Beloved in Christ,

 "He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit" (Jn 15:2). Jesus uses the vine and branches allegory to describe his relationship with us. The connection we have with Jesus through our baptism should yield spiritual fruits. Jesus expects our interior union with him to bear abundant fruits of grace. To aid the production of abundant fruits, Jesus needs to prune us. The art of pruning and fruition is of importance here. In pruning, Jesus shapes and gives order to our spiritual life. We are not allowed to grow in the direction of our choice but in the direction, he deems fit for us to become most productive. As branches on the vine that is Jesus, we must be opened to pruning by Jesus or stop producing fruits and dry up.
 
What sterile branches of our spiritual life need to be cut off? Have we identified branches of our life that produce fruits but require pruning to grow even more? What exactly is Jesus' pruning tool? Jesus would take away any part of our life that is unproductive, from lukewarmness to sinful habits that get in the way of the flowering of the grace of God. But more importantly, the vinedresser would supply more graces when we surrender ourselves to him through prayer, penance, and a life of charity. There is a need for sacrifices if we want the graces of God to flourish even more in our lives. We must continue to be rooted in the vine that will continue to nourish us with his words, teachings, commandments, and sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist and the living sap of the Father's vine, the Holy Spirit. We become more bound and receptive to his life and nourishment when he prunes us. 

A significant source of nourishment that unites us more intimately and, consequently, more productively in bringing the life of Jesus into the world is the Eucharist. In this year of Eucharistic revival, we must continue to find ways to increase and make the Eucharist more prominent in our lives. In line with this task, after getting permission from the Diocese, we will return Jesus in the Tabernacle to the center of the altar and, by so doing, make him more strikingly visible to us and remind us that he is the focus of our spiritual life. You will hear more about this in the weeks ahead. However, at this point, I want you to keep your life rooted and grounded in communion with Jesus, the vine who nourishes our life in His precious Body and Blood.

One more thing. I just wanted to remind you about two approaching parish events. The Forty Hours is from May 12 through 14, and Pentecost Renewal Day is May 19 at 6 p.m. Please save these dates and make them your priorities.

In Christ the true Vine,
 
Fr. Alayode Bernard, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,

I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my sheep, and mine know me (Jn 10:14). This Sunday's liturgy focuses on the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. As it is fitting for the season, the communion antiphon introduces Jesus as the risen Good Shepherd: The Good Shepherd is risen! He who laid down his life for his sheep, who died for his flock, He is risen, alleluia." Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is the one who leads us and lays down his life for us. He leads us to life, offering his body and blood for our life here in the world and the world to come. He sacrifices his life for us by caring, providing, and committing himself to our well-being.

Jesus is always leading and caring for us. It's crucial to understand that Jesus' sacrificial love for each one of us is unquestionable. But to truly trust in and accept his love, we must strive to know him and listen to his voice. This personal connection with Jesus, established in our baptism, is a relationship that we are called to deepen. It's a relationship that is nurtured through Scriptures, meditations, and prayers in the power of the Holy Spirit. In the sacrament of Confirmation, which some of our parish children will receive this afternoon, we receive a fullness of the Holy Spirit to help us build a deeper spiritual life. In the Holy Eucharist, we get more intimate with Jesus; by doing so, Jesus empowers us to live a holy life. Jesus the Good Shepherd leads us to a holy life. Living a holy life by following the Good Shepherd is what it means to know Jesus.

Jesus continues to guide and lay down his life for his flock in the teachings and life of "Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 4: 8). The office of Peter, the vicar of Christ, is passed on through the centuries to our current Universal Pastor, Francis. Today, like early Christians, we are called to treat our pope with affection and respect as he carries out his ministry of mercy and unity. We should pray daily for our pope, bishops, and pastors as they strive to imitate Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and carry out with zeal and fidelity the mission of guiding the faithful to the light and truth of the Gospel of Christ.

On this Good Shepherd Sunday, let us pray, especially for the vocation to the priesthood in our diocese and the entire Catholic world. The Church is in need, a need that we deeply feel, for more shepherds willing to sacrifice for the flock, like Christ, the Good Shepherd. Our prayers for this intention are not just a request, but a plea, a plea for more shepherds to guide and care for us, to lead us to the life that Jesus offers.
 
This year, Pentecost falls on Sunday, May 19. I plan to hold a Pentecost Rally in our parish on this day. The intention is to pray for renewal of the grace of the Holy Spirit in all of us as we conclude Eastertide and transition to the Ordinary time of the year. Please save the date: Sunday, May 19.

In the Risen Christ,
Fr. Alayode Bernard, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,

"You are witnesses of these things" (Luke 24: 48). This Sunday, we hear again about the appearance of the Risen Christ to his disciples. The resurrection of Jesus is a pivotal and life-changing event in Christianity that warrants its celebration for the fifty days of Eastertide. This past week, on Monday, the sun's total eclipse had an impression on the entire country. Many of us looked at the sky to witness this tremendous celestial event. It impacted our lives, and many bore witness to what they saw on social media. The appearance of Jesus is a billion times more impactful on our world and life and demands our witness.

The disciples on the way to Emmaus bore witness to the risen Christ who made his resurrection known to them in the breaking of the bread and the Scripture.  He made himself known to the disciples and showed them he was not a ghost but a bodily person. He showed them his hands and feet as evidence that he is flesh and blood, not a phantom figure. He even ate a piece of baked fish they had prepared. In addition, Jesus opened their minds to understand from the Scripture that he is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. Jesus revealed enough of his resurrected body to his disciples to empower them to bear witness to the power of the resurrection, the forgiveness of sin, and grace-filled life in union with him.


The resurrection of Jesus is a life-transforming event the disciples bore witness to, as we read from the first reading, Acts 3. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Scripture about the suffering Messiah who will be put to death but whom God raised from the dead: "Of this we are witnesses," Peter says. We are witnesses to the crucified and risen Christ in our own lives. We have experienced victories over the darkness of sin. Jesus has been our joy and peace. In many ways, we are not depressed or hopeless at the reality of death. The resurrection of Jesus is life-changing. Do we believe this truth and share that faith with others? We are witnesses to this sacred event, and we must let others know about it.

In the Risen Christ,

Fr.  Alayode Bernard, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,

"Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed" (Jn 20:29). It has been a week since we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus with joy. In this Sunday's mass Gospel reading from John 20, we read that it is now a week after the first appearance of Jesus to his disciples, and he appears to them again in his gloried and mystical bodies. This time, Thomas, absent at the first appearance, is present when Jesus made himself known to his disciples. The unbelieving, the doubtful Thomas, comes to faith in the resurrection of Jesus because he can see, touch and verify that Jesus is truly and materially alive after his crucifixion. He now has evidence of the resurrection because he can see and come to believe. The text of this Sunday's gospel and other readings for the liturgy of the word brings to our attention the negotiation of belief and doubt. In Acts 4: 32-35, the community of believers, similar to ours here, is addressed and called to unity. In 1 Jn 5:1, from our second reading, John speaks to "everyone who believes that Jesus is Christ is begotten of the Father." These scripture texts invite us to examine our faith or trust in the Risen Christ. Do we have absolute belief or trust in Jesus? What is the place of doubt in our journey of faith?

One of the biggest challenges to our faith in Jesus or his teachings is our occasional doubt, especially when we do not see our faith's physical or material results. We see or know about this doubt in Thomas.  One of the twelve, Thomas, was absent at the first appearance of the Risen Christ to the group. Being unable to verify the reality of Jesus' resurrection personally, he doubted the report of other disciples that Jesus was alive. Thomas needed evidence; he wanted a physical verification to see with his own eyes what others said they saw. Thomas is all of us, in some regards. We, too, though we are people of faith and profess our faith in words and action, there are times when doubt seeps in and creates cracks in our faith. Wavering in faith usually happens at the moment of trial and suffering. As Jesus feels in the moment of his pain in the passion narratives we read during Holy Week, we cry to God in similar words, "My God, why have you forsaken me." Doubt in the presence of God during our illness, failures, and tragedies is not unusual. Even in the lives of saints we all love and seek to emulate, they contended with the darkness of doubt on their journey to sainthood. Saints like Therese of Lisieux and Mother Teresa reportedly have had to contend with feelings of isolation, loneliness, or the absence of God. To be candid, we must admit that our faith journey consists of moments of faith and doubt, like Thomas.

How do we deal with these moments of uncertainty, darkness, hopelessness, and doubt about the presence of God in our lives when they arise? Doubts and faith are, after all, not strange bedfellows. We may have to admit that doubts will occasionally assail our faith, but be encouraged that these doubts will ultimately arouse the gift of filial trust in us. We must continually strengthen and deepen our love for Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit; this is how to sustain our faith through episodes of doubt. We need the enrichment of the Holy Spirit to inspire enduring faith, belief, or trust in the power of the Risen Christ. We must constantly renew our minds by studying and reflecting on the Word of God, and we must visit the Blessed Sacrament frequently to gaze on Jesus and be filled or nourished by His living presence. When we do these spiritual exercises under the aegis of the Holy Spirit, we can address our unbelief and start believing, as Jesus said to Thomas. Hopefully, we, too, can repeat Thomas's words with deep faith: "My Lord and God!" My Lord and God, I trust in you!

The solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord is usually celebrated on March 25. However, because it fell on Monday of Holy Week this year, the  Church authority moved it to Monday, April 8. I encourage you all to make plans to attend mass on this significant feast day tomorrow.

I wish you all a happy Sunday of Divine Mercy.

In the Risen Christ,