The Mask

Hello everyone!

Today, the CDC has stated that people who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 no longer need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors "except under certain circumstances". CDC Director Rochelle Walensky cited three studies - one from Israel and two from the US, that show vaccines were 97% effective against symptomatic infection, and 86% effective against asymptomatic infection.

Dr. Walensky cautioned though, that people who are immune compromised must consult with their doctors before giving up their masks. Unvaccinated people remain at risk of mild or severe illness, may spread the disease to others, or even risk death. For the latter case, she recommends that they still wear the mask and get vaccinated right away.

I know that people are celebrating because of this development. We are all tired of wearing the mask. We have been hoping the day will come when we can really say the pandemic is over so we can resume normal activities like we did pre-pandemic.

Is the pandemic over? By no means.

But because people who know better (the scientists and CDC) believe that fully vaccinated people can shed off their masks, they (fully vaccinated people) are no longer required to wear masks at Resurrection Church. If you are fully vaccinated and you feel that it is time for you to stop wearing the mask, I will respect your decision. If you are not vaccinated, I ask you to please continuing wearing your mask.

Again, starting today, it is no longer required for fully vaccinated people to wear the mask at Resurrection Church. In the same vein, it is NOT MANDATORY for fully vaccinated people to SHED OFF THE MASK while in our church. I am fully vaccinated, but I will continue wearing the mask as I usually do, especially when giving out communion. All Deacons and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist shall continue to wear the mask when serving at Mass. We will continue social distancing in church until further notice. I ask everyone to please respect one another in church.

May the Lord be with us always.

Fr. Romy

The Passing of Paul Sant

Today, we received the sad news of the passing of our beloved Mr. Paul Sant. He served our parish as sacristan for more than 20 years, dating back from the time when Fr. Fred Adamson was the pastor of Resurrection. Paul was born on November 28, 1925 and passed on Friday, March 12, 2021 at Bella Vista Senior Living at the age of 95. He served the church with so much zeal and dedication until Father Time caught up with him - and he had to give up his role as sacristan. Please offer a prayer for the repose of his soul. We shall update you on funeral arrangements once everything is finalized.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.

Lent is Here

It is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. It is a time that awakens us to an awareness of our need to be reconciled with God. As the priest prepares to put ashes on our heads (this time the ashes will be sprinkled on the crown of our heads because of the pandemic), he pronounces the words of either options – “Repent, and believe in the gospel.” or “Remember you are dust and unto dust you shall return.” While they sound to express two different thoughts, they are essentially connected. We are being reminded of our need to repent, to have a change of heart, and be reconciled with God, - and that we do not have the luxury of time. Whether sooner or later, we shall meet our Creator and we go home to Him. Thus, we need to be ready.

We are also being reminded that it is not enough to acknowledge that we have sinned. True reconciliation with God means taking positive steps to live out His gospel message, that is, to love and to care for others. The gospel for the day that calls us to a life of prayer and sacrifice also invites us to do concrete acts of charity. We live in a time when there are plenty of opportunities to show our readiness to care. Many people have already shown how to do it. During this pandemic, our healthcare workers, hospital staff, and other front liners sacrificially brave the onslaught of Covid-19 notwithstanding the danger it poses to them and their families. Most everybody sacrificially accepted wearing the face mask not only to protect themselves, but others as well. Still, many people offer whatever they can give to help those in need. Truly, Lent is a time to show we care.

This past weekend, we launched the Charity Development Appeal of the Diocese of Phoenix. As in the past, we have this opportunity to support charitable programs for the elderly, the homeless, the hungry, those in prisons, and the sick. There is also the support for seminarians being formed and prepared for the priesthood, scholarships for poor but deserving students, just to name a few more. But there are many other noble causes for this appeal. During this season of Lent leading to the joy of Easter, “Let Your Light Shine” is the clarion call. This is another opportunity for us to prove that we have come to understand how God appreciates good deeds that come from the heart.

HAVE A MEANINGFUL SEASON OF LENT.

FR. ROMY

Prayers for the Nation

Hello everyone.

Today, a new chapter of our lives as Americans has begun. There is no doubt that it will be a very challenging transition after what we experienced and witnessed as a nation: the division, the anger, the un-American events on January 6th, and the uncertainties of what might have happened in the days after.

We have always been known as the strongest democracy in the world - and we desire to keep it that way. Therefore, we need to pray to God for guidance and enlightenment for our new leaders. Our future is hinged on their success. Let us also pray that We the People realize that it is only through unity that we will achieve our goals of peace and prosperity.

It is time to heal, and treat one another once again as fellow Americans, as brothers and sisters - not (political) enemies. May unity and charity prevail in our communities, and in our great nation as a whole.

Mary, Patroness of the United States of America, intercede for us. Amen.

Fr. Romy

Happy Advent!

Hello, everyone! It's the season of hope - a time to joyfully prepare for the coming of Jesus. O come, O come Emmanuel is our song. The Diocese of Phoenix has prepared a wonderful guide for the season. Here’s the link to access it:

https://en.calameo.com/read/00621772466127b735951

And also, there is a Marian Movement in town that prays 2,000 Hail Mary's on a regular schedule. In preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, they will be having the 2,000 Hail Mary's this Saturday, December 5, 2020 from 6 AM till 6 PM. You can join them anytime via Zoom. I believe our Catholic Daughters are joining them in prayer. Here is the login info:

Meeting ID: 812 4646 3585

Password: pray4all

Please stay healthy and safe. God bless you all.

Fr. Romy

Adoration on Election Day

Dear sisters and brothers,

On November 3, 2020, Tuesday, I would like to invite you to spend an hour or two, or whatever your availability will be - to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament - for a peaceful Election Day and for the days after. We are all aware of how contentious this election is, and therefore we need to pray for true unity and peace.

After the 8:00 AM Holy Mass, I will expose the Blessed Sacrament on the altar to begin adoration. It will run from 8:30 AM till 1 PM. We shall pray the Rosary at 12:30 PM for the intercession of the Blessed Mother. Please come.

Fr. Romy

Beatification of Fr. Michael McGivney

This Saturday, Father Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, will be declared “Blessed” - which is the final step leading up to canonization.  He will be the first American parish priest to be beatified by the Catholic Church. You are invited to join the Knights of Columbus in celebrating this historic event. 
 
Father Michael McGivney’s beatification will take place on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 11a.m. ET at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, CT. Please visit www.kofc.org/beatification to watch it live and follow the hashtag #McGivney for a schedule of events, live streaming videos and more. Events will also be aired on EWTN.
 
In a special episode of EWTN's Vaticano, discover how Father McGivney served as exemplary pastor during the pneumonia pandemic in 1890.  

EWTN will also be airing “Father McGivney: A Priest for our Time.” This 60-minute special episode will air Oct. 28 at 10 p.m. with encores on Oct. 30 at 5 p.m., Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. and Nov. 1 at 1:30 pm. - all Eastern Time.

Vivat Jesus!

Fr. Romy

Welcome Back!

Hello, my dear people of God.  It shall be truly joyful to see you  back in our church as we resume celebration of public Masses starting this weekend (September 5-6, 2020).  Let us be thankful to God for His continued protection for us from the novo-coronavirus - as we pray for those who are sick and those who passed away due to Covid-19.  We pray for God's healing power while we trust in His unquestionable wisdom and infinite goodness.  Together, let us celebrate His love for us.

Suspension of Public Masses

In spite of the many attempts to paint a rosy picture of the COVID – 19 situation here in Arizona, the truth is: we are not in a better situation than we were one month ago. The fact is it has gone from bad to worse. According to AZ-DHS, as of today July 20, there are 143,624 total confirmed cases in Arizona with 2,761 deaths. On June 15, 2020, there were 36,705 people with confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 1,194 coronavirus-related deaths. That is whopping difference of 106,919 infections and 1,567 deaths in 35 days in AZ!

Lately, we have seen a direct impact of the disease on our volunteers who contracted the virus and had to stay home. By God’s grace, their infection were not so severe and they are now on the mend – but that does not give us any reason to be complacent. Many of our parishioners are very vulnerable. Bishop Olmsted has given all pastors the authority to make a discernment as in the past, whether to stay open or temporarily close churches to protect their parishioners.

With the recent infections among our volunteers, and the concern of many as evidenced by low Mass attendance and volunteers requesting to be excused because of the need to be safe, I had to make the tough decision to suspend Public Masses again, starting today Monday, July 20.

I have informed the Diocese of my decision and they support me and they promised to pray for us. The dispensation from Sunday obligation is still in effect, so you do not have to worry about being “absent” from Mass and needing to confess it. YOU ARE SAFER AT HOME. We have resumed live-streaming the Mass every day. This time, we will live-stream Masses at 8 am every day except on Saturdays, which will be our anticipated Mass at 5 PM. The office will be temporarily closed.

Having to close down is a financial nightmare for church administrators. It means there will be no Sunday collection again. But thankfully, you have been very supportive during the past shutdown and you continued sending in your envelopes and e-offerings. I ask you to please continue to support the church. This shutdown is temporary and hopefully will be for a short period.

One of the things that the Venerable Padre Kino believed in is that a true missionary must care for both the temporal and spiritual welfare of the people. I want you all to stay healthy physically and be safe. We will continue to try our best to provide for your spiritual needs – with COMMUNION right after the Live-Streamed Mass on Saturdays and Sundays. We will be waiting for you within ONE HOUR after the final blessing. We ask you to please head out to church right after the final blessing. Please take care and stay safe.

God bless you all.

Fr. Romy

A COVID-19 Notice

My dear parishioners,

Earlier this evening we were informed that an attendee of the 10am Mass on Sunday, July 5th has tested positive for COVID-19. This person was asymptomatic at the time of the Mass but developed symptoms the following day. The person was tested later in the week and received a positive result. While this individual was asymptomatic during their time in the church, we wanted to let you know immediately of the situation. Fortunately, this individual has experienced only minor symptoms and is currently recovering well.

If you attended the 10am Mass a copy of this message will also be sent to those who registered for tickets and attended that Mass. Although we believe our safety precautions help to alleviate the spread of COVID-19, you should carefully monitor your health over the next 9-10 days if you were in attendance at the 10am Mass.

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• New loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

This list is not all possible symptoms. Call 1-844-542-8201 if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or have questions for state health officials. You may also call the HonorHealth nurse line at (480) 587-6200 or visit https://www.honorhealth.com/coronavirus-covid-19/testing for more information.

At this time, we will continue to follow the recommendations of the Diocese of Phoenix and the CDC (https://www.cdc.gov) to help our community navigate these times. Please know this is why we require masks in the church, disinfect all low and high touch surfaces after each Mass and will continue to make modifications as necessary to allow Masses to remain publicly available for those who wish to participate in them. Remember, the General Dispensation from the Sunday Obligation is still in effect for all and Sunday Masses are regularly streamed online. More information is available at https://www.resurrectionaz.org/masses/ on how to participate in Mass in the safest ways for you and your families. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

If there are any updates, we will share them with you as soon as possible. Thank you all for your continued support of our Resurrection Community. May God continue to bless us and provide the courage to help one another in the times ahead.

In Jesus and Mary,

Fr. Romy

Some wonderful people's birthday tomorrow July 7

So we can include them in our prayers, and send them our greetings... July 7th is the birthday of our very own Sr. Anne Marie Smith, OSF and Deacon Bill Malatin. Happy Birthday, Sister! Happy Birthday, Dcn. Bill. May you be blessed in a special way on this day. Ad multos annos.

Communion After Live-Streamed Masses

Hello, everyone! I hope you are all doing well and staying healthy. By God’s grace, the priests and the staff of Resurrection have remained safe and have stayed away from the virus.  We continue to keep the office running although on a limited basis in compliance with the directives of the government to keep everyone safe.

I have been following some statistics related to the Covid-19, more particularly the number of infections and casualties every day.  I found the following data from John Hopkins University website:

May 7, 2020: 1,228,609 infections, 73,431 deaths

May 8, 2020: 1,271,775 infections, 76,368 deaths

Difference in One Day: +43,166 infections, +2,937 deaths

Our obvious conclusion that everyone knows:  We are far from being out of the woods.

I am sure you are aware of the permission given by Bishop Thomas Olmsted for parishes to give communion after the Live-Streamed Masses during the weekend.   It was a permission, not a mandate.  He has left it to the discretion of the pastors to determine whether the people are ready to come out or not.  After considering the demographics of our parish, especially the vulnerability of many due to age, I decided to defer giving communion until I hear from the AZ governor this coming  May 15th.

I have met with Fr. Thomas, our Parochial Vicar, and our parish staff to consult them on a plan after May 15th.   Understanding that many of you are so hungry for Jesus in the Eucharist, we have agreed to lay out a plan to begin giving out communion after the Live-streamed Masses on the weekend of May 23-24, 2020.  We will be doing it with the following considerations:

1.  Those who are sick must stay home.

2.  Communion can be received within one hour after the Live-streamed Masses. Please do not come after watching the recorded Mass 3 hours later.   Mass times will be Saturday 5:00 PM and Sunday 8:00 AM.  Please take note that beginning May 24, we will be moving our Sunday Masses from 5 PM to 8 AM. All other days shall remain at 5 PM until further notice.

3. Communion will be received outside the church by the main door.  No one will be allowed to enter the church yet.  Those with difficulty getting out of the car may stay in the car to receive communion.  An Extra-ordinary minister will approach them.

4. Everyone will be asked to wear a mask as they line up while observing social distancing.  The priest/minister will be wearing a mask.

5. There will be a sanitizing area by the line area.

6. Everyone will receive communion by the hand.

7. Communicant will pull the mask down to prepare for communion.  The priest will raise the Body of Christ, but will not say a word. The communicant will slightly bow but not say “Amen”.  Then she/he will receive the Sacred Host by the hand.

Some of you have been wondering when we can start celebrating public Masses. Here at Resurrection, we do not have a definite date for re-opening.  We will keep you updated. Remember, the General Dispensation from the Sunday Obligation is still in effect for all.  We have gone a long way staying healthy by being smart.  All these days, God has guided us to remain holy. Take care and God bless you all.

Divine Mercy Sunday

Hello, everyone! I hope you are having a beautiful Divine Mercy Sunday together with your loved ones. This morning, my reflection included a few people in the Bible who were misunderstood by many, and whose names often evoked controversy.

The first one is Martha.  She was the sister of Mary and Lazarus from Bethany.  Whenever her name is mentioned, what crosses one’s mind is the picture of a busy woman who prepared a meal for Jesus and failed to choose the better part (sitting down and listening to what Jesus had to say).  We should give her the consideration that she did that out of love and concern for Jesus.   The second one is Mary Magdalene, whose name makes us think of a sinful woman who was forgiven by Jesus and became a disciple – and eventually became the first witness to the Resurrection of Jesus.  As misunderstood as these women are by many, they experienced first-hand the love, understanding, and mercy of Jesus.  They are both saints of the Church.

The third one is Thomas, the Apostle.  He was mentioned in the gospel for the 2nd Sunday of Easter and is pictured as the apostle who doubted the Resurrection.  When his fellow apostles told him that they have seen the Lord, Thomas replied, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”  For Thomas, it was too good to be true!  (And you know what they say about things “too good to be true” – that they probably are not true.)   After a week, Jesus came again and Thomas was there – and in an instant, he experienced the love and mercy of Jesus.  When Jesus invited him to just believe, Thomas could only exclaim, “My Lord and my God.”  

In fairness to Thomas, he was a courageous man.  When the apostles did not have the guts to ask questions, Thomas always found courage to say something.  He always wanted to understand what was going on.  He was the one who asked Jesus how they can find the way to the Father, to which Jesus replied, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)  When Jesus finally decided to go Bethany to see Lazarus, the apostles were hesitant to follow because they knew that the Jewish leaders were seeking an opportunity to seize Jesus.  Thomas, realizing that Jesus has made up His mind to go in spite of the dangers lurking ahead, said to the other apostles, “Let us go so that we may die with Him!” (John 11:16) We are told that after the Pentecost, Thomas ventured to preach the gospel outside of Jerusalem and ended up in India where he preached the Good News.  He eventually met his end when he was killed with a spear – a stark parallel to the spear that pierced the side of Jesus, the spear that opened the wound that Thomas wanted to touch.  He received his greatest reward:  God’s loving mercy.  St. Thomas, the follower of The Way, pray for us. 

JESUS, WE TRUST IN YOU.

A BLESSED DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY TO ALL OF YOU.  GOD BLESS.

Happy Easter!

Jesus is risen! Alleluiah! Happy Easter to you and to your loved ones.

(added later)

Hello again!  I hope you are having a Blessed Easter Sunday.  

In case you are wondering why the color of the light around the main altar is "still purple" when it is already Easter  -  in reality it is white.  Well, it is actually white with a very slight hue of blue. Unfortunately, on video the blue-ish hue is magnified - which is probably caused by the reflection of light bouncing off the covering wall and is received by the camera lens as blue.  At present, we have no ability to adjust that color. We may have to consult the electrician who installed it. Thank you for your understanding.

GOD BLESS.

Good Friday Thoughts

A blessed Good Friday to all.  This morning, I picked up one of the books written by Fr. Joe Robinson, a priest and writer from Indiana, and I came across his reflection on Good Friday.  He pondered on the “little” caring things that Jesus did for others while the leaders of His time plotted terrible things against Him – and I would like to share them with you.

First, He washed his apostles’ feet.  The roads were dusty and dirty during those times, and people walked the same roads and paths where animals walked.  You can imagine how filthy people’s feet were.  Servants and slaves washed their masters’ guests’ feet (and if there was no servant, the wife of the master did it).  Jesus took upon Himself being a slave – as St. Paul pointed out.  Perhaps that was why Peter was hesitant at first to be washed by Jesus.

Second, Jesus gave us the Eucharist.  During the Last Supper, He lovingly handed the morsel to Judas even though He knew that he would betray Him.

Third, after Peter denied Jesus three times, the cock crowed.  The gospel says “The Lord turned around and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered that the Lord had said to him, ‘before the cock crows, you will deny me three times’” (Luke 22:61).  Jesus looked at him, not to tell him “I told you so…” but with love, with understanding, and with forgiveness.

Fourth, when Peter cut off the ear of Malchus, one of the soldiers who were there to arrest Him in the garden, He put the ear back and healed the soldier.  Jesus never answered violence with violence.

Fifth, when he met the crying women of Jerusalem, he comforted them with the words “Do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.”  In the midst of His own suffering, he forewarned others of dangers that lie ahead.

Sixth, as He hung upon the cross, He forgave His executioners – and even prayed  for them.  He even made an excuse for them by saying “then know not what they are doing”.

Seventh, He promised salvation to the good thief.  “Today, you will be with me in paradise.” Even sinners have a chance!

Finally, and not the littlest of them all:  He died on the cross for us.  He did it out of His great love for you and me.  Even when life’s sufferings are around to crush us, Jesus showed us that we can still show love and thoughtfulness to others who are suffering just like us.  

AMEN.

On another note:  Good Friday is always the 1st Day of Novena to the Divine Mercy (Divine Mercy Sunday is always the 2nd Sunday of Easter).  One very faithful parishioner shared this link so that we will be reminded to pray the chaplet every day, especially throughout the novena:

https://www.praymorenovenas.com/divine-mercy-novena

She says, “Let’s spread His mercy, and not Covid – 19.”  That makes real sense.

It is only a few days to Easter!  GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

LIVE-STREAMING GLITCH ON PALM SUNDAY

A BLESSED HOLY MONDAY TO YOU ALL.   We would like to apologize for the unfortunate failure of technology yesterday during the live-streamed Mass for Palm Sunday.  It was totally unexpected that the internet failed at around 5:00 PM while I was blessing the palm as part of the celebration.  I can only imagine how you all must have been so frustrated and must have wondered if it was your computer or your gadget that quit working.  After the Mass, I checked out our channels,  and I read that a lot of people were frantically saying, “There’s no video!” and “We can’t see anything.”  We’re so sorry.

If it is a consolation, our tech man, Rob Kubasko, was able to save the video file on a memory card.  Last night, he patiently worked on posting the file on YouTube and Facebook (it took a longer time because the file was huge), and so it was uploaded before 11 PM.  When you have time, it wouldn’t hurt to watch it (CLICK HERE to view the recording) and hopefully still appreciate the beauty of Palm Sunday and the message that it brings to us:  Jesus’ tremendous love for us that He embraced suffering and death on the Cross  - so that we may be saved.  (And in case you feel "guilty" that you missed Mass yesterday, please do not worry.   It was not your fault - and the bishop has granted dispensation from Sunday obligation during the coronavirus pandemic.)

On another note, we appreciate those who continue to drop in / send in their regular contribution in support of our parish , as well as those who channel their support electronically or through credit card.  As you know, we rely heavily on weekend collections for our parish upkeep.  But the Covid-19 crisis is preventing us from coming to church. Perhaps you still have your intended offering and are wondering “What do I do with this?”  I would ask you to please set aside what you regularly offer on Sundays, and when you have the opportunity, please send them in by mail or drop them off through the window slot at the parish office.  (This may help lighten the headache of Sr. Anne Marie in figuring out the budget.)  Our staff are working from home and we do not plan to send anybody on furlough, so we are trying to do what we can to make ends meet.  God is so good and generous.  He gave us YOU.

Please continue praying for everyone’s safety and good health.  If there is anyone who needs prayers for  any specific intentions, whether for themselves or for their loved ones, or if there is anything we might be able to do for you, please let us know through this medium (Flocknote) and we will do our best to be there for you.  HAVE A BLESSED HOLY WEEK.

Holy Week

Hello, hello, hello!  How are you all doing?  Please tell me you are all fine out there.

In a few days, Holy Week shall begin with Palm Sunday.  It will be quite different from the way we used to celebrate the first day of Holy Week.  This time, there will be no palms to be given out.  The Diocese has made it clear that we will not distribute blessed palms this year to mitigate the spread of the virus.  We will live-stream Mass on Saturday and Sunday at 5 PM, with a simple blessing of the palm at the beginning of each celebration.

The question is:  what shall we do during the Holy Week?  First up, I would encourage everyone to continue joining us during the live-streamed Mass every day.  Holy Week is still very special for all of us in spite of our need to stay at home.  I ask you to keep the solemn spirit of the week and continue to think of our Lord Jesus whose suffering and death brought our redemption.  The Diocese recommends that we download an E-book that can be found here:

https://instantflipbook.com/flipbooks/f872d73651/?page=1

It is FREE!  It is an electronic book full of resources for possible activities during Holy Week. They call it Flipbook because you can keep flipping the pages electronically by clicking on the arrow at the bottom.  If you find that this E-book a bit too comprehensive, please note that you do not have to comply with every instruction on every page.  Just determine what suggested activities suit your family the best, and then do them.  Of course, not all suggested activities will apply to our current situation, but most of them do.  There are also suggested activities for children to enjoy doing, like making paper palms for this coming Palm Sunday.  Another suggested activity is for families at home to set up an altar table covered with white linen, put a Bible on it, and 2 lit candles.  Also put up Christmas lights on the wall in the shape of a Cross, then join the live-streamed Mass.  

How about Washing of the Feet on Holy Thursday?  Yes, the head of the household can do washing of the feet of all the members of the family at an appropriate time.  Although this is a solemn remembering of the act of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet, it can also be fun for the family with Dad kissing Mom’s feet.  She will probably “get a kick” out of it (not literally).

As I said, there are plenty of things that we can do during this Stay-at-Home Holy Week.  The week should not pass us by without feeling the solemnity of the moment, especially during the Paschal Triduum (Holy Thursday evening to Easter evening).  

So today, you may want to start assembling that altar in your house.  To a certain degree, it will somehow help make you feel as though you are actually present during the Mass.  We do what we can while hanging on during these extra-ordinarily challenging times.  God will see us through this.  Take care, everyone.  God bless.

Consecration to St. Joseph

Hello to you, my dear sisters and brothers in Jesus!  I hope you are all still doing well, staying healthy, smart, and holy.  Just to update you on what the Diocese of Phoenix is doing to keep us encouraged and strengthened in our faith in the midst of this Covid-19 crisis.

Our bishops encourage all families to be consecrated to St. Joseph, our Spiritual Father, who can help "increase the presence of God in your life and take you to greater heights in the spiritual life" (Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, Consecration to St. Joseph, p. 13).  The Consecration to St. Joseph will be done on his Feast Day, May 1, 2020 and will require a 33-day preparation which begins on Monday, March 30, 2020.  We are all being encouraged to purchase the book "Consecration to St. Joseph - The Wonders of our Spiritual Father" on Amazon - either on Kindle or paperback - or through Shopmercy.org where you can avail of a 15% discount using the promo code "Calloway".  I know it is a little too close to Monday, but there is still time.  In any case, you can always start on the first preparation day (Day 1).

As Bishop Olmsted says, "In consecrating ourselves to St. Joseph, we gratefully acknowledge that he is our spiritual father; and we strive to imitate him in his fatherly love of Jesus and his chaste love of Mary."  We hope that through this consecration to him, we will be brought under his protective care especially during these very difficult times.

On added note, I hope you are all joining us during the Live-Streamed Mass at 5 PM every day. We will soon update you on our plans for the Holy Week and Easter.

Pease take good care. God is with us through this.  God bless you all.

Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe

My dear friends, the following is a prayer shared by Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, California. Today, on the Feast of the Annunciation, it is very fitting to pray this and seek the help of our loving Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary:

Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, Queen of the Angels and Mother of the Americas. We fly to you today as your beloved children. We ask you to intercede for us with your Son, as you did at the wedding in Cana.

Pray for us, loving Mother, and gain for our nation and world, and for all our families and loved ones, the protection of your holy angels, that we may be spared the worst of this illness.

For those already afflicted, we ask you to obtain the grace of healing and deliverance. Hear the cries of those who are vulnerable and fearful, wipe away their tears and help them to trust. In this time of trial and testing, teach all of us in the Church to love one another and to be patient and kind. Help us to bring the peace of Jesus to our land and to our hearts.

We come to you with confidence, knowing that you truly are our compassionate mother, health of the sick and cause of our joy. Shelter us under the mantle of your protection, keep us in the embrace of your arms, help us always to know the love of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

Rise, Take Up Your Mat, and Walk

Wait a minute. I am not telling you to step out of the house and take a walk in the nearby park.  These days, we would all do well to just stay indoors - stay home - unless it is really necessary to go out.  We all need to ride this virus out until such time it is safe to get back to our normal routine.  We are praying to God to make it happen soon.

Today, the words of Jesus to the crippled man were an invitation to trust in Him. The man had been suffering for thirty-eight years and was living in self-pity and hopelessness.  When Jesus asked the man, "Do you want to be well?", the man replied with so much self-pity and despair.  He said to Jesus, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up;  while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.”  He was resigned to his fate of remaining lame for the rest of his life.  Then Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your mat, and walk."  Immediately, he man was cured and started walking.

The challenge that COVID-19 is giving us is really very tough for all of us.  For some, it is very difficult and inconvenient, while for others it can be very depressing.  That is very understandable.  This is really uncharted territory we are in.  We have experienced tragedies and calamities before, but this one is totally different.  We are truly at war - except that we cannot even see the enemy.

But then again, we should never lose our focus. Despair will not lead us anywhere, and worrying will not do anything except raise our blood pressure.  So let us stay calm  and remember that we are not alone.  As the blind man last Sunday and the crippled man today were healed, the Lord Jesus, our Divine Physician, will protect us - and will heal us.  We entrust our physical and spiritual health unto His care.  GOD BLESS YOU ALL.