revile toward us.

We know the limits Peter took in responding to Jesus. Even though he failed miserably at times, he ultimately proved his love of Jesus by embracing a death like His—on a cross too. These days of Easter are an opportunity to work harder at loving one another, being kind to each other, embracing our diversity as people, embracing our diversity as Catholics in a big Universal Church and even in a bigger world, with room for all of us. If people curse you, let them. If they disrespect your name, let them. If they blame you, let them, because when contention ceases, the devil does as well, and only love remains. This is how we love Jesus. This is how we ensure we can get to heaven. It is amazing what people do and say and how they behave and think that they can still enjoy the Easter promise while doing those things—it ain’t gonna happen! Beware, be wise, and love Jesus first. We must learn to respect our differences—culturally and even in our expression of our Catholic faith. We are different, we are unique, and that is how God made us. Pope Francis taught that well. Not all of us are cut from the same cloth—thank goodness—just like the apostles, but we are called to cry the Gospel with our lives, and to love Jesus by keeping His commands. As the Church, we have to work harder at curtailing our attitudes of entitlement, as it’s getting the best of us as a culture and only fosters more discontentment. Jesus calls us to love Him today. He asks us to quantify that love, and in doing so, hopefully, we offer Him our entire life.

Peace and Blessings,

Fr. Michael

---

Jesús pregunta ¿Me amas? Muéstrame

Querida Familia Parroquial,

Estas últimas semanas han sido una bendición, ya que hemos celebrado la Semana Santa, el Triduo Sagrado, el Domingo de la Divina Misericordia, y ahora ya estamos en la tercera semana de Pascua. Hemos practicado la Pascua con cada uno de estos eventos. Ahora lloramos la pérdida de nuestro Santo Padre, el Papa Francisco, y le hemos ofrecido dos Misas de Réquiem mientras esperamos el cónclave que comienza el 7 de mayo. Tuvimos la bendición de contar con la asistencia de tantos fieles el Jueves Santo, durante mi toma de posesión como su párroco. El Obispo John se alegró de haber compartido la velada con nosotros. Las lecturas del Evangelio durante la Pascua son importantes, ya que nos permiten obtener una perspectiva más amplia de la Iglesia Primitiva y de cómo Jesús quiso dejarse en nuestras manos al establecer la Iglesia Una, Santa, Católica y Apostólica.

Hoy nos encontramos ante la pregunta, como Pedro, cuando Jesús le preguntó: ¿Cuánto me amas? Para comprender esta pregunta y la respuesta, debemos reconocer que los apóstoles eran personas comunes y corrientes, con un carácter rudo. Discutieron, riñeron, murmuraron, soltaron una o dos palabrotas, se quejaron, posiblemente fueron malos, a veces fueron groseros, volvieron a quejarse, podían ser amables, o enojados, cansados, frustrados o audaces en la fe. Somos como los doce que Jesús escogió, aunque seamos toscos, imperfectos e indignos. Sí, ninguno de nosotros es digno de lo que Jesús nos ofreció, pero a pesar de eso, somos redimidos; eso es lo que nos hace Pueblo de Pascua.

Hoy, como Pedro, se nos pide que respondamos al Señor cuánto lo amamos. Pedro, aunque totalmente indigno, imperfecto y el que pasó a la historia como el que negó a Jesús, aún logró amarlo e incluso murió como mártir, como testimonio de tal amor. ¿Hasta dónde estamos dispuestos a llegar en este amor por Jesús? Tres veces Pedro fue interrogado por Jesús: "¿Me amas?", y Pedro respondió: "Sí, Señor, te amo." Entonces, "Apacienta mis ovejas", y Pedro lo hizo, e incluso enfrentó dificultades, como les ocurre a nuestros pastores hoy en un mundo que se opone a Cristo, incluso con aquellos que dicen: "Señor, Señor." Ninguno es inmune al pecado, pero todos somos redimibles.

Estos días de Pascua son una oportunidad para esforzarnos más en amarnos, ser amables unos con otros, aceptar nuestra diversidad como personas y como católicos en una gran Iglesia universal y en un mundo aún más grande, con espacio para todos. Si la gente te maldice, déjalos. Si te faltan al respeto, déjalos. Si te culpan, déjalos; porque cuando cesa la contienda, el Diablo también cesa, y solo queda el amor. Así es como amamos a Jesús. Así es como nos aseguramos de llegar al cielo.

Jesús nos llama hoy a amarlo. Nos pide que cuantifiquemos ese amor, y en hacerlo, esperamos ofrecerle nuestra vida entera.

Paz y bendiciones,

Padre Michael

BACK TO LIST