Easter

Dear Friends in the Risen Christ,

Can you imagine Easter without the risen Christ? What if Christ had remained dead in the grave? St. Paul responded to this theory by declaring, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain. You are still in your sins” (I Cor. 15, 17).

If Christ had not risen from the dead, there would be no Easter, only “good?” Friday. But not a good day for Jesus and his followers because he, an innocent man, had been brutally killed by an angry mob. He would have passed into the history books as a tragic figure. A world without Easter would be a world without justice where only the clever and powerful survive and the poor and weak are crushed. There would be no hope for humankind beyond this world. The stage would be set for the victory of evil.

“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (I Cor. 15, 20). St. Paul and the other Apostles were witnesses who actually saw the risen Christ. They attested to the fact that He appeared to them and showed the marks of the nails. The signs of His passion and death became the tokens of His victory over death. He indeed has risen and our faith is vindicated. From His resurrection follow some wonderful effects.

First, heaven, which had remained closed to humankind, was now open again. Christ broke open the gates of hell and led out all those from the Old Testament who had waited patiently for His coming.

Secondly, Christ’s resurrection makes it possible for all to share in His resurrection. He is the firstborn from the dead, but not the last. We hope to share in His resurrection at the end of the world when “the dead will be raised incorruptible” (I Cor. 15, 52). This is the hope we have for all of our loved ones who have died and for ourselves. For the attainment of this hope we must strive to live in obedience to God’s commandments.

A third effect of the resurrection of Christ is our justification. Christ died for all, “the just for the sake of the unjust” (I Peter 3, 18). By our Baptism into Christ’s death we are joined to Him and our sins are forgiven. We have the possibility of reaching heaven, our true home. The other sacraments also have their power from Christ’s death and resurrection.

In different ways they contribute to our justification so that we can enjoy the friendship of God even here on earth. Besides these and other personal benefits, the resurrection of Christ is
a strong motive for evangelization. The message of the risen Christ is not for us alone; it must be shared with others so that they may know the hope to which we are called, eternal life. This exciting message should be on our lips and in our hearts as we celebrate the joy of Easter. May the graces of this greatest of feasts lead us to proclaim to our brothers and sisters that Christ is alive. He lives for ever. Alleluia!

Fr. Hildebrand

Holy Communion

Dear Friends in Christ,

Now that the flu season is almost over, we will again provide Communion under both species at Mass. This will begin on Easter Sunday (including the Easter Vigil Mass). Over the past months when Communion was distributed under the species of bread alone we were not “deprived” of the fullness of the Sacrament. We should be aware that the Catholic teaching on the form of Holy Communion is that “Christ, whole and entire, and the true Sacrament, is received even under only one species, and consequently that as far as the effects are concerned, those who receive under only one species are not deprived of any of the grace that is necessary for salvation.” (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, #282).

Further, due to the danger of infection from the flu virus, the parish priests judged it prudent to take extra precautions by providing hand cleanser and avoiding hand contact at the Sign of Peace. With the flu danger waning it is possible, according to the culture and customs of the people gathered and in keeping with our Roman Catholic heritage to exchange a gesture of peace in a “sober manner.” A physical exchange such as a handshake or hug is an appropriate manner for our local culture, however a simple verbal exchange may also be appropriate, especially for those who are sick.

Holy Communion under the species of bread and wine will be administered at the following Sunday Masses:

• Sat. 6:30 PM in Vietnamese,
  
• Sun. 9:30 and 11 AM in English, and 2 PM in Spanish.
  

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

Mary, Mother of God

Dear Friends in Christ,

If you have seen the movie The Passion of the Christ you know that one of the most striking persons in the film apart from Jesus is Mary, His Mother. She appears in a doleful cameo all along the way of His suffering. The movie makes clear what our Catholic tradition has always held, that Mary accompanied Jesus in all of His sufferings. What Jesus experienced in His body
Mary experienced in her heart.

We cannot imagine the interior sufferings she endured from Thursday night through Saturday. From the cruel scourging, the crowning with thorns, the journey to Calvary, the nails, the spear, and finally to the descent from the cross, she was there with her Son. What a torrent of sorrow for the sinless Mother! And yet she is described in the famous hymn: “At the cross her station keeping, stood the mournful Mother weeping, close to Jesus to the last.” In spite of all the sufferings she endured she was able to stand by the cross. What a model of constancy and inner strength in the face of suffering!

The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary remind us that Jesus suffered the worst that human cruelty could devise. Mary was also there; she remained even when the Apostles fled in fear. Her compassionate heart was totally united with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. When we suffer let us remember Jesus and Mary. Our Christian faith should strengthen us in the hour of suffering because Jesus and Mary also went through terrible sufferings. Yes, our God is great not only because of his power and majesty but also because He has become one like us “in everything but sin”. And this “everything” includes suffering. We may not have an answer to human suffering, but we have a God who accompanies us in this “valley of tears”. Christianity is the religion of hope even in the midst of sorrows. In that hope let us continue our Lenten journey
with confidence.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

Lent

Dear Friends in Christ,

How is your motivation now that we are 2 ½ weeks into Lent? Have you been faithful to your resolutions so far? Have you slacked off and given up? Don’t lose hope; probably a lot of other people feel the same way. Lenten practices can be renewed and revised. As for motivation, let’s examine why penance is important in our spiritual life.

First of all we have the example of Jesus Himself whose entire life and especially His death was penitential. He was born in a cave. He lived with Mary and Joseph in poverty for most of His life. During His public ministry He declared, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head”(Matt. 8:20). Finally, He died tripped of everything and was even buried in someone else’s tomb. He suffered hunger and thirst and exposure to the elements. And yet Jesus was innocent, free from all sin. He was in no way obliged to do penance to make up for His own sins. As the prophet says, “By his stripes we were healed” (Isaiah 53:5). He suffered; we benefit from those sufferings.

Now let us look at our own situation. We were baptized, which removes all sin and the punishment due to sin (Catechism #1263). However, we are responsible for the sins committed after Baptism. That is why the Church provides for us the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession, so that by confessing our sins we may have them forgiven. Now Confession is not like Baptism, which also removes the punishment due to sin. We confess our sins and receive absolution; after confession we receive a “penance” from the priest. The penance usually consists of prayers and other good works that we complete after leaving the confessional. This is an essential part of the Sacrament of Reconciliation because we not only need forgiveness of our sins, we also need to make reparation for the sins we committed.

Here is an example: A man steals a car, but then is sorry and asks the owner to forgive him. Let’s suppose the owner forgives him. That’s not the end of the thief’s obligations. He has to return the stolen car. Most of our sins don’t have to do with material injustices like stealing, but we still have the obligation to make reparation, either in this life or the next (purgatory) for our sins of anger, pride, lust, intemperance, lying, and any others which offend God and neighbor.

The penances we receive in confession are usually much lighter than what we deserve. In other words, we can’t expect that we will make up for the sins we commit just by saying a few prayers. The season of Lent is our opportunity to make reparation for our sins and even the sins of others, including the deceased. This is possible because of the grace won for us by Christ Who permits the merits of His Passion and Death to be shared through the Church.

Let us look on the cross of Christ to see the price He paid for our sins. United with Him and strengthened by His grace let us continue our Lenten penances, especially our charity. We shall then have greater joy in celebrating the Lord’s Resurrection.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand