Pastoral Letter for Divine Mercy Sunday

would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped make Holy Week so special and so spirit 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped make Holy Week so special and so spiritually fulfilling. From Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, we celebrated together in community, reaching the climax with the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday. I was amazed by the amount of people in our family who gathered and worshiped together in the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. As we drew closer to the Easter Joy, the crowds grew larger and larger. Each moment was a testament to our faith and to Our Lord. The Holy Spirit was definitely moving throughout our parish. It was amazing to witness the standing room only at our first 8:30 Easter Mass in almost nine years on Sunday; only to have that attendance beaten by the 10:30 mass. Hundreds of the faithful came to worship which only intensified the celebration. It was so special to witness and an undeniable honor to be a part of it. From the Altar Severs, lecturers, ushers, collectors, choir members, and all those who worked behind the scenes (you who you are): each individual person was important and invaluable. I feel the need to also mention our beloved priests, Father Murray and Father Walsh, who worked tirelessly throughout the entire week and celebrated each service and mass with an outpouring of faith and love. It is a gift to watch them exercise their office with energy, faith, and vigor. The Christian Faithful, all of us, responded to the calling of Christ and took this opportunity to worship and love Him at the height of our Liturgical Year.

It is the perfect way to enter this Easter Season. For the next seven weeks, we will be challenged to take these feelings of joy and love for Our Lord Jesus Christ, the experience of his Resurrection and carry it with us. We must lift up our hearts as an offering to Jesus and keep our spirits high. We ourselves have been transformed from carrying our own crosses with Christ to Calvary to stepping into the Light of Salvation: a new creation bathed in the Light of the Risen Lord! The celebration has only begun and we are invited to participate in every moment of it. We will not be leaving behind the Easter Joy. It is with us; captured within our souls as it transforms our very being. Let it shape you, guide you, and have a lasting impact on your spirituality.

Today, the Second Sunday of Easter, is Divine Mercy Sunday. This is a day set aside to reflect on Christ's Mercy that he has bequeathed on all of His creation. His Eternal Love flows over us all of the time and has the capability of protecting us, nurturing us, and enveloping us forever. We are encouraged to come forward and praise Christ for this special gift, confess our sins, and continue the Resurrection Celebration. Here we pray for the souls in Purgatory and for the salvation of the entire world. We ask Christ to guide us towards eternal life and to protect us each step of the way.

There is no coincidence that we are also celebrating the Beautification of Pope John Paul II the same day, since it was he who promoted the cause of canonization of Saint Faustina, the visionary who Christ used to evangelize His Divine Mercy to the world. Through Pope John Paul II and Saint Faustina, we are able to form a special relationship to Divine Mercy Sunday: John Paul, one of the longest reigning popes in the History of the Church and Saint Faustina a modern day saint whose trials and tribulations we all can relate to. These individuals have left a lasting impact on our faith and are two who many have witnessed in their own lives, especially Pope John Paul who spanned so many generations while sitting in the Chair of Saint Peter.

Our Easter Blessings seem never to end. What gifts Christ gives to us as Children of God. What cherished memories we can carry with us for the rest of our lives here on this earth and beyond. The Easter Celebration has only begun. Thank you for being a part of it and a part of this Parish Family.

The celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday will be here, at Saint John the Baptist Church, Sunday from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Come join in adoring Christ Our Savior and His Divine Mercy.ually fulfilling. From Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, we celebrated together in community, reaching the climax with the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday. I was amazed by the amount of people in our family who gathered and worshiped together in the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. As we drew closer to the Easter Joy, the crowds grew larger and larger. Each moment was a testament to our faith and to Our Lord. The Holy Spirit was definitely moving throughout our parish. It was amazing to witness the standing room only at our first 8:30 Easter Mass in almost nine years on Sunday; only to have that attendance beaten by the 10:30 mass. Hundreds of the faithful came to worship which only intensified the celebration. It was so special to witness and an undeniable honor to be a part of it. From the Altar Severs, lecturers, ushers, collectors, choir members, and all those who worked behind the scenes (you who you are): each individual person was important and invaluable. I feel the need to also mention our beloved priests, Father Murray and Father Walsh, who worked tirelessly throughout the entire week and celebrated each service and mass with an outpouring of faith and love. It is a gift to watch them exercise their office with energy, faith, and vigor. The Christian Faithful, all of us, responded to the calling of Christ and took this opportunity to worship and love Him at the height of our Liturgical Year.

It is the perfect way to enter this Easter Season. For the next seven weeks, we will be challenged to take these feelings of joy and love for Our Lord Jesus Christ, the experience of his Resurrection and carry it with us. We must lift up our hearts as an offering to Jesus and keep our spirits high. We ourselves have been transformed from carrying our own crosses with Christ to Calvary to stepping into the Light of Salvation: a new creation bathed in the Light of the Risen Lord! The celebration has only begun and we are invited to participate in every moment of it. We will not be leaving behind the Easter Joy. It is with us; captured within our souls as it transforms our very being. Let it shape you, guide you, and have a lasting impact on your spirituality.

Today, the Second Sunday of Easter, is Divine Mercy Sunday. This is a day set aside to reflect on Christ's Mercy that he has bequeathed on all of His creation. His Eternal Love flows over us all of the time and has the capability of protecting us, nurturing us, and enveloping us forever. We are encouraged to come forward and praise Christ for this special gift, confess our sins, and continue the Resurrection Celebration. Here we pray for the souls in Purgatory and for the salvation of the entire world. We ask Christ to guide us towards eternal life and to protect us each step of the way.

There is no coincidence that we are also celebrating the Beautification of Pope John Paul II the same day, since it was he who promoted the cause of canonization of Saint Faustina, the visionary who Christ used to evangelize His Divine Mercy to the world. Through Pope John Paul II and Saint Faustina, we are able to form a special relationship to Divine Mercy Sunday: John Paul, one of the longest reigning popes in the History of the Church and Saint Faustina a modern day saint whose trials and tribulations we all can relate to. These individuals have left a lasting impact on our faith and are two who many have witnessed in their own lives, especially Pope John Paul who spanned so many generations while sitting in the Chair of Saint Peter.

Our Easter Blessings seem never to end. What gifts Christ gives to us as Children of God. What cherished memories we can carry with us for the rest of our lives here on this earth and beyond. The Easter Celebration has only begun. Thank you for being a part of it and a part of this Parish Family.

The celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday will be here, at Saint John the Baptist Church, Sunday from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Come join in adoring Christ Our Savior and His Divine Mercy.