Dear Friends,
I am immensely grateful to God for the 57 children from our parish who received the Lord in the Eucharist for the first time. Wow! How immensely awesome is that! On behalf of Fr. John Patrick and on behalf of all you I sincerely want to congratulate these lovely children. We would like to recognize and thank the director of Faith Formation, Bob Birmingham and his assistant, Gaye Solano, as well as the catechists: Frank Ioele, Nancy Hastings, and our catechist’s assistants Matthew Tecson, Claire Bills, Noah Anderson and Emialee Walker. We thank their parents for ensuring that these children received their First Holy Communion. This is how tradition lives on; this is how the tradition is handed on from one generation to the next. My only plea to their parents is: Please do not stop bringing your children to the church for Mass. Please do not take it lightly henceforth saying “they will decide for themselves.” It does not work that way just as it doesn’t work in other areas such as taking them to the school or for the ever so many sports and games and lessons. If you can spend hours traveling to ensure your children get in to the sports or music or theatrical productions three or four or five times a week without any hesitation, can you not spend one hour a week to bring them to the Eucharist. While I thank you for the many sacrifices you make to bring up your children, I only ask you to give ONE HOUR for the Lord and believe me it will bear immense fruits not only in the life after but even right here and right now.
The First Sunday of May calls us to remember our Mother Mary. The month of May is dedicated to our Mother. The children who have received their First Holy Communion will be led by the women of CCW to do the May Crowning. Another excellent way we show that our faith lives on because we take pains to hand it on to our future generation. Our women from CCW represent that aspect of faith that needs handing over. The Children being led by them to Mary is absolutely a genuine gesture of Faith Being Handed On. I take this occasion to thank our women who take pride to honor our Mother Mary by consistently observing this tradition of May Crowning.
Today we celebrate the Third Sunday of Easter. We have been fed by the Words from the Scripture that speak of the Post Resurrection Apparition of Jesus and how the Apostles are still trying to figure out what it is to be in the presence of the Risen Lord. They had been shaken, threatened by the Resurrection of Jesus. In one of the most touching scenes Jesus poses heart wrenching questions to Peter reassuring him of his forgiveness for Peter’s failures. What is more, Jesus is inviting him to look after his flock. How could he trust a guy with this enormous task after failing miserably to prove his loyalty? By asking Peter to follow him as the good shepherd he had also invited him to follow him in his task of taking up the cross and give up his life for his flock. Thus the penetrating question: Peter, do you love me? It was a hint to Peter to love Jesus in a self-sacrificing way.
Peter’s weakness appeals to all of us as we have lived this experience so many times. But what is even more appealing is his honesty in the face of those penetrating questions, do you love me. Even then Peter could not say without hesitation that he would love Jesus in a self-sacrificing way. He only meant to love him as a friend would. But during this faith journey he grew spiritually to be able to give himself up to death for Jesus.
Do not let your hearts be troubled. When you have failed as all of us do too often, remember Jesus who in magnanimity reached out to Peter. Jesus understands frailty of our human nature. All that Jesus asks of us is to love him with our sincere hearts. Just as Peter realized that by his own strength or merit he could not live up to the task given to him we too realize that it is not own strength that will carry us forward in living out our Christian vocation but by the faithfulness of God.
Because Peter learned by his mistakes and failures he made for a sympathetic pastor. Having endured adversities and disasters he became the wounded healer. Let us too draw strength from our First Pope, Peter the Rock, that we too can love God in a self-sacrificing way. For the parents of those children who received the Lord in First Communion, loving God would mean ensuring that their children are not deprived of the opportunity to know and love God. Please hand on your faith to your children by making an effort to take them to the Eucharist every Sunday. Remember the rewards are absolutely exceptional. Let the Resurrection be constantly at work in you.
Have a Blessed Week ahead!
With love,
Fr. John