Third Sunday of Easter - 4/14/2024

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Community • April 12, 2024

Dear Friends,
As we enter the Third Sunday of Easter, we are basking in the glory of the Risen Christ, who appears to the
disciples again and again to reinforce their belief and trust in Him. The Resurrection lies at the heart of our
faith, for it is definitively the ONE event that changed everything.
Easter is the cornerstone of our Liturgical Year. Where Ash Wednesday and Lent say, “In Adam, all die,”
Easter says, “In Christ, all are made alive.” Because Easter is so huge for us, we take 50 days to experience
with joy the reality of this new life and love. Not only Easter Sunday, but every Sunday is hugely important for
us. Did you know that each Sunday is an extension of Easter – is a celebration of the Resurrection? Hence,
Sundays are called Little Easters.
After Jesus appears to the downcast disciples on the road to Emmaus, and after they are rudely awakened to the realization
that it is Jesus Himself breaking bread with them, they run to share the news with the rest of the disciples. Jesus next appears
to those gathered in the upper room, where He reminds them about all that was said of Him in the Scriptures (the Torah), the
Prophets and the Psalms. He then commissions them to continue the work of sharing the good news that He is alive and that
forgiveness will be the main focus of His Kingdom. The reading from the Gospel of Luke (24: 35-48) for this Sunday ends with the
words: “You are the witnesses of these things.”
Peter takes this command seriously and boldly proclaims to those listening to him about Jesus and all that they did to destroy him.
Then he gives them the good news: God brought Jesus back to life. He exhorts them: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39).
Like Peter, others took up the mantle of spreading this good news. Down through the centuries, disciples of
Jesus have “hurried about the work of resurrection,” as Fr. Moreau would say, to share the good news. Now
it is our turn to carry the baton that has been handed on to us. We are called to be witnesses to the wondrous
and life-saving things that have happened in God’s plan of Salvation. Let us boldly hurry about this work of
witnessing to Jesus in our setting and milieu.
Thanks to all who came to personally experience the Divine Mercy Special Program last Sunday with Mark
Forrest. What a beautiful and blessed event that was! Thanks to all those who make our parish vibrant by
volunteering when there is a need for lots of hands. What a blessing they are to us.
On Monday, 22 April 2024, we will be celebrating the First Anniversary of the Dedication of our beautiful
Grotto. We will have a special Mass at the Grotto at 6 p.m. on that day.
Have a Blessed Week!
With love,
Fr. John

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First Sunday of Lent, March 9, 2025

March 9, 2025

Dear friends, The holy season of Lent has begun with a glorious Ash Wednesday. It was heartwarming to see our children at the 7 a.m. Mass that day. They wore the cross-shaped ashes on their foreheads to school, proud to show their faith and be silent evangelizers. We are very proud of them! Now that it is Lent, we will offer Stations of the Cross at the Grotto each day of the week except Sunday, including the traditional Stations on Fridays. I urge you to look at the bulletin for all the details about special Masses and other spiritual activities that have been created to support you on your lenten journey. I ask that you take the Lenten Schedule on page 8 and post it where you will remember to look at it. In particular, note the information about the Lenten Mission on March 16-18, the special programing for the Tuesdays of Lent, and the many spiritual activities on Fridays. We can approach Lent as the opportunity to do a spiritual “spring cleaning.” As one good priest reminded me: “Lent is a time to re-read the ‘owner’s manual,’ to tune our ‘engines,’ and to refurbish our ‘vehicles’ – not only for the journey of 40 days but also for the journey of life, the right life–and the right eternity.” God has given us an inexhaustible capacity for the transformation needed for becoming holy. Lent is also that special time of year when we walk with our catechumens and candidates as they prepare to become full members of the Catholic faith during the Easter Vigil. We are called to support them through our prayers and examples of faith. Remember to pray for their sponsors and their families as well. During the Vigil Mass on 8 March, the St. John’s family will join with our catechumens in celebration of the ritual called the Rite of Sending. In this rite, they will be recognized for the progress they have made in their spiritual formation. Then we will send them on to the Rite of Election which will be celebrated by Bishop Noonan the next day, 9 March, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe. We are very proud of the perseverance and dedication of our sisters and brothers . In this Jubilee Year 2025 themed, “Pilgrims of Hope,” it is good to reflect on the words of St. Teresa of Avila about hope and what it accomplishes: “Hope, O my soul, hope. You know neither the day nor the hour. Watch carefully, for everything passes quickly, even though your impatience makes doubtful what is certain, and turns a very short time into a long one. Dream that the more you struggle, the more you prove the love that you bear your God, and the more you will rejoice one day with your Beloved, in a happiness and rapture that can never end.” On the First Sunday of Lent, we always revisit the scene of the temptation of Jesus in the desert where he spent 40 days fasting and praying. We also recall our ancestors in faith, the ancient Israelites, who for 40 years trudged their way through the desert to the promised land. Jesus, through his patient acceptance of suffering and his rejection of the allurements of the devil, models the correct response in times of adversity and testing. This is in contrast with the ancient Israelites who murmured and complained bitterly about their ordeal. Jesus never swerved from being obedient to his Father; he completely and utterly depended on Him. Let us, too, place complete confidence in the Father during our times of trial, of which there will be many. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, continues to need our prayers. Let us continue to pray for his healing: “O God, shepherd and ruler of all the faithful, look favorably on your servant Francis, whom you have set at the head of your Church as her shepherd; grant, we pray, that by word and example he may be of service to those over whom he presides so that, together with the flock entrusted to his care, he may come to everlasting life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” I take this opportunity to announce that Beth Lowry has joined our parish staff as the new Business Manager. She held the position of bookkeeper in our office some years ago. Beth is well known to many at St. John’s. She and her devoted husband Steve have long been involved in many of our ministries. Beth brings a rich variety of work experience and abilities to her new position, and we wish her a positive and pleasant experience as she takes on this leadership role at St. John’s. Welcome, Beth! Have an inspiring and enriching LENT! With love, Fr. John