Pastor's Note| 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time| August 27, 2023

Posted by Delma Garcia on 8/25/23

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

When Jesus ordained Peter to become the rock upon which he would build his Church, he made a promise. The gates of hell, he said, speaking of the netherworld that belongs to the principalities and powers of darkness (see Ephesians 6), "shall never prevail ... Read More »

Pastor's Note| 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time| August 20, 2023

Posted by Delma Garcia on 8/18/23

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Gospel reading for this Sunday challenges us to examine our tendency to judge others. The Canaanite woman had two reasons why the disciples might have judged her as unworthy of Jesus' attention: her gender and nationality.

Of course, Jesus was there as Savior ... Read More »

Pastor's Note| Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord| August 6, 2023

Posted by Delma Garcia on 8/04/23

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Atop Mount Tabor in Israel is where the pure light of Christ – the uncreated light of his true identity – was first revealed to the world. Not at his birth, not at his baptism, nor as he preached and healed. Although ... Read More »

Pastor's Note| 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time| July 30, 2023

Posted by Delma Garcia on 7/27/23

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In this Sunday's Gospel reading, Jesus tells us that the kingdom of God is like a buried treasure, a pearl purchased at all cost, and a net from which the bad catch of fish will be tossed away and the good catch will be valued.

In other words, our Christian lives are a huge cache of valuables. If our treasure chest has any worthless trash, the garbage needs to be tossed away to make room for more valuables. Some of our treasures have only temporary, earthly value, and ultimately, they will be worthless unless they're used for the kingdom of ... Read More »

Pastor's Note| 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time| July 23, 2023

Posted by Delma Garcia on 7/21/23

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States (published in 1992) names three important layers of evangelization: (1) Nurture your own faith-growth, (2) invite others to conversion, and (3) transform society through true Christian living. In ... Read More »

Pastor's Note| 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time| July 16, 2023

Posted by Delma Garcia on 7/14/23

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

This Sunday's readings are about sowing seeds. The important thing to remember about seed sowing is that the effort is worthless if the seeds are not changed by being cast to the ground. Each seed must give up its former self, dying in the ... Read More »

Pastor's Note| 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time| July 9, 2023

Posted by Delma Garcia on 7/07/23

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 You down or does it feel light? His yoke -- according to what he exampled with his life -- is servanthood, a ministry that cares for others, a love that makes sacrifices.

We feel weighed down by personal struggles; we have so many of ... Read More »

Pastor' Note| 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time| July 2, 2023

Posted by Delma Garcia on 6/30/23

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In this Sunday's Gospel reading, Jesus emphasizes the importance of keeping our eyes on him and always making him our top priority. Nothing else matters as much as our relationship with God. This means following Jesus wherever he leads, doing everything his way, all ... Read More »

Pastor's Note| 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time| June 25, 2023

Posted by Delma Garcia on 6/23/23

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Think of a time when you were in darkness: a sin, for example, or when you felt abandoned by God or your prayers seemed dry and your spiritual gifts seemed covered over. What did Jesus say to you at that time (perhaps through scripture ... Read More »

Pastor's Note| 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time| June 18, 2023

Posted by Delma Garcia on 6/16/23

11th Sunday of Ordinary Time

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, notice how strongly Jesus was moved by the needs of the people. His heart ached for them, because he knew they felt troubled and abandoned. What’s surprising, however, is how he responded. Although he likened them to sheep without ... Read More »