Nineteen years ago, not so long ago, when the Holy Father Pope John Paul II declared in 2000 the Feast of the Divine Mercy to be celebrated by the whole Church on the Sunday following Easter. Based on the revelations and apparitions of Our Lord to a Polish Nun, Sister Faustina in the early 1900's, the mercy of God is an open flood gate that poured out from the heart of Jesus. 
 
Saint John Paul II, when he was elevated to the papacy, said that his destined role in the Church was to bring the era of Divine Mercy to the world. He was not only a devotee of the Divine Mercy but also a teacher and servant of it. 
 
As we celebrate the Feast of the Divine Mercy today, let us continue that Easter joy brought to us by the Risen Christ. Our attitude should be one of total trust in the Divine Mercy of Jesus. In the bible, we find so many parables in reference to the Divine Mercy of God through Jesus Christ. There is the shepherd who leaves his 99 sheep in order to look for the one missing, or the father who welcomes his prodigal son's return. Another one is the woman who searches her entire house for a missing coin. All these tell the story of how merciful and compassionate and loving God is towards His children.
 
I remember during one of our gatherings in Billings, an old priest told me that before Karol Wojtyla, the Archbishop of Krakow, became Pope John Paul II, he visited Montana. How blessed are we to have a memory of a great servant of God's Divine Mercy.
 
Jesus promised that the Feast of the Divine Mercy is a refuge and shelter for all souls. May we always approach the fountain of mercy every single day of our life.
 
Saint Pope John Paul II, pray for us.
Saint Faustina, pray for us.
 
Jesus, King of Mercy, we trust in you. Amen. 

We all fail sometimes in the notion that the greatness of the Resurrection is in the defeat of death by Jesus who rose from the dead on Easter morning. Perhaps we all think or believe that the reason we are here today in the church celebrating the rising of Jesus from the dead is because it is final - Jesus trampled death and sin once and for all. 

But the truth is, that is not why we are here rejoicing. We are here, brothers and sisters, because Jesus did not only triumph over death, but also He remains with us. Yes, He is present among us. He chose to be present in our midst.

This Easter Sunday we rejoice with the whole Church in singing, "Alleluia", for Jesus is truly Risen. We also rejoice because Jesus is ever present in our midst. He is, as always and forever, one with His Church.  

Therefore, let us all celebrate, for Jesus remains present among us. He is with us in every situation. He is with us in our joys and pains, in our victories and sufferings. He is with us when we are healthy and strong, but also when we are weak and tired. Jesus is with us when we stay committed in our Christian faith, but He is also with us when we waiver. He is with us all the time and in all circumstances. Now, the question - which is our challenge this Easter Sunday - is whether we are present with Jesus in every circumstance we face in our lives. 

May we all find the reason to sing, "Alleluia", and be grateful for all the blessings we continuously receive out of the mercy and kindness of God.

Happy Easter to all of you and your loved ones!

We have come to the end of our Lenten journey. The Sunday of the Lord's Passion signals the beginning of the holiest week of the year. More than ever, the Church invites us this whole week to be more reflective in our ways, in our words, in our will. Jesus, today, enters the gate of Jerusalem with two contrasting realities surrounding Him - triumph and defeat, joy and pain. He was hailed as the "Son of David," the Messiah but the cross is awaiting for His climb. He was welcomed like a king with joy and exultation, but his agony awaits His final surrender. 
 
Our liturgy for the holy week is one that is rich in symbolism. The rituals we witness during this week aim to remind us of the truth of Christ's passion and death. The Lenten journey leading to this week, hopefully, helped us prepare to accompany Jesus in His agony and suffering. As the "Body of Christ," we will journey with Jesus from Jerusalem to Calvary and ultimately to His glory in the morning of Easter Sunday.
 
There are several services that I would earnestly invite you to participate in, so that our observance of this holy week becomes more reflective and meaningful. 
 
On Wednesday, we will have the Tenebrae Service at Saint Mary's. Tenebrae is a beautiful liturgical service observed since the beginning of the early Church, perhaps originating in the catacombs of Rome. Then on Thursday at St Mark's, we will have the commemoration of the "Lords Supper and washing of the feet" - the Institution of the Holy Eucharist and priesthood, where I will share the story of my priestly vocation. On Friday, there will be two services of the Veneration of the Holy Cross - one at Holy Trinity at 3:00 PM and the other at Saint Mark's at 6:30 PM. Take note too that the last Stations of the Cross on Friday will be at Saint Mark's at 8:00 AM.

On Easter Vigil, Saturday at St Mark's, the service starts at 8:30PM on the church lawn. I remind everyone who might be bothered by incense to kindly find a comfortable seat near the back as we will be using incense constantly during the liturgy. The church will also be dimly lit until the Gloria. Please check the entire schedule for this Holy Week, and mark your calendar so that we can all celebrate our faith and observe its rich tradition during this very important week.
 
Lastly, let us implore the prayer of our Blessed Mother and ask her to walk with us during our observance of Holy Week. She, who suffered with Jesus, is the best person to teach us the lessons of Christ's passion and death. Finally, let us offer all our sacrifices during this entire week for peace of the whole world, for our community and homes, and for all our personal intentions. Amen.

There is a profound lesson of mercy and compassion in the scriptures; in fact, everything that was written about the love of God is about God's unfathomable mercy. And in this sense, no less than the very incarnation of the Son of God, the becoming flesh and one among us of the Eternal Word of the Father is a testament of the mercy of God. 

Today's gospel, the 5th Sunday of Lent, is no exception. Here, we find ourselves awed at the great mercy of God through Jesus Christ. A woman caught in the act of committing adultery, a crime according to the Law of Moses and punishable by death, was presented before Jesus by the Pharisees and the elders. They didn't bring the woman to Jesus in order to learn from him. They brought her as a trap. They want Jesus to disrespect the Mosaic Law and transgress against the Roman law, the law that punishes crimes during that time, so that they could accuse him and finally take him to the court. But Jesus knew of this trap.

With all simplicity, Jesus rose from writing in the ground and told the crowd: "he who has no sin cast the first stone." And we know what happened. None of the accusers or the bystanders casted a stone. Then to the woman, who was left alone with the One, who truly is without sin, received the mercy of God. 

In the continuation of our Lenten reflection, let us dwell for a moment in the abyss of God's mercy. Sometimes, as human as we are, although sinners, we are quick to judge others. But the truth is, we are all unworthy to cast a stone. Jesus offers us forgiveness instead of judgement, and compassion instead of condemnation. AMEN.

Today is the 4th Sunday of Lent and soon we are about to enter the holiest week in our Christian faith where we will not only commemorate, but also celebrate and live the victory of Jesus on the Cross. The Lenten journey might be soon over as we are drawn closer to the pinnacle of God's salvific love - His giving of His only begotten Son for the redemption of the human race. 
 
As we approach the culmination of the Lenten Season, we are presented by the gospel today of the immensity of God's love. It tells us a story of a forgiving father and his two sons - one wayward and the other somewhat self-righteous. The parable of the prodigal son is sometimes called 'a gospel within the gospel,' perhaps because it talks so much about the good news of God's loving forgiveness. 

In our journey towards conversion, we can identify ourselves to either the wayward son or the self-righteous one. However, both need the mercy and compassion of God. This Fourth Sunday of Lent, let us continue to reflect on the generosity of God towards us. In spite of our short comings, God is still willing to forgive us, to embrace us, to wait for us patiently, to welcome us back into His loving arms. 

May our Lenten journey become a fruitful and significant move towards our own conversion. Let us remember that true love is forgiving. And there's no better way to experience that love than to receive God's forgiveness.
 
Let me take this opportunity as well to announce to all in our faith community that as part of my pastoral program for our parish and the attached parishes, I am re-launching the celebration of the Eucharist every first Sunday of the month, 4pm at Saint Clement in Monarch beginning April 7th. Saint Clement is an oratory (chapel for occasional worship) attached to Saint Mark. Therefore, it is my pastoral obligation to take care of the oratory and our flock in Monarch. 
 
May we all continue to strive in embracing the light of Christ in our everyday life so that we too, may become Christ's light in the world we live in. Amen.