Posted on February 23, 2024 View all Pastor's Letter
Dear brothers and sisters,
We are celebrating the Second Sunday of Lent, and today, Jesus invites us to climb the mountain
of Tabor with Him. It is a different scenario than last Sunday. It is a high mountain where there
is light, and God manifests himself. The mountain symbolizes the challenges that the Christian
life poses to us, the pain and fatigue, the fears, and everything in life that makes us lose joy, but
for a Christian, those challenges and difficulties are walked with the hand of God. They are
always rewarded with something as great as the crown of holiness. Lent is always an invitation
to fight hard for our transfiguration, even if this implies pain by denying ourselves.
In his Lenten message this year, Pope Francis suggests stopping in prayer to welcome the Word
of God and stopping before the Samaritan, before the wounded brother, who, because of his
mistakes, refuses to accompany Jesus on His way to the mountain of Tabor, perhaps because he
is afraid to love and let himself be loved. “Love of God and love of neighbor are one love. Not to
have other gods is to pause in the presence of God beside the flesh of our neighbor,” he writes.
For this reason, the Pope recommends the practice of prayer, almsgiving, and fasting, which are
“three unrelated acts, but a single movement of openness and self-emptying, in which we cast
out the idols that weigh us down, the attachments that imprison us.” In this extraordinary time for
our interior life, it is necessary to climb the Tabor with Jesus and allow ourselves to be
illuminated by the love of God that transfigures us, and thus, we also transfigure our brothers
who need God and us so much. Let us allow ourselves to be surprised by God this Lent.
This year, every parish in the country will be experiencing Parish Revival, the mission of which
is to renew the church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy
Eucharist. The Parish Revival consists of five sessions; the next one will be held on March 1 at 7
pm in Hannan Hall. The sessions will be in English and Spanish. I invite you all to participate in
this initiative and thus experience the healing power of Jesus Christ.
Changing the subject, but always in this Lenten atmosphere, I remind those who have not yet
committed to our Bishop’s Lenten Appeal Campaign that your donation is vital. I invite you to
commit with faith, prayer, and generosity. You can do it electronically; on the pews, you can find
the QR code to access with your phone or take one of the envelopes. I humbly ask you to
collaborate in this year’s campaign. On behalf of our Bishop Burbidge, I thank you for your
sacrifice and collaboration. If you have any questions about this Lenten campaign, please do not
hesitate to call us.
Finally, I invite you to participate in the Saint Joseph’s Dinner and Dance for couples. The ticket
cost is $120, which includes dinner and other activities we will have for our married couples. I
encourage you to participate with your spouse. All couples are welcome. You can buy your
tickets at the parish office or after the masses.
May God bless you all, and continue praying for peace in the world.
Fr. Alex
