Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Jerome,
God’s peace be with you!
We continue to celebrate the commemoration of Jesus’ Resurrection. Let us not forget that the culminating event of the Paschal Mystery is realized in our ordinary routine. The manifestations of Jesus happen physically and tangibly whenever challenges come our way, in moments of joy and sorrow, in situations when we fall short of our resources and in circumstances where it seems everything is turned upside down in our lives. The Resurrection of Jesus is present in those moments when we feel assured and remain in a spirit of peace and tranquility no matter how crazy the world is around us or how uncertain our future might be. “Peace be with you,” Jesus said to His disciples while they remained frozen in fear behind a locked door in the Upper Room. Jesus simply knew that the fullness of freedom brought by His Resurrection would never come to fulfillment if they had remained under the shackles of fear and insecurity. Thus, Jesus’ assurance is needed so that no matter how terrified the Apostles were of the oppressive threats of the authorities that prevented them from proclaiming the Good News of His Resurrection, they would continue to live their lives freely and courageously, without being subjected to their past life away from the presence of the One who is Life Himself. Truly, the life of someone who is under the spell of the Resurrected Christ exemplifies the meaning of freedom from the oppressive power of the shadow of sin and death. I wish that all of us may continue to encounter the life of God in us brought by the Resurrection of Jesus.
In transition to another topic, please note the change in our Mass participation that I announced last week through our new Mass Participation ticket system, to replace the online registration process. We would like to accommodate everyone efficiently; and for this to happen, your cooperation is needed as we launch our new procedures. Please fill out your tickets of Mass Participation at home before coming to church. This will surely give you a much faster entry into the church when you arrive.
My gratitude to the Grupo de Lectores who put together our Food Sale last weekend. I mentioned before that we are truly blessed to have so many hard-working parish group members. All the more, then, it is important that the rest of us show our support for them and encourage them through our participation. Aside from buying food, know that your presence and your simple comments of appreciation empower them and make them realize that our parish ministries are not simply enveloped within each group. Our ministries, whether liturgical or social, encompass the life of the entire Saint Jerome Parish. It is primarily for the benefit of the people in the pews that these ministries continue to exist. In addition, those who are in the pews also minister to those who actively initiate our special gatherings by allowing themselves to be gathered in the name of Christian fellowship. Thank you once again, Grupo de Lectores, and other parish group members. God surely knows what you continue to do for His people.
Please keep up with special announcements and changes, both in Facebook and in our parish bulletin. Our current social situation for safe gatherings is the main initiator of our adjustments for the good of our people. I will see you next weekend. God bless you.
Sincerely in Christ and Mary,
