Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today we celebrate the birthday of the Church. The promised Holy Spirit that we’ve heard about these last couple of weeks comes down upon the Apostles, and their lives would never be the same! The world would never be the same! The Catholic Church, as founded by Christ, now celebrates the fact that the Holy Spirit remains with us to this very day. It is the Holy Spirit that enables all of us to hear Our Lord’s call to follow Him every second of every day. It is the same Holy Spirit that enables us to build the Kingdom of God here and now. It is the same Holy Spirit that enables us to do God’s work, while we await His return!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Yes, I know that is a popular Christmas song made famous by Andy Williams in the 1960s but there is a lot to celebrate in May! During the month of May, as we honor Mary, the Mother of God, we also honor our own mothers as a sign of our love and respect for all they mean to us.

We also honor our graduates and congratulate them for reaching this milestone in their life. We wish you well and God’s blessings as you begin this next chapter in your life. May you know that you always have a home in our family of St. John XXIII and St. Bernadette.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We are blessed with many wonderful families at St. Bernadette and in our grade school St. John XXIII. I am inspired and amazed at the incredible sacrifices I see parents make as they bring their children to Mass and to school each week. As I see moms and dads bring their little ones to religious education classes every week, I am inspired and grateful for our parents’ dedication and desire to share God's love with their children. The wonderful catechists and teachers at St. Bernadette and St. John XXIII are here to help you… But your role as your children's primary teacher is your gift to your children. You have the awesome privilege and blessing to form the future of the world In God's Image!

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We have many weddings here at St. Bernadette. It is a real blessing, but it can be challenging when it comes to modest dress, especially for the bride and the bridesmaids. And weddings are not the only time people struggle to find the perfect attire. For as long as I can remember, the issue of what apparel is appropriate to wear to Holy Mass has been an issue for most conscientious Catholics. A brother priest once shared with me that a distraught parishioner came to him for advice on what she was wearing to Mass. Her issue was that on the prior Sunday, someone in the parish called her out because of her choice of clothing. She came to the priest hoping that he would see her perspective and approve of what she was wearing. However, one glance at her wardrobe choice gave him a clear understanding of why she may have had the unpleasant interaction with the parishioner.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

By tradition, the Catholic Church dedicates many months of the year to certain devotions. The entire month of May is devoted to honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary. This Catholic custom of dedicating the month of May to the Blessed Virgin arose at the end of the 13th century.

The great prayer to Our Lady is called the Hail Mary. It is sometimes called the Angelical Salutation and is considered to be the most important prayer addressed to the Blessed Virgin. There are five expressions of prayer offered in each Hail Mary – the salutation or greeting, praise, congratulations, thanksgiving, and petition.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The pain and sorrow we feel when someone close to us dies can be overwhelming to say the least. Anyone who has suffered and grieved the death of someone close to them may be able to relate to the two disciples in today’s Gospel. Today we hear that they have left Jerusalem and are heading to the village of Emmaus. They are grieving the death of Jesus whom they just saw crucified and buried in Jerusalem. Sacred Scripture tells us that they are “downcast,” because not only did they experience a tragedy, they were also hoping that Jesus would be the one to free them from all their misery. But now Jesus is dead and their dreams are shattered. As they walk down the road, they are putting distance between themselves and the city in which their lives fell apart and their hope was crushed. In the midst of their loss and grief, Jesus greets them and walks with them even they don’t recognize Him.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

"But he was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds we were healed." —Eph 2:4-5

On Divine Mercy Sunday, the focus is on the healing power of Our Lord's Mercy. Through Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Confessions, praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the celebration of the Eucharistic Liturgy, we focus our attention to God's Divine Mercy. Along with the regular Mass schedule, we will have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the main church and Confessions beginning at 2:00pm.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Happy Easter to you and a special welcome to you if you are visiting our wonderful parish family! As we are able to come together as God’s family, I pray you may come to know the peace of God in your hearts now and always. Our Lord is our strength in good times and in bad.

Many people have come to know God’s love especially in difficult times. This year is no exception. Coming to Holy Mass to receive Our Lord in Holy Communion and giving thanks to God for His many blessings is good and pleasing to God.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Welcome to Holy Week! Today, we begin the holiest week of the year for the Catholic Church. This week the Church commemorates Christ’s death and burial. Ancient writers called this the Great or Holy Week of Our Lord’s Passion. The custom of keeping the Holy Week goes all the way back to the time of the Apostles. When the early Christians spoke about Jesus to others, they started with the Passion of Our Lord. Scholars believe that the Passion of Our Lord spread before the other parts of the Gospel were even written down. The Passion of Our Lord is really the starting point for building our relationship with Jesus.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Lazarus, the one who Jesus loved, has died. Perhaps, you can feel the impact of that death on his sister Martha and those who come to grieve with her. Martha certainly believes in Jesus’ power, but she also believes that the time for that power to help has passed. She says, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Maybe at one time, Jesus could have helped. But now He can no longer do so according to Martha’s understanding of the current situation. But there is so much more to come. You may remember the late Paul Harvey and his unique way of delivering the news. Each broadcast opened the same way; “You know what the news is. In a minute, you're going to hear the REST of the story.”

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This is the 28th Year that the United States has recognized and celebrated March as National Disability Awareness Month!

On February 26, 1987, President Ronald Reagan officially declared Proclamation 5613, making March National Disabilities Awareness Month. The proclamation called for people to provide understanding, encouragement, and opportunities to help persons with disabilities to lead productive and fulfilling lives. Everyone wants, and deserves, to enjoy life, feel productive and secure. But in March, we take extra steps to raise awareness about the supports and rights of the people with disabilities and to celebrate their contributions to our communities and society as a whole!

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The woman in today’s Gospel needs Our Lord but she is completely unaware of the healing mercy and love of God. Her life, like her water jug, is empty. Even though we don’t know everything about her, we do know she had a difficult life.

First of all, she is a woman in a culture that was not easy for women. We also know that she has been married five times, and now she has another man in her life who is not her husband. How did this happen? Did some of them die? Were they abusive? Did they divorce her? Did she leave them? We don’t know. But any woman in that circumstance would not have been treated well and she was definitely not seen as a victim by others. She is alone.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Earlier this week, I walked into our church around 7:45am to hear confessions and I noticed several people quietly making their way around the church while silently praying the Stations of the Cross. It is very moving to see the faith, love, and devotion that is so present in the many people at our parish. It is a beautiful witness and truly a gift for this pastor to see this love for Our Lord day after day and year after year. That “walk” of course, recounts Our Lord’s journey to the cross to satisfy the debt of our sinfulness.