St. Joseph the Worker | Pastors Desk

Mensaje del pastor para la celebración de la Pascua 2025

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 23:29:00 GMT

Queridos hermanos y hermanas,

La Pascua es la solemnidad más importante de todo el año litúrgico. No es la Navidad, ni el Miércoles de Ceniza, ni el Domingo de Ramos, sino la Pascua junto con el Viernes Santo. Es una celebración tan importante que la Iglesia católica ha destinado toda la semana a la celebración de la Pascua. Así, desde el Domingo de Resurrección hasta el domingo siguiente, conocido como Domingo de la Divina Misericordia, celebramos la octava de Pascua, durante la cual cada día cantamos o recitamos el himno de Gloria y leemos los relatos de los encuentros con el Señor Resucitado.

Lo hacemos porque son los días en cuales celebramos los misterios más grandes de nuestra salvación, que ahora no es sólo para los judíos, sino para todos los pueblos. Subrayamos esta verdad cada domingo en el Credo cuando recitamos y profesamos: “Creo... en un solo Señor Jesucristo, Hijo Unigénito de Dios... por nosotros fue crucificado bajo Poncio Pilato, padeció la muerte y fue sepultado, y resucitó al tercer día según las Escrituras”. Luego el Credo continúa: “Espero la resurrección de los muertos y la vida del mundo futuro”. ¿Realmente creemos lo que profesamos? Si es así, ¿por qué estamos tan preocupados por esta vida?

La Pascua nos recuerda que Jesús ha vencido al pecado y a la muerte, y ha superado el mal del sufrimiento innecesario. En su resurrección, Jesús nos da la esperanza de que todas las cosas se transformarán en Él, como oímos de modo muy solemne en el Pregón pascual: “así, esta noche santa ahuyenta los pecados, lava las culpas, devuelve la inocencia a los caídos, la alegría a los tristes, expulsa el odio, trae la concordia, doblega a los poderosos”. Sí, la Resurrección de Cristo trae la alegría al mundo caído. Esta alegría no consiste en tener huevos de Pascua en nuestras mesas, conejitos en nuestros jardines y patios, o almorzar abundantemente el Domingo de Pascua, sino en tener auténtica fe en el Señor Resucitado. Es la noción de fe lo que hace que la Pascua sea una celebración verdaderamente significativa. La celebración de la Pascua es también un recordatorio para todos nosotros de que pertenecemos a Cristo a través del bautismo, por El que ahora formamos parte de su familia. Esto significa que Jesús cuidará de nosotros y nos conducirá a la salvación mientras le sigamos como hicieron los discípulos después de la Resurrección.

Al venir a la iglesia para celebrar la santa misa el domingo de Pascua, renovemos nuestra fe en Jesús y abracémosla con todo nuestro corazón para que Él disipe las tinieblas del mal y del miedo, para que vivamos en la libertad de los hijos de Dios destinados a la vida con Dios para siempre.

¡¡¡ Feliz Pascua a todos !!!

Rev. Janusz Mocarski, parroco

Pastor’s message on Easter 2025

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 23:27:00 GMT

Dear brothers and sisters,

Easter is the most important solemnity of the entire liturgical year. It is not Christmas, Ash Wednesday or Palm Sunday, but Easter in conjunction with Good Friday. It is so important a celebration that the Catholic Church has designated the entire week for the celebration of Easter. Hence, from Easter Sunday to the following Sunday, known as the Divine Mercy Sunday, we celebrate the octave of Easter, during which every day we sing or recite the hymn of Gloria and we read the accounts of the encounters with the Risen Lord.

We do that because these are the days when we celebrate the greatest mysteries of our salvation, which now is not only for the Jews but for all peoples. We emphasize this truth each Sunday in the Creed we recite and profess: “I believe… in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God… for our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, He suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” Then the Creed continues: “I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.” Do we really believe what we profess? If we do, why are we so worried and preoccupied with this life only?

Easter reminds us that Jesus has conquered sin and death, and He has overcome the evil of unnecessary suffering. In His resurrection Jesus provides us with hope that all things will be transformed in Him, as we hear it in a very solemn way in the Easter Proclamation (the Exsultet), “The sanctifying power of this night dispels wickedness, washes faults away, restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners, drives out hatred, fosters concord, and brings down the mighty.” Yes, the Resurrection of Christ brings joy to the fallen world. This joy consists not in having Easter eggs on our tables, bunnies in our gardens and yards, or eating a bountiful brunch or dinner on Easter Sunday, but in having authentic faith in the Risen Lord. It is the notion of faith that makes Easter a truly meaningful celebration. The celebration of Easter is also a reminder to all of us that we belong to Christ through baptism, through which we are now part of His family. This means that Jesus will take care of us and lead us to salvation as long as we follow Him like the disciples did after the Resurrection.

As we come to church to celebrate Holy Mass on Easter Sunday, let us renew our faith in Jesus and embrace it with our whole heart so that He may dispel the darkness of evil and fear, so that we may live in the freedom of the children of God destined for the life with God for ever.

Happy Easter to all !!!

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

Del Escritorio del Párroco en el Octavo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario, Año C

Sun, 02 Mar 2025 17:18:00 GMT

“ ¿Puede un ciego guiar a otro ciego? ¿No caerán ambos en un pozo? ” - Nuestro Señor Jesús dirige esta pregunta a sus discípulos tratando de decirles que primero necesitan ser curados de su ceguera espiritual. En este contexto, ceguera significa no creer en Cristo y curación significa tener fe en Jesús, que es la Luz del mundo. En otras palabras, cuando ganemos nuestra vista espiritual a través de la fe, entonces seremos capaces de ayudar a otros en el camino de la salvación. Sin fe en Jesús solo permanecemos viviendo en la oscuridad del pecado. Sin Jesús todos somos como ciegos que rebotan contra las paredes de la realidad y contra los demás. Sin embargo, cuando abrazamos la fe en Dios en la persona de Jesús y dejamos que nuestro corazón se fije en Cristo, entonces Él -el Hijo de Dios y Nuestro Señor- se convierte en nuestro guía. Por eso, cada uno de nuestros pasos estará iluminado por la luz de la fe. Al poner nuestra fe en acción en nuestra vida diaria, también empezamos a dar buenos frutos de una vida auténtica y feliz.

Al comenzar esta semana el tiempo de Cuaresma, intentemos poner nuestros corazones y nuestras mentes en Cristo, que vino a rescatarnos de las tinieblas de la ignorancia y de la condenación eterna. Sí, a mucha gente no le gusta esta palabra “condenación”, pero debemos darnos cuenta de que ésta es exactamente la razón por la que Cristo vino al mundo, para que no perezcamos, sino para que tengamos vida eterna (Juan 3:16). Y según las propias palabras de Jesús “esta es la vida eterna, que [conozcamos] al único Dios verdadero, y al que tú enviaste, Jesucristo” (Juan 17:3). ¿Hasta qué punto conoces a Cristo? ¿En qué medida forma parte de tu vida? Quizá sea un buen momento para darte cuenta de que has estado malgastando tu vida y ahora Jesús te llama a una conversión sincera.

Recordemos que la Cuaresma trata de la conversión, de arreglar las cosas con Dios y con el prójimo mediante la oración, el ayuno y la limosna. La oración nos ayuda a centrarnos en Dios. Esto significa que debemos dedicar un tiempo a la oración, sin aparatos, actividades u otras personas que nos distraigan. El ayuno, aparte de sus beneficios medicinales reales, nos ayuda a refrenar nuestras pasiones carnales y a reconocer que nuestra vida no depende sólo del pan (la comida). El ayuno es también una poderosa arma espiritual en nuestra lucha contra los malos espíritus. Así que no descuides esta antigua tradición católica y hazlo más seriamente, sobre todo con espíritu de obediencia a las enseñanzas de la Iglesia, absteniéndote de comer carne los viernes y de otros platos placenteros (pasteles, helados, etc.) durante todo el tiempo de Cuaresma. Lo ideal sería ayunar a pan y agua sólo algunos días de la Cuaresma; no te preocupes, no morirás. Por último, la limosna nos ayuda a crecer en bondad y generosidad, es más, creceremos en caridad. También nos volvemos más sensibles a las necesidades de los demás. Además, mientras compartimos las cosas que tenemos también nos liberamos de los apegos desordenados a la riqueza y a las cosas materiales.

Les deseo una semana bendecida y una Cuaresma espiritualmente fructífera

P. Janusz Mocarski, párroco

From Pastor’s Desk on the Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

Sun, 02 Mar 2025 17:18:00 GMT

“Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?” — Our Lord Jesus addresses this question to His disciples trying to tell them that they need to be healed of their spiritual blindness first. In this context blindness is not to believe in Christ and healing means to have faith in Jesus who is the Light of the world. In other words, when we gain our spiritual sight through faith, then we will be able to help others on the way to salvation. Without faith in Jesus we just remain living in the darkness of sin. Without Jesus we are all like blind men bouncing against the walls of reality and against each other. However, when we embrace faith in God in the person of Jesus and let our hearts be set on Christ, then He—the Son of God and Our Lord—becomes our guide. Because of that our every step will be illumined with the light of faith. While putting our faith into action in our daily life we also start bearing good fruits of an authentic and happy life.

As we begin the season of Lent this week, let us try to set our hearts and minds on Christ, who came to rescue us from the darkness of ignorance and from eternal damnation. Yes, many people do not like this word “damnation,” but we must realize that this is exactly the reason Christ came into the world so that we might not perish but that we might have eternal life (John 3:16). And according to Jesus’ own words “this is eternal life, that [we] should know the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ” (John 17:3). How much do you know Christ? How much is He part of your life? Maybe this is a good time to realize that you have been wasting your life and now Jesus is calling you to sincere conversion.

Let us remember that Lent is about conversion, about setting things right with God and with our neighbor through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Prayer helps us to focus on God. This means that we should set time apart for prayer without any devices, activities, or other people distracting us. Fasting, apart from its real medicinal benefits, helps us to restrain our carnal passions and to recognize that our life does not depend on bread (food) alone. Fasting is also a powerful spiritual weapon in our fight against evil spirits. So do not neglect this long-standing Catholic tradition and do it more seriously, especially in the spirit of obedience to the Church’s teaching while refraining from eating meat on Fridays and from other pleasurable dishes (cakes, ice cream etc.) throughout the season of Lent. Ideally fasting would involve bread and water only on certain days of lent — do not worry, you will not die. Finally, almsgiving helps us to grow in kindness and generosity, indeed, we will grow in charity. We also become more sensitive to the needs of others. Also, while we share the things we have we also become free of disordered attachments to wealth and material things.

Have a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

Del Escritorio del Párroco en el 5º Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario, Año C

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 20:40:00 GMT

A menudo la gente nos pregunta a nosotros, los sacerdotes, qué hacer para profundizar en su vida espiritual. A todos se nos ocurren respuestas diferentes y, ciertamente, hay muchos caminos para una mayor vida espiritual. Hay, sin embargo, un método más probado que ha ayudado a muchos cristianos católicos a estar en la vía rápida de la santidad y a comprender mejor la vida espiritual. Es la consagración total al Corazón Inmaculado de María, o como propuso originalmente San Luis Grignon de Montfort allá por el siglo XVII, la Consagración Total a Jesús por María. Después de San Luis hubo muchos otros que siguieron sus pasos. Entre algunos de los santos más conocidos se encuentran el Papa Pío X, San Maximiliano Kolbe y San Juan Pablo II. Estos santos reconocieron que María desempeñó un papel vital en la vida de la Iglesia primitiva y que la Santísima Madre sigue desempeñando un papel importante en la Iglesia de nuestros tiempos.

Esta devoción también puede ser espiritualmente beneficiosa para las parroquias, los grupos de oración y los individuos. Se basa en la idea de que, cuando cultivamos una auténtica devoción a María, nos acercamos más a Cristo y aumentamos nuestro aprecio por la Iglesia y los sacramentos. Al comentar el papel de María y de las devociones marianas, San Juan Pablo II afirmó:

Por eso, me gustaría proponeros un reto de 33 días, o más bien un retiro en casa, como preparación a la Consagración Total a Jesús por María. Puedes empezar el 20 de febrero para completarlo en la solemnidad de la Anunciación, el 25 de marzo. Hay muchos materiales de lectura y oración que puedes encontrar en internet o comprar un libro. Puedes comprar el libro de Luis Grignon de Montfort en Amazon o utilizar otras mediaciones gratuitas. A continuación encontrarás algunos enlaces. También vamos a publicar un archivo pdf en nuestro sitio web. También hay varios vídeos y charlas disponibles en YouTube, Instagram y Facebook. Si completa este desafío espiritual de 33 días, puedo prometerle que se sentirá espiritualmente renovado y cargado positivamente con más celo apostólico. Por favor, avísame si decides hacerlo, para que podamos hacer una consagración oficial al Inmaculado Corazón de María, y a través de Ella a Jesús, después de la misa vespertina del 25 de marzo.

Que tengan una feliz semana. P. Janusz Mocarski, párroco

Enlaces útiles para la preparación de 33 días a la Consagración Total a Jesús por María:

https://www.fatherboniface.org/wordpresshome

https://www.fisheaters.com/totalconsecrationmontfort.html

https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-marian-consecration

From Pastor’s Desk on the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 20:36:00 GMT

Often people ask us, priests, what to do in order to deepen their spiritual life. We all can come up with different answers and there are certainly many ways to greater spiritual life. There is, however, a more proven method that has helped many Christian Catholics to be on the fast track to holiness and to better understanding of spiritual life. It is the total consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, or as originally proposed by Saint Luis Grignon de Montfort back in the XVII century, the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. After St. Luis there were many others that followed in his footsteps. Among some of the most known saints were Pope Pius X, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and St. John Paul II. These saints recognized that Mary played a vital role in the life of the early Church and that the Blessed Mother still plays an important role in the Church of our times.

This devotion may also be spiritually beneficial to parishes, prayer groups, and individuals. It relies on the realization that when we cultivate an authentic devotion to Mary, we come closer to Christ and grow in greater appreciation for the Church and the sacraments. While commenting on the role of the Mary and Marian devotions St. John Paul II stated:

Thus, I would like to propose to you a 33-day challenge, or rather an in-home retreat, as a preparation to the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. You can start on February 20th to complete it on the solemnity of the Annunciation, on March 25th. There are many materials for reading and prayer that you can find online or buy a book. You can buy the book by Luis Grignon de Montfort at Amazon or use other free of charge mediations. You will find a few links below. We are going to post a pdf file at our website as well. There are also various videos and talks available on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. If you complete this 33-day spiritual challenge, I can promise you that you will feel spiritually renewed and be positively charged with more apostolic zeal. Please let me know if you decide to do it, so we can do an official consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and through Her to Jesus, following the evening mass on March 25th.

Have a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

Useful links for 33-day preparation to the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary:

https://www.fatherboniface.org/wordpresshome

https://www.fisheaters.com/totalconsecrationmontfort.html

https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-marian-consecration

Del Escritorio del Párroco en el 2º Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario, Año C

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 23:57:00 GMT

Estoy seguro de que todos estamos atónitos y horrorizados por los incendios forestales del sur de California que afectan ya a cientos de miles de sus habitantes. La velocidad y la ferocidad del fuego sólo demuestran lo frágiles que somos como seres humanos individuales y como humanidad en general. Muchos californianos pueden estar dudando de su fe en estos momentos; muchos se plantearán preguntas: ¿Dónde está Dios? ¿Por qué permite Dios catástrofes tan terribles? Ciertamente, muchos de nosotros nos haríamos las mismas preguntas. Si Dios está detrás o no, no lo sabemos. Sin embargo, sí sabemos que vivimos en un mundo creado que tiene su propio ritmo y ciclos que se dan en la naturaleza. Las cosas suceden con y sin interrupción humana. Algunas cosas las podemos controlar (muy poco, de hecho), y muchas otras no. Lo que sí podemos reconocer es que las catástrofes naturales son una forma de llamada a la conversión y a una mayor confianza en Dios. También es una llamada a la acción para hacer la tierra más acogedora, de modo que las personas puedan prosperar en ella.

A pesar de todos los incesantes esfuerzos de los bomberos, los incendios forestales siguen afectando a un gran número de habitantes de Los Ángeles y sus suburbios. Aunque la situación parece estar fuera del control humano, puedo asegurarles que Dios no ha abandonado a su pueblo y Dios proveerá mientras la gente clame por ayuda. Siempre ha sido así. Si lees la Biblia sabrás que a menudo ocurrían cosas terribles, pero Dios siempre estaba ahí para ayudar a su pueblo.

Por nuestra parte, lo que todos podemos y debemos hacer ahora mismo es rezar más y apoyar a quienes lo han perdido todo de la forma que podamos. La oración es lo primero, porque Dios puede hacer maravillas y cuando estamos unidos en la oración, Dios escucha. La próxima vez, cuando reces la oración del Padre Nuestro, piensa más seriamente en lo que estás diciendo, especialmente cuando pronuncies las palabras “y líbranos del mal”. En la oración del Padre Nuestro pedimos a Dios que nos libre tanto de los males espirituales como de los materiales. Si tan sólo dijéramos esta oración con un grano de auténtica fe en nuestro corazón, Dios escucharía nuestras plegarias y nos libraría del mal. Luego está la acción, pues es nuestro deber cristiano ayudarnos unos a otros. Recordemos que debemos hacerlo no sólo por los habitantes de California, sino también por los que están cerca de nosotros y por los que viven en otras zonas del país y del mundo cuyas vidas han cambiado debido a recientes catástrofes naturales, guerras o violencia. Que Dios los proteja a todos.

Bendiciones de paz para vosotros. P. Janusz Mocarski, párroco

From pastor’s desk on the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, year C

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 23:49:00 GMT

I am sure that all of us are stunned and horrified by the wildfires in Southern California impacting now hundreds of thousands of its inhabitants. The speed and ferocity of fire only proves how fragile we are as individual human beings and as humanity by and large. Many Californians may be doubting his or her faith at this moment; many will pose questions: Where is God? Why does God permit such terrible disasters? Certainly, many of us would ask the same questions. Whether God is behind it or not, we do not know. However, we do know that we live in a created world that has its own rhythm and cycles that occur in nature. Things happen with and without human interruption. Some things we can control (very little, in fact), and many things we can’t. What we can recognize is that natural disasters are a form of a call to conversion and to greater trust in God. It is also a call to action to make the earth more hospitable so that people can prosper in it.

Despite all the relentless efforts of the firefighters the wildfires continue to affect a vast number of the inhabitants of Los Angeles and its suburbs. Though the situation seems to be beyond human control, I can assure you that God has not abandoned His people and God will provide as long as people will cry out for help. It has always been like that. If you read the Bible you know that terrible things happened often, but God was always there to help His people.

On our part, what we all can and should do right now is to is to pray more and support those who have lost everything in whatever way we can. Prayer is first, for God can do wonders and when we are united in prayer, God listens. Next time, when you say the prayer of Our Father, think more seriously about what you are saying, especially when you utter the words “and deliver us from evil.” In the Lord’s prayer we ask God to deliver us from both, spiritual and material evils. If only we would say this prayer with a grain of authentic faith in our heart, God would hear our prayers and deliver us from evil. Then there is action, for it is our Christian duty to help each other. Let us remember that we should do it not only for the people of California, but also for those who are close to us and for those that are living in other areas of the country and the world whose lives were changed due to recent natural disasters, wars, or violence. May God protect them all.

Blessings of peace to you. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

Del Escritorio del Párroco el 29 Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

Sat, 19 Oct 2024 22:18:00 GMT

El pasado mes de julio, más de 50.000 católicos se reunieron en Indianápolis con ocasión del 10º Congreso Eucarístico Nacional. Obviamente, el tema central del encuentro fue la Eucaristía. Uno de los principales oradores del Congreso Eucarístico, Monseñor James Shea, dijo:

“Es hora de que los fieles católicos dejemos de intentar vivir para Dios. En su lugar, debemos empezar a vivir de Él. El cuerpo y la sangre del Señor son la fuente de nuestra vida, nuestra energía y nuestra alegría. Así que comamos y bebamos aquí y todos los días hasta saciarnos, y luego salgamos corriendo a un mundo hambriento y digamos a todos los que encontremos: ‘¡Hambrientos, escuchad! Hemos encontrado dónde está la comida'”.

Como afirmó el Concilio Vaticano II y reiteró san Juan Pablo II, el sacrificio eucarístico es “fuente y culmen de la vida Cristiana”. “En efecto, la santísima Eucaristía contiene toda la riqueza espiritual de la Iglesia: Cristo mismo, nuestra Pascua y pan vivo”. Como cristianos católicos necesitamos redescubrir el tesoro que tenemos al alcance de la mano en nuestras iglesias. Desgraciadamente, sólo un puñado de católicos ven la necesidad de dedicar más tiempo a la Eucaristía. La mayoría de nosotros estamos “demasiado ocupados” con las cosas de este mundo, cosas que nunca satisfarán el anhelo de nuestros corazones.

Desde el año pasado, la Iglesia también nos ha llamado al avivamiento eucarístico, es decir, a vivir de la Eucaristía, no sólo en la Santa Misa, sino más allá de ella. Debemos acercarnos a Jesús Eucaristía todas las veces que podamos y pasar tiempo con Él. Así encontraremos la paz que buscamos desesperadamente en este mundo. Él está ahí o, mejor dicho, está aquí para nosotros porque Dios nos ama. Además, mientras pasamos tiempo con Jesús en adoración, adquirimos sabiduría y a menudo nuestros problemas se resuelven milagrosamente. Lo único que tenemos que hacer es acudir a Él y confiar en que nos ayudará. San Juan Pablo II escribió sobre esto en su carta encíclica sobre la Eucaristía:

Es agradable pasar tiempo con Él, recostarse junto a su pecho como el Discípulo amado (cf. Jn 13,25) y sentir el amor infinito presente en su corazón. Si en nuestro tiempo los cristianos deben distinguirse sobre todo por el «arte de la oración», ¿cómo no sentir una renovada necesidad de pasar tiempo en conversación espiritual, en adoración silenciosa, en amor entrañable ante Cristo presente en el Santísimo Sacramento? (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 25).

Para ayudar a fomentar la devoción y el aprecio por la Eucaristía vamos a comenzar la adoración silenciosa del Santísimo Sacramento en nuestra iglesia todos los jueves, a partir del 24 de octubre, 6PM-8PM. No tienes que quedarte todo el tiempo. Puede ser un par de minutos o una hora completa. Trae tu Biblia o una lectura espiritual; reza el Santo Rosario o permanece en silencio; lo importante es que vengas. Así que por favor responde a esta invitación y ven a pasar tiempo con Jesús, exponerte a sus rayos sanadores y experimentar la renovación espiritual para que puedas continuar con tu misión de vida.

Que tengan una feliz semana. P. Janusz Mocarski, párroco

From pastor’s desk on 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year, B

Sat, 19 Oct 2024 22:18:00 GMT

Last July over 50 thousand Catholics gathered in Indianapolis for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress. Obviously, the central theme of the gathering was the Eucharist. One of the key speakers at the Eucharistic Congress, Monsignor James Shea, said:

“It’s time for faithful Catholics to stop trying to live for God. Instead we should start living from him. The body and blood of the Lord is the source of our life, our energy, and our joy. So, let’s eat and drink here and every day to our heart’s content and then let’s rush out into a starving world and tell everybody we meet, ‘Starving people, listen! We found where the food is!’”

As the Second Vatican Council stated and Saint John Paul II reiterated the Eucharistic sacrifice is “the source and summit of the Christian life”. “For the most holy Eucharist contains the Church's entire spiritual wealth: Christ himself, our Passover and living bread.” As Christian Catholics we need to rediscover the treasure we have at the grasp of our hand in our churches. Unfortunately, only a handful Catholics see the need for more time spend with the Eucharist. Most of us are “too busy” with the things of this world—the things that will never satisfy the longing of our hearts.

Since last year the Church also called us to Eucharistic revival, that is, to live from the Eucharist, not just at Holy Mass, but beyond it. We should come to Eucharistic Jesus as often as we can and to spend time with Him. In this way we will find peace we are looking for so sesperately in this world. He is there or rather He is here for us because God loves us. Moreover, while we spend time with Jesus in adoration, we gain wisdom and often our troubles are miraculously resolved. The only thing we have to do is to come to Him and trust that He will help us. Saint John Paul II wrote on this in his encyclical letter on the Eucharist:

It is pleasant to spend time with him, to lie close to his breast like the Beloved Disciple (cf. Jn 13:25) and to feel the infinite love present in his heart. If in our time Christians must be distinguished above all by the “art of prayer”, how can we not feel a renewed need to spend time in spiritual converse, in silent adoration, in heartfelt love before Christ present in the Most Holy Sacrament? (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 25).

To help to foster devotion and appreciation for the Eucharist we are going to start silent adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament in our church every Thursday, beginning October 24th, 6PM-8PM. You do not have to stay the whole time. It can be a couple of minutes or a full hour. Bring your Bible or spiritual reading; pray the Holy Rosary or remain silent; the important thing is that you come. So please respond to this invitation and come to spend time with Jesus, be exposed to His healing rays, and experience the spiritual renewal so that you can carry on with your life mission.

Have a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

Mensaje del párroco el domingo 6 de octubre de 2024

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 23:55:00 GMT

In English

Por mucho que me gustaría centrarme sólo en los asuntos pastorales de nuestra parroquia, esta vez necesito explicar algunos asuntos pendientes que afectan a toda la Diócesis de Rockville Centre, y por tanto, a todos los católicos de Long Island. Estoy seguro de que la mayoría de ustedes ya han oído en los medios de comunicación locales que nuestra diócesis está a punto de llegar a un acuerdo con respecto a las demandas pendientes. Por favor, lean en la siguiente página la Declaración oficial de la Diócesis de Rockville Centre como resultado de la Audiencia en el Tribunal de Quiebras (con fecha 26 de septiembre de 2024).

También, por favor lea primero esta declaración de nuestro Vicario General:

"Para compensar a los sobrevivientes y proteger a las parroquias de demandas, la Diócesis y cada parroquia harán una contribución al acuerdo. El total del acuerdo ha sido aceptado. Por lo tanto, las donaciones a la parroquia ahora permanecen con la parroquia. Además, para proteger a las parroquias de cualquier responsabilidad pasada, será necesario que cada parroquia entre en un Capítulo 11 abreviado. Esto no significa que la parroquia está en peligro o cierre. Por favor, no se asusten si escuchan que las parroquias se están "declarando en bancarrota". Como siempre, no crea automáticamente todo lo que oye en los medios de comunicación. Los Capítulos 11 de las parroquias se completarán en 48 horas y no interferirán con nuestro trabajo y ministerio. Esto se está haciendo para que las parroquias puedan obtener liberaciones para su protección de la responsabilidad en el futuro. Los planes diocesanos y parroquiales aún no han sido confirmados. Sin embargo, queremos que estén informados para que no les sorprenda nada de lo que pueda aparecer en la prensa. En las próximas semanas se ofrecerá información más detallada en el boletín. Sepan que les mantendremos plenamente informados a medida que se confirmen los detalles. Nuestros principales objetivos son resolver cualquier posible responsabilidad y asegurar el futuro de nuestra parroquia."

¿Qué significa para nosotros como parroquia y para todas las parroquias de Long Island? - Significa que tendremos que contribuir a la solución de este pleito tanto si tenemos casos pendientes como si no. La cuota que tenemos que aportar se calcula en función de los activos financieros de la parroquia hasta la fecha. Puedo asegurarles que nuestra parroquia de San José Obrero ha obtenido una de las cuotas más bajas en cuanto a lo que tenemos que pagar. Todavía tengo que confirmar con las entidades diocesanas el número exacto y la línea de fecha para los pagos. Se les informará al respecto. Mientras tanto, seguimos rezando por las víctimas supervivientes de abusos sexuales y sus familias. Sin duda merecen una justicia real, nuestro respeto y nuestro apoyo pastoral permanente. También esperamos que una resolución global les reconforte en cierta medida y ponga fin a un calvario que venimos padeciendo desde que las demandas han llegado a los tribunales.

Comprendo que muchos de vosotros estéis enfadados por esta situación en nuestra diócesis y en la Iglesia católica en general. Os preguntaréis, como yo, ¿cómo hemos llegado a este lío? Antes de emitir juicios apresurados, por favor, rezad y tratad de ver la situación en su conjunto. Yo no crecí en este país, pero después de leer bastante sobre la historia moderna y hablar con mucha gente, sé que las décadas posteriores a la Segunda Guerra Mundial, en particular los años 60 y 70, fueron bastante permisivas en muchos aspectos en Estados Unidos y otros países occidentales. La llamada revolución sexual se llevó al extremo en la cultura pop. Los valores tradicionales de Dios, la patria y la familia habían sido dejados de lado y muchas personas empezaron a vivir sus vidas con este espíritu "libre" mientras se enredaban cada vez más en la vida del libertinaje, que rápidamente llevó a consecuencias muy extendidas de divorcio, monoparentalidad, aborto y promiscuidad en general - todo en nombre del "amor libre" y la autorrealización.

Por desgracia, el mismo espíritu de libertinaje se ha colado también en la Iglesia católica, especialmente después del Concilio Vaticano II. Desde entonces, muchos sacerdotes, religiosos y laicos relacionados con la Iglesia también se han contagiado espiritualmente. A pesar de sus tradiciones anteriores y de su formación religiosa, muchos abrazaron la mentalidad que prevalecía en la cultura pop. Ahora, han pasado muchos años y todos sufrimos las consecuencias. Por favor, no me malinterpreten, no estoy intentando justificar ningún acto malvado en particular, sino más bien mostrarles que la Iglesia es como una familia que sufre las consecuencias de un hijo o hija que hizo algo terriblemente mal. La curación de la familia requiere la cooperación de todos sus miembros.

Os agradezco a todos vuestras oraciones y vuestro continuo apoyo. Que Dios os bendiga a vosotros y a vuestras familias.

P. Janusz Mocarski, Párroco

Message from the pastor on Sunday, October 6, 2024

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 23:46:00 GMT

En Español

As much as I would like to focus only on the pastoral issues of our parish, this time I need to explain some pending issues that touch the entire Diocese of Rockville Centre, hence, all the Catholics on Long Island. I am sure that most of you have already heard from the local news outlets that our diocese is about to strike a deal regarding the pending lawsuits. Please read on the next page the official Statement of the Diocese of Rockville Centre as a result of the Hearing in Bankruptcy Court (dated September 26, 2024).

Also, please read first this statement from our Vicar General:

“In order to compensate survivors and protect the parishes from lawsuits, the Diocese and every parish will be making a contribution to the settlement. The settlement total has been accepted. Therefore, donations to the parish now remain with the parish. Also, to protect the parishes from any past liability, it will be necessary for every parish to enter into an abbreviated Chapter 11. This does not mean that the parish is in jeopardy or closing. Please do not panic if you hear it reported that parishes are "declaring bankruptcy". As always, do not automatically believe everything you hear in the media. The parish Chapter 11's should be completed within 48 hours and will not interfere with our work and ministry. This is being done so that the parishes can obtain releases for their protection from liability going forward. The diocesan and parish plans have not yet been confirmed. However, we want you to be informed so that you are not surprised by anything that might be reported in the press. In the coming weeks, more detailed information will be provided in the bulletin. Please know that we will keep you fully informed as details are confirmed. Our highest goals are to resolve any potential liabilities and to secure our future for our parish.”

What does it mean for us as a parish and all parishes on Long Island? — It means that we will have to contribute to this lawsuit settlement whether we had any pending cases or not. The quote we need to chip in is assessed based on the parish financial assets up to date. I can assure you that our parish of Saint Joseph the Worker has gotten one of the lowest assessments in terms of what we need to pay. I still need to confirm with the diocesan entities the exact number and the date line for the payments. You will be informed accordingly. Meanwhile we continue to pray for the victim survivors of sexual abuse and their families. They certainly deserve real justice, our respect, and our ongoing pastoral support. We also hope that a global resolution will bring some measure of comfort to them and stop an ordeal that we have been under since the lawsuits have been brought to courts.

I understand that many of you may be angry at this situation in our diocese and in the Catholic Church by and large. You may wonder, as I do too, how did we end up in such a mess?! Before you make any hasty judgment, please, pray over it and try to see a bigger picture. I did not grow up in this country, but having read enough about modern history and speaking with many people I know that the decades after World War II, particularly the 60s and the 70s, were quite permissive in many ways in America and other Western countries. The so-called sexual revolution was taken to the extreme in pop-culture. The traditional values of God, country, and family had been put aside and many people started living their lives with this “free” spirit while getting more and more entangled in the life of licentiousness, which quickly led to wide spread consequences of divorce, single parenting, abortion, and general promiscuity — all in the name of “free love” and self-realization.

Unfortunately, the same spirit of licentiousness has also creeped into the Catholic Church, especially after the Second Vatican Council. Since then, many priests, religious, and lay people associated with the Church have become spiritually inflicted too. Despite their previous traditions and religious upgrading many embraced a mindset that was prevailing in the pop-culture. Now, many years have passed and we all suffer the consequences. Please, do not get me wrong, I am not trying to justify any particular evil act, but rather to show you that the Church is like a family that suffers the consequences of one son or daughter that did something terribly wrong. The healing of family requires a cooperation of all its members.

I thank you all for your prayers and continuing support. God bless you and your families.

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

Del escritorio del párroco en el 18º domingo del tiempo ordinario, año B

Sun, 18 Aug 2024 19:19:00 GMT

Mucha gente me pregunta cómo estoy y "qué sigue" con mi enfermedad. Por el momento, nada ha cambiado. Sigo paralizado de cintura para abajo. Como pueden ver y oír, puedo funcionar en la silla de ruedas y trabajar como párroco de la parroquia. Estoy muy agradecido a Dios porque al menos esto puedo hacerlo, aunque no sin esfuerzo. Las actividades sencillas de la vida diaria, actividades que normalmente la gente da por sentadas, me cuestan mucha más energía: vestirme, levantarme de la cama, ducharme, preparar la comida y, por supuesto, moverme de un sitio a otro, todo esto me cuesta mucho trabajo. Pero sé que Dios es mi fuerza y, como solía decir el obispo Fulton J. Sheen, "Merece la pena vivir". Así pues, mi vida merece la pena e incluso es gratificante a muchos niveles. Puedo ver que a pesar de mi discapacidad, o quizá gracias a mi condición, Dios hace maravillas en mi vida y en la vida de muchas personas que encuentro durante mi ministerio y mis viajes.

En cuanto a mi pronóstico médico, hace poco surgió la oportunidad de someterme a un tratamiento en Europa. A través de un médico de Chicago, me pusieron en contacto con un instituto médico suizo de Europa que realiza tratamientos con células madre para personas con diversas afecciones médicas, incluidas lesiones medulares. Tras la revisión inicial de mi caso y una videoconferencia, me han aceptado para someterme a un tratamiento con células madre en agosto de este año, todos los gastos de mi bolsillo, pero mucho más barato que en cualquiera de las clínicas estadounidenses. Aunque la sede del instituto está en Suiza, la clínica en la que me tratarán se encuentra en Belgrado (Serbia). Así pues, saldré el 17 de agosto y volveré a Estados Unidos el 27 de agosto. Como se trata de un viaje bastante largo y difícil para mí, viajaré con mi hermana y un médico de Chicago, que ha organizado este tratamiento. Les ruego que recen por la seguridad de nuestro viaje y por mi curación.

En el contexto del tema de este domingo, recordemos que todo lo que buscamos en esta vida no quedará satisfecho si no acudimos a Cristo. Nuestro Bendito Señor recuerda a los discípulos esta verdad al decirles " No trabajéis por el alimento que perece, sino por el alimento que perdura para la vida eterna, que os dará el Hijo del hombre. " Luego Jesús pasa a explicar que no fue Moisés quien hizo el milagro de alimentar a la Nación Elegida durante cuarenta años en el desierto, sino que fue Dios Padre, a quien ahora Jesús encarna y representa aquí en la tierra. Jesús nos asegura que es Él el alimento celestial capaz de nutrirnos en todas las dimensiones de nuestro funcionamiento humano: " Yo soy el pan de vida; el que viene a mí nunca tendrá hambre, y el que cree en mí nunca tendrá sed ".

Cuando vengamos a Jesús y creamos en Él de todo corazón estaremos satisfechos. Los que han descubierto esta verdad y la han abrazado con la sencillez de un niño pueden saborear verdaderamente el cielo en la tierra. La próxima vez que comulgues, recuerda que es a Cristo a quien recibes; de hecho, recibes su Cuerpo y su Sangre, su Alma y su Divinidad, para que tú también recibas la plenitud de la vida y te transformes en los santos de Dios.

Que tengan una feliz semana. P. Janusz Mocarski, párroco

From pastor’s desk on the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time, year B

Sun, 18 Aug 2024 19:15:00 GMT

Many people ask me how I am doing and "what’s next" with my condition. For the time being nothing has changed. I am still paralyzed from the waist down. As you can see and hear I can function in the wheelchair and work as a pastor of the parish. I am very grateful to God that at least this I can do, not without an effort though. Simple activities of daily life, activities that usually people take for granted, cost me much more energy: dressing, getting out of bed, showering, preparing a meal, and of course moving from place to place—all this is hard work for me. But I know God is my strength and, as bishop Fulton J. Sheen used to say, "Life is worth living." So, my life is worth living and is even gratifying on many levels. I can see that despite my disability, or perhaps thanks to my condition, God does wonders in my life and in the lives of many people I encounter during my ministry and travels.

As for my medical prognosis, recently something came up as an opportunity to go for a treatment in Europe. Through a doctor in Chicago, I was connected with a Swiss medical institute in Europe that does stem cell treatments for people in various medical conditions, including spinal cord injuries. After the initial review of my case and a video conference I have been accepted to go for stem cells therapy in August of this year — all out of pocket expenses but much cheaper than in any of the U.S. clinics. Though the institute’s headquarters is based in Switzerland, the clinic I will be treated in is located in Belgrade, Serbia. Thus, I am going to leave on August 17th and come back to the States on August 27th. Since it is a rather long and difficult trip for me, I will be traveling with my sister and a doctor from Chicago, who arranged this treatment. Please pray for our safe journey and continue to pray for my healing.

In the context of this Sunday theme, let us remember that whatever we are looking for in this life will not be satisfied unless we come to Christ. Our Blessed Lord reminds the disciples of this truth while saying to them " Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. " Then Jesus goes on to explain that it was not Moses who did the miracle of feeding the Chosen Nation for forty years in the desert but it was God the Father whom now Jesus embodies and represent here on earth. Jesus assures us that it is He who is the heavenly food able to nourish us in all dimensions of our human functioning: " I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst."

When we come to Jesus and believe in Him with our whole heart we will be satisfied. Those, who have discovered this truth and embraced it with the simplicity of a child can truly taste heaven on earth. When you next time receive Holy Communion remember that it is Christ you receive; in fact, you receive His Body and Blood, Soul, and Divinity so that you too may receive the fulness of life and be transformed into the holy ones of God.

Have a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

PASTOR’S MESSAGE FOR EASTER 2024 / MENSAJE DEL PASTOR PARA PASCUA 2024

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 19:12:00 GMT

Blessing of our Parochial School and Convent

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 18:17:00 GMT

Palm Sunday 2024

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 12:11:00 GMT

This Sunday we enter the most sacred time of the year. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, which holds a twofold meaning. First, the readings focus on the triumphant entry of Jesus to Jerusalem and then we immediately proceed with the reading of the Passion of our Lord. The Church provides us with these readings so that we can understand that there is no triumph without the Cross.

So first, during His glorious ride to Jerusalem our Blessed Lord is recognized by the crowds as the promised Messiah. He rides on a donkey and people bow before Him while singing “ Hosanna ”. They see in Jesus a new king that would “overthrow” the oppressing current regime and establish a new kingdom of Israel. The whole scene reminds us of the triumphant entry of King David of old to whom the crowds also sang and danced. However, this time, we know that
the story of Jesus has a different turn, for the Lord Jesus will not sit on the king’s throne in Jerusalem, but He will be lifted up on the Cross—this is His throne, from which He will rule over the world. In such a stark contrast to what happened next, the triumphant entry into Jerusalem is an irony that cannot be missed: Jesus is the king of kings, but He is not what people immediately expect. It is really shocking what follows next. The same crowds that were so enthusiastic about Jesus will either change their minds and shout out “crucify Him” or they will disperse in confusion.

The second part of the Palm Sunday celebration leads us to the contemplation of the Passion of our Lord. This year we hear the version from the gospel according to Saint Mark. This particular gospel lays out a plan to conquer evil. It is really Jesus, the Mighty One, who is able to do it for us. But for the ultimate victory much greater sacrifice is necessary. It is His sacrificial death on the Cross. Thus, almost from the beginning the Gospel of Mark talks about the difficulties the Messiah would have to face and the cost of the discipleship. Mark emphasizes the significance of the carrying of the cross in the life of Jesus and of His disciples. The disciples must only trust Jesus who executes the will of the Father and offers Himself on the altar of the cross. Not surprisingly Mark’s passion narrative also picks up the theme of Jesus’ kingship. According to Mark, though the Roman soldiers and the crowds mock Jesus as a “fake” king, this is another irony, because, in fact, Jesus is the King of all the universe, but He is recognized only by those who believe in Him. Jesus is the king that lays down His life for the life of His subjects. By having laid down His life, Jesus reveals that He, the divine King is not just a savior of the people, but He is also the only Way to salvation.

As you contemplate these great mysteries of our faith, express your gratitude to God for the gift of salvation. Prepare your hearts for the coming festivities by prayer and penance. Do not neglect silence and scripture reading. Also, if you have not done it yet this lent, come back to the sacrament of reconciliation and allow God to purify you by His sanctifying grace. And remember that the Resurrected Christ was seen only by those who believed His word and
accepted—received into their hearts—Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross.

I wish to you all that Holy Week may deepen your faith in the power Christ.

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

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A Lenten Reflection through the Franciscan Lens

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 03:05:00 GMT

In preparing for Lent, I went to the writings of St. Francis in the early Rule . I wanted to ponder his choice of poverty as a way to imitate Christ and to guide his life and in turn to influence my own. In the Rule St. Francis writes to the brothers, “The Lord commands us in the Gospel, Watch, be on your guard against all malice and greed . ( Luke 12:13 ). Guard yourselves against the preoccupation of this world and the cares of this life.”

A few months ago, I was listening to a group of people discussing what was the most important issue for them in life. I was shocked as I listened to them share what was uppermost in their minds and hearts. It was not the dignity of the human person, or the support of the poor and disenfranchised, or our education system, or the migrants at the border or the freedoms of democracy or the care of the planet, or health care, or the support of our allies and those in war torn countries or many other issues facing our country. It was about protecting each individual’s wealth, the assurance that their investments would grow. It was all about money, hard cold cash in the pockets of those persons in the discussion. It was about having more, a bigger house, a better car, bigger bank accounts or reputation and ego. These were the things that would bring them peace and security, but will it ?.... or will it build bigger fences around us and give us fewer people we can trust. We have assigned money enormous power. We have given it almost final authority. If we look at our behavior, it tells us that we have made money more important than we have given to the meaning of human life. “Money is malignant, we have killed for it, enslaved others for it, and enslaved ourselves to joyless lives in pursuit of it…..we have demeaned and devalued ourselves, taken advantage of people in order to get or keep money or the power we believe it can buy.”, author Lynne Twist.

Jesus is absolute about money and power because He knows what we’re are going to do with it! Many of us will serve the god called “mammon”, the one who takes over when we think that all is counting, weighing, and deserving. Perhaps Christ had this in mind when He counselled the young man to sell all of his possessions and then follow Him. Francis found great joy in extreme poverty, because it gave him the freedom to live his life as Jesus and Mary did and not burdened with the cares of the world.

Does our God require extreme poverty as we understand it, of course not, but His Son has reminded us of the danger of excess and especially the importance we attach to it. A very wealthy person may have many possessions but be totally unattached and willing to share with the less fortunate, while a poor person with few possessions may be stingy, grasping and hoarding.

From the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order: Trusting in the Father; Christ chose for himself and his mother a poor and humble life, even though he valued created things attentively and lovingly. Let us seek a proper spirit of detachment from temporal goods by simplifying our own material needs. Let us be mindful that according to the gospel we are stewards of the goods received for the benefit of God’s children.

A Lenten Prayer :

Lord, show me how to be poor in a culture that worships

the wealth of power, possessions and prestige. Amen

Something to reflect about during Lent

May the + Lord give you His peace.

Charlotte Kelly ofs

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Preparing the Heart: Insights from the Pastor's Desk on the 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year B

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 12:53:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 3rd Sunday of Advent, year B

On the third Sunday of Advent we are reminded again about the need of preparation and reparation for the coming of the Lord. It is again the voice of God’s messenger, Saint John the Baptist, “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘make straight the way of the Lord.’” John the Baptist called people to repentance because he knew that human sins are obstacles to the knowledge of God and to the recognition of the Lord’s coming in human form. In other words, the Lord cannot reveal Himself to an unrepentant soul, for that soul is blinded by sin and its consequences. John the Baptist is like the voice in our conscience which reminds us that we all need to repent, to turn away from sin, and to follow the Lord. If we could only realize who God is and who we are before God, then our immediate response to John’s calling would be authentic conversion of our heart.

We know, however, that often repentance is not that easy. For even when we know we are doing wrong, we internally get stuck. So, it is exactly to those people that the Lord speaks through the prophet Isaiah, “He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the LORD.” We all are very often the captives of sin or the worldly way of life. The Lord comes to us and He helps us when we cannot do it on our own. For that very reason Jesus has established the Church and has given us the sacraments so that they can liberate us, give us life and strength, and eventually make us holy.

A particular sacrament that helps us more than others in our way of repentance is the Sacrament of Reconciliation, otherwise known as confession. This is a reminder to come back to the sacramental confession before important liturgical celebrations of the Church like Christmas and Easter. So, while we are getting ready for Christmas it is good to prepare not only our homes, but most of all our souls. Please take this opportunity and make a good examination of conscience—you may find plenty examples of them on the Internet. Also come to Sacramental confession on the coming Monday or another day if you cannot make it then. And remember the Sacrament of reconciliation is just another way of God’s expressing His love for His people.

Below you will find a few excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church regarding the meaning of this sacrament.

May you be filled with joyful expectation of the Lord’s coming. I wish you all a blessed week.
Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
ACCORDING TO THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

1423: It is called the sacrament of conversion because it makes sacramentally present Jesus' call to conversion, the first step in returning to the Father 5 from whom one has strayed by sin. It is called the sacrament of Penance, since it consecrates the Christian sinner's personal and ecclesial steps of conversion, penance, and satisfaction.

1424: It is called the sacrament of confession, since the disclosure or confession of sins to a priest is an essential element of this sacrament. In a profound sense it is also a "confession" - acknowledgment and praise - of the holiness of God and of his mercy toward sinful man. It is called the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the priest's sacramental absolution God grants the penitent "pardon and peace." It is called the sacrament of Reconciliation, because it imparts to the sinner the love of God who reconciles: "Be reconciled to God." He who lives by God's merciful love is ready to respond to the Lord's call: "Go first be reconciled to your brother."

1430: Jesus' call to conversion and penance, like that of the prophets before him, does not aim first at outward works, "sackcloth and ashes," fasting and mortification, but at the conversion of the heart, interior conversion. Without this, such penances remain sterile and false; however, interior conversion urges expression in visible signs, gestures and works of penance.

1431: Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time it entails the desire and resolution to change one's life, with hope in God's mercy and trust in the help of his grace. This conversion of heart is accompanied by a salutary pain and sadness which the Fathers called animi cruciatus (affliction of spirit) and compunctio cordis (repentance of heart).

1440: Sin is before all else an offense against God, a rupture of communion with him. At the same time it damages communion with the Church. For this reason conversion entails both God's forgiveness and reconciliation with the Church, which are expressed and accomplished liturgically by the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.

Navigating Life's Fragility and Embracing Spiritual Preparedness

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 00:11:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the First Sunday of Advent, year A

It was exactly one year ago, on Friday night, December 2nd, 2022, I went to the emergency
room for not feeling well. Then that night in the emergency room suddenly I started feeling numb
in my legs and I was paralyzed from the waist down. It still feels like a twilight zone. Immediately
I was admitted to the hospital—then I was hospitalized for the following 10 weeks in four
different facilities. That very night and the following days and weeks I learned in a very hard and
real way that I could not control my life and my fate anymore. There was something much
greater and much more difficult at stake, a task that only God could prepare or permit which lied
ahead of me. Paradoxically, my illness made me more aware of the fragility of human life. It
helped me to realize how precious and how short our life is. I have also learned how important
our faith is and how little time we have to come to the full knowledge of the Lord.
This is the gospel’s message for the First Sunday of Advent: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not
know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad.” Our Blessed Lord Jesus wants
His disciples, all of us, to be watchful, to live in such a way that we can always welcome Him
when He comes. But one must ask, “What does it mean to be watchful and alert in spiritual life?”
It is to live in the state of grace and in the state of preparedness. This means that we cannot be
attached too much the things of this world, we need to pray, and do acts of mercy and God will
take care of everything else. We also need to let go things go, the things that may be an
obstacle to our relationship with Jesus.
Though Jesus has already come, it seems that world has forgotten Him so much that we need
to be reminded again about His coming. This is the purpose of each Advent. It is a very sacred
season reminding us that we need to open our hearts and minds to Christ. I pray that this
Advent you will stay spiritually awake and alert. This means that you spend less time on
shopping and entertainment and more time on prayer and Scripture reading. That you will not
engage only in worldly business but in the things that will bring your closer to Jesus and the
Blessed Mother. I wish you experience a truly blessed Advent.

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

The Priest's Sacred Calling: A Reflection on Faith and Vocation

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 15:41:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, year A

This Sunday’s readings remind us of the importance of the role of priests, who are supposed to be the men of God. The role of the priest in the Old Testament was to offer a sacrifice on behalf of the people of Israel and to give an example of holy life with God. We hear in the first reading, however, about the priests who were unfaithful and how God rebuked them. God speaks through the prophet
Micah directing this warning to the priests of Jerusalem Temple:

“And now, O priests, this commandment is for you: If you do not listen, if you do not lay it to
heart, to give glory to my name, says the LORD of hosts, I will send a curse upon you and of
your blessing I will make a curse.”

These are very harsh words directed to those who both, stood before God on behalf of the people and represented God so that people could approach God without fear. The Temple priests had proved to be unworthy of their role and their sin was revealed, for they “ turned aside from the way, and have caused many to falter by [their] instruction. ” In other words, instead of bringing people to faith, they started doing their own business by violating the covenant God had established with the Chosen people on the mount Sinai. Human weakness again prevailed and the priests of the Temple had become a stumbling block to the simple folk. Hence, once more God had claimed what was His: the fate of the people.

Similarly, in the Gospel we hear an echo of the prophet Micah. But this time it is the Lord Jesus Himself, who rebukes the scribes and the Pharisees, who were supposed to help the Chosen People to know the Holy Scriptures and lead them to the deeper understanding of God, and eventually to the recognition of the Messiah. Instead, the scribes and the Pharisees were using their position to rule over people’s hearts and minds while keeping them in the dark. In this case the so-called religious people used their authority either for their own gain or because of their pride. Like the prophet Micah, Jesus is very straightforward while directing His message. Here too, Jesus pinpoints the sin of the scribes and the Pharisees sins: they do their piety as a show-off — “ all their works are performed to be seen .” Consequently, they cannot or do not want to hear Jesus’ message. Hence, the Lord directly warns the people: “ do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. ”

It seems that the things have not changed much since Jesus’ times, for today too many of us, priests or theologians, do not do what God commended us to do. Unfortunately, for too many priests and theologians today, the priesthood or study of theology have become just a career or a lifestyle, not because they wanted to do that from the beginning, but rather because they have neglected their relationship with Jesus and the Blessed Mother. Yes, a lack of deeper relationship with God is the first indicator that a particular priest is on the way to lose his vocation. In my opinion, it is the key to understanding the crisis of the priesthood back in the ancient times and today. Too often we just rely on legality of the religion or we try to intellectualize our faith and mission instead of cultivating deeper ties with the Lord and the Blessed Mother through intense prayer, repentance and ongoing formation.

Since currently there are so few young men entering the seminaries or religious life because the crisis among the priests is too obvious, I ask you, please, unceasingly pray for vocations to the priesthood. Remember that without the priests there will be no sacraments: no baptisms, no confessions, no anointing of the sick, no holy matrimony, no Eucharist, eventually no Church. So, pray also for the priests you know so that we all may be truly the holy men of God. Thank you for your support and prayers.

Blessings to all.

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

Reflections on the Gospel: Paying to Caesar and Paying to God

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 16:15:00 GMT

A Letter From Our Beloved Pastor Fr. Janusz

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 23:14:00 GMT

From the pastor’s desk, a long-delayed letter…

Dear Parishioners,

It has been over two months since I have been struck with a mysterious disease that caused an inflammation in my spinal cord and a subsequent paralysis of my lower body. Yes, currently I am fully paralyzed from the waist down. Perhaps you heard many contradictory explanations as to what had happened to me. Although I spent six weeks in two hospitals, up to this day there is no clear answer to my condition; no doctor can really explain it either. However, the doctors stick to the most probable diagnosis, namely, that it was caused by the Varicella Zoster virus, which was found in my spinal fluids. Right now, I continue my treatment in the Kessler Rehabilitation Center in New Jersey. I am very glad to be out of the hospital and to continue my way to a successful recuperation.

Though my condition is not easy, God gives me strength. During my treatment I have gone through a lot of uncertainties, sometimes sadness, but never loneliness. Thanks be to God, that a few loving and kind people were around me all the time, especially my closest friends and family, who helped me in my need. In this regard I feel truly blessed. I am also blessed with all the prayers and love that all of you have been sending to me, whether in the form of greeting cards, emails, or as simple assurance through other people. THANK YOU! I believe that your prayers help me to get through this difficult period of my life. Please forgive me, that at the moment I am not able to respond to each of you individually. Be assured that I hold you dear in my heart and I pray for each and every one of you, as well as for my dearest flock in East Patchogue every day, and each Sunday I offer for you a Holy Mass.

I am also grateful to the other priests who helped to cover all the masses and celebrations in our parish during this time. Particularly, I thank Fr. Kevin Gruber, who has become one of ours, a member of our community. This weekend you meet a new administrator of our parish. This is a necessary step to continue a normal operation of St. Joseph the Worker Community. Hopefully, this will be a temporary situation, and if this is the will of God, I will be back some time by the summer. Please welcome Fr. John Jairo Granados Morales as he embarks on this new role.

I do not want to bore you with my condition only. I think you deserve spiritual nourishment too. So, I would like to share with you a short reflection on the upcoming Sunday’s readings. In the second reading, St. Paul, a great and sophisticated theologian, reminds the members of the Church of Corinth that true wisdom does not come from the world or even from learning, but it can be found only in the cross of Jesus Christ: “I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2).

St. Paul writes this letter to the Corinthians after having experienced a failure while trying to evangelize the citizens of Athens. At Areopagus, Paul was appealing to the Greek wisdom and philosophy. At his preaching in Athens, however, only two people decided to follow the way of Christ. After that, Paul decided to preach Christ crucified. From then on Paul’s preaching was not to be dependent on human intelligence, but it became “a demonstration of Spirit and power, so that [the faith of the believers] might rest not on human wisdom, but on the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5). St. Paul understood the mystery of the Cross of Christ and now he lived it out in his very flesh. He started sharing this mystery with all he met on his apostolic journeys, and because of that, many did join the way of Christ. We too, if we want to truly comprehend the gospel of Jesus, must enter the mystery of the Cross, which is “foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those of us who are being saved, it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

In this Sunday’s gospel our Blessed Lord Jesus tells the disciples that they must become the salt of the earth and light of the world. The salt and the light are our faith in Christ Jesus, the Only Lord and Savior. This too is part of the mystery of the Cross. Those who were the fastest to comprehend Jesus’s teaching and grow in faith were those who were the closest to the Cross of Christ on Calvary: the Blessed Mother, the beloved disciples John, and Mary Magdalene. There is a moral in this event for all of us too. If we want to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, we must be faithful to Jesus and His Cross. Let us remember that the one who runs away from the Cross, runs away from Christ and consequently runs away from the source of life. Eventually he loses his salt and his light is dimmed.

I wish that you may embrace whatever crosses you may have in your life so that you may be joined to Jesus Christ and your faith may grow deeper and deeper for the rest of your life.

God bless. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, your pastor

The Solemnity of Christ and Thanksgiving Blessings

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 14:25:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

There are two themes for this week: the Solemnity of Christ the King, and the celebration of Thanksgiving. The first theme pertains to the celebration that occurs on the last Sunday of the liturgical year, which is the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe. Notice that in the title of this solemnity Our Lord Jesus is recognized not just as a king of any land, but He is the King of the Universe, that is, of the entire created world, visible and invisible. This means that He rules over all dominions in the entire universe:

“For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col 1:15-16)

A while ago I read a purely speculative article on whether Jesus could be a Savior of humans only or of any creature in the entire cosmos. The answer was quite straightforward. Even if there were other extraterrestrial beings somewhere out there in the universe, Jesus is still the Lord and Savior of all. The Biblical premise behind this is: the entire creation has been affected by sin and expects redemption ( see Romans 8:20-22). And since Jesus “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Col 1:15), only He can do the mission of saving all living creatures from the eternal perdition, for “there is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Although sometimes what we see in the world seems to be contrary to what we believe about Jesus’s power—there are still many wars, injustice, suffering, and evil—nonetheless, we believe that it is Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of the Most High, who rules from the Cross with the rule of Love, not terror like the earthly rulers do. Lord Jesus conquers all things by the power of His obedience and the love He demonstrated on the Cross while giving His life as “the ransom of many”:

“For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven” (Col 1:19-20).

Thus, on this particular Sunday we acknowledge that there is only One Savior, the Son of God, who has appeared in the human form on earth and it is Jesus Christ, Our Lord and King of the Universe. Through His sacrifice on the Cross He has conquered all the evil powers and established a kingdom that will have no end, the Eternal Kingdom that grows quietly in human hearts, which know how to serve God without fear. This Kingdom then appears in Jesus and His followers and is present visibly on earth as the Church and in heaven as the Heavenly Jerusalem.

The second theme of this week is thanksgiving . As we sit down at our tables to celebrate a Thanksgiving meal with our family and friends, let us remember the many things we have received from God, who is a loving and providential Father. First, we thank God for our life and family, then for the countless opportunities, relationships, and gifts as simple as running water in our faucets, or a roof over our heads. Then, thank God for the peace and security in our country. Finally, thank God for the salvation in Christ and for His Church on earth. Perhaps, this last thing is the greatest gift we have received from the Lord, for it is a gift of God’s infinite love for the fallen humanity, whom God never abandoned.

In the context of Thanksgiving Day, let us not forget about the less fortunate among us, those who do not have enough means to live well and to prosper. As God showers His blessings upon us, so too may we share them generously with others.

Happy Thanksgiving. Blessings upon your families and friends.

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

Pray With A Humble Heart

Sun, 30 Oct 2022 10:32:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

We cannot stress enough how important prayer is. This Sunday’s readings again direct our thoughts to the theme of prayer. This time, however, we are reminded that prayer must come from a sincere and humble heart, and it should lead us to a deeper relationship with God. If we are boastful and insincere, then our prayers cannot be answered, for as we repeat in the psalm, “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.” When we acknowledge that we are really poor and weak before God, only then can we obtain the necessary graces for our life. The more we become void of our ego, the more the Lord can act in us and through us. This is the way of an authentic spiritual growth—through humility and surrender to the Lord. For that reason, our Blessed Lord Jesus set as an example of humble prayer, a tax collector, who was perhaps rich in material possessions, yet he humiliated himself before God. In contrast, a pharisee, who was supposed to be an example of religiously pious life and humility, was only boasting about himself, how “good he was” compared to others.

The theme of humility is very hard to comprehend in our modern minds, especially in America, where everyone since childhood is taught that he or she is “the best,” even if in reality he or she is not so good. Unfortunately, children learn a false sense of worth when they do not hear the truth about themselves. In this way they begin to build a false sense of security, which eventually collapses when they grow up and they begin to make important first decisions. When we are not told the truth about ourselves, we cannot become who God is calling us to be. In order to realize the potential that is stored in each and every one of us, God calls us to a loving relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus is God, and when we enter the relationship with Him, we fulfill our human potential to the fullness, as did the Blessed Virgin Mary.

When we begin a sincere prayer, perceiving it more like a conversation between friends than a duty, we realize that we enter a loving relationship with Jesus Himself. Then we are able to open ourselves to truth about life and be transformed by grace.

Saint John Paul II, commented on this anthropological (human) dimension of relationship with Jesus in his Encyclical letter, Redemption Hominis :

Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it. This, as already has been said, is why Christ the Redeemer "fully reveals man to himself". If we may use the expression, this is the human dimension of the mystery of the Redemption. In this dimension man finds again the greatness, dignity and value that belong to his humanity. In the mystery of the Redemption man becomes newly "expressed" and, in a way, is newly created. He is newly created!

( Redemption Hominis , 10)

John Paul II, who was not only a saint and a pope, but also a great philosopher, realized that only in Jesus we can fulfill all our desires and develop authentic humanity— that is called holiness. Next time when you pray, take to heart the notion of humility and stand before God as you are: weak, frightened, sinful, dependent. Then you will hear the words of Christ: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17) and “Be assured of this, that I love you.”

I wish you all a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

With Gratitude to Our Lord Jesus Christ

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 16:47:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 28th Sunday in year C

To whom should we be grateful? — This is the question that one may pose after hearing the passage from this Sunday’s gospel. We read that there were ten lepers that came to Jesus. They begged for healing and our Blessed Lord performed the miracle at their request. All of them were cleansed at once of their illness, meaning, they had been completely cured of the terrible disease that caused the decay and distortions of their bodies. Not only that, but because of the nature of this contagious disease, the lepers were excluded from society and this, perhaps, was an even greater torture than the illness itself. Separation from loved ones makes any illness unbearable. At that time, any one afflicted by contagious disease was banned from the natural family ties and from any normal social interactions. Upon seeing these ten lepers, Our Lord Jesus was moved with pity for them. Since they showed faith in Jesus, our Lord restored them to the wholeness of their bodies and relationships.

How were they cleansed? — The lepers were obedient to Jesus’ word. They did as He commanded them. They were told to show themselves to the priests in the Temple of Jerusalem. At that time, in the Jewish cultural circle, it was the role of a priest to diagnose whether someone was cured or not from any ritually defiling disease. Hence, the afflicted men simply followed Jesus’ order to go to the Temple, as if they were already healed, and present themselves to the priests so that they could diagnose whether or not the men were restored to health. It was exactly then, while the lepers were on their way to the Temple, that something miraculous happened—their bodies became cured. They felt healthy and whole again, so they could go back to their families and communities. Whether the other nine men truly went to the Temple of Jerusalem we do not know. We do know, however, that only one man came back to Jesus to thank Him. The cured man happened to be a foreigner, that is, he was not a Jew and did not know all of the Jewish customs. One thing he had learned, however, was that it was the Teacher from Nazareth who showed mercy to the sick men, and through Jesus, the power of God was manifested.

The cured stranger immediately came back to Christ, who was also of the line of the priests. From Sacred Scripture we know that Jesus is the High Priest before God the Father. So, our Blessed Lord praised the man for his gratitude and set him as an example for us all to be really grateful to God through Jesus for all the wonderful things we have received in this life. By the means of this gospel passage we learn that all the power is given to Jesus “in Heaven and on Earth” (Matthew 28:18). For that reason, we conclude each prayer at Holy Mass saying “through Christ our Lord.” Jesus is our Lord and Savior; He is the Divine Healer who knows the depths of the human heart and has compassion on all our afflictions. Jesus can perform the miracles of healing for us too, but sometimes He may want to heal a much deeper wound that is hidden from our eyes. It is a disease that is called sin, which may eat us up from within like a mortal cancer. In fact, sin is the spiritual affliction that only Christ can heal. He already did it on the Cross, “for by His wounds you were healed” (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24).

The next time you come to a Holy Mass, thank our Lord Jesus for the miracle of spiritual healing. Remember, only Jesus loves you with the great love and He restores you to the fulness of life in God and society.

Have a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

Faith in God

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 13:51:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

It is all about faith. This Sunday’s gospel contains the very famous parable of the mustard seed. In the Gospel of Luke, we read these words of our Lord Jesus:

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.”

According to Luke’s version of the gospel, Jesus tells us to have a little bit of faith, be it “small” like a mustard seed, so that we may do great things and perform miracles similar to those performed by our Lord. In the gospel of Matthew, we hear even more. Jesus tells us that if we had faith the size of a mustard seed, we could move even the mountains and nothing would be impossible for us (Mat 17:20). This parable, however, is not about commanding the natural world like trees and mountains. It is a biblical figure of speech helping us to understand a much deeper spiritual reality.

By means of the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus reminds us that what may look small in the beginning, has a great potential to grow. The mustard seed is a relatively small seed, but out of it will grow a large bush, where even the birds can nest. And yes, with true faith we can move mountains, maybe not the physical mountains yet, but certainly the mountains and valleys of our life that need to be moved or filled with true faith in God. All that is lying heavy on our hearts and minds and presents itself as an obstacle on the road to salvation—that is what needs to be moved—mostly sin and doubt. Great deeds begin with small faith, with a simple act of trust that Jesus is my Lord and Savior, that He is the Good Shepherd and I shall lack nothing while He is with me. This is true Christian faith, the faith in Jesus Christ. It is crucial that we embrace it, for it will lead us to “all truth.” It is exactly putting on Christ that will change our lives, for our faith grows in relationship with Jesus, and not outside of it.

In other words, our Lord Jesus invites us to trust Him completely and unconditionally so that our life may be directed according to faith in Him. For us Christians, it is faith in Jesus and through Jesus in God the Father that really matters; everything else is only the consequence of that initial choice—the little seed put in our heart, which will grow into all areas of our life. Let us remember that each of our thoughts, every word, every decision, and all our actions reflect what we believe. If we do not believe in God, we act accordingly. If we do believe in the God of Jesus Christ, then our every action will permeate our faith in Him. Then we will know how to follow Him while carrying our daily crosses.

Speaking of trees, you might have noticed that we have cut down four trees on the rectory’s front lawn. Unfortunately, for the last two years, they were all dry and their branches were falling while creating a hazard for people sitting under those trees. So, it was necessary to remove them. We are planning to plant five maple trees in place of the old ones as well as putting a few more trees around the church and the rectory. If any family would like to “adopt” and sponsor a tree, it would be greatly appreciated.

I pray that your faith in God may grow, that you may see the many wonders that God has prepared for those who believe.

Have a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

Devotion to Mary - Pray the Rosary

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 13:52:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

This Sunday, again, we are presented with an issue of wealth and how we use it. Our Lord Jesus tells a parable of the rich man and the poor man, Lazarus, who lived at the gates of the rich man’s house. The story ends with both men dying, the rich man going to the place of torment (read hell ) and the poor Lazarus at the side of the patriarch, Abraham (read heaven ). Now the rich man is suffering as he realized that he was indifferent to the suffering of Lazarus who lived by his luxurious mansion. At that moment, the rich man understood that his lack of compassion was cruel and inhumane; there was no excuse for his behavior. We learn that the life of pleasure blinded the rich man and killed his conscience. Now he is suffering the consequences of his choices during his life on earth. He wants to warn his brothers, but he cannot because of the “chasm” between the netherworld and the earth. Meanwhile, Lazarus is now enjoying a life of peace and fulfillment. He has been rewarded for the misery he endured while on earth. It seems that through his poverty he learned obedience and faith, and never complained but trusted God’s mercy. Meanwhile, the rich man was immersed in a life of pleasure, forgetting about the love of God and neighbor.

This story told by Jesus, reminds us of the importance of the greatest commandment. Though the commandment is not explicitly mentioned, it presumes that the listeners know it: “ Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself .” The one who sincerely loves God, also knows how to love other human beings; the one who does not have God in his heart, also does not have love for other men.

Our Lord Jesus warns us to not be indifferent to the suffering of others. For there may be a poor man like Lazarus, lying at our door, but we are too busy to see or perhaps it is very inconvenient for us to reach out and change our habits. The poor man, like Lazarus, is not just a beggar or homeless person in our neighborhood. The poor man may be anyone who is desperately waiting for our love and acceptance, but we are too involved in our little world to even consider going out of our way for another human being. People in need are all around us, in our families, in our jobs, in our local communities, but we need to open the eyes of our heart in order to see them. Let us remember that our Lord Jesus identified Himself with the poor and suffering, not with those who were wealthy and well. So, when we help another human person, we help Christ Himself.

As we approach the month of October, I would like to invite you to pray the Holy Rosary on a daily basis. We must not forget how important the role of Mary was in the history of Salvation—through Her was born the Son of God, Jesus the Savior of the world. As we know from the numerous apparitions, the Blessed Virgin Mary still plays a crucial role in the life of the Church. Mary calls us to conversion and teaches us how to love God and Jesus; in a sense, we are at the school of Mary. And if someone denies the importance of Marian devotion, we say “ where Mary is, there also is Her Son, Jesus.” Thus, while meditating upon the mysteries of the Holy Rosary we learn about the mysteries of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection. We also come to know that Mary was always there with Her Son, Jesus, and the disciples in the nascent church. But this is not the end of Her story, for the Most Holy Mary still wants to be with us in our journey of faith.

So, please consider praying the Holy Rosary as couples and families, for it is a powerful weapon against the evils that attack us every day. Please teach your children and grandchildren how to pray the Rosary, as a simple, yet profound and beautiful prayer, that can accompany all our human endeavors. It would be really wonderful if you could also bring your children and grandchildren to Mary’s courtyard at our parish. It is such a beautiful place that can help you to foster devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and build stronger ties in our community.

I wish you a truly blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

The Kingdom of God

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 10:46:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

When you read this Sunday’s gospel passage, you may be surprised by the parable that seems to encourage cheating. It is the parable of a dishonest steward and the master who eventually praises his steward’s shrewdness. Perhaps you immediately may ask this question: What’s the point, Jesus?! Are you teaching us to deceive others? — certainly not. Our Blessed Lord never teaches us to do anything contrary to the Commandments. Rather, by means of the parables, Jesus makes us think of the things that are important for our salvation which we otherwise would overlook. In Jesus’s preaching, the parables are the stories with a moral, that are supposed to help us open our hearts and minds to the Divine Revelation.

In order to understand this peculiar parable, we must first remember that Our Lord Jesus does not instruct us about mere human relationships, but about how God the Father relates to His people through His Son. A dishonest steward is each and every one of us as long as we live for our life here on earth. It is every sinner who is in debt to the Landlord, who is God Himself. There are a few points that we should take from this parable.

First, Jesus makes us aware that we are all in debt to God. We have been endowed with so much good - our very life, talents, relationships, education, faith, etc., which we often waste because of our sinful way of living. All these great treasures are given to us to use for the greater good of building up the Kingdom of God. Yet, we often simply mismanage them or lose them altogether. There is no way we can repay God for what we have received from Him.

Second, we must use well all that we have to “secure” our salvation. We must do it promptly while remembering that very soon we too may stand before the Divine Judge and the Landlord who will ask us: “ What did you do with all I have given you ?” Our Blessed Lord Jesus, advises us that we should act prudently especially while we are dealing with our brothers and sisters, who are also indebted to the landlord. We try to help them to “diminish” their debt while taking some burdens upon ourselves. We do so also by forgiving them what they owe us (think of the parable of the King and unmerciful servant). Ultimately, we have to remember that it was Jesus, the Son of God, who “cheated” death and took all our debts upon Himself and paid the price on the Cross. It is Christ who acts most prudently while dying for us on the cross.

Finally, the Master praises his dishonest steward not so much for his cheating but for the love and mercy he showed toward his fellow citizens. Maybe this is the greatest point of this parable: The Master cares more for his people than for the things both material and spiritual, that were entrusted to his servants. Our Divine Landlord —the Triune God—wants the salvation of all, and we too, should care for his people more than for material things. Jesus exhorts us to use the virtue of prudence in order to “secure” our salvation, not our well-being on earth.

I pray that you will discover how much we are indebted to the Lord and that we may open our hearts to the needs of our brothers and sisters around us.

Have a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

The Good Samaritan

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 10:47:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk in the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

This Sunday we meditate on the passage from the gospel of Saint Luke, which presents to us the parable of the Good Samaritan. This is probably the most well-known parable of all, even to the non-Christian world. The phrase Good Samaritan has become a saying that indicates a person who knows how to selflessly help others without looking for any gain, but by simply showing concern for the well-being of another person in need. Jesus’s parable is directed to us all and is intended to open our hearts for other human beings, despite their socio-economic or moral status. Jesus wants us to have the eyes to see all those around us who are destitute and in desperate need of help. Our Lord Jesus appeals to the deepest layers of the human heart while portraying an example of an authentic, loving and kind man, who knows how to, and is not afraid to, help his neighbor in need.

Although we tend to think that this parable applies only to our mere human situations, it also reveals truth about the mission of Jesus Christ. Right from the beginning of Christianity, the Church Fathers interpreted the parable's deeper meaning recognizing Christ in the person of the Good Samaritan and the entirety of humanity as a man who prey to the hands of robbers. Yes, it is all of us, all human beings, who after the original sin and after falling into subsequent sins, are now lying by the roadside and waiting for a Samaritan—Jesus Himself—to be rescued and cared for by the Divine Healer. The robbers are the devils who do not care for the human soul, but want to ravage humanity and even leave it dead by the “roadside” of the world.

The truth about humanity is that after the first fall there was no one capable to rescue us except for Jesus, who is our Lord and Savior. As in the parable, neither the priest, who represented the worship in the Temple of Jerusalem, nor the Levite, representing the Law of Moses, could see the man in dire straits. They were blind to the human condition affected by the evil men. They could not see the wounded man because they had not received the spirit of Jesus yet. Only Jesus could step down from the heavens in order to become one of us and to save us. It is only Jesus who was capable to step down to the realm of the dead and bring the fallen man—in fact, the entire human race—to life again. Not only that, Jesus also left the means to cure the man completely and paid the price to the innkeeper. Our Lord Jesus paid for us the price with His Precious Blood on the Cross and left us in the Inn of the Universal Church, in which we find the necessary medicaments—the sacraments—for the cure of our wounded humanity.

With His very life, our Lord Jesus set up an example of how to love and how to help. I am sure we ask these questions ourselves too: How to help? Whom to help? — These are the dilemmas that many of us have while trying to reach out to others when they seek our support. Although we are all called to serve one another, it is not easy to help in a meaningful way. It is often much easier to give a couple of dollars to homeless man in the street than to talk to him. It is almost certain that most of us want to leave as soon as possible so not to be bothered. In addition, we already might have had a negative experience when someone lied to us or “abused” our “generosity” for a purpose other than initially declared by the person in need.

Unfortunately, our hearts are very often too harden. Too often we get used to luxury, convenience, and may be even embarrassed when we have to get out of our comfort zone. We may be even surrounded by human misery and poverty and choose not to see it, for it is too challenging to us. Hence, this parable of Jesus is directed exactly to us. Our Lord Jesus wants us to leave our comfort zones like He did. Let us pray that we may have generous hearts and courage to reach out to those who may need our help.

I wish you all blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

Happy Independence Day

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 14:05:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

We live in a world that loves success. Most of us enjoy watching shows in which we admire truly gifted individuals like those in America’s Got Talent . We like to read stories about people who made a great career while starting from scratch and ending up in a leading role of some major business operation. The fact that we like the stories of significant accomplishments reflects our longing for something meaningful and beautiful in our lives. We all want to succeed in some way and have a sense of fulfillment. It is an authentic human trait to try to reach the impossible. It is part of who we are as humans: to achieve, to be independent, resourceful, responsible, and successful in this life. However, when it comes to the spiritual life, things are not quite the same.

When we try to apply the mere human standards of accomplishment to spiritual life, nothing seems to work. We must remember that Christian spirituality is more about emptying ourselves than accomplishing something in the worldly sense. It is about embracing the cross and allowing God to work through us. In this way we avoid a deception that we can do something for God. Rather, we acknowledge the things that God does for us. The greatest example of this spiritual approach is the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was well aware of God’s grace in Her life, for She sang, “ The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His Name ” (Luke 1:49). Like Mary we can only receive God’s grace and cooperate with it in order to become spiritually fruitful, not successful. Thus, what we can do is to learn how to become recipients of God’s grace. For this reason, we surrender to Jesus so that He can work in us and through us.

But even if we immerse in a genuine pursuit of spiritual life, we also must be aware of some spiritual dangers. Namely, if I feel too “successful” in spiritual life, that is, if I begin to think, “I pray very well, I have great spiritual gifts of healing, prophecy, preaching” etc., we may easily fall into pride. Yes, I can be prideful of “my” spiritual gifts and these gifts can really blind me. In that case, instead of focusing on the Lord I may enjoy only His “presents.” I may become like a Pharisee who was boasting about himself before God in the Temple of Jerusalem (Luke 18:11).

In this context, Saint Paul recognized this danger very quickly in the growing Christian communities, even in himself. So, he wrote to the Galatians (the second reading of this Sunday):

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Gal 6:14)

This is an invitation from the Lord to all of us to put on Christ and boast in the Cross of Jesus, through which we have been redeemed and saved. We should know that we are all spiritually weak like infants and not capable of doing anything good without God’s grace. Having said that, there is nothing to be afraid of, for our Lord Jesus knows who we are. He knows our feebleness and every weakness. He knows and comes to help us. What we need to do is to surrender to His Merciful Love so that He may do the rest.

If you would like to inquire more on this topic of surrendering to God, I strongly recommend you read “The Abandonment to Divine Providence,” which is a classic book of the Catholic spirituality by Jean Pierre de Caussade. May the Lord help you to embrace the daily cross and grow in holiness.

As we celebrate Independence Day let us remember that our true freedom is found only in Christ, who reveals to us who we ought to be—the children of God.

Happy Independence Day and a blessed week!

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

Solemnity of Corpus Christi

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 12:31:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi 2022

On May 13, 1981, Pope Saint John Paul II was mortally shot by the assassin Mehmet Ali Ağca. The late pope was struck four times and, according to the assassin’s own account, he should not have survived; John Paul II should have died on the spot. Nonetheless, he lived and attributed his survival to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as he later related, “It was a Mother's hand that guided the bullet's path.” A number of surgeries were performed on him and he had to undergo a long rehabilitation. Even when he came back to his ministry, the late pope was scarred for the rest of his life and often needed treatment and pills for his pain and tremors.

Saint John Paul II needed treatment both physically and spiritually. Not denying the need for physical treatment and therapy, he always emphasized the need for spiritual nourishment particularly through daily reception of the Eucharist and adoration. It was in the Eucharist that John Paul II was finding his strength and rejuvenation, meanwhile in the blessed Mother he was finding his consolation. Despite his extremely busy schedule as the supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church, John Paul II spent at least one hour in daily adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament. By doing this he not only preached, but also demonstrated that he firmly believed in the Real Presence of the Lord in the Eucharist. John Paul II never missed time with Jesus in the Eucharist even on his long and extremely packed apostolic trips. He was fixed on the Eucharist to the point that even when all the eyes and cameras were on him, he remained calm and completely steeped in adoration, for “meeting” Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament was more important than the busyness and demands of the world.

We know that our world is broken and deeply wounded and it needs healing. However, because the wound is so deep—it is a mortal wound inflicted on us by the devil—no human means can heal it. We must apply the Divine medicine in order to experience recovery from it. The medicine is Christ Himself on the cross and then present in the Eucharist. It is the Eucharist that is the greatest medicine for our broken world. Let the words and example of Saint John Paul II encourage us to foster our desire for an encounter of Christ in the Eucharist. But let us remember that to receive this medicine some surgeries must be done first, that is, we must repent and turn away from sin: we go to confession to be “operated” and then to receive the bread of immortality. The sacrament of Reconciliation (confession) and the Eucharist are inseparable, they go hand in hand.

As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, popularly known as the Corpus Christi , we too are invited to meet Christ and adore Him in the Blessed Sacrament in order to rejuvenate, heal our wounds, and find strength for our daily tasks.

The Solemnity of the Corpus Christi was initiated in Europe in response to the lack of faith in the Real Presence. This celebration was to foster the faith in Christ and to help the faithful to see that Jesus is really here with us. For that reason,

beautiful outdoor processions were organized as a public manifestation of our faith in Christs’ presence in the Eucharist. On those occasions people decorated their homes and streets and dress up in their best clothing. It was to honor the Lord Jesus who would “pass” through the streets of their cities, towns, and villages. People did this because they believed that Christ was really there with His people and that He wants to be with them and to bless them on their earthly journey.

As we too try to grow in faith and feel the closeness of God, let us take to heart the words of John Paul II from his encyclical letter Ecclesia de eucharistía :

The worship of the Eucharist outside of the Mass is of inestimable value for the life of the Church. This worship is strictly linked to the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice. The presence of Christ under the sacred species reserved after Mass—a presence which lasts as long as the species of bread and of wine remain—derives from the celebration of the sacrifice and is directed towards communion, both sacramental and spiritual. It is the responsibility of Pastors to encourage, also by their personal witness, the practice of Eucharistic adoration, and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in particular, as well as prayer of adoration before Christ present under the Eucharistic species.

It is pleasant to spend time with him, to lie close to his breast like the Beloved Disciple (cf. Jn 13:25) and to feel the infinite love present in his heart. If in our time Christians must be distinguished above all by the “art of prayer,” how can we not feel a renewed need to spend time in spiritual converse, in silent adoration, in heartfelt love before Christ present in the Most Holy Sacrament? How often, dear brothers and sisters, have I experienced this, and drawn from its strength, consolation and support!

May you experience the healing presence of our Lord Jesus. Have a blessed week.

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

Most Holy Trinity

Sat, 11 Jun 2022 13:37:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the Most Holy Trinity Sunday 2022

If you like religious art, I would like to invite you to contemplate the Byzantine icons. The religious icons in the Byzantine tradition are not just an art or painting to be hung on a wall. Each icon always contains a biblical scene or portrays Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, or a saint, and is considered a window— “icon”—to heaven. Hence, the veneration of the icons in the Eastern tradition is more than an art in the Western world. All of the Byzantine icons and those later created in the Byzantine tradition, which include Russian, Greek, Ukrainian and other traditions, always have deeper symbolism hidden in them.

One of the most beautiful and theologically loaded Russian Orthodox icons is the one created by a Russian monk and iconographer Blessed Andrei Rublev (born c.1365- died 1430). It is the icon which is on the cover of the bulletin this week. It is Rublev’s symbolic depiction of the “Most Holy Trinity.”

In this exquisite icon Rublev depicted a scene from the book of Genesis, in which three mysterious strangers (angels) come to visit Abraham and Sarah in order to announce to them the birth of their son Isaac. From the beginning the fathers of the Church believed that Abraham’s encounter with the three strangers was an encounter with the Most Holy Trinity. According to the early fathers this was a prefiguration of the revelation that later would take place in Jesus Christ. Here it was the first time when God was revealing God’s Self as the Most Holy Trinity. It is this theme that Andrei Rublev undertook when he decided to paint an icon with three angels.

If you pay close attention the three characters are sitting in a circle in which there is mutual exchange of love, a Divine communication: they are looking and blessings each other; they are on a mission too. You can also see that the items around them come together in a shape of an octagon, which implies a symbolic number “eight,” referring to the eighth day—the day of the Resurrection and a new creation—and to the eight beatitudes. Each angel is holding a rod symbolizing equal authority that pertains to each one of them. None of them is more important than the other, but all three of them share in the same Divine power.

The two figures on each side form a shape of a chalice in which there is sitting the figure in the middle. It is interpreted that the figure in the middle is the Son of God—Jesus Christ—who offers Himself as the lamb of Sacrifice. There is also depicted additionally on the icon with a shape of a little lamb on the plate/chalice in front of the Middle Character. Rublev also put a tree behind this middle same figure, leaving no doubt that it was Jesus Christ, who would hang on the cross for the Salvation of the world. Moreover, the colors of His clothes point to His saving mission too. It is red and blue, signifying His celestial origin and blood that will be shed for others.

The figure on the left is painted with a gesture of blessing the two other figures. Behind him you can also see the shape of a building, which symbolizes the Father’s house referring to Jesus’ words in the Sacred Scripture: “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places” (John 14:2). This character can be understood as the representation of God the Father. His clothing also contains blue color symbolizing heaven, but the outer garment is more “mysterious,” the colors are not very explicit. The reason for that is that ultimately God’s nature will remain to us a great mystery; God cannot be comprehended by human mind and senses.

The character on the right obviously represents the Divine Person of the Holy Spirit. The colors of the figure’s clothing consist of blue and green. Again, the blue symbolizes heaven and the green new life as it is seen in nature when everything blooms, like during the spring time. Such is the role of the Holy Spirit who is the source of life and renewal of humanity. In the icon this figure seems to be leaving—His feet are separated as if He was about to go—for the Holy Spirit is on a mission. He is being sent by the Son and the Father “to renew that face of the earth.”

There are many more details and theology behind Rublev’s icon. I recommend that you do more research and reading on it. But most of all, I invite you to pray and contemplate the great mystery of God in the Most Holy Trinity. It is the Mystery of the incomprehensible Love that God wants to share with the human race. Rublev’s icon may only help us to see how wonderful God is and how grateful we should be for the wonder of salvation in Jesus Christ.

May God’s Love permeate your hearts. I wish you all a blessed and peaceful week.

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

Peace and the Holy Spirit

Mon, 23 May 2022 17:53:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the Sixth Sunday of Easter, year C

This Sunday’s gospel reading provides us with two main messages. First, our Blessed Lord promises that the Holy Spirit will descend upon and remain with Christ’s disciples. The second message is the peace that Christ gives, which the world cannot give.

During the Last Supper our Lord Jesus promised not to leave the disciples alone. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, who “will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” Quite often, when we read these verses from the Gospel of John, we tend to think that Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to certain individuals. We think of the Holy Spirit very individualistically, as if each one of us as an individual person would know the complete truth and be taught “everything.” We must remember, however, that the words of Jesus in this context are used in the plural form “you” - “y’all,” not a singular “you,” like we so often use in the modern English language. In other words, the Holy Spirit is promised to the Universal (Catholic) Church, not to some individuals. This is not to deny the work of the Holy Spirit within each human soul; but the point is this: the Holy Spirit will come to the community of believers as a whole, if that community of the disciples remain together in prayer and be faithful to Christ’s teachings.

This Sunday’s gospel is a reminder that the Holy Spirit is active within the Church and is given to the disciples to build up the Church on earth and not to boost one’s self ego or make one more “charismatic.” So, when a particular charismatic prayer group claims that now its members have gotten more gifts of the Spirit, it misses the point entirely. It is a great modern misconception to think that an individual person or a particular group (frequently turning into a sect), e.g. Pentecostal churches, possess more exclusive “access” to the Holy Spirit. Once again, it should be emphasized that the Holy Spirit is given only to the Church. In lieu of this, we must see that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are active within the Church, especially in the celebration and dispensation of the seven sacraments. Moreover, the Holy Spirit, promised by the Lord to the disciples, teaches the faithful through the magisterium of the Church. When we profess faith in the Holy Spirit in the creed, we declare that we believe that the Holy Spirit has been guiding and instructing the Church over the centuries helping it to understand the teachings of Jesus and breaking down the “secrets” of the Bible and translating it into the worship of simple believers. Throughout the centuries, the popes, bishops, theologians, and many saints while being open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit always remained faithful to the Church and in this way, they have become the collaborators of the Spirit in Christ’s Church.

The second theme of this Sunday’s gospel is peace, which Jesus bestows on His disciples. Again, that peace is only possible if we stay faithful to Christ while making our faith active in our daily endeavors. Christ’s peace exceeds our expectation for it is the peace of a believer who trusts God in all circumstances, no matter how difficult they may appear. So, we should really take Jesus’ words, "Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid,” to our minds and hearts, so that we too, to use St. Francis’ prayer, may become the instruments of God’s peace.

In this context of seeking of God’s peace, I would like to ask you kindly to please pray for our parish. You may hear and notice significant changes. This is due to serious economic restraints which we are currently undergoing. Unfortunately, we, as a parish, have arrived at the point, at which we cannot conduct the parish activities as we used to; we simply have no money to sustain the usual operations. There are several factors at play right now in the world and in our parish. First, it is low church attendance resulting in very low Sunday collection (out of the seven parishes in our deanery, we are the second to the last in this regard). Secondly, the costs of all utilities have increased drastically, especially the cost of fuel, which translates into heating and other services based on the use of oil. Finally, the maintenance and repairs of the parish buildings require additional funds, which we do not have. Hence, the cuts are necessary. You are going to hear more about all the changes in the following weeks. As you hear about them, please pray over it first and if necessary ask questions directing them to me or to our office staff. Thank you for your generosity and support.

I wish you all a blessed week. God bless. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

Happy Mother's Day

Sat, 07 May 2022 09:24:00 GMT

Saint Joseph the Worker

Mon, 02 May 2022 17:58:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on May 1st, the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker

On Sunday, May 1st, we celebrate our patron’s feast of Saint Joseph the Worker. Hence, it would be good to get more acquainted with this great saint, to whom has been entrusted the care of the Holy Family. Unfortunately, beside the fact that Joseph was the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and a carpenter, many of us know nothing else about him. There is very little written about Joseph in the gospel, but what is written speaks volumes. The most important fact about Saint Joseph is that God had so much trust in Joseph that God put this man in charge of the Holy Family. It was not without Joseph’s cooperation though. It is believed, and has been revealed in some private revelations to some saints, that Joseph wanted to serve God alone, but he agreed to do whatever God would request of him. So, Joseph similarly to Mary, had his annunciation too. When God asked him to fulfill his fatherly mission Joseph willingly said “yes” to the role of a foster-father to the Son God.

Who was Saint Joseph and what kind of man was he? Thanks to popular paintings, most of us imagine Joseph as an older bearded man next to a young girl from Nazareth and Her blessed baby Jesus. Joseph in those depictions looks more like a grandpa than a husband of a young woman. Perhaps the artists painted Joseph in this way because it was a common belief that it would be impossible for a young man to stay chaste while living under the same roof with a young and beautiful woman (we must note that, yes, Most Holy Mary and Saint Joseph never had sexual relations, for Mary has remained forever Virgin and Joseph was the guardian of Her purity). Saint Joseph most likely was a young man, older than Mary, but still young and full of vigor; probably he was between 25 and 30 years of age. If Joseph were older it would be difficult for him to work as a craftsman and embark on perilous journeys such as the one when he took his expectant wife Mary on the trip to Bethlehem, or later after the birth of Jesus on a quick escape to Egypt.

Joseph was a man of prayer and of dreams. We have no doubt that Joseph was immersed in contemplative prayer, but regarding his dreams, however, we know they were of a different nature than ours. Joseph’s dreams reveal what kind of character Joseph was: pure, innocent, loving, obedient, and just. He was a man who learned to suffer in silence and patience. As evident from his dreams, Joseph centered everything on keeping God’s commandments and love of neighbor. Since he had a pure soul, perhaps the purest next to Mary, he was able to communicate with the angels. In return, the angels advised him on matters of faith and morals and Joseph listened to them.

Though Joseph could speak with angelic beings and had a mystical knowledge, he was not free of worry. We read in the gospel that Joseph suffered an inner conflict when he discovered Mary’s pregnancy. His suffering was even greater due to his pure love and admiration for the Blessed Virgin Mary. In all of this, Joseph wanted only to fulfill the will of God and was afraid to offend God in any way, so he waited. At the time of the archangel’s Annunciation to Holy Mary, Joseph did not understand everything that was happening to Mary or him. Joseph still needed to grow in faith. For that, he had to undergo a test and experience his dark night of the soul, when nothing seemed to be obvious, but everything led to confusion. Since Joseph “was a just man”— a man who had God’s law and love in his heart—he did not react the way an average man of his times would react. Rather, Joseph showed patience and willingness to suffer for the sake of Mary and trust God rather than his senses and mere appearances. From the gospel we know that for his part, Joseph eventually took really good care of the Immaculate Mary and of Jesus, Son of the Most High while protecting them and providing for their living.

Saint Joseph certainly is a great model for modern men so often confused about their masculinity and the role they have to play in the world. The life of Saint Joseph shows us that each man is called by God to a great mission and adventure that is beyond himself. Like Saint Joseph, every man must be first connected to God through prayer and following the Commandments. In such a way each man can obtain wisdom and right judgment, hence, becoming a just man—a man of God and a man of heart for others. Saint Joseph can inspire courage and decisiveness while protecting his Holy Family and fighting for the right cause.

These are just a handful of thoughts on our Blessed patron Joseph. I strongly recommend delving into more reading regarding Saint Joseph in order to learn more about him. As we are facing more changes and challenges in our parish, let us invoke the intercession of Saint Joseph that we too may discover and understand the will of God for us, that we may not be afraid, but trust that everything will be alright, though at times it may appear differently than what we humanly expect or imagine.

Saint Joseph and Most Holy Mary, protect us and pray for us!

Have a blessed and beautiful first week of May. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

Easter Sunday

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 14:10:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on Easter Sunday 2022

Christ is Risen! Alleluia!

The world again is ravaged by injustice, violence, financial crisis, and many other terrible atrocities such as the war in Ukraine. Every day news can fill us with anxiety and fear about our future. While facing this difficult and incomprehensible reality we are all looking for something or someone that gives us hope and a better understanding of the state of affairs. We often get frustrated and even angry when no one can give us a straight answer to all our inquiries. However, as Catholic Christians we know the answer – it is Jesus Christ. For “There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved” (Act 4:12).

Recently I came across a very neat comparison regarding Jesus and His mission towards the world, which I would like to use here, for it may help us to understand how much we need Jesus.

“Science says that we need at least four basic elements to survive:

water, air, food, and light.

And look what the Bible tells us about Jesus:

I am the Living Water.

I am [the Breath of] Life.

I am the Bread of Life.

I am the Light of the World.”

We all must realize that ultimately, there is no other remedy to the world’s problems apart from Christ. Hence, the world needs to hear about Jesus and His Resurrection. The world needs to hear about the newness of life in Jesus and that death is not the last word. The last word belongs to Christ, for He is our Way, our Truth, and our Life.

Let us not forget that Jesus the Son of God came to this world mainly for one reason: to save the world from eternal damnation. He achieved that by His death on the cross. But the Cross is not the last thing to happen, it is only the means to salvation – the last word belongs to Christ and it is expressed in His Resurrection. If we truly believe in Jesus, Easter should fill us with hope beyond this world. Through faith in the Resurrection we know that all our strife eventually will end, if we only unite our crosses to Jesus’. We also know for sure that our suffering finds its meaning in God alone.

As someone simply said, “What the world needs is a little wonder.” We see this wonder in the Christ, Crucified and Risen. This is the great wonder that the world needs to discover anew. It is the beauty of Christ Resurrected, which is beyond the grasp of the human mind, for it is the beauty of God’s love for humanity. It is His love that shines on the Cross and leads us to the glory of the Resurrection. It is His love that can change the human world from within.

One of the most relevant comments I found was written and delivered by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as he said regarding the Resurrection of Jesus:

“But somehow the Resurrection is situated so far beyond our horizon, so far outside all our experience that, returning to ourselves, we find ourselves continuing the argument of the disciples: Of what exactly does this "rising" consist? What does it mean for us, for the whole world and the whole of history? A German theologian once said ironically that the miracle of a corpse returning to life - if it really happened, which he did not actually believe - would be ultimately irrelevant precisely because it would not concern us. In fact, if it were simply that somebody was once brought back to life, and no more than that, in what way should this concern us? But the point is that Christ’s Resurrection is something more, something different. If we may borrow the language of the theory of evolution, it is the greatest "mutation", absolutely the most crucial leap into a totally new dimension that there has ever been in the long history of life and its development: a leap into a completely new order which does concern us, and concerns the whole of history.” (Benedict XVI, Easter Vigil Homily 2006 )

I wish you all that this Easter may fill you with authentic hope and joy. May you encounter the Living Christ in His Church, and especially in the Eucharist. HAPPY EASTER!

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 13:41:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the Fourth Sunday in Lent, year C

This Sunday’s gospel reading concerns the parable of the prodigal son. Our Blessed Lord Jesus addresses this parable while telling us about His mission to the world, that is the salvation of sinners. It is the mercy of God the Father that is at the center of this story. The parable is placed in the 15th chapter of the gospel of Luke, which means it is more or less in the middle of the gospel. In other words, it is at the heart of the gospel of Luke. We should think that where we find it, is certainly not by chance. Perhaps, our Lord Jesus wants to tell us something very important—that God is good and merciful. He does not want the sinner to die but to live. This is expressed in the words of the father from the parable: "now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.”

From early on, the parable has been interpreted as humanity straying in general, by disobeying God and going away to the land of chaos, which is sin. This story can also be applied to each individual soul, who chooses to live far away from “home.” The home of the Father is obviously the life of grace. The moment we choose to live without God, we leave the Father’s house and “squander [our] inheritance on a life of dissipation.” Without God we only find misery and hunger for more things until we come to realize that we need to go back to the Father. What helps us go back is our contrition and sorrow, which leads to humility and seeking forgiveness.

In this particular parable, both sons had the wrong image of their father. It is really the Father who is the most important character of the story. In fact, right at the center of the parable we hear about the Father who “caught sight of [his prodigal son], and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.” It is the Father who did everything else for his repented son. The son did not have to say anything, the good Father already knew everything, for he was moved by compassion and longing to see his wounded son again. Hence, the Father commanded the servants to throw a party and restore his younger son to his lost dignity. The Father also pleaded with the older son, who was unrepentant and blinded by his pride. The Father shows great concern for him as well. The Father wants his older son to see that forgiveness and compassion are essential for creating true communion (union with) the human family.

This parable of Jesus is an open invitation to all of us; first, to repent and seek forgiveness from God. Secondly, it is an invitation to receive each other in the full communion of life and love. All these are realized in the Community of the Catholic Church which offers the sacraments of reconciliation and the Eucharist; the latter is the sacrament of unity with the Lord and with each other.

As we come closer to the celebration of Easter, try to do a thorough examination of conscience and find an opportunity to go to the sacrament of reconciliation (confession) remembering that the Merciful Father is waiting for you with a loving heart.

Please, pray for the end of war in Ukraine and for peace in the world. Have a blessed week.

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

Lenten Season 2022

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 14:39:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

What is in your heart? What is in your thoughts? What is the point of reference for all your decisions and actions? Is it God and the Commandments, or opinions of other people? Or perhaps your own convenience? These questions may help us to put into context the gospel passage we hear this Sunday.

Our Lord Jesus talks about “seeing” others and He connects it to our hearts. Jesus reminds us of a deep psychological truth. Namely, our perception of others is determined by that which we are carrying in our hearts and thoughts. Whether we will perceive other people as good and desirable of our attention, or as detestable and unworthy of our attention, depends on the sentiments of our heart. But those sentiments too need to be well ordered. Hence, Jesus talks about the blind man who guides another blind man and both of them fall into a pit. Being blind in the biblical language means having no faith. It is the faith in God that is a light to our mind; it is the faith in Jesus that is the light to our path. If we have a genuine faith in God and imitate Jesus in His humility and charity, we will see others with different eyes too, for we will look at them as the children of God. Because of our faith we will see the dignity of each human person regardless of his or her socio-economic status, race, education, or even moral aptness. We will have the eyes of Jesus, not judging but loving.

This week we are going to begin the sacred season of Lent that may help us to recognize our vocation as Jesus’ disciples. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday. The main theme of Lent is not only penance and repentance, but most of all the mystery of our redemption in our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the Son of God, Jesus, that should be the focus of all our efforts during Lent. Whatever we do during this sacred time we should do it in connection to our faith in Jesus, who has suffered for our sins and died on the cross. So as much as fasting, praying, and almsgiving are important dimensions of Lenten exercises, let us remember that these are only accompanying a much greater and deeper truth, that is, the mystery of the passion, death, and resurrection of our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ.

Many saints discovered that it was more beneficial to simply meditate on the Passion of Lord than to do many other works of penance. Jesus Himself emphasized this while revealing it to Sister Faustina:

Jesus told me that I please Him best by meditating on His sorrowful Passion, and by such meditation much light falls upon my soul. ( Diary, 267)

You please Me most when you meditate on My Sorrowful Passion. ( Diary, 1512)

The contemplation of My painful wounds is of great profit to you, and it brings Me great joy. ( Diary, 369)

Much grace is poured into our hearts when we immerse ourselves into the suffering and death of Christ. For this reason, during Lent we are invited to ponder on the mysteries of our redemption while doing the spiritual reading of the Passion of the Lord in the Gospels or walking and meditating the Stations of the Cross. In effect, during Lent we should not focus on what we do to become more holy, but rather on what our Lord Jesus did for us to make us holy and fully alive in God: By his wounds you have been healed (1 Peter 2:24).

I wish you all a truly beautiful and fruitful Lent. God bless. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

Lenten Season 2022

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 14:39:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

Jesus told me that I please Him best by meditating on His sorrowful Passion, and by such meditation much light falls upon my soul. ( Diary, 267)

You please Me most when you meditate on My Sorrowful Passion. ( Diary, 1512)

The contemplation of My painful wounds is of great profit to you, and it brings Me great joy. ( Diary, 369)

I wish you all a truly beautiful and fruitful Lent. God bless. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

Imitate Christ's Love

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 10:57:00 GMT

From the pastor’s desk on the 4 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

This Sunday’s second reading consists of Chapter 13 from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. It is perhaps the most frequently used fragment of the Sacred Scripture at wedding ceremonies. The reason is that it talks about a beautiful love and we really do like those warm and cozy words love is patient, love is kind… While looking at it within the perspective of marriage we usually think of romantic human love that should have all those traits that St. Paul pronounces. We must remember, however, that St. Paul was writings this letter to a specific audience with a specific context. He was not describing a human love, but God’s love - more specifically Christ’s love - that must be lived out by the Christian community.

This particular fragment of St. Paul’s letter should be read together with the preceding chapter, which we heard at Sunday liturgy for the last two weeks. Paul spoke about charisms or gifts imparted by the Holy Spirit on the early Christian community. What happened was, some really “gifted” members of the Church began to boast and argue about their specific spiritual gifts while losing their purposefulness, that is, the service for others, and began to take advantage of it thinking of themselves as better and “holier” than others. So, St. Paul admonishes those members of the Church to be more loving and kinder towards each other. Paul tells us that all the Church’s members bound by one faith in Jesus should enrich each other with their particular gifts while assisting the community, not boasting or being presumptuous.

St. Paul says that love (in Greek agape ) must be put first as the greatest spiritual gift. He reminds us too, that it is more than any kind of human love; it is the highest form of love. It is God’s Love revealed in Jesus—the Crucified Love—for ultimately, all of the spiritual gifts stem from Jesus’ sacrificial love. We can even say that it is Christ Himself present in the midst of community as the gift of love, “ For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). In the end, all the members of the Church are only invited to participate in and imitate Christ’s love.

In this context, I would like to invite you to do two things. First, recognize your spiritual gift or gifts. It may be something visible (e.g. ability to explain the Scriptures or talent for administration) or something hidden from people’s eyes (e.g. silent suffering for others). Give thanks to God for this gift and ask the Lord to help you to use it well for the service of our church. Secondly, start reading “The Imitation of Christ” by Thomas á Kempis. It is a classic book of the Catholic spirituality, in which you will find words of great wisdom and a path to holiness. It will help you to understand what it means to imitate our Lord Jesus in your daily endeavors.

I wish you all a Blessed Week.

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

Imitate Christ's Love

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 10:57:00 GMT

From the pastor’s desk on the 4 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

I wish you all a Blessed Week.

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

Imitate Christ's Love

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 10:57:00 GMT

From the pastor’s desk on the 4 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

I wish you all a Blessed Week.

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 10:42:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

Perhaps many of you realize that we are living in quite troubled times. Because of that, very often we feel orphaned and confused; we do not know what direction to take in our lives and what to do in order to remain faithful to God and stay humanly sane. We can only sense that we need more guidance and spiritual support, but we do not know where to go or where to begin. For that reason, I would like to propose to you a very special spiritual devotion that may help you and your family to stay on the right track on the way to salvation and holiness. It may also help us to better enter the sacred time of Lent. It is the total consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

This devotion originates in the belief that Most Holy Mary plays an important part in the life of the Church and in the life of each and every one of us while bringing us to Jesus and teaching us to be humble and holy. The idea of the total consecration to Mary goes back to medical times, especially to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (d. 1153). However, it was fully composed and popularized by Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort in the 17th and 18th century. Then, it was picked up and practiced by many other Catholics all over the world, among them the most notable were Saint Maximilian Kolbe and Saint John Paul II. These two great saints attributed their fruitfulness in missionary activities and pastoral ministry solely to the Blessed Mother. Hence, they promoted a devotion to the Most Holy Mary in every way possible.

What is the total consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary? It is an act of will on our part accepting Holy Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of God, as our spiritual Mother and Queen, recognizing Her as the Mediatrix of all graces — as Jesus is the Way to the Father, Mary is the way to Jesus. The consecration does not occur automatically, but is must be lived out in our daily life and it has to be taken seriously and conscientiously. It starts with spiritual exercises that help us to foster devotion to the Blessed Mother and prepare us spiritually for a worthy reception of this act.

The preparation to the total consecration lasts for thirty- three (33) days and it involves spiritual readings, Marian prayers, and preferably daily rosary. Particular prayers and spiritual readings can be done as individuals, couples, and families at home. Since it is supposed to help to foster individual healthy spirituality, it is not to be prayed in the church or prayer groups, but only as individual persons or family units. The consecration itself should be done on a feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary and it should be exercised as a public act.

So, I would like to invite all of you who love Blessed Mother Mary and who seek Her assistance, to launch this 33-day preparation beginning on February 20 ^th , and do the Act of the Consecration on March 25th, which is the solemnity to the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary. There will be more details to follow in the next bulletin and in the church’s announcements. Below you will find a couple of useful links to some websites that contain more information regarding this devotion.

I wish you all a blessed week.

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

—————————————————————————————————————————

Useful references:

https://www.mother-mary.org/total-consecration-to-jesus-through

https://totalconsecration.newevangelizers.com/consecration-explained/

http://www.fatherboniface.org/wordpresshome/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Marian-Consecration.pdf

Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 10:42:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

I wish you all a blessed week.

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

—————————————————————————————————————————

Useful references:

https://www.mother-mary.org/total-consecration-to-jesus-through

https://totalconsecration.newevangelizers.com/consecration-explained/

http://www.fatherboniface.org/wordpresshome/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Marian-Consecration.pdf

Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 10:42:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

I wish you all a blessed week.

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

—————————————————————————————————————————

Useful references:

https://www.mother-mary.org/total-consecration-to-jesus-through

https://totalconsecration.newevangelizers.com/consecration-explained/

http://www.fatherboniface.org/wordpresshome/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Marian-Consecration.pdf

The Miracle at Cana

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 15:43:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

  Last week we celebrated the Sunday of the Baptism of the Lord, which formally has concluded the Christmas season and started the Ordinary Time in the liturgy of the Church. Although we began the Ordinary Time, we continue the theme of God’s revelation to the world. So, this Sunday we hear about Jesus’ first miracle during a wedding at Cana, where our Lord changed water into wine. In the liturgy of the Church the Feast of the Epiphany (the Visitation of the Magi), the Baptism of the Lord, and the miracle at Cana stand together and are viewed as subsequent epiphanies , that is, the manifestations of the Divinity in Christ.

  As we see in these three manifestations the Almighty God wants to be known and revealed to humanity in many ways, but all these ways eventually lead to Christ, the Son of God, and Son of Mary. In the first epiphany, God manifested Himself through the Sacred Scripture and visible signs, which the Magi read and followed. Because of their humility and persistence, the Magi were able to find the way until they came to see Christ in the manger in Bethlehem. The Magi are the wise men because they seek not the wisdom of the world but Wisdom coming from above; they are the real scientists, who want to know the truth. Upon seeing the little baby Jesus in the manger, they find “the Truth and the Way and the Life” in God promised to all peoples and fulfilled in Christ. In the second epiphany, it is John the Baptist, the Herald of the Messiah, who points to Christ, who entered the river Jordan together with other people coming for baptism of repentance. John inspired by the Holy Spirit has the light of faith that enables him to see the coming of the Anointed One, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” It is Jesus of Nazareth the humble servant coming to be baptized with all the sinners, who manifests Himself as the Beloved Son of God. At that event by the bank the Jordan River we also hear the voice of the Father confirming the Divinity and mission of Jesus, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

The third epiphany takes place at a wedding, at which “the mother of Jesus was there” too. It was the Blessed Mother that noticed the need of the newly wed couple: they had no wine, which was a serious offense to the guests. It was Mary who asked Her Divine Son to help them, but also to make Jesus reveal His identity and mission. At that very moment Christ manifested the powered of God acting in Him. In a sense He gave them a glimpse of His Divinity. God is truly with His people and now is preparing a Divine Feast promised by the prophets: “On this mountain the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wine” (Isaiah 25:6).

  While meditating upon these Scripture passages, let us remember that God wants to be with us, but we must allow Him to be part of our life. We need to make a choice to come to know Christ and to be with God. We need to pray fervently and unceasingly so that that we may recognize the coming of the Lord to our lives too.

  I wish you all a blessed week,

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

The Miracle at Cana

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 15:43:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

  I wish you all a blessed week,

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

The Miracle at Cana

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 15:43:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

  I wish you all a blessed week,

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

Baptism of the Lord

Sun, 09 Jan 2022 10:30:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the Sunday of the Baptism of the Lord

The third Sunday of Christmas is dedicated to the recognition of the Baptism of the Lord. Although this Sunday formally concludes the liturgical season of Christmas, traditionally Christmas carols and decorations were used until the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord celebrated on February 2nd. This was to support the idea that the spirit of Christmas should continue to live in us unceasingly, for Christ needs to be born in us every day of our lives. We must choose Jesus and Jesus wants to be chosen so that our faith may grow continually in us without getting stagnate.

As for the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, it is the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Our Lord comes to John the Baptist together with other people, drawing from all Judea to be baptized, that is, to be immersed and ritually washed in the Jordan River. This baptism of John meant washing off the sins; it was the baptism of repentance. Since Jesus was sinless, He neither needed repentance nor this ritual washing. However, the fathers of the Church interpreted this event as theologically significant. Namely, our Lord Jesus wanted to be baptized by John, and to be seen by others, to unite Himself with all the sinners that were entering the river. By doing this Jesus sanctified the waters of the river Jordan. Hence it was not John who baptized the people but Jesus who washed them in His own passion and death on the cross. So, all those, whom John baptized, were also baptized in Christ. Even Saint Paul observed this stating: “ He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him ” (2 Cor 5:21).

Besides the short reflection regarding this Sunday theme, I would like to touch upon something very important and hard to comprehend. This last Christmas something utterly sad had occurred. After the 11AM Mass on Christmas Day a parishioner found three communion hosts in the garbage bin. It was promptly reported to Fr. Charlie, who properly took care of the hosts. It is truly heartbreaking how little understanding and respect for the Eucharist there exists among the people. Whoever did it (the person was immediately identified and spoken to!), not only did not have proper understanding of the REAL PRESENCE of Christ in the Eucharist, but also seemed to act disrespectfully and disdainfully towards our beliefs. In fact, it was a SACRILEGIOUS DEED, for which we all should repent and make acts of reparation as a parish .

What occurred on Christmas Day is only a grim reminder of the loss of faith and lack of the fear of Lord among the people. Even if you attended a Protestant prayer service, this would be considered a terrible offense. All the more for the Catholic Holy Mass, we believe that it was the Lord and not just a wafer that was treated with contempt. Let us remember that only Catholics in the state of sanctifying grace can receive Holy Communion . IT SHOULD NOT BE THE CASE that you go to communion because everybody else is going to receive it and you feel embarrassed for not going with the crowd. On the contrary, YOU SHOULD BE PROPERLY PREPARED TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION WITHOUT ASSUMING that YOU ARE ENTITLED TO IT.

It is not an impertinence when you refrain from receiving Holy Communion. Rather it is a respectful recognition of the fact that the Eucharist is the most sacred reality for Catholics. Thus, if you are not a member of the Catholic Church, or you do not have a good moral condition (i.e., freedom from mortal sin) or proper understanding of the Eucharist, you should not come to communion, for HOLY COMMUNION IS THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE LIVING GOD. I kindly ask all of you to please educate yourselves, your children, and your family and friends who visit our church to know how to properly receive Holy Communion or respectfully refrain from it when appropriate.

God bless you all. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

Baptism of the Lord

Sun, 09 Jan 2022 10:30:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the Sunday of the Baptism of the Lord

God bless you all. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

Baptism of the Lord

Sun, 09 Jan 2022 10:30:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the Sunday of the Baptism of the Lord

God bless you all. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

Merry Christmas

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 09:30:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk: CHRISTMAS 2021

If you ever travel to the Holy Land, you must pay a visit to the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. When you arrive there, you will find one strange thing. Namely, the main entrance to the basilica, which presents a fairly small door compared to the size of the entire complex and to the number of pilgrims visiting it each day. However, you will certainly notice that many centuries ago there used to be a large gate that was subsequently filled in with the stonework. The story goes that in the medieval times some noblemen used to ride into the basilica on their horses – this was nothing unusual, since they practiced the same custom all over Europe. Because of that, the custodians of the basilica decided to put up a wall and leave only a small 5-foot tall entrance, so that an average grown-up man, not only would have to get off his horse, but even bend in order to enter the birthplace of Jesus. It was definitely a humiliating act for a nobleman to bend with other folks entering the Basilica. For that reason, it is also called the Door of Humility.

Nonetheless, the entrance door to the Basilica of the Nativity is just a symbol of much deeper theological reality. Namely, we have to become humble in order to see the miracle of God’s coming as man. Otherwise, our pride will prevent us from seeing God coming in the human form, like happened two thousand years ago, when only a handful of people recognized the birth of the Messiah. The Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph walked down the streets of Bethlehem and no one even recognized the Hidden Divine Presence among them. The Almighty God was so close to so many human beings, yet no one was able to see Him; no one was aware of Christ’s imminent appearance; “no one could suppose that this humble young woman from Nazareth is about to give the world its Savior, its King and its God. Only Mary and Joseph know and adore in silence” (Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene, Divine Intimacy, p. 84).

We know that the Son of God, Jesus Christ has already come. But when the baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem, only a few were given the sight (and faith) of truly seeing Him, to really gaze upon God Incarnate in the baby Jesus. First, there were Mary and Joseph, the most beautiful and the purest couple that ever walked the face of the earth. They were filled with faith in God and believed the Word without any doubt. Then there were shepherds, the simple folks, pure of heart and trustful like children. To them the angels appeared and transmitted the message of joy. Because of their child-like faith they were given the greatest gift – the grace of feeling the presence of Emmanuel, “God with us”. After the shepherds, there were a prophetess Anna and a temple elder, Simeon. Both of them were people of deep faith and filled with profound knowledge of the Scared Scripture. They recognized the coming of the Child Jesus to the Temple of Jerusalem. They saw the One that promised and “destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted” (Luke 2:34). Finally, there came the magi, those who were filled with true knowledge and authentic humility. They too were able to recognize the signs of time and followed them courageously through perilous journeys until they had found the One they were looking for their entire life. Having looked upon the face of God they were completely changed and could never again walk the same paths so “they departed for their country by another way” (Matthew 2:12).

Do we want to meet Jesus Christ this Christmas? If we truly do have the desire to see Jesus and God in Him, and to really feel His presence, we must humble ourselves and trust God’s Word. Indeed, “if we want to find the God who appeared as a child, then we must dismount from the high horse of our «enlightened» reason. We must set aside our false certainties, our intellectual pride, which prevents us from recognizing God’s closeness. We must follow the interior path … leading to that ultimate outward and inward simplicity which enables the heart to see. We must bend down, spiritually we must go on foot, in order to pass through the portal of faith and encounter the God who is so different from our prejudices and opinions – the God who conceals himself in the humility of a newborn baby” (Benedict XVI, Christmas Homily, 12/24/2011).

I hope that each and every one of us will discover that God is close to us: in His Church, which is the Mystical Body of Christ; in the Eucharist, where He is truly and substantially present under the sacramental signs; in our suffering brothers and sisters, with whom our Lord identified Himself— “whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). May the Lord Jesus give you the grace of seeing and believing so that this Christmas you encounter Him in your hearts.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Merry Christmas

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 09:30:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk: CHRISTMAS 2021

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Merry Christmas

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 09:30:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk: CHRISTMAS 2021

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Advent and Confession

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 14:21:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the Third Sunday of Advent, year C

Conversion is an ongoing theme of Advent. It means turning around from evil ways and making a way for the coming of Christ. It is an ordering of our mind and heart and setting them towards a higher goal, that is, life in God. How do we do that? It is a very similar question that the crowds asked Saint John the Baptist, “What should we do?” We read in the Gospel:

[John] said to them in reply, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?” He told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages .” (Luke 3:11-14)

Notice that John the Baptist did not tell the people to do anything unusual or strange. Rather, he gave them simple counsels: do whatever you need to do according to your state of life. In other word, whatever you do, do it with honesty and faithfulness to your faith. Also, do it for the greater glory of God without compromising your belief or moral behavior. Follow God’s Commandments, all of them, and be candidly good to others. In this way, you will make the first step toward the preparation for the encounter with the Messiah. The second step belongs to Christ, who “will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” But to receive Christ into our lives, the purity of heart and willingness to repent are essential. “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

On a practical note, it means for Christians, that we need to show our faith in our daily actions. Whether it be with our families, or in our jobs, or if you are a student, in your schoolwork. This means that we need to put God first in all our endeavors. Our thoughts and our emotions need to be purified and organized according to that higher goal, which is God Himself. The lives of the countless saints prove that setting your mind on God really works and brings abundant and lasting fruits. So, this a call to holiness of life in the simplicity of heart for each and every one of us. Advent is a sacred time that reminds us of the Way of Christ.

As we prepare for Christmas let us also use an opportunity to go to confession. The sacrament of reconciliation is a wonderful tool that our Lord gave us to cleanse us of our faults and to lift the burden off our shoulders laden by the consequence of sin. Please read the conditions to make a good confession, following my column. Also you may do a search for an examination of conscience that will help you to discern whether your actions and thoughts reflected God’s law or not.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary help you on the way to Jesus.

Have a blessed week,

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

CONDITIONS TO MAKE A GOOD SACRAMENTAL CONFESSION

4, The intention of performing the penance that the priest assigns as penance.

Advent and Confession

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 14:21:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the Third Sunday of Advent, year C

May the Blessed Virgin Mary help you on the way to Jesus.

Have a blessed week,

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

CONDITIONS TO MAKE A GOOD SACRAMENTAL CONFESSION

4, The intention of performing the penance that the priest assigns as penance.

Advent and Confession

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 14:21:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the Third Sunday of Advent, year C

May the Blessed Virgin Mary help you on the way to Jesus.

Have a blessed week,

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

CONDITIONS TO MAKE A GOOD SACRAMENTAL CONFESSION

4, The intention of performing the penance that the priest assigns as penance.

Heaven and All Saints' Day

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 15:01:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

Where is heaven? - Everywhere and nowhere. Rather we should ask: What is heaven? Heaven is not a place but a state of being or a spiritual condition. However, it seems that most people have a false conception of heaven as a place of infinite pleasures known from our life on earth. If that were true, heaven would eventually be boring and with no purpose. We would be exhausted as if staying too long on a vacation. Certainly, heaven is associated with peace and joy, but it is a different kind of joy - it is the never-ending joy that is a fruit of fulfillment of God’s will.

The Revelation does not speak of heaven as a place but rather as a kingdom of God. This means that the heavenly kingdom will be organized and ordered towards higher purpose, which is the glory of God. Hence, heaven will consist of the fulfillment of all desires that will be realized in God on God’s terms. Ultimately, it is life in God that makes heaven possible. For Christian believers’ true happiness is found only in Christ Jesus.

Is heaven possible on earth? Yes and no. Let’s start with ‘no.’ The earth can be just a foretaste of paradise. Since the earth with all its majesty is God’s creation, it reflects God‘s beauty and harmony. However, we know that all things as we see them on earth eventually will come to an end. All the plants and bodies will decay; all the buildings and the mountains will collapse; and even the earth itself will vanish. It is not really heaven if we mean it to be something that will last forever. In addition, our human life is affected by the original sin and actual sins we commit throughout our life. Consequently, for many people, life on earth looks more like hell or purgatory than heaven. Even if you do have a good and happy life, you still are not free from worry, difficulties, and suffering. Therefore, we know heaven cannot be found on earth.

Now what about the ‘yes’? According to our faith, heaven is where Jesus Christ is. That is why when one of the Pharisees came to Jesus to ask him about the kingdom of God and correctly answered Jesus’s question, our Lord told him “ You are not far from the kingdom of God. “The pharisee was not far from “the kingdom,” for he was very close to comprehension that it was Jesus Christ who embodied the kingdom and it was Jesus who is the Way to heaven. The so-called good thief understood this while being crucified next to Jesus. This villain asked the Lord, “ Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom .” And our Lord Jesus answered him, “ Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise .”

As we approach the celebration of All Saints Day we recognize those who experienced in a special way the foretaste of heaven on earth and already enjoy the bliss of heaven. On this special day we profess that there are people in heaven, that is, there are people who enjoy the vision of God because they believed in the word of Christ and put it into practice during their life on earth. Since they wholeheartedly embraced the faith in Jesus Christ, they were able to become saints. And that is exactly heaven. Heaven is when you can live with Christ and in Christ despite the circumstances; it is when you can always fix your gaze on Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected and do everything for the greater glory of God through Jesus.

The Church professes that the saints are in perfect communion with God. We too would like to be in that communion with God so that we can feel peace, joy, and provide meaning to our lives on earth. But if we still experience anxiety and pain; if we still don’t see the meaning to our life, let us begin with the simple fulfillment of the Commandments and let us cling to Jesus while always praying “Jesus, I trust in You.” We need to follow the great example of Catholic saints and ask them to help us on the way to salvation.

Happy All Saints and All Souls Day! God bless you all!

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

Heaven and All Saints' Day

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 15:01:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

Happy All Saints and All Souls Day! God bless you all!

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

Heaven and All Saints' Day

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 15:01:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

Happy All Saints and All Souls Day! God bless you all!

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

In Service to Others

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 08:26:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 29 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

What does it mean to govern and rule over others? – People usually think of an authoritative decision maker, who is in charge of everything while others are only his subjects fulfilling his wishes. Unfortunately, this is the experience of every dictatorship.

An example of that was Haile Selassie, the late Emperor of Ethiopia, who reigned for forty-four years until he was overthrown by his own army 1974. Haile Selassie showed an extreme abuse of power demanding absolute obedience to his authority, often using physical force and instilling fear in his subjects. At the same time, this caricature emperor was completely detached from reality, living in unrestrained luxury and thinking only of his, and his family’s needs, while the entire country was starving. Right after the coup and deposition of Haile Selassie, the Polish journalist, Ryszard Kapuscinski, embarked on a journey to Ethiopia to collect information from members of the imperial court. Kapuscinski compiled the interviews into a neat portrait of the late emperor which was published in a book titled “The Emperor: Downfall of an Autocrat.” This non-fiction story can provide the reader with an example of the antithesis of serving others.

On the opposite end of the autocracy is the service of others while being in charge of a state or an institution such as the Church. A good example of true service can be found in the lives of the recent popes, especially those that reigned in the twentieth century. The papacy for centuries was associated with the papal state, and some popes even waged wars against other princedoms, but that time is long gone. Although the Vatican is still an independent state, its real power lies in the spiritual realm not in the earthly one.

Saint John Paul II in particular showed what it meant to give his life for the life of the Church, with continuous journeys, countless liturgies, meetings and audiences, with no private life at all. He reigned as pope for nearly twenty-seven years while tirelessly promoting the gospel of Christ to the entire world. The Polish pope is certainly a towering figure that could intimidate with his knowledge, eloquence, linguistic ability, and eventually the power he held in the Church. Nonetheless, he was known as a very accessible person always engaging in conversations with all sorts of people, regardless of their socio-economic or religious background. Those who had a chance to see him in person, always had the impression that he truly listened and was especially attentive to their needs. Although John Paul II lived in the Vatican palace and was provided with all the basic needs, he was known for the practice of asceticism and simplicity in the use of temporal means; he was easy-going in this regard. When he died, John Paul II literally had just a very few items of his own. All the generous gifts that he received throughout his lifetime belonged to the Church.

These two examples I have shared with you can help us to understand what our Lord Jesus was trying to tell His disciples in the Gospel. “ Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all ” (Mark 10:43-44). If we want to be really great, like St. John Paul II or many other saints, we need to learn to put ourselves at the service of others.

If we want to learn how to serve others without doing any harm to them, we must cling to Jesus, for he was the first one to give us the example of loving service:

Though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself.

(Philippians 2:6-10)

Let us remember what Jesus did for all of us and follow His example of love and humility while engaging in the service of others.

I wish you all a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

In Service to Others

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 08:26:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 29 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

If we want to learn how to serve others without doing any harm to them, we must cling to Jesus, for he was the first one to give us the example of loving service:

(Philippians 2:6-10)

Let us remember what Jesus did for all of us and follow His example of love and humility while engaging in the service of others.

I wish you all a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

In Service to Others

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 08:26:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 29 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

If we want to learn how to serve others without doing any harm to them, we must cling to Jesus, for he was the first one to give us the example of loving service:

(Philippians 2:6-10)

Let us remember what Jesus did for all of us and follow His example of love and humility while engaging in the service of others.

I wish you all a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

St. John Paul II "Veritatis Splendor"

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 11:58:00 GMT

28 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

Instead of my usual commentary on Sunday’s readings, this time I would like to invite you to follow the teaching of Saint John Paul II. The late pope in a very thorough and beautiful way explained this Sunday’s gospel passage in his encyclical letter Veritatis Splendor . Here are some excerpts from St. John Paul II. I strongly encourage you to read the entire interpretation in the actual papal letter available online, paragraphs 6-25.

I wish you all a blessed week,

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

St. John Paul II: On the encounter of the rich young man with the Lord Jesus

"Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?" ( Mk 10:17; Mt 19:16)

People today need to turn to Christ once again in order to receive from him the answer to their questions about what is good and what is evil. Christ is the Teacher, the Risen One who has life in himself and who is always present in his Church and in the world. It is he who opens up to the faithful the book of the Scriptures and, by fully revealing the Father's will, teaches the truth about moral action. At the source and summit of the economy of salvation, as the Alpha and the Omega of human history (cf. Rev 1:8; 21:6; 22:13), Christ sheds light on man's condition and his integral vocation. Consequently, "the man who wishes to understand himself thoroughly — and not just in accordance with immediate, partial, often superficial, and even illusory standards and measures of his being — must with his unrest, uncertainty and even his weakness and sinfulness, with his life and death, draw near to Christ. He must, so to speak, enter him with all his own self; he must 'appropriate' and assimilate the whole of the reality of the Incarnation and Redemption in order to find himself. If this profound process takes place within him, he then bears fruit not only of adoration of God but also of deeper wonder at himself" ( Redemptor Hominis , 10).

To ask about the good, in fact, ultimately means to turn towards God, the fullness of goodness. Jesus shows that the young man's question is really a religious question, and that the goodness that attracts and at the same time obliges man has its source in God, and indeed is God himself. God alone is worthy of being loved "with all one's heart, and with all one's soul, and with all one's mind" ( Mt 22:37). He is the source of man's happiness. Jesus brings the question about morally good action back to its religious foundations, to the acknowledgment of God, who alone is goodness, fullness of life, the final end of human activity, and perfect happiness.

This is not a matter only of disposing oneself to hear a teaching and obediently accepting a commandment. More radically, it involves holding fast to the very person of Jesus, partaking of his life and his destiny, sharing in his free and loving obedience to the will of the Father. By responding in faith and following the one who is Incarnate Wisdom, the disciple of Jesus truly becomes a disciple of God (cf. Jn 6:45).

St. John Paul II "Veritatis Splendor"

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 11:58:00 GMT

28 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

I wish you all a blessed week,

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

St. John Paul II: On the encounter of the rich young man with the Lord Jesus

"Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?" ( Mk 10:17; Mt 19:16)

St. John Paul II "Veritatis Splendor"

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 11:58:00 GMT

28 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

I wish you all a blessed week,

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

St. John Paul II: On the encounter of the rich young man with the Lord Jesus

"Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?" ( Mk 10:17; Mt 19:16)

The Sacrament of Marriage

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 13:59:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 27 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

This Sunday’s two readings touch upon a very difficult topic in our modern society, namely marriage and divorce. Today, many people completely reject the Revelation and the teaching of the Church regarding marriage and family. Popular culture no longer perceives marriage as something intended by God. Even among many Catholics, marriage is understood more as a contract rather than the sacrament. By and large, marriage is viewed now as a social construct that can be altered according to the circumstances.

There are two immediate consequences of considering marriage as merely social and cultural constructs. First, without reference to God, marriage seems to be without higher purpose. Accordingly, the couple does not do what the Lord intends for married life. In many cases there is no real commitment to marriage. A man and a woman may remain in marriage as long as it feels good, but if something does not work, they simply separate and divorce without even trying to seek solutions to their deeper problems. Secondly, since marriage is perceived as a social concept, it can be redefined. So now it is no longer one man and one woman, but all sorts of configurations involving same sex unions or even more than two people at a time.

In an age of confusion, we need to come back to Divine Revelation in order to understand what marriage is, in the eyes of God. When asked about divorce, our Lord Jesus said to the disciples: “But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female” (Mark 10:6). Jesus teaches us plainly that God intended marriage only between one man and one woman. Although the Church teaches us to respect the dignity of each human person, notwithstanding their sexual preference, at the same time the Church does not allow same sex unions. The Church’s stance is based on the Revelation, which views marriage not as a social construct but as a reality that God established for the good of humanity. Hence, marriage between man and woman is a sacred institution that goes beyond natural or social order.

It was Saint John Paul II who expounded on the theme of marriage and family more than any other pope. All faithful Catholics seeking the answers about marriage and family should refer to his teachings known as the Theology of the Body. John Paul II also summarized the Church’s understanding of sacramental marriage and the role of the Christian family in his apostolic exhortation Familiaris Consortio . The late pope formulated God’s plan for humanity in these words:

The only "place" in which this self-giving in its whole truth is made possible is marriage, the covenant of conjugal love freely and consciously chosen, whereby man and woman accept the intimate community of life and love willed by God Himself, which only in this light manifests its true meaning. The institution of marriage is not an undue interference by society or authority, or the extrinsic imposition of a form. Rather it is an interior requirement of the covenant of conjugal love, which is publicly affirmed as unique and exclusive, in order to live in complete fidelity to the plan of God, the Creator. A person's freedom, far from being restricted by this fidelity, is secured against every form of subjectivism or relativism and is made a sharer in creative Wisdom.

( Familiaris consortio, 11)

“[Jesus] reveals the original truth of marriage, the truth of the "beginning," and freeing man from his hardness of heart, He makes man capable of realizing this truth in its entirety.

This revelation reaches its definitive fullness in the gift of love which the Word of God makes to humanity in assuming a human nature, and in the sacrifice which Jesus Christ makes of Himself on the Cross for His bride, the Church. In this sacrifice there is entirely revealed that plan which God has imprinted on the humanity of man and woman since their creation; the marriage of baptized persons thus becomes a real symbol of that new and eternal covenant sanctioned in the blood of Christ. The Spirit which the Lord pours forth gives a new heart, and renders man and woman capable of loving one another as Christ has loved us. Conjugal love reaches that fullness to which it is interiorly ordained, conjugal charity, which is the proper and specific way in which the spouses participate in and are called to live the very charity of Christ who gave Himself on the Cross. ( Familiaris consortio, 13)

As we realize how our modern culture devalues the understanding of traditional marriage, let us pray and inquire what God intends for human marriage. We also must offer prayer for those couples that go through crises in their marriage, so that with God’s aid they may become open to dialogue and reconciliation, while acknowledging a great mission God entrusted them through the sacrament of marriage.

I wish you all blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

The Sacrament of Marriage

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 13:59:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 27 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

( Familiaris consortio, 11)

“[Jesus] reveals the original truth of marriage, the truth of the "beginning," and freeing man from his hardness of heart, He makes man capable of realizing this truth in its entirety.

I wish you all blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

The Sacrament of Marriage

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 13:59:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 27 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

( Familiaris consortio, 11)

“[Jesus] reveals the original truth of marriage, the truth of the "beginning," and freeing man from his hardness of heart, He makes man capable of realizing this truth in its entirety.

I wish you all blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

How do the wars begin?

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 13:22:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 25 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

How do the wars begin? The historians come up with all kinds of explanation, usually attributing it to socio-economic or political situations. Yet, the Holy Scripture gives us quite different answer. In the letter of St. James (this Sunday’s second reading) we read:

Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members? You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. (James 4:1)

Knowing the fallen nature of man, James provides very accurate description of the human condition that is prone to conflict and anger. But how do these sentiments begin in us? In psychology it is known as an inner conflict. It is something in us that makes us split. Hence, on the one hand we want to do good; on the other hand, we often engage in evil or disordered behavior. We want to be loving and kind, but we show ourselves emotionally checked out and irritable. As children we learn how to manage it or how to hide it. Many people are able to resolve the inner conflicts in positive way, but there are also many who live with it their entire life while deeply hiding their resentment. That inner division causes tension so that the person seeks a relief from it. Most of the time the one who suffers it projects his or her problems on others: “It is because of my father/mother that I’m undergoing this emotional pain.” “It is my husband’s fault that that I suffer so much.” “She (my wife) made me do it that I react in such a way…” – Unfortunately, quite frequently these phrases are like a refrain repeated in many families. Consequently, the family problems continue living in conflict without the resolve.

The Apostle James reminds us in his letter that all conflicts begin with the passions in human heart; that includes military and political conflicts as well. It is the heart that wages a war against other hearts, not socio-economic situation or political powers. Those disordered passions in human heart may eventually turn into external conflicts. Think for a moment of your own families. There are many conflicts, divisions, and misunderstandings. There is jealousy and often enmity over petty things. People hold on to grudges and then “wage wars” against each other. The same principle applies to a wider context of entire nations and countries. If the entire nation is fed with the same resentment it may end up in a catastrophe. That is exactly what happened in Rwanda between the Tutsies and the Hutus. It was a bloodbath, which started with the envy over petty things.

What is the solution then? – A life of virtue in Christ. Having realized that the passions of human heart need to be well ordered, we turn to Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. In this Sunday’s gospel too, we hear how the disciples became passionate about their future positions in the new kingdom of the Messiah. But our Blessed Lord immediately corrects them so that they may avoid jealousy and unnecessary conflicts. Jesus’ disciples must be different than the rest of the world while loving and forgiving each either all the time. Moreover, Jesus wants to break the vicious circle of envy while inviting them to be servants like the Lord himself: If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all (Mark 9:35). Our Lord invites the disciples and all of us to be humble first in order to be filled with God’s grace. We know, however, that is very difficult to overcome those inner passions and even more difficult to become a servant of all. It is humanly impossible, unless we cling to Christ, who will order our hearts towards God Himself.

Let us pray that the Lord Jesus may touch our hearts so that we may become more loving and kinder to each other and in this way we may be made instruments of God’s peace in the world torn by divisions.

I wish you all a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

How do the wars begin?

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 13:22:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 25 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

I wish you all a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

How do the wars begin?

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 13:22:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 25 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

I wish you all a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

Why did Jesus cure only some people?

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 12:19:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on 23 ^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

Why did Jesus cure only some people? Why did He not heal all those that were sick and miserable? Before we try to answer these questions, let us remember that whenever our Blessed Lord performed a miracle it was more like a sign to the people. It was the sign of God’s power at work in Jesus. God shows through Christ that God is present and accessible to human beings who are suffering the consequences of the original sin. However, the purpose of miraculous healings was to show the way to salvation and wholeness of each human person, not just for the enjoyment of life here and now on earth.

In this Sunday’s gospel we hear about the miraculous healing of a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment. This man’s handicap was not just about his inability to communicate well with other people. Rather, it should be viewed in the Jewish context of Jesus’s times. The deafness and lack of speech meant that the deaf-mute man could not worship God. First of all, he could not hear the word of God, which was always proclaimed aloud in the synagogue. – Let us remember that there were no books like we have today. – Secondly, he could not praise the Lord with his lips. Consequently, he could not be a full member of God’s people, for he was lacking very important features to participate in the Jewish community’s life.

When Jesus cured the man of his defect, it was God Himself who showed that God desires entire humanity to be renovated through His only begotten Son. So the healing of this deaf man was to help people to see that God can restore us to the wholeness and fullness of life. But that wholeness is possible only with Jesus and within the context of God’s people, that is, within the future Church.

So, our Lord cured some people and restored them to the wholeness of their personhood and humanity, which usually included ability to worship God (like the man in this Sunday’s gospel) and be part of God’s people, that is, part of the community of believers (initially the Jewish assembly and then the Church).

In our world, most of the time, people want to be healed so they can continue their former way of living while forgetting that their lives must be oriented towards God. Hence, perhaps, here is the answer to the initial questions: Christ does not cure all people of their illnesses and diseases because the suffering they endure makes them seek God with all their heart. Otherwise, if they were always well and prospering, they could forget that their destiny is life with God through Jesus and they would plunge themselves in the matters of this world.

In this context, let us see the fact that our Blessed Lord did not cure all that were sick. However, Jesus invited all His followers to follow Him: “ Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me ” (Mt 16:24). So it does not matter whether you are strong and healthy or weak and ill. The important thing is that you find Jesus who becomes your way to salvation. Thus, if you are experiencing some difficulty or suffer illness, ask the Lord for healing, but let Him choose what is best for you. He certainly will not disappoint you. He will tell you too, “ Ephphatha! – Be opened! ” To you are also addressed the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Be strong, fear not! Here is your God… He comes to save you” (Is 35:4).

I wish you all a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

Why did Jesus cure only some people?

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 12:19:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on 23 ^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

I wish you all a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

Why did Jesus cure only some people?

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 12:19:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on 23 ^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

I wish you all a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

What is the key to wisdom, fulfillment, and happiness?

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 10:59:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 22 ^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time , year B

What is the key to wisdom, fulfillment, and happiness? Certainly, the world will provide all sorts of answers: education, the place you live in, money, power, popularity, good and meaningful relationships, etc.. Unfortunately, as we know from experience and observe the world, it does not work that way. For even if someone has all these things, he still can be miserable. How many famous and rich people are depressed and cannot find fulfillment in their lives?! If the human heart is empty, that is, devoid of God’s grace, nothing can satisfy it. On the contrary, the more goods one try to acquire, the more he or she will be irritated by those things, including by “good” relationships. Only in God the human heart must find solace and fulfillment.

The first reading of this Sunday provides a guideline to happiness and prosperity. However, it is different from what usually people seek in this world. God spoke through Moses to the Chosen People:

Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. (Deuteronomy 4:1)

One may say, “we are not Jews,” so these words are not addressed to us. Although those words indeed originally were addressed to the Israelites, St. Paul, a converted Jew, immediately interpreted them while saying that the Church of Christ is the New Israel. Thus, all who belong to Jesus Christ now become a new chosen nation. In light of this interpretation, that same Scripture passage still speaks to us, for we too are “ a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own ” in Jesus Christ ( cf. 1 Peter:2:9).

Regarding God’s promise of the land, we are not looking anymore for a specific geographic location like the Jews did. We do not search for another Promised Land , for we believe that the promised land is the life in God through Jesus. It is our faith that will lead us to that inner spiritual realm, in which we will experience blessedness, that is, true fulfillment and happiness. The road to that “land” begins with the careful observance of the Commandments, which encapsulate the love of God and the love of our neighbor. There is no way around God’s Commandments. This truth is many expressed times in the Sacred Scripture and emphasized by the teaching of the Church. Also many historical events can confirm its validity – only if it had opened our eyes to see it.

For that reason, God spoke first through Moses, and then through our Lord Jesus—the New Moses—the message of salvation. To understand it better let us read two fragments of the Sacred Scripture together. One from Deuteronomy (this Sunday’s first reading), another from the Gospel of John:

Observe them [the Commandments] carefully, for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations, who will hear of all these statutes and say, ‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’ (Deuteronomy 4:6).

I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.

(John 10:9)

Our Blessed Lord leads us to the fulfillment of the commandments; He is “the way, the truth, and the life.” He shows us the way to careful observance of God’s precepts, which, in turn, leads to wisdom, happiness, and even prosperity. What we see in today’s world is the opposite of what God instructs us to do. The world’s state of affairs reflects poor human condition. By and large, people have turned away from God and consequently they disregard the Commandments. As a result of this, there is an escalation of immorality, violence, wars, disdain for human dignity, and widespread stupidity or folly , to use Jesus’s words from this Sunday’s gospel.

I pray that all of us be truly faithful to what God reveals to us through the Holy Scriptures, including the Commandments and the precepts of the Church. Please teach the Commandments your children and grandchildren that they too may achieve authentic wisdom, blessedness, and prosperity.

Have a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

We hear that many Jews followed Jesus, for they had heard what Jesus did in Cana

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 12:34:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 21 ^st Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

In the Gospel of John, we hear that many Jews followed Jesus, for they had heard what Jesus did in Cana—changing water into wine—and they could see another great miracle that the Teacher from Nazareth performed in the wilderness—the multiplication of the loaves of bread and fish. Jesus fed the thousands of hungry men, women, and children, who followed Him. It was a sign of God’s presence that resembled that of the feeding the Israelites in the desert for forty years. A Jew in Jesus’ times could clearly read this sign of God acting through Him. But there was more than an average Jew could expect, for Christ was pointing to Himself as the true bread from heaven:

I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world .

John 6:51

Our Lord Jesus communicates this message several times in Chapter 6 of the Gospel of John alone. It seems that it is of extreme importance and our Lord wants to make sure so that His listeners might finally open their minds to the revelation of God’s Real Presence in Him. But instead, they start to complain and murmur, “ This saying is hard; who can accept it?” This sounds as if they almost want to say, “ Oh Jesus, this is too much. Please tell us that you are saying this in a symbolic sense… You are not really saying to eat your flesh?! Are you? ” To that our Lord reiterates the message one more time and “ as a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him .”

Our Blessed Lord posed a real challenge to His first disciples, for to follow Him required faith and a change in thinking. Unfortunately, many people were not able to do a leap of faith out of convenience or fear, for to believe in Jesus would also require a change of one’s life and certainly a change how one would practice his or her religion. The question that Jesus subsequently presented to His closer disciples is also addressed to us: “ Do you also want to leave? ”

We too are constantly challenged by our faith in Jesus and we do not understand many things that are presented to us in the creed or in the teaching of the Church. That applies also to how we view the Eucharist as well. Sadly, many Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. They think it is a mere symbol or a memorial in a worldly sense whereas it is not. Rather, the Eucharist is the continuation of Christ’s presence amongst us—Real Presence. As the Church teaches Jesus Christ is truly present in the Eucharist. So let us remember that whenever we receive communion we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. There are numerous Eucharistic miracles that confirm this truth (check out this website: www.miracolieucaristici.org ). God really cares for us and want us to be saved so he allows those miracles to occur so that our faith may grow and our reverence and appreciation for the Eucharist may increase. Essentially, we must treat the Eucharist as we would treat the Lord Jesus standing in front of us.

While struggling with many dilemmas of our faith I hope that Simon Peter’s answer to Jesus’ question will become yours too:

Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.

John 6:69

I wish you all a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 11:46:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk of the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

On November 1, 1950 Pope Pius XII solemnly proclaimed the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This belief in the bodily assumption of the blessed Mother was long held to be true among the faithful and by theologians. The feast had already existed as early as the sixth century. In the Eastern churches this feast is also called the Dormition of Most Holy Mary. The timing of the promulgation of this solemnity is not without significance. It was right after World War II, during which human body was treated like rubbish and millions of human lives were lost. This solemnity is to remind us that there is a great value to each human life and that what we do to our bodies and souls really matters. It is a response to the hostilities of this world that tries to deny the dignity of human person. It is a reminder that each of us is a person that consists of soul and body that are destined for greater things.

While celebrating this feast we acknowledge that Most Holy Mary is already in heaven. She has been taken there with Her body and soul. Why? Because of Her Divine Motherhood. She was found worthy to become the Mother of the Son of God and She became worthy to be with Her Son in heaven. Since God wanted to become in Her a true man— the Word became flesh— now God wanted Her to be assumed to heaven so that Her body may become transformed into the spiritual realm. But this is not the end, for in the Assumption of Mary we recognize our own destiny. We too are destined to be in heaven. But the way there is through the unity with Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, many of our protestant brothers and sisters accuse us, Catholics, that we “worship” the Blessed Virgin Mary as a kind of a goddess while putting too much emphasis on her role in the life of the Church. Despite what they say, we know that there is One God in the Most Holy Trinity. But we also know that Mary played a role of the utmost importance in the history of Salvation and that She is not only the mother of humanity of Jesus but that, as the council of Ephesus (431 A.D.) put it, Mary is THEOTOKOS , the bearer of God. Hence, whenever we recite the prayer of Hail Mary we also say Mary, Mother of God . In this way we simply recognize the Blessed Virgin’s greatness, Her beauty, and Her singular position in the order of Salvation.

So the Blessed Virgin Mary never stands in the way of to Jesus. She is definitely not a hindrance, quite the opposite. It can be historically proven that the closer we get to the Blessed Mother the closer we get to Her Blessed Son Jesus Christ. Mary never drives people away from Jesus. On the Contrary, in the humility of Her Immaculate Heart She always leads us back to Him who is Our Lord and Savior. So we can say that wherever Mary is there is also the true Devotion to Jesus Christ. While venerating the Blessed Virgin, the faithful usually increased their devotion and reverence to the Eucharist and the Church by and large.

A great theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar commented how Mary should inspire each one of us to follow Her example:

“Mary, as the handmaid of the Lord, is in one sense placed on a level with everyone else in the Church. Everyone like Her is handmaiden or servant of God [when we generously and joyfully accept the will of God] – everyone can be <<a mother>> of Jesus who lets the divine Word become flesh in his own body.”

We are all invited to participate in God’s grace. The example and intercession of the Blessed Virgin should encourage us to trust God more, for the more we open our hearts to God, the more Divine love we receive. As Most Holy Mary gave herself totally and unconditionally to God, so we must do it too.

May the example of the Blessed Mother inspire many young men and women to follow God wholeheartedly. May Her maternal intercession be effective in our lives so that we too may become humble servants of Her Son and our Lord Jesus Christ.

May Christ’s peace be with you. Have a wonderful week!

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

The fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time occurs this year on the Fourth of July, the Independence Day in the United States of America.

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 12:49:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 14 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

The fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time occurs this year on the Fourth of July, the Independence Day in the United States of America. Myself being an immigrant, I always think what a glorious day it is, not only because of the airshows, fireworks, or barbecues for the beginning of the summer vacation. This day has much deeper meaning, of which we all must be reminded. Namely, freedom and independence from oppressive powers must constantly be protected.

I grew up in Poland, my native country that over two centuries experienced a great deal of oppression from foreign supremacies. And only the last few decades my native nation can enjoy real political and economic freedom. This does not mean that Polish people were not free. As a matter of fact, many people during the regimes of Nazism and Communism seemed to be freer in their souls and heart than many people today under the spell of consumerism and political correctness who are afraid to believe in God and profess the truth.

In this context let us be reminded that freedom of the nation cannot be understood as a license to do whatever we want as individuals, as a group of interest or as a political party. Rather the freedom of the entire nation must be seen the freedom of each individual in his or her conscience under God. This means that we must be rooted in the truth that God has revealed to us. We cannot create a “new” reality at will—that is a dangerous tendency in today’s world. People of power and money (aka “Big Tech”) tend to reinvent the reality that is far from the revealed truth about human beings. We begin to see more and more of, what the Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI called, the dictatorship of relativism. In this context the objective truth does not count as an ideology created by a small group of people and imposed on the masses by the means of social media.

If we are truly believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we must adhere first to Him and His Church—His Mystical Body—to find the truth and authentic freedom. For us Catholic Christians it means to be rooted in Jesus Christ first and to follow humbly the teaching of the Church, even if we do not understand some things in the beginning. (Did you understand everything as a child? We are all immature children in understanding our faith.) Only then we will be truly free, when we embrace Christ’s way of living, as it was attested by our Lord Jesus in the gospel of John (8:31-32):

If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Saint John Paul II commented on this gospel passage in his encyclical Redemptor Hominis (no. 12) stating:

These words [of Jesus] contain both a fundamental requirement and a warning: the requirement of an honest relationship with regard to truth as a condition for authentic freedom, and the warning to avoid every kind of illusory freedom, every superficial unilateral freedom, every freedom that fails to enter into the whole truth about man and the world. Today also, even after two thousand years, we see Christ as the one who brings man freedom based on truth, frees man from what curtails, diminishes and as it were breaks off this freedom at its root, in man's soul, his heart and his conscience. What a stupendous confirmation of this has been given and is still being given by those who, thanks to Christ and in Christ, have reached true freedom and have manifested it even in situations of external constraint!

Let us pray that our freedom and liberties be truly guarded, but also that they may be always based on our faith and God’s commandments!

Happy Independence Day! God bless America! Have a blessed summer!

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

The gospel reading on the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time talks about two healings.

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 12:34:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 13 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

The gospel reading on the 13 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time talks about two healings. Our Blessed Lord Jesus acts here as Divine Healer who heals human bodies and souls. The first healing is of a woman who was “afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years” and no one could cure her. The second healing was that of Jairus’ daughter, the synagogue official. Here too, no other human medic could perform any effective treatment and Jairus’ daughter was at the point of death. Both persons, a woman and a little girl experienced God’s power coming out of Jesus and were completely healed.

The important factor in both miraculous healings was the faith of the people that sought the recovery. In the first case, it was the afflicted woman, whom Lord Jesus addressed personally while praising her faith: “ Daughter, your faith has saved you. ” In the second case, it was the faith of the little girl’s father who looked for Jesus so that the Lord could perform a miracle of bringing his beloved child back to life. This time before even arriving at the scene Jesus first strengthens Jairus’ faith so that this distraught father could not only have his daughter back but he might come to believe in the Savior. Jesus tells him, “ Do not be afraid; just have faith .” From that point on Jairus seems to be full of trust that everything will be well, for God has manifested His presence the Man from Nazareth.

In both healings the two people are restored to health and community. We learn from these stories that there is a wholeness of the human person that is important in the Bible. We can see it in this gospel passage too, for it is not just the body, but also the soul and the entire community that are being treated by Jesus. Our Lord wants people to experience the fullness of life that is possible only with God.

A curious thing in the gospels is that Jesus cured many people, but of them He did not. This does not mean that He did not care for them. Rather, that He had something greater for them. In this context let us remember that healing of the soul is the most important thing for us. A healthy body with a sick soul is good for nothing. Eventually it will lead to auto-destruction anyway; we see that in many cases of people falling into addictions. We must cling to Jesus so that we may not fall back into something worse.

The words of Jesus have consoling power, for they are the words of God Himself. Jesus is God and Man who acts as a Divine “channel” of grace. Whoever comes to His “circle” (the disciples) and has faith, immediately experiences change of body and soul. The apostles after the Resurrection would be able to do the same as we read about in the Acts of the Apostles (5:15): “ Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them. ”

A side note here, most people today may not know this, but the hospitals, as we know them, emerged from the Catholic Church. Although the field of medicine was advanced in other parts of the world too, in the lands like Persia, China, or Mezo-America (Mayans and Aztecs), it was in the Catholic-Christian Europe and in the Middle East during the time of the crusades that the hospitals took form of organized institutions. It was usually religious sisters or brothers that cared for the sick day and night. The most famous of them was Saint John of God in Granada, Spain, who had great love especially for mentally ill people. For that reason, in many countries up to this day female nurses are still called “sister.” Even the Communists did not take that down as I recall it from my country of birth, which is Poland

Since treating and healing the human body involves also the treating of the soul, it is a special vocation from God. Thus, it makes perfect sense that a person engaged in this profession is truly a sister or brother who leads others—the sick patients—to the wholeness of the human person. That wholeness is possible only if we include the spiritual dimension, that is, the faith in God. Hence, Saint John Paul II repeatedly affirmed that the church has always been committed to “give the suffering the comfort not only of physical assistance but also of spiritual support, by opening before them the consoling horizons of faith” (Message of the 4th World Day of the Sick, 1996).

Let us pray that medical doctors, nurses, aides, and medical staff may truly be the bearers of life and hope. And as they face difficult choices that they may never engage in anything contrary to the gospel of life.

Have a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

The pandemic that started last year has revealed how much fear is in all of us.

Wed, 16 Jun 2021 12:23:00 GMT

From the pastor’s desk on the 12th Sunday, year B

The pandemic that started last year has revealed how much fear is in all of us. It has specially revealed how much we are afraid of dying. Many people desperately were clinging to this life only, as if nothing existed beyond this world. Based on that fear many of us started making silly decisions such as accumulating toilet paper or non perishable goods for our home food pantry beyond the capacity to use it in reasonable time frame. Would all those actions really save us? How futile our efforts proved to be?! I think this Sunday’s readings perfectly fit in this context. The word of God calls us to cast out our fear and to trust the Lord as if our life depended on Him only — in fact, our life totally depends on Christ. However, we must come to realization of that on our own terms. The thought of Jesus being our Lord and Savior must reach the level of our heart and reason and become the plan of our life.

Fear and excessive anxiety certainly do not originate in the Christian worldview. As a matter of fact, our fears originate from the spirit of this world. It is this kind of spirit that rejects the notion of God and leads people to despair. For those who under the influence of the spirit of the world, all that matters is the preservation of life at all costs. Being affected by this kind of thinking many people do only that what seems to be humanly feasible and what may prolong our life on earth. But what about our salvation? Is this not the most import thing for a believer? And what about our faith in Jesus Christ? Is He not the Lord of Lords and the King of kings? Does He not know what we need? Certainly, Jesus does know all our needs. However, Jesus knows that our greatest need is our salvation - He communicated that very clearly in the gospels. Thus, each Catholic, each Christian should embrace the hope of life in Jesus Christ first, in order to steer our life on earth towards the things of heaven. Otherwise we will become a nuisance to the world and to ourselves. For that reason Saint Paul was admonishing the Christian community in Corinth:

The love of Christ impels us, once we have come to the conviction that one died for all; therefore, all have died. He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

(2 Cor 5:14-17)

Yes, in baptism we already have died in Christ. If we do not feel it yet, let us earnestly pray that the Lord may wake us up to true life in God.

In this Sunday’s gospel passage too, we hear that the Lord rebukes the winds and waves that were overwhelming the apostles in their fragile boat while sailing in the lake of Galilee. Jesus reproached the disciples for their fear and lack of faith:

“Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”

At times Jesus may look “sleeping” and distant, but faith in Jesus is the key. In fact, He is always watching us and waiting for our prayers. However, as long as we rely only on our strength and wit, He cannot come to our aid; Jesus can do nothing when we are too “strong.” It is only when we express our powerlessness and insufficiency the Lord can come to our rescue the way He did for the apostles in their fragile boat. This applies not only to our personal situations, but most of all to the universal (Catholic) Church on earth that seems to be shaken and tossed around by the waves and winds of scandals and hostile ideologies. Let us remember that the Lord Jesus can calm the rough waters of our troubled times too, but He wants our trust and unity in prayer. Without Him we can literally do nothing.

Come, Lord Jesus, and help us to “worship [God] without fear, holy and righteous in [Your] sight all the days of our life.”

Have a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pasto

In this Sunday’s gospel our Lord Jesus uses two parables to portray how the kingdom of God grows within us

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 12:50:00 GMT

From the pastor’s desk on the 11 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time year B

In this Sunday’s gospel our Lord Jesus uses two parables to portray how the kingdom of God grows within us. These are the parables of the seed of grain and of mustard seed. The seed is our faith in Jesus. In the beginning it may look small, even insignificant. But when it falls on the fertile ground of our heart, it may quickly grow and develop until it permeates all of aspects of our life. We may not even notice it that it is there for many years, like that seed in Jesus’ parable in may be growing in silence. Eventually we may recognize that the faith in Jesus has grown within us when we start making decisions based on faith and not only on external circumstances or emotional impulses.

There are so many examples of saints and ordinary people, who can provide for us the testimony to the reality of faith. One of them is Blessed Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916), one of my favorite saints. He was born to a noble French family. Charles was not a very faithful Catholic, he even declared himself agnostic, and from his early years became a party boy and a womanizer. He had a career in the French military and took part in the war in Algeria. However, he was not happy with his life—life without God seemed to be empty and meaningless. That is how he began his personal search for God. At that time his faith started to grow while he undertook risky explorations of Morocco. Paradoxically, it was the faith of the Muslims, whom he fought that inspired Charles to think about his own faith. The seed of faith had grown in him so much that he could not help thinking of Jesus. So eventually he decided to become religious. In his memoirs he wrote: “ As soon as I believed that there was a God, I understood that there was nothing else I could do but to live totally for him. My religious vocation dates from the same hour as my faith. ”

Our life too may sometimes look meaningless and empty. Perhaps, it is a call from God to a genuine conversion, that is, to a change of direction of our life until we focus on Jesus only. If we have that grain of faith, we need to allow it to grow so that it may become a large “tree” within us, a tree of faith that brings spiritual fruits. I pray for you and your families that you may discover the beauty and richness of our faith and that you allow yourself to be guided by it to authentic blessedness of life in God.

Besides this spiritual message, I would like to share with you a quick explanation on the meaning of holy relics that are placed on the new altar in our church. The tradition of the relics placed within the altar “table” is dated to the first centuries of Christianity, when the early communities of the faithful were persecuted for their faith and they had to do clandestine gatherings, frequently in the catacombs. It was in the catacombs that often a Holy Mass would be celebrated over the graves of the martyr saints, that is, over their bodily remains that subsequently became holy relics. Once the Christian faith became widely accepted and officially sanctioned, most of the new churches carried on the tradition of having a saint’s relic under the stone piece on the altar. In our case, we have the relics of fours great saints: Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Bonaventure, Saint Jerome, and Saint Ambrose. May their intercession help us to become a community of faithful believers.

Have a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Wed, 02 Jun 2021 11:52:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

The second Sunday after the Solemnity of Pentecost is dedicated to another great mystery of our faith. It is the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, popularly also called the Feast of Corpus Christi, in which we are reminded that our Lord Jesus is truly present with us under the signs of bread and wine. In this feast we emphasize that God is really close to us in the Eucharist. Hence, the Holy Mass should be of the greatest importance to each Catholic believer. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states on this:

The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life." "The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch."

(Catechism, 1324)

We must remember that Holy Mass is not a merely human action, nor it is a nice “fellowship,” but a truly sacred action, during which people are united with God in the most intimate way. It is especially expressed in the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ, which we call a Holy Communion, which we can translate as “ a-union-with.”

Consequently, the Church teaches that when we go to Holy Mass it is Jesus Christ Himself, whom we receive and are united to by the means of the species of bread and wine. So the Eucharist is NOT a mere symbol, as many tend to believe! Rather it is an awesome reality of God’s presence among us. For that reason the Eucharist is the central sacrament by which the whole Church lives.

Many people today have a problem with accepting the doctrine of the Real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. I think it is due to very superficial understanding while dealing with the mysteries of faith by and large. In order to comprehend and enter this tremendous mystery, we cannot treat it as a material object, but as a spiritual reality that is as real as the things we see around us. Regarding the Eucharist, we may still see bread and wine, even after the words of the consecration, but it is no longer bread and wine—it is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. This truth has been confirmed by God Himself in numerous Eucharistic miracles.

On the practical note, knowing that the Holy Mass is an encounter with the Living Lord, we must prepare ourselves in order to receive the Eucharist worthily. Let us remember THE EUCHARIST IS NOT A COOKIE. It is a mysterium tremendum , an awesome and terrible mystery beyond human comprehension. Thus, we cannot receive Holy Communion with a light heart, we must be prepared, otherwise it becomes sacrilegious or a mockery of our faith. No one can truly appreciate the Eucharist if he or she does not want to repent. For that reason the Church teaches that those who are living in a state of mortal sin should not receive Holy Communion until they are reconciled with the Church in the sacrament of penance. If they do receive it, it is not real communion, for they already have separated themselves from the Church and Christ by committing grave offense against God. Moreover, they offend God gravely by an insolent approach toward this sacred mystery. In other words, they commit the sin of pride, which lies at the basis of all the sins.

Of course one may say that Jesus came to everybody so everybody should have “a right” to receive. It is true, Jesus came to everybody but not everybody was ready to accept Him and then to receive Him even when He was still walking on earth. Only those who repented, that is, accepted all Christ’s teaching, were able to enjoy the graces He bestowed upon them. Notice, that after His resurrection Christ did neither appear to His adversaries nor to anyone who did not believe Him, but only to His disciples. He appeared only to those who believed His word and followed Him to the end.

So if we want to truly enjoy and comprehend the great mystery of the Eucharist let us take seriously what St. Paul wrote to the church in Rome: “ Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God ” (Romans 12:2).

Have blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

On the seventh Sunday of Easter we read a gospel passage

Mon, 17 May 2021 13:32:00 GMT

On the seventh Sunday of Easter we read a gospel passage, in which our Lord Jesus prays for unity and sanctification of His disciples, including future followers, that is, all of us. In Jesus’s words:

“Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one.” (John 17:11)

In this context I would like to pose a few questions that people often ask us: Since Jesus prayed for unity, why do we have so many different Christian denominations? Did Jesus fail with His mission? Is there one Church or many churches? Is there salvation outside the Church? A short answer to these questions is that our Blessed Lord Jesus did not fail with His mission. He had accomplished everything He could to redeem us from eternal damnation. For that reason, He established one Holy Catholic Church and there is no salvation outside of the Church. However, the Church must be understood in much broader sense, for the Church is more than just the visible structures. The Church is the mystical Body of Christ. It is both the Church on earth and the Church in heaven. Besides, the word ‘Catholic’ means universal, which assumes that the Church is for all peoples. There is no exclusion in the Church; it does not matter of what race, culture or tongue we come from—the Church is open to everybody who believes in Jesus Christ. That is the only condition is that we must believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved: “ There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved ”‌ ( Acts 4:12).

However, not to confuse or deny the role of the Catholic Church in the world, the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ( CDF ) stated in the Document called Dominus Iesus :

The Lord Jesus, the only Saviour, did not only establish a simple community of disciples, but constituted the Church as a salvific mystery: he himself is in the Church and the Church is in him (cf. Jn 15:1ff.; Gal 3:28; Eph 4:15-16; Acts 9:5). Therefore, the fullness of Christ's salvific mystery belongs also to the Church, inseparably united to her Lord.

As for other particular Christian churches and denominations we read:

“The Christian faithful are therefore not permitted to imagine that the Church of Christ is nothing more than a collection - divided, yet in some way one - of Churches and ecclesial communities; nor are they free to hold that today the Church of Christ nowhere really exists, and must be considered only as a goal which all Churches and ecclesial communities must strive to reach.”‌ In fact, “the elements of this already-given Church exist, joined together in their fullness in the Catholic Church and, without this fullness, in the other communities.” ‌“Therefore, these separated Churches and communities as such, though we believe they suffer from defects, have by no means been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church.”‌ ( Dominus Iesus , 17).

Going back to this Sunday’s gospel, Jesus prayed for unity of the disciples knowing how difficult would be for the people to stay together. From the very beginning the Church was struggling to stay one. The Church recognizes the fact that “ t he lack of unity among Christians is a wound for the Church; not in the sense that she is deprived of her unity, but “in that it hinders the complete fulfillment of her universality in history ”‌ ( Dominus Iesus , 17). Despite the divisions, however, we are all one in Christ. Each time when we say “Our Father” we should think of being together with Christ who unites us all in Himself. We also should pray for better understanding what Christ intended for us all while “consecrating us in the truth” (John 17:17). He is the Truth that will lead us to salvation. In the next letter I will touch upon the topic of the mission of the Church and the problem of salvation of all people.

Come Holy Spirit, and renew the face of the earth!

Have a blessed week! Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

The Pentecost Sunday closes the liturgical season of Easter.

Mon, 17 May 2021 13:26:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the Pentecost Sunday 2021

The Pentecost Sunday closes the liturgical season of Easter. In this great feast, in the order of liturgical importance only second to the Easter Sunday, we learn that it is the Holy Spirit who brings about true and lasting fruits that are showered upon the Church and the world. For the Jews the Pentecost was the completion of the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot , which was a celebration of the harvest that occurred seven weeks (fifty days) after the feast of Passover. Notwithstanding, it was not just about the harvest but also about spiritual gifts that the Chosen People had received from God and the harvest only represented it. For Jesus’ disciples the occurrence of the Pentecost was also the time of harvest. At that point, those fifty days after the Resurrection they knew that it was the Lord Jesus who made all things possible. All had come to completion in Jesus and His coming back from the dead was the first fruit of His sacrifice on the cross.

As the disciples were united in prayer with the Blessed Virgin Mary “ they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim ” (Acts 2:4). We can see in this scripture passage that on the day of the Pentecost the Lord’s promise of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled. The Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples who finally produced the abundance of spiritual gifts. The Pentecost was also the birth of the Church,

The Holy Spirit enabled the apostles to become courageous and zealous in proclaiming the Gospel to the entire world. The Spirit also enables us all, who follow faithfully the way of Jesus Christ to become witnesses of God’s salvation – the true meaning of the name “Christian” is exactly to be a witness to Christ. By the descent of the Holy Spirit we are called to share our faith with others who are hungry for God and do not know Jesus Christ yet, or perhaps do not know Him enough. As the descent of the Holy Spirit made the disciples courageous in proclaiming the Good News of salvation, so the Holy Spirit makes us brave to face the hostility and difficulties in this world. If we are baptized and confirmed, it means that each and every one of us, without exception, has received this mission of telling the world about the Salvation in Christ.

However, in order to feel the power of the Holy Spirit and to “activate” the gifts of the Holy Spirit we need to meet two conditions. First, we must believe in Jesus Christ as our only Lord and Savior. We also must follow His way while imitating Jesus in His humility, obedience, and self-sacrificial love. Secondly, we must remain united in prayer with the Most Holy Virgin Mary and the Church. For us today it means that our faith in Christ must be put first before everything else. We cannot live with the rules of this world, but rather we must engage in the prayer life of the Church. Moreover, we need to be in the state of grace (no mortal sin) so that that nothing can hinder the power of the Holy Spirit. This means that frequent confession and reception of the Eucharist should be our routine. As we perceive in ourselves numerous imperfections and sinful attachments, let us engage in more intense personal prayer and ongoing penance. Let us also pray for the spiritual renewal of the Church, through which will come about the true renewal of the world.

“ Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse!”

Happy Feast of Pentecost! Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you” (John 15:16)

Wed, 05 May 2021 12:13:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 6 ^th Sunday of Easter, year B

“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you” (John 15:16). – In this Sunday’s gospel reading our Lord Jesus unmistakably communicates that it is He who chooses individual people to be His followers, not the other way around. All of the disciples were hand picked by Jesus. Moreover, Christ called each apostle, when they still did not understand anything of what Jesus was doing and saying. However, Jesus knew their hearts and what they would be capable of, so He chose them to the task of evangelization, that is, to preach the Good News of Salvation to the entire world. By and large, the gospel of John is clear about the fact that the initiative belongs exclusively to Jesus. Those who were called merely answered that call and followed Jesus. Their faith had increased while they were spending time with Christ.

Nowadays, quite often we hear voices like this: “I have not baptized my children, for I do not want to impose any religion on them.” Or, “I want my child to choose religion when he is an adult. He will find out what is fitting for him when he understands better, so I am raising him without any particular faith.” The problem with this approach is this: we always choose something, especially in the matters of faith. Even if we think we are not choosing any particular religion for a child, it is already a choice—the choice will be atheism, scientism, or eclectism (a mix of beliefs borrowed from different religions and traditions). Besides, let us remember that baptizing a child is NOT like joining political parties. Rather, baptizing and catechizing a child is the matter of life and death. No one chooses whether to come to this world or not. It is life that chooses us. We are born because life is given to us as a gift. The same rule applies to our faith in Jesus, it is a gift from God—a precious treasure—that needs to be guarded and fostered.

In baptism each one of us has received the gift of faith, that is, we have received life in God through Jesus Christ. We have been chosen to live in the fullness of life that is possible only with and in Jesus. That is also the only way to bear real fruit of conversion and evangelization. Again, in Jesus’ own words: “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain” (John 15:16).

If we truly realize how great the gift of faith in Jesus Christ is, we will be able to carry the message of salvation to all the people. This will be the fruit of our faith in Jesus. If we are still hesitant about our religion, we need to pray that Jesus may send His Holy Spirit to illuminate our minds and hearts so that our faith may increase.

I wish you all a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

We live in a society that places much importance on personal success

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 12:47:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 5 ^th Sunday of Easter, year B

We live in a society that places much importance on personal success. If you are not successful in a career or an activity you are considered a failure, or least you are insignificant and dull. The success usually must have some external dimension so that it will be visible to other people. Our society and culture also put strong emphasis on the individual’s skills and effort while working towards success. It is “my success,” not a gift from on high.

It is not so, however, in the spiritual life according to Christian understanding. Very often it is quite the opposite of what the world expects of us. In the Christian spirituality our life must be hidden in Christ rather than exposed and successful in the worldly way. The spiritual “success” is more on the inside and it may be not visible to other people. As the matter of fact the spiritual achievement may be even unknown to the interested party himself or herself as long as he or she lives here on earth. This is the case of numerous saints, e.g. Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, Saint Charbel, Saint Faustina, and Blessed Charles de Foucauld, who did not see how much impact they would make on the life of others and the entire Church.

Thus, the spiritual growth cannot be measured with external achievements, but rather with how much we belong to Christ. The more we surrender to Jesus the more “successful” we become. The saints strive for perfect union with Christ and they do not care whether they achieve something or not in the eyes of the world. The only thing they want to do is to be with Jesus and to please Him while loving Him with all their heart, all their mind, and all their strength. They leave nothing for themselves, for in Jesus they find the perfect fulfillment of all their longings.

This Sunday’s gospel passage conveys exactly the message of surrender to Jesus. Our Lord Jesus commands His disciples to remain in Him in order to bear genuine and abundant fruit.

Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.

How do I remain in Jesus? I do it through the simple acts of faith and surrender to the Divine Providence. I also cultivate intense prayer, spiritual reading, and frequent reception of the sacraments of reconciliation and the Eucharist. The rest is up to Jesus. I should take Jesus’ words to my heart and literally make it the rule of my life: “ without me you can do nothing .”

In the end, I should not worry whether I have achieved spiritual heights or not, but rather trust that our Lord is at work in my life. If the Lord Jesus wants to use me an instrument of His grace I will be happy with that. If Jesus will not give me any noticeable spiritual or pastoral success I should remain even happier, for it is He acting through me according to His Divine will. I know that I belong to Him—remain in Him—and this is enough for me to be content and at peace.

Have a blessed week.

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

Incorruptible bodies of the saints

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 13:15:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 3 ^rd Sunday of Easter, year B

Perhaps, some of you might have heard of incorruptible bodies of the saints. It is a strange phenomenon found in number of saints who died, yet their body has not decayed. Among the most known there are such saints as Saint Padre Pio, Saint Bernadette, Saint Vincent de Paul, and Saint John Vianney. There even the incorrupt bodies of saints dated back to antiquity like Saint Agatha (martyred circa 251 AD) and Saint Silvan (died circa 350 AD). There is no scientific explanation why their bodies remain almost intact despite the passage of time. It makes sense only when we look at them trough the lens of faith recognizing them as signs of God’s grace active in the world. The incorruptible bodies of those saints are signs to us that true holiness permeates even our bodies. It is a foretaste of the life in God and transformation in Christ that goes beyond the grave. It is a hope of the future resurrection and immortality for all believers.

As we are celebrating the time of Easter, we are reminded of the truth of resurrection. For that reason this Sunday too we hear about the Resurrected Christ who presents Himself to the disciples, who are are still incredulous; they still cannot grasp what had happened; they are not ready yet to connect and accept all the prophecies about the Messiah. Despite the disciples’ lack of faith and doubt, Jesus appeared to them and He ascertained that He was real:

“ Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet . (Luke 24:39-40)

Jesus was dead and came back to life. His Resurrection is not a myth; it is a real event. The Roman soldiers were very effective executioners and there was no way that anyone could survive it. Besides, Jesus’s heart was pierced with a lance. So Jesus truly died in His human body, but on the third day He has risen from the dead. After the resurrection Jesus, in His human body, has become more “alive” than before. Jesus’s body is physically real but transformed—glorified. It means that our Lord Jesus is not bound by space and time anymore. As the Church teaches, Christ appears in His resurrected (not resuscitated!), that is, glorified body. Jesus’s body after the resurrection belongs completely to the realm of God, hence, it cannot undergo corruption any longer. From the Sacred Scripture we know it is the same body of Jesus, who was crucified, for when He appeared He showed to the disciples that nail marks on His hand and His feet. He is not a ghost.

Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.” (Luke 24:38-39)

This Sunday’s gospel passage communicates to us a very important truth about our belief in the resurrection. It is something that each Christian should embrace with his or her whole heart in order to cast out fear and anxiety of this present life. Namely, Jesus’s Resurrection is a prelude to our resurrection. When we profess our faith in Jesus Christ who died and rose again, we acknowledge that we too one day may rise with Him who is the Source of Life. As we still live here on earth may the example of the saints motivate us to strive for greater holiness so that our death may not be a moment of terror but of a blessed passage from an imperfect mode of living to the perfect one the Kingdom of God.

“Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners, NOW AND AT THE HOUR OF OUR DEATH. Amen!”

Have a blessed week! Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

At each Sunday mass we repeat the Nicene Creed

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 12:24:00 GMT

At each Sunday mass we repeat the Nicene Creed, which is a condensed statement of our faith formulated by the Church Fathers for all Christian churches. In it we solemnly profess all that has been revealed to us by God and we hold it to be true. There are a couple of lines of the Creed that focus on the mission of Jesus Christ, which I would like to expound in this letter. In the Creed we say:

“I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ… For us men and for our salvation/ He came down from heaven.../ For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate,/ He suffered death and was buried,/ and rose again on the third day…” (Nicene Creed)

Whenever we profess this belief we recognize the mission of Jesus Christ on earth, which is the redemption and salvation of human souls. Not denying that every word and deed of Jesus was very important, we must understand that Jesus’s mission of salvation was accomplished solely on the cross. It was His sacrifice for our sake that gained an infinite value for the salvation of the world. The Letter to the Hebrews (this Sunday second reading) emphasizes this truth:

“Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” (Hebrews 5:9)

Our Blessed Lord Jesus did what no human being could do. Namely, Jesus offered Himself as the sacrificial Lamb on the altar of the cross so that we all might have life. While preaching about this, the servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen said, “ Every man is born in this world to live, Christ was born to die .” It was the purpose of Jesus’s life to save the mankind from eternal damnation. Thus, although Jesus performed many miracles, none of those obtained our salvation; they were only signs of God’s power active in Jesus. The miracles only indicated that God wanted our salvation and our wellbeing (blessedness) in this life too. Christ’s public ministry was leading to the ultimate goal – death on the Cross-, through which the resurrection will be possible. The life of Jesus set up an example for the way each believer should walk. In fact, Jesus is the Way leading to true life. But it is the way that requires faith. As St. Paul writes, “We walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). If you have faith in the Lord Jesus, then you will see the purposefulness of all He did. But most of all, you will see the meaning of His death on the Cross. Jesus was trying to teach that His disciples. For that reason He spoke to them about dying and carrying the cross. Thus, this Sunday’s gospel pericope should be read in the context of the Cross of Christ:

“ The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” (John 12:23-24)

Obviously, Jesus was referring to Himself, for He is the Bread of Life. – Like grain Jesus had been immolated and became the Bread of Heaven. The grain that had to die was Christ in His body, but it is also each baptized person. But Jesus also invites us to imitate Him in dying to ourselves. Each one of us must die to sin in order to enjoy the happiness of holy life and to be with Christ forever. However, it means that we must embrace the cross and accept suffering. While meditating upon the mysteries of Jesus’s passion, death, and resurrection, let us nail our pain and anxieties to the Cross of Christ. For it is through Jesus on the Cross they gain a new meaning and become the sources of blessings.

I wish you all a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

La Iglesia celebra este 14 de marzo From Fr. Charlince Vendredy

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 13:37:00 GMT

La Iglesia celebra este 14 de marzo, el cuarto Domingo de Cuaresma. Según la tradición, también se lo conoce como “Domingo de Laetare”.

Debemos aclarar cuál es el concepto de “Laetare”. Esta es una palabra derivada de latín que significa “Regocíjate”.

La liturgia de este domingo se ve marcada por la alegría ya que se acerca el tiempo de vivir nuevamente los Misterios de la Pasión, Muerte y Resurrección de nuestro señor Jesucristo durante la semana Santa. Es por eso que se usan vestimentas rosadas . No debemos olvidar que estamos en cuaresma, y que este domingo no es un acto de penitencia, sino que es para recordarnos que siempre detrás de toda penitencia está el deber de aborrecer el pecado, el propósito de no pecar más y confesar los pecados para poder así vivir en gracia que nos es otorgada por Dios en su infinita misericordia.” La liturgia de hoy nos recuerda que la fuente de nuestra salvación es motivo de alegría para los cristianos y mientras esperamos este gozo, es bueno meditar en esta palabra de consuelo “Dios nos da a su Hijo, para que todos tengamos vida”. Por eso, este domingo nos invita tabien a mirar mas alla de la triste realidad del pecado, mirando a Dios, para amarlo y cumplir sus preceptos que nos hacen libres. (Cf. Internet)

En el Evangelio de hoy San Juan nos dice; “Jerusalén de noche a la sombra del Templo, un doctor de la ley viene discretamente a consultar a Jesús. Se le llama Nicodemo y quiere entablar una simple conversación rabínica. Pero se encuentra asimismo, en unos instantes sumergido en el misterio inconsolable de la redención a través de la Cruz, prefigurado por la “serpiente de bronce” que Moisés había modelado en el desierto y de la que Jesús viene a revelar el sentido profundo. “es necesario que el hijo del hombre sea exaltado para que todo el que crea en él tenga vida eterna en EL (Jn 3).

Queridos amigos, Nicodemo fue un intelectual de alto rango en la época de Jesús. Sin embargo, muchas cosas escaparon a su comprensión. Le costaba entender por ejemplo: “Como nacer de nuevo? “y Como Jesús puede ser el que Dios envió al mundo, no para condenarlo, sino para que por medio de El, el mundo sea salvado y sanado.

Sólo Dios libera y sólo él puede liberar. A pesar de nuestra posesión, conocimiento o poder, el hombre permanece y sigue siendo un ser limitado.

Sólo Dios puede ayudar a descubrir el misterio. Pidamos a Dios la gracia, en su infinita misericordia, de confiar en su Hijo en toda circunstancia, porque solo en EL tenemos y encontramos la Vida Eterna.

Bendiciones

Padre Charlince Vendredy

What does it mean to have eternal life?

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 13:34:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 4th Sunday of Lent, year B

What does it mean to have eternal life? According to this Sunday’s gospel it means to believe in Jesus Christ. It is our Lord Jesus who said:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (John 3:15).

Our faith in Jesus leads to life, both here on earth and in heaven. Eternal life starts in our earthly life and it is a fruit of our faith. The more faith we have have the more life and goodness is in us. We see this clearly in the lives of numerous saints. The saints are those people who are fully alive because they have rooted their lives in the fountain of life, that is, in Jesus Christ. If we study a life of each saint we see how each and every one of them was transformed by grace due to his or her faith in Christ Jesus. Thus, faith in Jesus is the only way that may help us to be healthier, happier, and fulfilled. Our faith literally leads us from death to life. St. Paul accurately captures it in his letter to the Ephesians:

“God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ—by grace you have been saved—, raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:3-5)

There are studies that show that people who have faith in Jesus are statistically happier and find more fulfillment in life. On the contrary, people without faith are statistically more depressed and feel lost. They also cannot recognize how their sinful ways are affecting their daily wellbeing. Unfortunately, too often we look for life fulfillment away from Jesus. By doing it we deprive ourselves of the source of life and find only disappointment and hardship. Very often a lack of true faith literally leads us to death, as it is the case of persons who engage in abortion or euthanasia. The consequences of those wicked things are spiritual darkness and emotional misery.

“For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed” (John 3:20).

We must remember that God wants our salvation and our happiness (blessedness) here on earth. So if God allows us to be disappointed with the things of this world, it is for our good. Consequently, if you do not find pleasure in something that you used to like and enjoy, it is a good sign. God is calling you to conversion. The words of our Lord in this Sunday’s gospel become the truth of your life too: “But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God” (John 3:21). God is calling you to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. It is also a reminder that there is no true life apart from God. Your disappointments and suffering are to bring you back to the Divine Healer who died for you on the cross. This, whenever you look with faith at Jesus on the cross your soul is being healed too: “so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:15). Bear in mind, Jesus Christ is the only way that leads us to life everlasting. He is also the only way to authentic health and happiness in this life.

I wish you all a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

Why did our Lord become angry?

Wed, 03 Mar 2021 11:50:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 3 ^rd Sunday of Lent, year B

Why did our Lord become angry? – There is only one instance, in which we hear Jesus getting really angry. It is not during His trial or arguments with the Pharisees; although there too, we can hear some overtones of anger. It was upon Jesus’s visit to the Temple of Jerusalem when He manifested a divine wrath that which was also an expression of divine justice. What Jesus did in the Temple of Jerusalem only reflects what God did time and again while cleansing the Jewish people through exiles and foreign invasions.

According to the Gospel of John this event took place in the beginning of Jesus’s public ministry. In John’s gospel it was also the second sign that Jesus performed while manifesting His divine mission; first sign being changing water into wine in Cana. Jesus enter the courtyard of the Temple, where the Jews could exchange Roman coins for the Temple coins, the only acceptable currency in the Jewish liturgical norms. The Temple’s courtyard was also a sort of market place, where people could buy animals for sacrifices prescribed by the Torah. This practice had been now sanctioned for a couple of centuries. Having known that, Jesus’s reaction to the whole situation must have been a shock to the onlookers.

What Jesus saw in the Temple was not acceptable, for He perceived that all the trade and money exchange as something non-essential for the sincere worship of God. Moreover, all of that, as important as it seemed to the Jewish mentality, had become an obstacle to the pure knowledge of God. For people were more focused on the external practices rather than on the internal change. As Jesus pointed out in another place “ You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence ” (Matthew 23:25).

As anything with our Lord, this action too should be interpreted in a spiritual way. Jesus Christ went to the Temple to show that it needed to be cleansed of all that did not belong to God. The Temple had to be cleansed of all human inventions of divine worship that took away people from true religion, that is, “ when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth ” (John 3:23). Lord Jesus is the One that reveals to the people what it means to worship God, that is, to render God what belongs to God: our hearts and souls.

So why did Jesus become angry? He became angry, for ultimately people were breaking the first commandment. By doing all that business they did not truly worship God but rather themselves. The trades in the Temple’s courtyard were only the symptoms of spiritual disease.

Jesus’s action can also be interpreted as a warning for the future Church, which is the Mystical Body of Christ. Jesus wants the Church to be pure and humble, a place where people can find true God. It should not be a place of business and it should not be run like business. Otherwise, its structures will fall apart, as we can see over and over again in the Church’s history.

While mediating upon this Sunday’s gospel, let us remember that prayer and offering something to God is not bargaining with God. We cannot do business with God. We can only do what He tells us to do through His Son Jesus Christ. Our role is to humbly accept it. We should pray that when we “come to Church” we might leave the worldly things behind. We can render true worship only by admitting our sinfulness and recognizing God’s mercy for us. In this way God may be in the first place and our petty affairs and businesses laid aside.

Have a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

Why did God the Father allow His Son to die on the cross?

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 12:09:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 2 ^nd Sunday in Lent, year B

Someone recently asked me an interested question: “Why did God the Father allow His Son to die on the cross?” The question came from a mother who was struggling to understand Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross. She further added, “As a parent I would rather die myself...” Why would good God allow such an atrocity for His Divine Son? Should not God the Father take place of His Son?

When we ask these questions we must remember that our way of thinking is very limited. We think of God in human terms, but we know that God is beyond our partial understanding. We know from faith, however, that God is undivided unity. So where the Son is there are also two other Divine Persons, the Father and the Holy Spirit. Having this knowledge, we should be able to recognize that God the Father was present in Jesus when this one was dying on the cross. We can understand this in simple human terms – a mother who is watching the suffering of her child often suffers even more than the child. In this regard, God the Father “suffered” with Jesus in the Human form.

I am sharing with you this question for this Sunday’s first reading is about a so-called sacrifice of Abraham. In the Sunday lectionary we read only an abbreviated version. But these are the events that develop when you read the full narrative: After many years of waiting for the offspring, Abraham finally has a son Isaac with his wife Sarah. However, when Isaac is already a grownup, God asks Abraham to kill his son on the mount of Moriah. After Abraham had received a mandate from God they embark on a three-day journey. At this point we know that Isaac is not a child anymore, for he is carrying the firewood on his back in the land of Moriah and he has a serious conversation with his father Abraham. The scene is very poignant as we hear an incredible tenderness of Abraham; you can almost sense Abraham’s sadness and pain when Isaac asks him questions about the sacrifice. Nonetheless, in this narrative Abraham is obedient to the Lord and Isaac is obedient to Abraham. The story continues how Abraham binds Isaac; Isaac does not fight for his life at all. Finally, when Abraham attempts to kill his son, an angel stops him and provides a goat for the sacrifice.

In unison, all the fathers of the Church and great theologians interpret this event as a prefiguration of what God would do for the people: “For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son…” (John 3:16). From that point on, it is neither Abraham offering his son nor any other human being, but God the Father giving His Divine Son as a propitiation for the sins of humanity.

In the story of Abraham and Isaac we also learn that God must have “suffered” with His Son. The agony of Abraham during his journey to Mount Moriah is the agony of God in Jesus Christ on the cross. God, who is Love, suffers when that Love is rejected and despised. It is God showing humanity how much He loves us. Jesus asserted this truth while revealing the message of Divine Mercy to St. Faustina:

“My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners. If only they could understand that I am the best of Fathers to them and that it is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy.” Diary 367

As we journey through Lent, let us thank God for His merciful love and for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ through whom we have an access to the Glory of God ( see Rom 5:1-2; Eph 2:18). And let us remember, all we have to do is to acknowledge that we are sinners and trust in God’s mercy.

Have a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

What is the worst thing that may happen to us?

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 11:37:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 6 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

What is the worst thing that may happen to us? – Is it death? Is it an illness or loss of a physical or mental function? Is it a damage of material goods? According to our faith the worst thing that may happen to us is the loss of eternal life. Thus, it is not in losing material possession, social status, not even losing good health nor physical death that are the worst. These things, even if we have them in abundance, do not matter, if we lose life in God.

In this Sunday’s gospel we hear about healing of a leper. Leprosy in the Old Testament was associated with sin and alienation from the community, which was also viewed as a separation from God. It was understood that if a person contracted leprosy, it was either that same person or someone else from the family that “must have committed a sin” and now the inflicted person suffers consequences of sin. For that reason, the lepers were considered unclean and could not approach other “healthy” people nor worship God in the Temple. It was not only a disease but also ritual uncleanness as it is described in the book of Leviticus.

Nonetheless, out Lord Jesus heals the leper showing that He has the power of healing both, the soul and the body. The leper was cured of the disease and purified spiritually. Thus, right after the miracle of healing Jesus commands the leper to go a priest in the Temple and make an offering to give glory to God for His merciful love. The worship of the One true God will be completion of healing.

The healing of a leper is an example of God’s care for the wellbeing of humanity. It is the entire humanity that is suffering from another terrible disease, which is original sin. Due to sin people have lost the most precious gift, that is, a life in God. While healing the leper Jesus Christ shows that He gives us a new life, a life of grace, so that “that we might live no longer for ourselves but for him who died and rose again for us” (The Fourth Eucharistic Prayer).

Whatever we are suffering from, let us remember that Christ wants to heal us and to restore us to the wholeness of humanity. But it cannot be at the cost of losing our soul. If we are not immediately healed or liberated, perhaps God wants to heal a much deeper wound that alienates us from Him. As the saying goes, “God does not always fulfill our wishes, but He always listens to our prayers.” As we begin the holy time of Lent, let us use it well in spiritual ways to allow God’s grace to touch our lives and transform them from within so we begin to think with the mind of God and do everything for the glory of God.

Have a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski

On the Real Presence of Christ

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 11:02:00 GMT

On the Real Presence of Christ – Part 2

I would like to follow up on the theme I started in my weekly column last week, that is the Holy Mass and the Eucharist and the implication for our spiritual life.

Though all the sacraments are special channels of grace, the Eucharist has the most prominent place among them, or, as The Second Vatican Council rightly proclaimed that the Eucharistic sacrifice is “the source and summit of the Christian life” ( Lumen Gentium , 11). When we come to Holy Mass we enter the Most Sacred space. At Mass the Word becomes flesh again as it is attested by numerous Eucharistic Miracles throughout the world. For that reason Saint John Paul II dedicated entire encyclical to the explanation of the Eucharist. In the introduction he stated,

“The most holy Eucharist contains the Church's entire spiritual wealth: Christ himself, our P assover and living bread. Through his own flesh, now made living and life-giving by the Holy Spirit, he offers life to men. Consequently, the gaze of the Church is constantly turned to her Lord, present in the Sacrament of the Altar, in which she discovers the full manifestation of his boundless love” (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 1).

We must remember that there are special moments when physical reality is transcended and assumed into spiritual realm, and the sacraments are an example of that. The clearest example of transcending physical reality was the incarnation of the Son of God, “ the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us ” (John 1:14). The Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity became man, yet He remained the Divine Person—Jesus was true God and true man. The two natures have been united in the person Jesus Christ forever. It means that while still walking on earth Jesus the Man was permeated with His divine nature. He was the presence of God among the people. That is why St. John the Baptist and Jesus Himself cried out: “ Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand ” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; 10:7).

So, on practical note, we must prepare ourselves in order to receive the Eucharist worthily, for it is not a cookie that we receive. It is the mysterium tremendum , an awesome and terrible mystery beyond human comprehension—an encounter with The Living God, who stooped down to us and hid Himself under the species of bread and wine. Thus, we cannot receive Holy Communion too frivolously; we must be prepared spiritually. Otherwise, our reception of Holy Communion becomes sacrilegious or a mockery of our faith. No one can truly appreciate the Eucharist if he/she does not want to repent. Thus, those who live in a state of mortal sin as is attested by the Bible and defined by the teaching of the Church, should not receive Holy Communion until they are reconciled with the Church in the sacrament of penance. We need to repent of all the sins, even those that are now widely accepted by society, for example: living in free unions, engaging premarital sex, adultery, committing or promoting abortion—active and passive participation, engaging in active homosexual acts, black magic or fortune-telling practices, contraception, suicidal attempts, blasphemy, deliberately missing mass on holy days of obligation etc.

People who decide to receive the Eucharist without repenting of those sins only delude themselves. It is not real communion for they have already separated themselves from the Church of Christ by the fact of remaining in the state of mortal sin. Moreover, they offend God gravely by an insolent approach toward the sacred mysteries. In other words, they commit the sin of pride, which lies at the basis of all the sins.

Of course one may say that Jesus came to everybody so everybody should have “a right” to receive. It is true, Jesus came to everyone but not everyone was ready or willing to accept Christ’s teaching and then to receive Him. Only those who believed, that is, all who accepted all Jesus’s teaching in its entirety were able to enjoy the graces He bestowed upon them. Notice, that after His resurrection Christ did neither appear to His adversaries nor to anyone who did not believe Him, but only to His disciples. He appeared only to those who believed His Word and followed Him to the Cross.

So if we want to truly enjoy and comprehend the great mystery of the Eucharist let us take seriously what St. Paul wrote to the church in Rome: “ Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God ” (Romans 12:2).

I strongly recommend to find out more about the Eucharistic miracles, which you can look up on this website http://www.miracolieucaristici.org . I also encourage you to read two great books on the understanding of Holy Mass and the Eucharistic: The Spirit of the liturgy by Joseph Ratzinger and The Lamb’s Supper by Scott Hahn.

I wish you blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski

understanding of the Sacrament of the Eucharist

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 11:35:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 4 ^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

On the Real Presence of Christ – Part 1

Recently I have noticed a significant lack of understanding of the Sacrament of the Eucharist among many Catholics. This phenomenon occurs even among regular mass attendees, but it is especially observable in the younger cohort of the churchgoers. So in this letter I would like to use an opportunity to do a short catechesis on the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

First, we must remember that the Eucharist is NOT a cookie! Our Lord Jesus Christ is truly present in the species of bread and wine at Holy Mass. The Eucharist, also known as the Holy Sacrifice of Mass, is not a merely human action, nor it is a nice “fellowship,” but a truly sacred action, during which the faithful become united with God in the most intimate way. It especially expressed in the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ, which we call Holy Communion, that is, “ a-union-with.”

Hence, we, Catholics, believe that when we go to Holy Mass it is Jesus Christ Himself, whom we receive and are united with through the species of bread and wine. The Eucharist is not a mere symbol! It is an awesome reality of God’s presence. The Eucharist is the central sacrament by which the whole Church lives.

Many people today have problems with accepting this doctrine of the Real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. I think it is due to our shallow understanding of the mysteries of faith. In order to understand that the Eucharist is primarily God’s action and another “incarnation,” we must activate our faith. Then we will begin to see that it is the same sacrifice made present again in a bodily form of bread and wine that has been transformed (by word of consecration) into real Body and Blood of Christ. Each time we celebrate mass the Son of God becomes mysteriously present in the sacramental signs of bread and wine in such a way as He became truly present in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Let us read three crucial paragraphs from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC, 1374-1375):

The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as "the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend." In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained." "This presence is called 'real' - by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be 'real' too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present."

It is by the conversion of the bread and wine into Christ's body and blood that Christ becomes present in this sacrament. the Church Fathers strongly affirmed the faith of the Church in the efficacy of the Word of Christ and of the action of the Holy Spirit to bring about this conversion. Thus St. John Chrysostom declares:

It is not man that causes the things offered to become the Body and Blood of Christ, but he who was crucified for us, Christ himself. the priest, in the role of Christ, pronounces these words, but their power and grace are God's. This is my body, he says. This word transforms the things offered.

and St. Ambrose says about this conversion:

Be convinced that this is not what nature has formed, but what the blessing has consecrated. the power of the blessing prevails over that of nature, because by the blessing nature itself is changed.... Could not Christ's word, which can make from nothing what did not exist, change existing things into what they were not before? It is no less a feat to give things their original nature than to change their nature.

So let us not forget that Christ is truly and substantially present in the Eucharist, but He is also humbly hidden so that all who believe might have an easy office“access” to God; we come to Him without fear. He is present “more” in the consecrated bread and wine than in the nature, the trees, the animals or even people. Hence the Eucharist deserves more reverence and respect.

Each Catholic Christian should read the Catechism of the Catholic Church on this matter, remembering that studying the mysteries of our faith is not just an optional prospect. Rather, it is an obligation of a responsible believer who should know his faith. Besides, reading the Catechism one not only will study the Catholic creed but also will encounter a great resource for spiritual meditations. For more on this subject you can find the Catechism online; the paragraphs on Holy Mass and the Eucharist are 1322-1405.

Have a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

With the rise of modern psychology many people seek the so-called self-fulfillment or self-realization.

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 10:57:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the 3 ^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

With the rise of modern psychology many people seek the so-called self-fulfillment or self-realization. The problem with that is that most of the time we do not even know what makes us fulfilled or self-realized. Very often we achieve the desired goal, but we end up being greatly disillusioned. In reality, we do not know what really is good for us and what makes us whole. Moreover, it is not uncommon that the human need for self-fulfillment quickly turns into selfishness. God’s commandments and fraternal charity are laid aside and it becomes all about “me” and “my happiness.” In consequence, many people become miserable and restless or they plunge into hedonism and stifle the deepest longing of human heart—the longing for God.

Viktor Frankl, a well-known Austrian psychiatrist and holocaust survivor, wrote a book entitled “ Man’s search for meaning .” Currently, it is a classic of existential psychology. In this book, Frankl describes his experience of the concentration camp and the horror of war, but he also shares his thoughts on the role of faith and spirituality in human life. Frankl observed that people had a better chance of survival and sanity, if they believed in God. Those people who had strong faith were much better equipped to deal with the horrific reality surrounding them. They also could see a deeper meaning to their suffering and a purpose of life that went beyond this world.

I am sharing this example with you, for this Sunday our Lord Jesus calls us to deeper way of life. We see how the Lord by entering human life provides purpose and meaning for every human being. Hence, there are two important utterances of Jesus in this Sunday’s gospel that go against the spirit of this world fixated on self-fulfillment. In the first utterance we hear Jesus calling people to repentance: “ The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel .” In the second, our Lord calls the first disciples to follow Him: “ Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men .”

The first announcement of Jesus is a wakeup call. If people want to see the Messiah and enter His Kingdom, they need to repent. In other words, people must turn away from their sins, which consist of evil deeds and deceitful thoughts. However, repentance is impossible without faith. It is faith in God that makes one want to change. So, when Jesus is calling people to repentance, He ultimately is calling them to have faith in God. Repentance is only a necessary step in the growth of faith. To translate that to our lives today, we need to see how our faith shapes our motivation and choices. If I truly believe in God, my life cannot be the same as that of the world. Otherwise I will be like those who follow Jesus out of curiosity but eventually turned away from Him, for they lacked faith in Christ as the Son of God.

In the second utterance our Lord invites His first disciples to leave everything they knew up to this point and join Him on an unexpected journey. Their response is immediate with no regret and no turning back. It is a journey of the apostles, that is, the messengers of the Good News. As we know how the story develops, the apostles are entrusted with the preaching of the Kingdom of God to the entire world. In this way, they find fulfillment in their lives while forgetting their personal needs and focusing only on the Lord Jesus who becomes their Way, their Truth, and their Life.

Our Lord Jesus calls each one of us by name and He knows what we are capable of. Let us pray that we too may be courageous to follow Christ whenever He calls us to a specific vocation or mission in the Church. For serving the Church—the Mystical Body of Christ—we will serve all peoples of the world and advance the coming of the Kingdom.

Have a blessed week! Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

disciples of John the Baptist

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 10:35:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

As we begin the Ordinary Time in the liturgy of the Church, we are invited to follow our Lord Jesus together with the apostles. In the gospel reading for this Sunday we hear how two of the disciples of John the Baptist, curious about this mysterious man called by John “the Lamb of God,” pursued Jesus. While they were following the Lord without proper knowledge of His divine origin, Jesus asked them, “ What are you looking for ?” The question sounds very simple, but it goes into the hearts of those men seeking God. Since Jesus does not only ask about their outward search, but also for what they were looking for in the depths of their hearts. However, the disciples for the time being stay on the surface of things and they ask, “ Rabbi, where are you staying?” To that Jesus, in accordance with the tradition of great Jewish rabbis, does not give them straight answer. Rather, He invites them to discover His “dwelling” while coming after Him. Thus, He said to them, “ Come, and you will see .”

What does Jesus’s invitation mean for the disciples? It means the disciples must follow Jesus and spend time with Him. They need to be in His Divine presence in order to gain God’s wisdom. Of course, the disciples only represent all others, who search for God and are drawn to Christ by the power emanating from Him. In result, those who follow Jesus discover much more than they can imagine – they discover the Triune God benevolently acting in the world. In Jesus they also discover the Way to the Father.

Our Lord Jesus invites all of us too, to follow Him so that we may believe in Him. Unfortunately, many people in today’s world know Jesus only by name. They declare themselves Christians, but do very little to know the Christ. That applies even to many Sunday churchgoers. They posses some knowledge of Him or they “have heard about Him,” but they do not want to make a commitment to follow His Way. It is a common delusion that some “knowledge” about Jesus is enough. It cannot stay only in the intellectual level, such as in social studies or in history classes that also talk about Jesus. Let us remember that if we do not engage into real relationship with Jesus while walking along with Him, we will neither know Him in truth nor believe that He is the only Savior.

There are two basic ways to know and to follow Christ. First is prayer and the second the Sacred Scripture reading. Prayer is fundamental for our spiritual life, for it opens our mind and heart to the Transcendence of God. But prayer is not just repeating formulas. Rather it is a conversation heart to heart with the Lord. Prayer is also abiding in Jesus, like Mary, the sister of Lazarus, did who “chose the better part” while sitting at the feet of Jesus (Luke 10:42). Another way to know Christ is Scripture reading or Bible study. It is something that Catholics are not good at. However, it is the entire Sacred Scripture that refers to Christ, so one need to seek Christ actively in holy reading. As Saint Jerome famously put it:

Christ will not say to me what he said to the Jews: You erred, not knowing the Scriptures and not knowing the power of God . For if, as Paul says, “ Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:24) , and if the man who does not know Scripture does not know the power and wisdom of God, then ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ .

Hence, let us be diligent in seeking Jesus in prayer and in the Sacred Scripture reading so that our faith may increase and our lives may change accordingly. Let us remember tat, ultimately, we all must walk in Christ’s footsteps. We must imitate Him in everything in order to grow in holiness and receive the gift of salvation.

I wish you all a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

The Baptism of the Lord

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 12:15:00 GMT

From pastor’s desk on the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord

From antiquity the solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord was celebrated right after the Feast of Epiphany. This feast is also considered another epiphany, that is, the manifestation of God in the person of Jesus Christ. It is God’s manifestation or revelation, for during Jesus’s baptism at the Jordan River something mysterious transpired. The evangelist relates on that (Mark 1:10-11):

“On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’.”

It is the first reference in the Gospel to the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. The Triune God is present in the person of Christ during His baptism in the Jordan River.

The Baptism of the Lord also marks the beginning of Jesus’s public ministry. Our Lord Jesus comes to John the Baptist to be baptized together with all other people in the waters of the river. People, who considered themselves sinners, through public admittance of their sins and ritual washing by John, were made spiritually clean. All this was in preparation for the coming of God in the person of the Messiah and it was in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, “ Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight his paths ” (Isaiah 40:3), which John used for calling people to repentance.

The word ‘baptism,’ in Greek baptizein , means to be immersed or submerged under water. So John’s baptism occurred through submerging a penitent under water. It was not just pouring water, as we often imagine it, it was symbolic drowning as an outward sign of repentance. It really meant that the old self—the sinful one—had to die. So each man who came to John the Baptist had to experience the ritual of cleansing of his or her sins in order to pass from spiritual death to life in grace.

When our Lord Jesus came to John asking for baptism it was not that He needed the cleansing. On the contrary, as the fathers of the Church, early on observed, it was Christ who took upon Himself all the sins of humanity. St. Maximus of Turin comments on this:

Someone might ask, “Why would a holy man desire baptism?” Listen to the answer: Christ is baptized, not to be made holy by the water, but to make the water holy, and by his cleansing to purify the waters which he touched. For the consecration of Christ involves a more significant consecration of the water.

For when the Savior is washed all water for our baptism is made clean, purified at its source for the dispensing of baptismal grace to the people of future ages. Christ is the first to be baptized, then, so that Christians will follow after him with confidence.

As we meditate on the meaning of the Baptism of the Lord, let us recall our baptism and think what an amazing grace we have received. In the sacrament of baptism each one of us has been cleansed of the original sin and made part of God’s chosen people. However, we need to make sure that we do not waste this grace by our way of life. In order to grow spiritually we need to cherish the great gift of salvation, which the sacrament of baptism signifies. Indeed, we must cultivate the interior life by prayer and an ongoing repentance.

May the Most Holy Mary, the Mother of Mercy, help us to discover the true meaning of our baptism and to be faithful to baptismal promises.

Have a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor

From Assistant Pastor Padre Charlince Vendredy Hermanos y hermanas,

Tue, 29 Dec 2020 12:39:00 GMT

Hermanos y hermanas,

Damos gracias a Dios en este primer domingo del año por todas sus bendiciones para nosotros. Empezar un nuevo año es afrontar lo desconocido. El futuro a menudo nos depara sorpresas. ¿Qué será este nuevo año para nosotros? Por el mundo? ¿Para nuestras familias, nuestros amigos, nuestras comunidades? Estas incertidumbres no deben paralizarnos ni desanimarnos. Este año será lo que Dios quiere pero también lo que haremos, con confianza y serenidad. Recordemos a san Pablo: “Somos más que vencedores por medio de Aquel que nos amó. "

La Iglesia hoy celebra la manifestación de Dios. La teofanía es una fiesta cristiana que celebra al Mesías que vino y se encarna en el mundo y que recibe la visita y el homenaje de los magos.

La Biblia nos dice que, en el nacimiento de Jesús, unos magos de Oriente vinieron a Jerusalén y preguntaron: "¿Dónde está el rey de los judíos que acaba de nacer? Porque vimos surgió su estrella y hemos venido a adorarlo". Es fundamental señalar que los Magos son enviados por Herodes para investigar el nacimiento del recién nacido que posiblemente podría ser el Nuevo Rey de Israel. Al llegar a Belén, los Magos trajeron al niño Jesús; oro, incienso y mirra. El oro es el símbolo de la realeza, el incienso: símbolo de la divinidad; y la mirra es una resina de goma aromática producida por el árbol de mirra, también llamado 'mirra'.

Ya que Dios tiene su plan y nadie puede frustrarlo o prevenirlo. Por eso, escribe san Mateo: "Entonces, advirtidos divinamente en un sueño que no volvieran a Herodes, volvieron a su país por otro camino (2,12)".

Dios vino por la salvación de la humanidad, como los Magos que representaban a los ricos, a los intelectuales, a los paganos. Pidamos al Señor que deje todo para adorar al VERDADERO DIOS para nuestra salvación.

Bendiciones,

Padre Charlince Vendredy

Solemnity of Epiphany, January 3rd 2021

Tue, 29 Dec 2020 11:07:00 GMT