Fifth Sunday of Lent

03-17-2024From Fr. Antony's DeskFr. Antony Arockiadoss

Dear Family!

We are just one week away from Holy Week. Jeremiah 31 has some of the prized treasures of scripture in the whole Bible. The establishment of the New Covenant is one of the pivotal moment in our history of salvation. The Torah (Old Covenant or Testament) was supposed to have found its way into the human heart, but sin took hold of our hearts.

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Fourth Sunday of Lent

03-10-2024From Fr. Antony's DeskFr. Antony Arockiadoss

Dear Family!

‘Laetare’ (Rejoice) Sunday (In Advent we have ‘Gaudete’) is a mid-point of reference to look back at our Lenten Journey and thank God for those moments of purification and enlightenment and ask God’s grace to give us more opportunities to see the Light of Christ in the remaining weeks of Lent. As there are two kinds of blind people - physically and spiritually, there are two kinds of people who can see!

It is interesting to note both Laetare and Gaudete come from Latin root which are principally used to express joy. "The difference between the two is that Laetare reflects a joy that is manifest outwardly whereas Gaudete reflects a way of rejoicing internally” (The Mouth Piece). The Rose color of ‘Gaudete’ is a softening of violet; it is violet approaching white. It anticipates the pure white of the Resurrection of Jesus.

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Third Sunday In Lent

03-03-2024From Fr. Antony's DeskFr. Antony Arockiadoss

Dear Family!

God’s laws are the outward expression of the covenant. Most human laws have limitations and loopholes. There are and will be different ways of interpreting those human laws contrary to its original intent. There have been and continue to be many attempts to turn and twist the original intent of God’s law that have been handed down to us. That is the reason Prophet Jeremiah longed for a better way to communicate God’s Law: “I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts.”

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Second Sunday in Lent

02-25-2024From Fr. Antony's DeskFr. Antony Arockiadoss

Dear Family!

As Year A, B and C in Lent reflected on ‘Temptations of Jesus’ on the 1st Sunday of Lent, Year A, B and C in Lent on the 2nd Sunday we reflect on the ‘Mystery of the Transfiguration of Jesus’. One of the focal points that caught my attention is the journey of the disciples. Peter, James and John were fishermen. They were used to the depth of the ocean, chillness of the water and softness of the sand. They were guided by Jesus to experience something so contrasting and different to an average fisherman. On their way up the mountain, they experienced the towering height of the mountain, the heat on the rocks and the hardness of stones and thorns.

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First Sunday of Lent

02-18-2024From Fr. Antony's DeskFr. Antony Arockiadoss

Dear Family!

Many see Lent as a ‘Service Check.’ Though this imagery is very fitting, it is not the total picture of Lent. Lent is not a temporary adjustment that we make for a period of 40 days; nor it is a hibernation period for ‘hypocrites and tax-collectors’. The season of Lent is called the ‘Season of Grace’ since the season of Lent brings in a sense of urgency and utmost importance to be near God.

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Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

02-11-2024From Fr. Antony's DeskFr. Antony Arockiadoss

Dear Family!

The general focus of the readings today is Love. Popularly we hear that love involves more than one person. Aristotle thought of love as a union, saying “Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.” Annette Baier in her book ‘Unsafe Loves’ writes of love as not just an emotion people feel toward other people, but also a complex tying together of the emotions that two or a few more people have; it is a special form of emotional interdependence.

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5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

02-04-2024From Fr. Antony's DeskFr. Antony Arockiadoss

Dear Family!

As we continue to count our blessings, this week especially we reflect on the blessing of our children. We are one of the blessed parishes with a Catholic School as part of a parish ministry. And in fact, we are the only Catholic School in our county. In his special letter to parents and guardians our Bishop reminded us that “Catholic Schools Week is not just a week-long event; it is a reminder of the commitment we have made to provide a Catholic education that nurtures the mind, body, and spirit of our young learners.

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