Dear Parishioners, A few years ago, I had the opportunity to go sailing with some parishioners. Listening to their discussion about sailing made me realize that I don’t know anything about it. In a way, it is ironic because I came from a country made up of 7,107 islands. One would think that citizens of my country would all have an idea…

Dear Parishioners, Today is Divine Mercy Sunday. The Sunday after Easter Sunday is always celebrated as the Divine Mercy Sunday. If ever there is one, the greatest attribute of God, I believe, is mercy. God is love, yes. But love that stoops to weakness, poverty, suffering, and sinfulness is mercy. Because we are weak and sinful, the Lord shows his love to…

Dear Parishioners, The Lord is truly risen! Let us rejoice and be glad because Jesus has provided for us a way to secure our future. Yevgeny Yevtushenko, a Russian poet, wrote in one of his poems: “Love is not love if it has no future.” What God revealed to us during Jesus Christ’s passion was his love for us. The resurrection shows…

Dear Parishioners, As we enter this most blessed week of the church’s liturgical year, let us keep our focus on the relationship that we have with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He did everything out of his great love for us, let us always and forever keep that in mind. As we all contemplate on the sufferings that Jesus endured for…

Dear Parishioners, We are in the home stretch! We are about to enter the final week before we enter the week we call holy. Two Sundays from today, we will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let us not be discouraged by the challenges we are facing in our Lenten sacrifices but be excited by the victory waiting for us as we…

Dear Parishioners, Have you ever thought of what the greeting “The Lord be with you” at Mass means? Most of the time, that greeting which the people respond to by saying “And with your spirit” is mistaken as a simple greeting that usually happens between people who meet regularly. It is more than a “Good morning” or “Good afternoon” kind of a…

Dear Parishioners, The Holy Season of Lent is a penitential season and we are all called to repent from our sins and do penance so that we may unite ourselves with Jesus and celebrate Easter more worthily. It is truly important for us to be reminded of the penitential actions that we must do during this season of Lent as we journey…

During RCIA classes, I usually receive some questions about the sacraments particularly about Baptism and how it is a necessity for salvation. Our Catechism states that Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. (CCC 1257). Then this question usually follows: “But what about those…

Dear Parishioners, The Holy Season of Lent is a penitential season. Our daily activities should be marked by penance and sacrifices as we all journey through these 40 days of Lent leading to Easter. I would like to give this as a reminder for all of you in practicing fasting and abstinence this Season of Lent. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are…

Dear Parishioners, This coming Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the day we begin the journey to Easter. I wrote in our last bulletin that I will provide a description of the different Mass parts so that those who are not so familiar with them can have a better understanding of what is happening during Mass. I will get to that in the next…

Dear Parishioners, In the next few letters that I will write here in our weekly bulletin, I will try to explain the different parts of the Mass so that people who may not be so familiar with what exactly is going on during the celebration of the Mass may have a better understanding and appreciation of the highest form of worship that…

Dear Parishioners, This Sunday February 12, is World Marriage Day. The message of this day is really very simple, “Love one another.” It is interesting how such a simple commandment can truly be very challenging. It is with prayers that I urge husbands and wives to love one another today and always. It is a decision that you are to make every…

Dear Parishioners, I would like to use this space for an announcement and an invitation from our Parish Pastoral Council: “We are so blessed to have an Adoration Chapel at Our Lady of the Mountain and sadly it is underutilized. There are many hours most days when the Lord is there alone waiting for an Adorer to come and receive his love.…

Dear Parishioners, The time has come again for the Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal and I invite all of you to once again give your generous support and participation. We have consistently met our goal in the past and I hope that we can do it again this year. The focus of this year’s appeal is the passing on of our faith to future…

Dear Parishioners, Tomorrow (January 23) is a day of prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. The original date for this day is actually on the 22nd (the anniversary of the day the Supreme Court decided to vote in favor of Roe in that historic Roe v. Wade case), but it is moved to the 23rd because the 22nd this year…