A Message from Fr. Jay
Dear Friends,
Holy week begins with a grand procession as Jesus enters Jerusalem, proclaiming ‘Hosannah’. The crowd clamored having no clue of the grand finale, which only Jesus had full knowledge. All of the readings, especially the gospels throughout holy week, portray the different characters who took part in the grand finale. Let us reflect on which character we resemble.
I thank you for taking this Lenten journey seriously with humility, by reflecting on the word of God, examining the conscience, making good confessions, attending the Parish Mission, Reconciliation Service, making pilgrimage, being involved in personal prayers and pious activities, doing acts of self-denial and helping the needy through acts of charity. I am so blessed to be a part of this community and make the journey with all of you. Particularly, it is so joyful to see 17 Elect and Candidates who will soon be joining our community as new Catholics. As a community, every day we become rich and richer in our spiritual growth. Praise be to God.
I also wanted to keep you updated that for the last few months, most of the ministries of our parish, 37 of them, have done a great job of fine-tuning their mission statements and have specified their goals and objectives and identified their needs for the future growth and development of their ministries. Deacon John Gaulin, with his professional background in drafting Strategic Plans, has been a great source of knowledge and skill to make this happen along with the leaders of every individual ministry and Strategy Planning Committee. I appreciate our staff team who took key initiatives and collaboration in this process. We will keep you updated on the further developments of these discussions in the coming months.
Please continue to pray for Father Joseph, our Parochial Vicar. On Monday, when I met him in the hospital, he appreciated all our prayers and finally said, “His will be done, Father Jay”.
If you are a snowbird ready to spread your wings to take off back to the north, please fly safely and stay connected. We cherish your love and service throughout the season.
I wish you ALL a grace-filled holy week!
God Bless,
Fr. Jay Raju
Reading 1: Isaiah 50:4-7
Reading 2: Philippians 2:6-11
Gospel: Luke 22: 14-23; 56 or 23:1-49
