Posted on August 16, 2024 View all Pastor's Letter
Dear Parishioners,
It’s incredible, but we are already halfway through August. Time flies, and we don’t realize it. Next Thursday, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It is a solemnity, so it is a day of obligation. We will have Mass in Spanish at 7:00 p.m. on the 14th, on the eve of the solemnity. On the 15th, the schedule is the following: 6:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. in English and 7:30 p.m. in Spanish.
Pope Pius XII proclaimed the dogma of this solemnity on November 1, 1950, in the Constitution Munificentissimus Deus, in which the Pope declares: “…with the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul and with our own, we pronounce, declare and define to be divinely revealed dogma that The Immaculate Mother of God and ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into the glory of heaven.” Mary is blessed among all men and women because she knew how to listen to the voice of God and accept everything the Lord asked of her, and he did wonders for her. This is the reason for the joy expressed in it in the Magnificat. She sings powerfully of the revolution of love manifested in the gospel. That it is good news, it is resurrection, it is the elevation of the poor, it is the kingdom of love, and it is the liberation of the oppressed. The “Magnificat” sings all this.
We are just a few weeks away from the end of summer; I hope you have had some time to rest, and if you have not taken a few days, it is necessary that you do so. This time of recharging batteries and sharing with the family, however, taking vacations does not imply disconnecting from our friendship with God; generally, there is always a risk of doing so, but a good Christian always takes into account that God is the center And at the beginning of everything, many stop praying and even going to Mass, in fact in summer we see the decrease in participation in the Eucharist and confessions, we must rest and take vacations, but not become lazy. Sometimes, we can fall into the trap of confusing rest with doing nothing. And this is a deception. Saint Josemaría said that “resting is not doing nothing; It is changing occupation.” Rest is essential. We are body and soul; we are a unit. And to work, serve others, smile, pray. We need energy. Jesus also rested with the apostles and took them to a secluded place to regain strength and continue preaching and performing miracles. I hope you have a lovely summer and a well-deserved and holy vacation.
Finally, I cannot stop thanking everyone for putting all their effort into organizing the festival we will hold on the 17th of this month. Please invite your family and friends to participate. We will have various dishes to enjoy as a family and outstanding entertainment, so you can’t miss it. This year, the Mass will be presided over by Bishop Evelio Menjivar, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington; as in previous years, the celebration will be at 5:00 p.m. I also invite you to promote and participate in purchasing raffle tickets, although I confess that very few have returned the tickets. Please support us with this new challenge that will leave many economic and spiritual fruits for our parish family. Thank you so much for your tremendous support.
May God bless you all
Fr. Alex
