Dear Friends,
What a joy! What a joy to see so many people visiting our parish and joining us in celebrating the Great Triduum and the Easter liturgies! I am filled with gratitude to God for all that He has done to bring people to our parish.
I am still joy-filled for the newly baptized and the newly welcomed Catholics at the Easter Vigil Mass. I am profoundly grateful to them for embracing Christ and His Church. I wholeheartedly welcome them into our midst. The newly baptized will now be called the “Neophytes.” Between now and Pentecost, their catechetical team will be leading them in an exploration of both the mysteries they celebrated at the Easter Vigil and the new sacramental life they are now beginning. We are very proud of them. They will add their gifts to those poured into St. John’s so lavishly, as they contribute to the life of our vibrant community.
Here are their names:
Those who were baptized, confirmed, and received First Eucharist: Kimberly Bernard, Kaiya Carr, Heather Fuller, Wayne Fuller, Mark Lightner III, Shauna McLaughlin, Deuce Villanueva, and Minerva Villanueva. Those who were already baptized but who embraced our Catholic Faith, were confirmed, and received First Eucharist: Phillip Crews, Todd Garfield, Matthew Leptich, Mark Lightner Jr. and Erica Ellis-Reid. Those who were confirmed and received First Eucharist: Sandra Gallagher, David Lalli and Aaron Ressler. Those who received their Confirmation: Nancy DiCarlantonio, Maria Maureen Celerian Lalli, Elizabeth Leptich, and Karina Lightner. Mark and Karina’s daughter, Alina Lightner, was baptized at the Easter Vigil.
Our 2nd Annual Breakfast with the Easter Bunny was a huge success again. Thanks to Josefina and her core team for preparing for this grand event. Special thanks to our Brother Knights and the Ladies Auxiliary who hosted the Breakfast for about 400 people. What a blessing to have a dedicated team who are always there to help us.
Another special thanks to every liturgical ministry that helped with the great celebrations during the Triduum and Easter. Hats off to the Art and Environment Ministry for the lovely decoration of our Sanctuary. Please take your time to savor this.
I have already thanked all who accompanied our Catechumens and Candidates on their journey to the Easter Vigil and the Sacraments of Initiation. However, I still wish to extend an expression of gratitude to Kelli Salceda, her dedicated team of catechists, and the sponsors for walking with them and preparing them for that great day of rejoicing. I am also so glad for the four couples whose marriages were convalidated soon after the Easter Vigil Mass. What a Blessing!
This weekend we celebrate the Second Sunday of Easter, which is the 8th and final day of Easter (although the Easter season extends to Pentecost). On this Sunday, we celebrate divine Mercy, which is on display in the Gospel description of the Apostle Thomas’s encounter with the Risen Christ (John 20:19-31).
This Sunday also is known as Divine Mercy Sunday. This feast day was created by Pope Saint John Paul II on 30 April 2000 when he canonized Saint Maria Faustina. He noted then that “there is nothing that man needs more than Divine Mercy.”
Monday is the Annunciation of the Lord, which is normally celebrated on 25 March, but this year it has been moved to 8 April. We will celebrate this great feast with two Masses at 8:00 a.m. and 12:05 p.m.
Between 1931 and 1938, Jesus appeared in Poland to Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament, revealing to her that he wanted her to tell the whole world how much he wanted to show mercy to sinners. At the urging of her superiors, Sister Faustina kept a diary of her conversations with our Lord. These eventually were published under the title, Divine Mercy in My Soul. Below are two samples of her conversation with our Merciful Lord:
My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners. If only they would understand that I am the best of Fathers to them and that it is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy. For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 367).
I perform works of mercy in every soul. The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy. My mercy is confirmed in every work of My hands. He who trusts in My mercy will not perish, for all his affairs are Mine (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 723).
This year we are celebrating the unfathomable Mercy of Our Lord by hosting a special Divine Mercy Hour at 7 p.m. on Sunday, 7 April. It is being presented by the Internationally esteemed Irish Tenor, Mark Forrest, who will lead us in song and reflection. Please do not miss this golden opportunity.
Divine Mercy is undoubtedly one of the ultimate gifts flowing from Easter. It is a privileged occasion of grace and forgiveness for all of us. It is a day on which we can obtain a special indulgence if we follow the usual conditions: being in a state of grace; having the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin; celebrating the sacrament of Reconciliation either on, shortly before or shortly after the day; receiving Holy Communion on the day; and praying for the intentions of the Pope that day.
May you have a personal encounter with the Divine Mercy of our Lord!
With love,
Fr. John