Adoration Chapel at SJB

Dear Friends in Christ,

With the inauguration of our Blessed Sacrament Chapel as a perpetual adoration chapel we enter a new period of evangelization for our parish. Yes, I firmly believe that the fact that many of you are now adorers of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament will make a great difference for our parish. Many graces will come from this new effort to put the Lord at the center of our lives.

You say you haven’t heard that we have perpetual adoration at our church? Well, let me encourage you to join us. Just stop by the chapel and sign up for an hour once a week. You will find that spending an hour in His presence will change your life for the better. Do you suffer from insomnia? Sign up for an hour and receive your personal entry code so that you can come at any time during the night for prayer. Do you want to improve your prayer life? Stop by the book shelf outside the chapel and find a good spiritual book to read while you sit at the feet of Jesus in the tabernacle. Are you looking for companionship? Sign up for an hour of prayer each week and introduce yourself to your fellow adorers. You’ll soon find that you can develop a little cell of prayer partners, a real support group. Then you can stop somewhere for coffee after your hour of prayer is over.We have about 400 persons who have received entry codes. There’s room for about 2,600 more in our computer bank. A word on etiquette for the Blessed Sacrament Chapel: This is a sacred place where the Lord’s Body is reserved. It is proper to genuflect (bend the knee) towards the tabernacle when entering and leaving the chapel. It is a place for prayer, normally silent prayer, meditation, and spiritual reading. A challenge to everyone! We need to have at least four persons for every hour in the week in order to assure that each hour is covered. When we reach that level we will be able to open the panels on the tabernacle for exposition. Let’s reach for that goal. Remember the words of Jesus to His Apostles in the Garden: “Could you not watch one hour with me?” If the Apostles offered a holy hour, then we should do the same. Then we will be more effective apostles at home, in school, at work, or wherever we are.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

A Great Week!

Dear Friends in Christ,

Last weekend we had the joy of celebrating our patron Saint John the Baptist. We concluded our novena of Masses with a special Mass with Right Reverend Eugene Hayes, Abbot of St. Michael’s Abbey and our parish festival.

From the initial results we can safely say that the festival was a success both financially and in terms of community building. We labored under the handicap of a late start in organizing the festival, but the coordinated efforts of our team under the able leadership of Fr. Pascal overcame all obstacles and gave us two days of family fun and enjoyment. Some people made great sacrifices of time, talent, and treasure to put the festival together. We are very grateful to them.

This year’s festival was marked by creativity and beauty. From the colorful entrance arch to the inflatable St. John the Baptist to the Italian “piazza” atmosphere created by the elegant fountain, all this and the great food, games, and entertainment made for a truly enjoyable time for everyone.

We hope to continue this great tradition in years to come, and we invite your evaluation. Some positive suggestions have already been made for next year. This festival is for the whole parish, church and school. We want everyone to participate according to their talents. Now that we have seen what can be done and what talents we have, let’s see if we can work together and get a head start on next year’s festival. Please remember in your prayers Father Damien Giap, O. Praem and Father Ambrose Criste, O. Praem. who were recently ordained priest and deacon respectively for our Abbey.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

Festival

Dear Friends in Christ,

By the time you read these lines our parish Festival will be in its second day (if the Lord’s second Coming or some other big event doesn’t intervene). I have been watching the progress of this year’s festival over the past months and I must tell you that I have been humbled by the generosity of our people.


A BIG THANK YOU goes to Fr. Pascal for heading up this year’s festival. But I know he has relied on a committee of extraordinary parishioners who have given of their time, talent and treasure to make this year’s festival a success. Here are some amazing examples. One older Vietnamese gentleman sold more than 800 raffle tickets! Another parishioner designed and built the “grand entrance” with the beautiful fountain that welcomed you to the festival. Another parishioner gave up her time to obtain sponsorships worth more than $20,000.

One of our Latino parishioners went door to door seeking help with food donations. A small group of dedicated men and women set up and painted our festival booths. Others on the committee worked on everything from entertainment to electricity and from licenses to lavatories. All the committee chairpersons came to meetings and worked out the details that go into this grand enterprise. But how can I forget the festival mascot!? Fr. Norbert and the school donated the giant inflatable St. John the Baptist (and the lamb) who has presided over the festival site for the past ten days.

Finally, I want to thank all of you who have supported the NEW ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST FESTIVAL, a family festival that makes use of local talent and the ingenuity
of dedicated parishioners. May the Lord reward you for everything you have done.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

Honoring our Soldiers and their Families

Dear Parishioners,

Memorial Day has passed, but we here at St John the Baptist Catholic Church feel that we should honor not only the men and women who have died in the service of our country but all the men and women that are currently serving in our military every day. Their dedication and valor play a big role in the greatness of our country.

The sacrifices that their families make also merit our recognition. Therefore, we invite you and your families who have loved ones in the military to send us their photos to be displayed in our church vestibule, whether they are in combat zones or not. All of them play a great part in guarding our safety and liberty. By this photo display we want to encourage all our parishioners to pray for the spiritual and physical welfare of our troops.

Please pray for the safety of our soldiers in Iraq and other nations where they find themselves in danger of their lives. Also please pray for peace in the world.

Your participation in this project is deeply appreciated. Photos of our military personnel may be emailed to: kayleeski@sbcglobal.net Or you may deliver them to the rectory office.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

PSA 2007 and SJB

Dear Friends in Christ,

This week I received the first rebate check from PSA 2007. It came to over $4000. From now until next January all the payments you make to PSA will return to us to pay for important projects right here at St. John’s. This year our participation level is approaching 12% of registered parishioners. Just think what we could do if even 25% were participating!

I have met some of you who have told me that you have not yet submitted a PSA pledge because you wanted the money to be used for our parish only. Well, you need not wait any longer to make your pledge. Any new pledges we receive will be used exclusively for our parish projects. These include: the security wall for our school and church to protect our children and our property, the paving of our parking lot to eliminate cracks and increase parking efficiency, and the maintenance of our church and school.

Thank you to everyone of you for your generosity in giving to PSA 2007. May the Lord reward you.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

Adoration at SJB

Dear Friends in Christ,

Next Sunday Fr. Victor Warkulwiz, MSS will be here to preach about perpetual adoration. As I said last week, we are preparing our Blessed Sacrament Chapel for 24 hour adoration. The benefits of adoration for a parish are many.

Pope Benedict XVI considers Eucharistic adoration the best way to prepare for Holy Communion. “Only by adoring this presence do we learn how to receive Him properly…Let us love being with the Lord! There we can speak with Him about everything. We can offer Him our petitions, our concerns, our troubles.” How much do we spend on psychiatrists and pills that give only temporary relief to our troubles? We could go to the Divine Physician to receive relief and comfort.

Our beloved Pope John Paul II said, “The Eucharist is the source and nourishment of every priestly and religious vocation.” Our parish has produced priestly and religious vocations in the past, but we need so many more. Let us
adore Him so that He will inspire more young men and women to follow Him.

There are many personal benefits in spending time in Eucharistic adoration. Are we suffering some physical or emotional pain? Jesus is the Doctor of souls. Are we feeling weak in faith and sorely tempted to fall away? Jesus is the Almighty One who strengthens us. Are we mired in a bad habit that we can’t seem to shake off? Jesus is the Good Shepherd and the Way that leads out of spiritual slavery. Whatever your trouble He is here to lift you up and renew your strength.

The purple boxes at the rear of the church have forms for signing up for an hour of adoration. Please take one and fill it out. This will be time well spent.

Sincerely yours in the Eucharistic Lord,

Fr. Hildebrand

Perpetual Adoration

“Come to me,…I will refresh you.”
Sign up for an hour with Jesus.
The benefits are eternal.

SJB Eucharistic Adoration

Dear Friends in Christ,

In our parish mission statement we say that St. John the Baptist parish “centers its life on the worship and celebration of the Eucharist”. Certainly we regularly experience the celebration of the Eucharist in our renovated church with 25 Masses every week. In addition, we have our holy hours of adoration Monday through Friday and our monthly day of adoration.

Since we are a Eucharistic people, our plans for the renovation of our church included a Blessed Sacrament Chapel. The chapel has been duly inaugurated and blessed by the presence of our Lord. As you know, we had some difficulties recently with the disappearance of the tabernacle key. Now we have replaced the lock, and the chapel is open again for adoration and prayer. However, in order to maintain a spirit of reverence and quiet, we are asking that you enter and leave the chapel by the outside entrance rather than through the church. We have installed dead bolt locks on the two doors that lead to the sanctuary to increase security. You may also have noticed that the chapel door now has a keypad. This new locking system will be used when we inaugurate perpetual adoration. Now, let me tell you how we are progressing in this direction.

For the past several weeks the Perpetual Adoration Committee has been meeting to prepare for our parish to inaugurate perpetual adoration. They have prepared posters and bulletin announcements. They have printed a form that you can find at the rear of the church for you to sign up for a time of adoration. Signing in for adoration is essential because we need to know that every hour is covered.

Two weeks from today Fr. Victor Warkulwiz of the Missionary Priests of the Blessed Sacrament will speak at all the Sunday Masses. Fr. Victor’s community has a special apostolate to promote perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. His purpose in coming to St. John’s is to help us start perpetual adoration in our Blessed Sacrament Chapel. After the last Mass on Sunday evening June 10, Fr. Victor will conduct an organization meeting. I hope many of you will attend.

What is “perpetual” adoration? As the word indicates, it is 24/7. Jesus asked his disciples to “spend one hour” with Him. Every hour of the day and night will be covered by a team of adorers who will be headed by a captain. During the day the chapel is open as usual from 6AM to 9PM. After 9PM adorers will need a number code to enter the chapel using the keypad on the door. Once you sign up for a late night hour, you can obtain your own private PIN number from the front office.

I know that you will want to be a part of this great movement. Let us all pray for the success of perpetual adoration at St. John’s.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

Jesus in New York Video

The Ascension

Dear Friends in Christ,

On this Ascension Day we rejoice in the complete victory of Christ over death, the devil, and sin as He takes His place “at the right hand of the Father” in heaven. Every Christian has heaven as a goal, and we long to be with the Lord who loves us with an everlasting love.Still, He asks us to continue for a time on this earth.Here we have no lasting home, but we must suffer here for a time until He calls us from this life.

Many of us have doubts and anxieties about the future. Will we have enough water? Who will take care of us? Will we run out of money? I would like to share with you some thoughts of a fellow parishioner who has suffered the loss of her husband recently. The message is full of hope and confidence:

I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Fr. Hildebrand for the unbounded love and support he extended to me, my son Francis, and our family upon the sudden passing of my husband, Victor dela Torre. The prayers and friendship of Fr. Martin and the Norbertine priests at St. John the Baptist serve as an anchor during our time of loss and grief. I also thank the members of our prayer groups, the other church ministries my husband and I had been a part of, and all the beautiful parishioners of St. John’s who came to the services for my husband at the church, at home, and at the mortuary. My dear friends, your expressions of appreciation for all that Victor had been to you fill my heart with consolation and peace. Your faith and prayers hold me up to carry on – believing in God’s promise, “I will be with you always”, as my husband repeated to me four times (on) the day he died, to which he said I should always respond, “Jesus, I trust in You!”

On behalf of my son and our family, thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Zari dela Torre

What better motto for our life here on earth! We are all in His hands. When we are troubled or worried, like the apostles when Jesus ascended into heaven, Let’s not forget His promise, “I will be with you always” and respond with St. Faustina, “Jesus, I trust in you!”.

May God bless you all.

Rejoicing

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

There are three reasons for rejoicing as we continue our Easter season. Yesterday more than 100 young people of our community received their First Holy Communion. What a joy to see the innocent children approaching the altar to receive Jesus into their hearts for the first time! I find it one of the greatest consolations of being a priest. Thanks to Sr. Sharon, Sr. Vianney, Mrs. Robertson, and Mrs. Strachan for preparing the children for this great moment.

This Friday Bishop Dominic Luong will be hear for another sacramental celebration, the confirmation of our parish youth. About 90 teens will receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit at Mass in order to be strengthened in their Catholic faith. Thank you to Arnis Dela and his team of teachers and assistants for their dedication to our young people.

Finally, as you know St. John’s and Mater Dei High School have enjoyed a close relationship over the years. Similarly, the Norbertine Fathers have been teaching at Mater Dei for about 50 years. Our own Fr. Norbert taught there as well as our retired Abbot Ladislas Parker and our current Abbot Eugene Hayes. Fr. Luke Laslavich who offers Mass here on Sundays, teaches biology.

The Norbertine Fathers were welcomed by Mater Dei High School on Thursday, May 10 as the newest members of the Ring of Honor. The Ring of Honor began during the 50th Anniversary celebration of Mater Dei High School in 2001. Since its inception, The Ring of Honor has welcomedSchool who have achieved local, state, national, or international recognition through their church, school, community, or professional life. The Norbertine Fathers join 19 individuals and one group, the Sisters of St. Joseph, as members of the Mater Dei High School Ring of Honor. alumni, former faculty members, past parents and friends of Mater Dei High
May the risen Christ continue to bless all of you.

PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE AB 374 California Compassionate Choice Act

California Legislators are TRYING AGAIN to legalize PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE AB 374 California Compassionate Choice Act. The bill passed its first Assembly Committee hearing on March 27, 2007.

Call, FAX or email you Assembly member and tell him/her that AB 374 is BAD PUBLIC POLICY because:

♦ California law already allows the refusal of extraordinary end-of-life treatment. AB 374
isn’t about improving care for the terminally or chronically ill; it is about legalizing as-
sisted suicide.

♦ AB 374 is strongly opposed by the American Medical Association the California Medical Association the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association, various disability rights, Latino civil rights and low-income worker advocates.

♦ Legalizing assisted suicide could seriously damage the relationship between patients and healthcare workers.

♦ The Legislative needs to work on real problems. There are 7.5 million Californians who do not have health insurance. The attempt to legalize assisted suicide has already failed three times
in California!

♦ AB 374 poses a danger to people with new disabilities or chronic diseases who often experience initial despondency but who late adapt well and enjoy life

Prepared and distributed by the California Catholic Conference.
For more information go to: http://www.cccatholic.org/

We urge you to be “faithful citizens” and participate in this important issue.

To find your Assemblymember, go to www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

As Catholics we oppose euthanasia or assisted suicide because we believe that human life is a
gift from God, that we are stewards – not owners – of that life. This, of course, informs and underlines our policy perspectives.

California Legislators are TRYING AGAIN to legalize

California Legislators are TRYING AGAIN to legalize PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE AB 374 California Compassionate Choice Act

The bill passed its first Assembly Committee hearing on March 27, 2007.

Call, FAX or email you Assembly member and tell him/her that AB 374 is BAD PUBLIC POLICY because:

♦ California law already allows the refusal of extraordinary end-of-life treatment. AB 374
isn’t about improving care for the terminally or chronically ill; it is about legalizing as-
sisted suicide.

♦ AB 374 is strongly opposed by the American Medical Association the California Medical Association the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association, various disability rights, Latino civil rights and low-income worker advocates.

♦ Legalizing assisted suicide could seriously damage the relationship between patients and healthcare workers.

♦ The Legislative needs to work on real problems. There are 7.5 million Californians who do not have health insurance. The attempt to legalize assisted suicide has already failed three times
in California!

♦ AB 374 poses a danger to people with new disabilities or chronic diseases who often experience initial despondency but who late adapt well and enjoy life

Prepared and distributed by the California Catholic Conference.
For more information go to: www.cccatholic.org

We urge you to be “faithful citizens” and participate in this important issue.

To find your Assemblymember, go to www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

As Catholics we oppose euthanasia or assisted suicide because we believe that human life is a
gift from God, that we are stewards – not owners – of that life. This, of course, informs and underlines our policy perspectives.

Partial Birth Abortion Ban

California Catholic Bishops’ Statement on the Supreme Court Decision Upholding Ban on Partial Birth Abortions

SACRAMENTO – The California Bishops, gathered in their semi-annual conference in Sacramento, released the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s April 18, 2007 ruling Gonzales v. Carhart which upheld the constitutionality of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act.

Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy said “The government has a legitimate and substantial interest in preserving and promoting fetal life.” He also points out that the “government may use its voice and its regulatory authority to show its profound respect for the life within the woman” and acknowledges that “respect for human life finds an ultimate expression in the bond of love the mother has for her child.”

The U. S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Gonzales v. Carhart is an unqualified victory for life and for common sense. In such uncertain and troubled times, what a ray of hope this decision is for the nation and for all of us striving to promote respect for life, including life of the unborn.

It has been over 34 years since the U. S. Supreme Court created the constitutional right to abortion-on-demand, thereby invalidating all existing state laws which banned or curtailed the practice. In 2003, Congress passed an Act which banned the “partial-birth” abortion procedure resulting in lawsuits by abortion proponents challenging its constitutionality in the federal district courts. Although the ban was ruled unconstitutional in all the lower court decisions, the U. S. Supreme Court’s Gonzales v. Carhart reverses all of those decisions, and affirms the constitutionality of the federal Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act.

As Bishops, we wholeheartedly welcome this significant decision which both reclaims the State’s legislative prerogative to regulate actions affecting the common good and restates our society’s interest in preserving life.

We grieve for all who have been hurt by abortion and hope and pray for the day when no woman will want, or feel that she needs, to make such a choice.

Chapel and Festival

Dear Parishioners,

There are a few practical matters I would like to address in this week’s letter.

Just before Holy Week you who are registered parishioners received an envelope which contained a letter, our Holy Week/Easter schedule, and a card with a return envelope. The card was made out so that you could update your family’s address, sacramental information, and other data. I wish to apologize to you over the fact that the card did not actually contain our current information on your family and so you were not informed as to what we currently have on file. Due to the need to move quickly to get this mailing out I failed to explain the nature of our request. Fortunately many of you have sent back the cards filled out with various changes so that we can more efficiently serve you. This will also help save postage and time here at the rectory office.

Regarding Sunday envelopes, if you have moved or have recently registered in the parish, it may take up to 2 ½ months before you receive envelopes by mail. Our office and the company that prints our envelopes need that much time to process changes in addresses. Thank you for being patient.

Please continue to be patient as we secure our Blessed Sacrament Chapel from possible vandalism. We have already installed some further security locks, and we are looking for a digital locking system for the outside door so that persons can enter with a special code.

Our Parish Festival of St. John the Baptist is set for June 23-24. We will have a novena of Masses with special guest homilists for this great event. As an aspect of stewardship I am asking you to seriously consider helping us with the festival. You can reach me through the rectory office or simply submit your name and number to me after Mass.

A blessed Easter season to all.

Holy Communion

Dear Parishioners,

Last week I presented certain guidelines for the reception of Holy Communion in the Catholic Church. As Catholics we welcome non-Catholics to worship with us, but we do not practice “open Communion” because we cannot deny the unfortunate but real differences that exist between our Church and other denominations, even those who are Christian. These differences involve important points of doctrine about the divinity of Jesus Christ and the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, doctrines that we Catholics hold very firmly.

Today, I would like to recall some rules of etiquette that govern our worthy reception of Holy Communion. The best way to prepare to receive our Lord in Communion is by making a good Confession. As I mentioned last week, any Catholic conscious of grave sin is not to receive Communion without prior sacramental confession except for a grave reason where there is no opportunity for confession. In this case, the person must make an act of perfect contrition with the intention of confessing as soon as possible. Now, Sunday Mass is a grave obligation for Catholics. Therefore, if a person has missed Sunday Mass through his/her own fault, he/she is to go to confession before receiving Communion.

The Eucharistic fast is often misunderstood or forgotten by many. I often see persons chewing gum in church and then coming up to receive Communion. Remember, the gum has sugar and other things in it and therefore is a form of food The Church asks us to fast from food and drink for one hour before Communion. Water and medicine may be taken at any time. Persons who chew gum during Mass show a lack of respect for God’s house and the sacred mysteries celebrated here. In addition, they are breaking the Eucharistic fast. Please do not chew gum in church.

In the past we have explained the proper way to receive Communion. There are two ways to receive, on the tongue and in the hand. The preferred and simpler way is to receive on the tongue. This manner of reception has been the practice in our Church for many centuries until about 25 years ago.

Communion in the hand is a recent development. Permission was given to bishops conferences in certain countries, including the United States. At that time the correct way to receive Communion in the hand was explained. Here is how St. Cyril of Jerusalem explained it: In receiving the King, make your right hand a throne for your left.

See Figure Below. This illustrates the correct way to receive Communion in the hand. Again, it is a matter of reverence and respect due to Our Lord in this most Holy Sacrament.

A happy Easter season to you.

“The Lord is Risen, Alleluia!”

Dear Parishioners,

“The Lord is risen, alleluia!”

With the joy of the Easter season, I would like to extend best wishes to all of you and especially to our newly baptized and those who have completed their Christian initiation.

All of us are renewing our Baptismal promises at this time and we should renew our commitment to live more profoundly our faith, especially our faith in the Eucharist. Pope Benedict XVI’s recent Apostolic Exhortation “The Sacrament of Love” made clear that the Eucharist should be the center of our lives as Catholic Christians.

The reception of Holy Communion at Mass is a very special moment of encounter with Christ, who is truly present under the appearances of bread and wine. Here are some important guidelines to remember that I have taken from our American Bishops Conference.

In order to be properly disposed to receive Communion, Catholic participants should be free of grave sin and normally should have fasted for one hour. A Catholic who is conscious of grave sin is not to receive Communion without prior sacramental confession except for a grave reason where there is no opportunity for confession. In this case, the person must make an act of perfect contrition with the intention of confessing as soon as possible (Code of Canon Law #916).

Non-Catholics are welcome to pray with us at Mass; however non-Catholics are not to receive Communion. Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, non-Catholics are not admitted to Holy Communion. The very word “communion” implies a full union of mind and assent to everything the Church teaches. Persons belonging to other Christian denominations and non-Christian religions do not share that fullness of unity that would permit them to receive Communion in our Church. Special conditions for receiving Communion apply to the Orthodox and other churches. Members of these churches should approach a priest before receiving Communion in our Church.

Next week I will explain some points of etiquette that govern our reception of Communion, including Communion on the tongue or in the hand.

May the risen Lord bless you and your families.

"Guest column" from St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (John 18: 10-12)

"Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. And the servant's name was Malchus." This is the only evangelist who has given us the very name of this servant, as Luke is the only one who tells us that the Lord touched his ear and healed him. Luke 22:51 The interpretation of Malchus is, one who is destined to reign. What, then, is signified by the ear that was cut off in the Lord's behalf, and healed by the Lord, but the renewed hearing that has been pruned of its oldness, that it may henceforth be in the newness of the spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter?

Romans 7:6 Who can doubt that he, who had such a thing done for him by Christ, was yet destined to reign with Christ? And his being found as a servant, pertains also to that oldness that genders to bondage, which is Agar. Galatians 4:24 But when healing came, liberty also was shadowed forth. Peter's deed, however, was disapproved of by the Lord, and He prevented Him from proceeding further by the words: "Put up your sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father has given me, shall I not drink it?" For in such a deed that disciple only sought to defend his Master, without any thought of what it was intended to signify. And he had therefore to be exhorted to the exercise of patience, and the event itself to be recorded as an exercise of understanding. But when He says that the cup of suffering was given Him by the Father, we have precisely the same truth as that which was uttered by the apostle: "If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but gave Him up for us all." Romans 8:31-32 But the originator of this cup is also one with Him who drank it; and hence the same apostle likewise says, "Christ loved us, and gave Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God of a sweet-smelling savor." Ephesians 5:2

"Then the cohort, and the tribune, and the officers of the Jews, took Jesus, and bound Him." They took Him to whom they had never found access: for He continued the day, while they remained as darkness; neither had they given heed to the words, "Come unto Him, and be enlightened." For had they so approached Him, they would have taken Him, not with their hands for the purpose of murder, but with their hearts for the purpose of a welcome reception. Now, however, when they laid hold of Him in this way, their distance from Him was vastly in creased: and they bound Him by whom they themselves ought rather to have been loosed. And perhaps there were those among them who then fastened their fetters on Christ, and yet were afterwards delivered by Him, and could say, "You have loosed my bonds."

The Saving Power of Christ

Dear Friends in Christ,

The last two weeks of Lent are here, and we are offering extra opportunities to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance. The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that Christ, the physician of our soul and body, instituted this sacrament because the new life that He gives us in Baptism can be weakened and even lost because of sin. Therefore, Christ wanted his Church to continue his work of healing and salvation by means of this sacrament.

The Church also obliges us to receive Holy Communion at least once a year during the Easter season (Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday) and the Compendium also reminds us that all Catholics who have reached the age of reason is bound to confess his or her mortal sins at least once a year. Most people usually confess before Easter or shortly thereafter in order to fulfill their Easter duty of receiving Holy Communion.

Now I would like to add here that I hope that people confess and receive Communion
more often than once a year. These sacraments of mercy and love are so valuable for our relationship with God that we should make use of them regularly. In the past century Our Lord’s message to St. Faustina Kowalska underlined the importance of seeking His Mercy. For this reason our late holy father John Paul II instituted the feast of Divine Mercy for the Second Sunday of Easter. This feast is traditionally preceded by a novena of prayers and intercessions which begins on Good Friday.

We will pray this novena in our church beginning on Good Friday, April 6 and ending on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 15. Each day prayers will be offered for different classes of persons who need God’s mercy. On the last day, April 15 we will conclude with exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and a veneration of the relic of St.Faustina. Our Lord revealed to St. Faustina: “I will grant a complete pardon to the souls who will go to confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My Mercy”(Diary of St. Faustina, #1109). It seems to me that a person could go to confession a week before the feast and receive Communion on the feast and still fulfill these requirements. I encourage all to join in the celebration of the Novena and closing rites of Divine Mercy.

The covered images in our sanctuary remind us of the proximity of the Passion and Death of the Lord. May these outward signs also inspire in us a change of heart that leads to true reconciliation so that we might celebrate Easter renewed in spirit.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

Easter

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today I would like to give you some explanation of the Easter Vigil,
which we will celebrate here in our church on April 7 with all three of our language groups present. There is a great tradition in our Catholic Church regarding this vigil. Here is a short history.

“This vigil opened with the blessing of the new fire, the lighting of lamps and candles and of the paschal candle. St. Cyril of Jerusalem spoke of this night that was as bright as day, and Constantine the Great added unprecedented splendor to its brilliancy by a profusion of lamps and enormous torches, so that not only basilicas, but private houses,streets, and public squares were resplendent with the light that was symbolic of the Risen Christ. The assembled faithful gave themselves up to common prayer, the singing of psalms and hymns, and the reading of the Scriptures commentated by the bishop or priests. The vigil of Easter was especially devoted to the baptism of catechumens who, in the more important churches, were very numerous. On the Holy Saturday following the deposition of St. John Chrysostom from the See of Constantinople, there were 3000 catechumens in this church alone. Such numbers were, of course, only encountered in large cities; nevertheless, as Holy Saturday and the vigil of Pentecost were the only days on which baptism was administered, even in smaller churches there was always a goodly number of catechumens. Rabanus Maurus, an ecclesiastical writer of the ninth century (De cleric. Instit., II, 28), gives a detailed account of the ceremony of Holy Saturday. The congregation remained silent in the church awaiting the dawn of the Resurrection, joining at intervals in psalmody and chant and listening to the reading of the lessons. These rites were identical with those in the primitive Church and were solemnized at the same hours.”

Today, the Easter Vigil takes place after dark on Holy Saturday night much like it did inthe times of St. Cyril and Rabanus Maurus. The rites celebrated also reflect those earlier times. The vigil is divided into four parts:

1. Service of Light during which the Paschal Candle is lit and we walk
in procession into the church singing “Christ, our Light!”

2. Liturgy of the Word, which includes Biblical readings from both
Old and New Testaments that recount the history of salvation.

3. Liturgy of Baptism, during which our catechumens will be baptized
and confirmed and we will renew our baptismal promises.

4. Liturgy of the Eucharist, at which Christ our Paschal Victim offers
Himself to the Father and gives Himself to us in the first celebration of Easter.

May the Lord bless you during this Lenten Season.

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