Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We have now reached the final part of our Lenten journey. This year 2020 we can say, without fear of being wrong, that it has been a unique and unforgettable Lent. I would venture to say that it is as if God wanted us all to stop, and take a moment to see our lives in a different way, and to discover what being disciples of Christ really means to us.
I am very happy that the Lord allows us to live another Easter. Every year Easter is unique and special. We are not the same as last year, and we will not be the same next year. That is why in the coming Easter we will have the opportunity to experience the victory of the Lord, who will pass by, destroying the sins, fears, and miseries that are present in our lives today. Jesus Christ is undoubtedly the Father’s envoy, so that through his Spirit we may know his Mercy, his Power, and his Love.
Brothers and sisters, through the sacrament of Confirmation we have received the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Among them the spirit of Wisdom which is necessary to understand the time in which we are living. We live between two very important events: between the first and the second coming of our Savior. We know that Jesus was sent by God to inaugurate a time of grace for those who believe in him and follow his ways. We know that nearly two thousand years ago, this same Jesus of Nazareth was not only tortured and humiliated, but he died on a cross; and, after being handed over to his mother, he was buried in a grave. We also know that on the Third day he rose from the dead and that his disciples ate with him, touched his wounds, and saw him ascend into heaven. We know that, before leaving, Jesus sent his disciples to preach the Gospel and baptize all nations. We know that He will come again, judge each one according to his conduct and that the faithful will be admitted to the heavenly banquet where they will see God as He is. Therefore every year we Christians prepare for that Easter, for the last Easter, where we will be transformed by the full vision of divinity. And we prepare ourselves precisely by celebrating in a new way the mysteries of the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. On this Easter 2020, we long for the day of his coming, and united with the whole Church we proclaim Maranathá! Come Lord Jesus!
Therefore, brothers and sisters, it is very important to prepare our hearts so that, when the Lord arrives, He will find us with the lamps of our faith lit. We have found some materials and activities that we hope can be of help so that, from your homes, you can celebrate with your family the important mysteries that we contemplate during this week. This is a time of grace where parents will be able to transmit the faith to their children, not only through word but through liturgical actions. Life, we will learn, is a liturgy of praise to God, for all the good he has done for us, especially the sending of His own Son, not to condemn us, but to save us from our slavery and from a life without God. It is my wish and my hope that these activities will help you to rediscover the mysteries of our faith, and if by chance it has been dying out, let it be lit up again within your own family.
The enemy is not quarantined! He wants to destroy God’s plan for our families. He wants to separate us from each other, distracting us from the things that are truly essential. If we contemplate God together, the love between us will grow, selfishness will be destroyed like Pharaoh in the Red Sea, and we will be filled with the hope for a new life. Let us then halt before the mystery of an empty tomb, which announces the victory of God. Who has God overcome? How did He overcome him? What weapons did He use? What was the reward? What price did He have to pay? What motivated Him to enter into this battle that led him to the Cross? Let us not listen to the voice of the enemy who lies to us. Rather let us listen to the voice of the risen one who tells us: “Do not be afraid…” In the Gospel of the Easter Vigil on Saturday (Mt 28: 1-10) we see the love of God who comes to meet us and invites us to take our families to the spiritual Galilee, to the place of a personal and unique encounter with God. Let’s go together brothers and sisters; I know there might be someone who says “Oh, this is very complicated.” God values and blesses our effort, like that child who gave everything he had: five loaves and two fish. With your effort, you will nourish the faith of your children.
Know that Father Roberto and I continue to pray for you. I am very grateful and comforted by the love that many of you feel for us. Please keep us in your prayers so that God will give us the strength to do his will every day. I wish you that the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ fills your hearts with the Wisdom of his Holy Spirit and that we thus come to the full knowledge of his love.
Fr. Angel
All Masses during Holy Week will be broadcast live on Facebook and will then be uploaded to our YouTube Page.
The generous team at Formed.org has given our church and our sister parish, St. Nicholas, free access to their website for the next couple of weeks. To create an account, follow these simple steps:
- Go to www.formed.org/signup.
- Type in the zip code for St. Nicholas Church: “80651”. Select the parish and click “Next”.
- Enter your name and email, and then you’re registered to use the subscription.
