​Beloved in Christ,
 
On this Sunday of Divine Mercy, I invite you to pray for the repose of the soul of our Holy Father, Pope Francis. He was called to the Father's Home on Easter Monday, 21st of April, at about 7:35 am (Italy time). There are so many things we can say about the life and legacy of Pope Francis, and so many beautiful memories of him and his pontificate are available in the news and on social media. However, I would like to share his last testament with you because it gives another view of the humble servant of God, the vicar of Christ.
 
Pope Francis' last will, among other things, focuses on the place of his burial. As we think of the burial place of Christ during the Sacred Triduum and Easter, we can also consider the simplicity of the Holy Father's last earthly home. He instructs that his tomb must be in the ground, simple and without a particular inscription other than "Franciscus." He chose to be buried in the basilica of St. Mary Major, close to the chapel of the Salus Populi Romani, an indication of his devotion to the Blessed Mother Mary, to whom he entrusted his life and ministry, "as his body awaits the day of resurrection." He reminds us of our common belief in the resurrection of the dead. What a beautiful witness to the end!
 
Another significant message from his last testament concerns what he requested of us on the day he was elected pope: "Pray for me." He also promised to pray for us as we pray for him: "May God reward those who loved me and will continue to pray for me" (the bold letters are mine). We love ( I love) Pope Francis and will pray for him as he requested.
 
In response to Bishop Senior's request and Pope Francis' wish, we will dedicate Thursday evening to praying for the repose of the departed pontiff's soul. As a parish, we will gather for this purpose on Thursday, May 1, at 6 p.m. for Holy Mass and Eucharistic Adoration. Please make it a priority to attend. Thanks.
 
Eternal Father, for the sake of your Son's sorrowful passion, have mercy on the soul of Pope Francis. Amen.
 
In the Risen Christ,       Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 
The following is Pope Francis' testament:Miserando atque Eligendo
 
In the name of the Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
 
As I sense the approaching twilight of my earthly life, and with firm hope in eternal life, I wish to set out my final wishes solely regarding the place of my burial.
 
Throughout my life, and during my ministry as a priest and bishop, I have always entrusted myself to the Mother of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary. For this reason, I ask that my mortal remains rest - awaiting the day of the Resurrection - in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.
 
I wish my final earthly journey to end precisely in this ancient Marian sanctuary, where I would always stop to pray at the beginning and end of every Apostolic Journey, confidently entrusting my intentions to the Immaculate Mother, and giving thanks for her gentle and maternal care.
 
I ask that my tomb be prepared in the burial niche in the side aisle between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the Basilica, as shown in the attached plan.
 
The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.
 
The cost of preparing the burial will be covered by a sum provided by a benefactor, which I have arranged to be transferred to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major. I have given the necessary instructions regarding this to Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, Extraordinary Commissioner of the Liberian Basilica.
 
May the Lord grant a fitting reward to all those who have loved me and who continue to pray for me. The suffering that has marked the final part of my life, I offer to the Lord, for peace in the world and for fraternity among peoples.
 
Santa Marta, 29 June 2022          FRANCIS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

​Beloved In Christ,
 
"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad" (Ps. 118: 24).
 
We rejoice and are filled with gladness today because our Lord Jesus, who suffered, died, and was buried, is now risen and alive! Alleluia!! The good news of Jesus's resurrection from the dead fills our hearts with joy, and hope is restored because Jesus has conquered sin and death. There are at least two reasons why we should rejoice and celebrate Jesus's resurrection.
 
Firstly, if it helps, we may ask ourselves again, what is the cause of our joy at the yearly celebration of Easter? The answer is that we see the possibility of what happened to Jesus happening to us. As Jesus was raised bodily from the tomb, so shall we be raised into glory on the second coming of Jesus. The glorified body of Jesus indicates what will happen to us who believe in him. So, we know for sure that the resurrection of Christ has implications for our life after death. As believers, we shall be raised bodily to be with Christ forever. This calls for joyful celebration and the raising of Alleluia to God.
 
Secondly, Jesus's resurrection demands living faith from us. We must be caught up in heavenly things even as our feet are rooted on earth. We must strive to live in the power of the resurrection. As we renew our baptismal vows, the Spirit of Christ renews us. We are stirred up to new life in the Spirit of the Risen Christ and empowered to leave the past life behind and start a new one. Since Christ has offered his life for us in his death and resurrection, "let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness" as St. Paul encourages us, "but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (1 Cor 5: 7-8).
 
Pope St.  John Paul II reminded us years ago of our identity as Easter people when he said, "We are an Easter people, and Alleluia is our song." In the spirit of joy and gladness, let us sing and echo Alleluia with our voices and bodies throughout this season of Easter and beyond. Sing Alleluia to the Lord!
 
Happy Easter!
 
Fr. Alayode Bernard, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,

Today, we recall the Messianic entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem to fulfill his paschal mystery. As Jesus approaches the slope of the Mount of Olives on a colt, a crowd of his disciples welcomes him in jubilation, praising God aloud in joy as they spread their cloaks and palms on the ground: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord" (Lk 19: 38). There were other responses, not welcoming, to Jesus's entrance. We must decide our response as Jesus walks into our lives in the solemn liturgy of the Holy Week.

How will you and I welcome Jesus? Will we receive and welcome the innocent, obedient and humble Lord in the spirit of joy? Or are we going to be indifferent? Or worse still, are we going to ignore and reject his coming? The choice is ours. We indicate that choice in how we attend to the mysteries of Christ's passion that unfolds in the days of Holy Week. Between the days of Palm Sunday of the Lord's passion and the Sacred Triduum, we have moments to meditate on Christ's passion. Opening ourselves to the grace of this sacred time will prepare us to experience the profound joy of his resurrection.

Meditating on Christ's suffering can strengthen and give us hope in our daily struggles and sufferings. Christ is our model; he is the one we need and must welcome in joyful praise: "Gloria, laus, et honor, tibi sit Rex Christe Redemptor" (All glory, laud and honor, to thee, Redeemer King). To aid our meditation, I'll draw our attention to the paragraphs of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, paragraphs 559-560:

"How will Jerusalem welcome her Messiah? Although Jesus has always refused popular attempts to make him king, he chooses the time and prepares the details for his messianic entry into the city of 'his father David.' Acclaimed as son of David, as the one who brings salvation (Hosanna means 'save!' or 'Give salvation!'), the 'King of glory' enters his City 'riding on an ass.' Jesus conquers the Daughter of Zion, a figure of his Church, neither by ruse nor by violence, but by the humility that bears witness to the truth... Jesus' entry into Jerusalem manifested the coming of the kingdom that the King-Messiah was going to accomplish by the Passover of his Death and Resurrection. It is with the celebration of that entry on Palm Sunday that the Church's liturgy solemnly opens Holy Week."

I want to draw our attention to the importance of attending the Sacred Paschal Triduum with special devotions: Holy Thursday of the Lord's Supper (stay for a while to adore the Blessed Sacrament), Good Friday (remember to observe the paschal fast today and, if possible, on Holy Saturday, and participate in Divine Mercy Devotion and Novena and the Living Stations of the Cross), and Holy Saturday (the blessing of Easter meal before Easter vigil). We will also pray the Divine Office in the historic church each day of the Sacred Triduum. Please check the bulletin for details.

In His Passion,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,

The scribes and the Pharisees put Jesus to the test again. They brought before him a woman caught in the very act of adultery and invited his judgment. This scenario brings to mind the theme of crime, judgment, and punishment addressed in Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment (1866), which explores the psychological travails of Rodion Raskolnikov after he commits a murder. Without any recourse to his humanity and the circumstances of his life, he is condemned to death for his crime. Jesus took a different approach in his treatment of the woman who committed the sin of adultery. Instead of passing the cruel capital punishment by stoning to death, Jesus extended mercy and freedom to her, restoring her to the original dignity of the daughter of God. He absolved and set her on a path of new life. He says to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? Neither do I condemn you."
 
Jesus came to set free, not to condemn. Judgment and punishment, instead of rescue and freedom, are the paths often taken. Repentance and reconciliation are themes addressed in previous weeks. "Go, and from now on do not sin any more" (John 8:11). Jesus condemns her sin, so he admonishes her to sin no more. He does not admit or condone her sin of adultery but does not condemn her to death or hell because his approach is that of mercy and compassion. "God sent his son into the world not to judge the world but so that the world might be saved through him" (John 3:17). The instinct to judge and punish must give way to the grace of rescue and freedom. Christ calls us to imitate him, who came to set us free from bondage to sin, and "so if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8: 36).

God made us for freedom. He freed us from bondage and death associated with sin through the passion, death and resurrection of his Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Once we receive and experience God's deliverance and freedom, he orders us not to return to the slavery of sin: "Remember not the event of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see I am doing something new!" (Isaiah 43: 19). We must strive not to return to the past but a daily step forward in pursuit of everlasting freedom and life. As St. Paul says, "I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:12). Like Paul and like the woman freed from the condemnation for the sin of adultery, we must put our sordid past of sin behind us: "forgetting what lies behind us but straining forward to what lies ahead" (Phil 3: 13). We must never yield to the pressure of returning to the Egypt of sin but strive to continue living under God's grace and pursue our ultimate goal, Jesus Christ (Phil 3:14) and announce his praise (Isaiah 43:21).

We must now prepare to walk closer with Christ as we begin Holy Week with Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion next Sunday.
 
In Christ,

Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

Beloved in Christ,
 
For our reflection this Sunday, I will emphasize the protagonist in the parable of the Prodigal Son: the Father of mercy, the Father who restores, and the Father who seeks us. In the parable of the father and his two sons, we identify with the younger son, who, like the Pharisees, scribes, and sinners, represents those who have alienated themselves from the Father's presence and house through their selfish choices. We identify with the wayward son and also his self-righteous older brother because we mirror them. But there is also a need for us to turn our attention to the father. Focusing on the profligate father helps us overcome the sadness or despair that may discourage us from approaching the Father of mercy for pardon for our sins. Our Father shares in our pains and wants us to be alive and restored to our dignity as His beloved children.
 
In the Gospel for this Sunday, Luke portrays an image of a father's love and compassion for his sinful son. Before the son began the journey back to him, the father was already longing for his return and on the lookout for him: "While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him." (Lk 15:20). We have a father who is interested in our restoration, not resigned to our failure and guilt. We have a Father ready to share in our pain of alienation, the scourge of our sins; a Father who finds joy in our revival, not our demise; a Father who celebrates our restoration with feasting. On this Rejoice Sunday, let us rejoice in this Father and celebrate our God of mercy and compassion.
 
Let us find our way back to him in humility, aware that he wants our salvation more than our wallowing in sin and guilt. The revelation of a Father willing to restore us to our original state of grace opens us to repentance. We can confidently return to him in repentance after discovering the emptiness of our rebellion and alienation from the merciful Father. How do we go about conversion and restoration? We draw from the example of the prodigal son. We derive a process from the return of the sinful son to his merciful Father. The Catechism of the Catholic Church captures the process in the following paragraph:
 
"The process of conversion and repentance was described by Jesus in the parable of the prodigal son, the center of which is the merciful Father: the fascination of illusory freedom, the abandonment of the Father's house; the extreme misery in which the son finds himself after squandering his fortune; his deep humiliation at finding himself obliged to feed swine, and still worse, at wanting to feed on the husks the pigs ate; his reflection on all he has lost; his repentance and decision to declare himself guilty before his Father; the journey back; the Father's generous welcome; the Father's joy — all these are characteristic of the process of conversion. The beautiful robe, the ring, and the festive banquet are symbols of that new life — pure worthy, and joyful — of anyone who returns to God and to the bosom of his family, which is the Church. Only the heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way" (CCC 1439).
 
We have a template for conversion and repentance in the account of the prodigal son, as illustrated in the Catechism paragraph above. What we need to do now is to echo that path to restoration. The Holy Spirit is always at work in turning our hearts back to God. God always supplies the grace to turn our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. The only thing needed is to be humble enough to realize our need for conversion and restoration. We have a merciful Father, filled with love and compassion, who waits to lavish His embrace and kisses upon us. Why wait another minute to return to the Father in the Sacrament of Mercy and Reconciliation? Let us rejoice in this Father; let us celebrate His great mercy.
 
In the Joy of the Father,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,
 
The message from this Sunday's Gospel passage is straightforward but prickly: Repent or perish. Jesus responds to those who reported to him the tragic end of some Galileans in the hands of Pilate and those who perished when the tower of Siloam fell on them, saying that they were not worse sinners than those who are alive and telling of their sad death. Jesus used the moment to teach about the urgency of producing fruits of repentance by telling them a parable of the barren fig tree. The key word in Jesus' parable and response to their report is repentance. "No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did" (Luke 13:5).
 
We have already made some strides with Jesus in this Lenten season. We have walked with him through the desert as he faced and overcame temptation. We were present with Peter, James and John on the mountain of transfiguration. Now, Jesus draws our attention to a significant attribute of the holy season of Lent: our response to His call to repentance. The Greek word translated into English as repentance is the noun "metanoia." It is a word that means a change of mind or heart. The prefix "meta" means beyond, while "noeo (nous)" means mind, thoughts, understanding or perception. The verb form is metanoeo means to go beyond the mind you now have. 
 
Suppose our current thoughts, perceptions, or beliefs about Jesus and his will are wrong or incorrect; it is time we change them. In that case, we must strive to reorder them, as Saint Paul calls us to be transformed by the renewal of our minds (Romans 12:2). This act of change and renewal involves recognizing our wrongdoing, turning away from sin to God, and aligning ourselves with God's will. 
 
This is where the message of the barren fig tree comes in helpful. God will be patient, but we must act quickly and not play around. God has done far too much to save and restore us than to deny our need for repentance or delay making it in the sacrament of reconciliation. Even after our baptism, confirmation, and reception of the Holy Eucharist, we humans remain prone to the sins of rebellion and pride; therefore, we need to undergo metanoia, a change of heart and mind. The Lenten season is ideal for this as we prepare for the joy of Easter. Let us then allow the Holy Spirit to remind and convict us of our sins so we may do what is proper: repent and confess. Why do we dilly-dally? What is holding us back from sincere repentance and confession of our sins? The Lord is kind and merciful. Let's take advantage of God's mercy during this Lent.
 
Just to let you know, this Sunday is the first of three scrutinies for our Elect, Lorelai Suekay. Please keep her in your prayers. You can take advantage of all the spiritual activities scheduled for Lent and make efforts to move forward in your spiritual life. Lent is moving quickly; next Sunday is Laetare Sunday, marking our halfway point in the forty days of Lent. Commit to praying more, giving more to the church and the poor, and intensifying your penance.
 
In Christ,
 
Fr. Alayode Bernard, O.P.
 

 Beloved in Christ,
 
The devil tempted Jesus. The devil tempts every disciple of Jesus. How many times has the devil tempted you today? Will he tempt you tomorrow and on and on? Yes, he will. The devil never gives up making attempts to put us through temptation to sin. Even as Jesus defeated Satan in the battle for his soul, at the end of the test, the Scripture says, "he departed from him until an opportune time" (Lk 4:13). Temptation is the devil's insidious effort to lure into spiritual death. It is a deceit, a cunning, a lie, a falsehood that is appealing and perhaps enticing, but it is ultimately a ruse into hell. 
 
What are the sources of temptations? They are the same for us as they were for Jesus. The tempter targets our weak human nature, uses our twisted world as a means of temptation, and directly suggests we follow our will in place of God's will by worshiping him. The flesh, the world, and the devil are the sources of our temptations. The Holy Spirit led him into the desert, where he fasted and prayed for forty days, after which he became hungry. Jesus was in a weak and vulnerable state when the devil tempted him to turn stone into bread. The devil dangles the glory of the world to Jesus and promises all will be his if he worships him. The evil one tempts Jesus with pride, asking him to put the Lord to the test by throwing himself down from the parapet of the temple in Jerusalem. The devil will tempt us to sin through means and things that seem natural and pleasing to us. We must resist him as Jesus did in the desert and decimate him in the spiritual warfare called temptation.
 
But it is not the end of Jesus' temptation. There will be no end to temptations. The father of lies will continue to tempt us until the end. He will return time after time, waiting for an opportune time to lure us into the darkness and the pit of hell. He returned to tempt Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane. He returns repeatedly to lure us into sin, to draw us away from the truth to falsehood, especially when we let down our guards. We must be up in arms spiritually. We must watch and pray. We must soak ourselves in the Sacred Scriptures. We must tame our flesh in fasting and abstinence. God has provided all we need in the Church to fight and defeat the devil's temptation. Jesus was victorious. We, too, shall overcome temptations from the devil when we use the weapons that Jesus used. Let's resist the temptation to sin by deepening our love and friendship with Jesus during this Lenten season.
 
Let me recommend ways to increase your love and strengthen your friendship with Jesus during this holy season:
* Remember the ashes you received on Ash Wednesday. What does it say to you about the human condition? Ponder frequently over the words said to you when you received ashes: Repent, and believe in the Gospel or Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return. It is sobering when you ponder those words.
*Consider attending at least a weekday morning or evening mass. Make the sacrifice of waking up early to attend Eucharistic Adoration before each daily mass.
*Attend the Stations of the Cross and join in the communal recitation of the Rosary before mass.
*Reduce time spent on social media and devote it to reading your Bible or listening to Catholic podcasts. Use the parish's Formed app.
*Fast, abstain from meat, or substitute with other forms of penance. Free yourself from any attachment to material or physical comfort. Give money saved from frugal living to those most in need in our community.
*Make plans to go to confession.
*Volunteer to help the Men's Club with their Lenten fish dinner distribution or any ministry that attends to needy people. 
 
Have a renewing Lent.
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, O.P.
 

​Beloved in Christ,
 
As he concludes the sermon on the plain, Jesus addresses his disciples with a parable: " Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?" (Luke 6: 39). As Jesus expands on the parable, we note that he is teaching on discipleship. Jesus often explains the demands of discipleship by expounding on the characteristics of an effective discipleship. At the end of his major sermon on the plain, Jesus offers at least three qualities he expects of his disciples, and he does this in the context of the poor examples of teachers of Judaism, the Pharisees, who have failed in their task of teaching and guiding people to God.
 
The verses of Luke 6 presented to us this Sunday indicate at least three qualities of discipleship—first, a disciple of Christ must be well-disposed interiorly, enlightened, and a reliable guide to Him. A disciple without proper formation and knowledge of the faith would only lead others to damnation. You cannot give what you do not have. You cannot pass on to others values or virtues that you, as a disciple of Jesus, are not already practicing. A well-prepared disciple must be fully committed and living the Christian values to be in a good place to lead others to faith in Christ.
 
Secondly, a disciple must cultivate a humble awareness of the state of his heart. If your interior life, the state of your heart, is not right before God, you have no moral stand to find failures in others and pass judgment on them. You cannot demand of others a moral level that you are not on. Doing this will be pretentious. Jesus calls such disciples hypocrites! In the original Greek sense of the word, a hypocrite is an actor pretending to be what he is not. In spiritual and moral life, such a person sees and calls out the splinter in others' eyes without paying attention to the beam in his own eyes. In other words, a disciple worthy of the call must learn to examine his own life first and align with God's law before criticizing others who are morally flawed. A good disciple must have a deep spiritual awareness and self-knowledge and be slow to declare faults in others. A disciple cannot be hypocritical.
 
Thirdly, a disciple must cultivate a healthy heart because our behaviors and speeches are products of what we have in our hearts- he must produce good fruits. The heart is the center of our life, where we encounter God and discover our true selves. If the heart is not properly and healthily cultivated, it will overflow into immoral behavior and uncouth speeches. As Jesus says, "From the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks (Lk 6:46). We know the quality of a tree by its fruits. A bad tree cannot produce good fruit. In like manner, exemplary actions and wholesome words come only from a disciple with an examined and holy heart.
 
Lent is three days away. It is a productive liturgical season for us to begin formation in good discipleship. It is time to examine our lives to ensure our hearts are healthy enough to yield the good fruits of saintly actions and words. On Ash Wednesday, we have several opportunities to attend mass and receive ashes to remind us of our mortal nature and call us to immortality.
 
In Christ,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,
 
"I love you, Jesus. Please, help me to love my enemies as you love me." I found myself repeating this ejaculatory prayer in its different iterations as I knelt in meditative prayers before the Blessed Sacrament before a daily morning mass. My morning prayer that day was most likely the product of my reading and studying of Luke 6: 27-37 with Elizabeth College Catholic students the night before at our weekly Bible study. Our study of this biblical passage left a burden of ownership and personal application on my heart. How does it look like in real life to love one's enemy? Like the young man asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" I asked the students and myself, "Who is my enemy"? If I can identify my enemies, known and unknown, how can I possibly love them? The practicality of Jesus' command made severe and unending incursions on my mind. This demand is at the heart of what it means to be a faithful follower of Christ, yet I know I am probably not living it to the extent Jesus expects of me. When did you last pray sincerely and perseveringly for your enemies or those who hate you? To start with, do you even pray for them?
 
When Jesus says, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you" (Lk 6:27), He calls us away from a "natural" way to a supernatural life. Just like Jesus did in the Gospel of last Sunday, turning the order of things as we know it upside down by declaring those who are at a disadvantage in society the blessed, so also in this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus is turning us away from what is generally the norm in daily human existence to a life of grace. In demanding that his followers love their enemies, that is, those who do not will their good or actively indulge in their failure, and pray for those who mistreat them, Jesus deletes the expectation of the Old Covenant and replaces it with the expectation of the New Covenant. 
 
We are no longer under the dispensation of tit for tat or an eye for an eye, a quick resort to our human base instinct of returning evil for evil. As members of the body of Christ, we are under the grace of the Holy Spirit and should be reflecting the image and likeness of our Lord and friend, Jesus. Jesus asks us to be the face of mercy and love in the world. As Christians, we have received Christ-like nature and likeness and now share in his divine life because Jesus has sealed us with the Holy Spirit. We can do all things, including the love of enemies, through Christ who strengthens us (see Phil 4:13). All things are indeed possible for those who trust in God (see Mat 19:26). 
 
We heard the message of trust in God last week; part of its implication is to rely on the grace of God to live a life of unhindered love and mercy towards all, as Jesus himself demonstrated in his own life. We must review and reorder our attitudes toward those who disagree with us or even act with evil intent toward us. As Jesus demands, we must love them as Jesus himself loved us unconditionally while we were still sinners by dying for us. Suppose we find it practically difficult or even impossible to reconcile with our enemies and win their friendship; in that case, we can offer them at least one duty of love- honest and sincere prayers for their conversion and embrace of Christ's way.
 
As we draw close to Lent, let us open ourselves to the grace of the Holy Spirit, who alone can make us capable of love for our enemies. Let us expel or expunge from our hearts sentiments and spirit of hate for those who despise us or hold opinions different from ours. The call to authentic, sacrificial, and radical love is not about what seems right to us but what Jesus calls us to do. If we are candid about the race for heaven, we must actively practice love for all, especially our enemies.
 
In Christ,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,
 
Luke's discourse on the Beatitudes and Woes invites us to live our earthly lives with a focus on eternity. We must constantly remind ourselves that the tribulations or sufferings we experience in this life as Christians will turn into glorious existence in the next life. We will most likely experience one form of misfortune or another in our earthly lives. Luke mentioned some unpleasant human realities: poverty, hunger, sorrow, and rejection. We must bear the burden of earthly hardship with hope in the eternal reward promised by Jesus. We are not in a relationship with Christ for the primary purpose of comfort and consolation in this world; we are in Christ for a greater purpose, the reward of heaven. St. Paul's letter to Corinthians reminds us not to place our reason on only earthly good: "If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied" (1 Cor 15: 19). The sufferings and sacrifices we make in this life will yield to an eternity of joy, peace, and love. That is the promise made by Christ.
 
With the hope of heaven in mind, we cheerfully bear our daily crosses. "Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven" (Lk. 6:23). We must constantly keep this promise in mind as we endure the hardship the Lord permits to come our way. We must embrace the hope of the reward of perseverance in our sufferings on account of faithfulness to God's commandments and ways. We learn the virtues of temperance, prudence, justice, and fortitude in accepting our difficulties with a Christlike spirit. In other words, we must see the materials for sainthood in our trials and tribulations in this world on account of our Christian identity.  
 
In our poverty, we learn detachment from material comfort as we become averse to this world's vanity and excessive pleasure; this is the virtue of temperance. In our hunger, we learn to identify with the plight of those who have nothing or little and are more attuned to generous giving; this is an act of justice. In our sorrows, we acquire prudence as we see the vanity in the temporal goods and look forward to everlasting things. In bearing hatred and opposition from the world unwelcoming to our profession of faith in Jesus and his will, we practice the virtue of fortitude.
 
We must focus on the reward of the beatific vision as we endure the hardship that accompanies our faithfulness to God's will. We must not seek the easy and comfortable ways as our ends. If we do, we would only be rewarded with earthly joy, but, in the long run, would invite everlasting curses or woe. God rains down blessings and woes on us depending on our choices in this world and time. Ultimately, it is up to us to choose the eternal consequence we want. Jesus exhorts us to turn away from worldly attachment and embrace heavenly joy. If we become engrossed and attached to worldly happiness alone and forget our heavenly end, we are dangerously inviting eternal woes. We must, therefore, seek what is above, what is in the next life, the everlasting reward of God's Kingdom.
 
The call to the heavenly gaze, in the proper sense, does not include disregard for the life we live here and now. Jesus calls us to make this world, as far as possible, a foretaste of heaven. We must continue to cultivate virtues that create a more Christ-oriented world. This is why we must care for what we have and those around us. 
 
We must contribute our share to uplift our church and our parish. We remain a stewardship and tithing parish. God expects us to contribute our fair share to its development. In this vein, I once again offer genuine thanks to all of you for giving generously in material and spiritual ways to our parish. May we continue to receive the heavenly blessings from our stewardship of wealth, time, and talents to create a foretaste of heaven in this temporal world.
 
Have a blessed President's Day.
 
In Christ,
 
Fr. Bernard-Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,
 
"Whom shall I send?" (1s. 6:8). In my presentation last Sunday on the state of the parish's financial health, I declared that we are generally healthy. Once again, I sincerely appreciate all of you; without your sacrificial and generous giving in a harsh economy, we would have significantly floundered. I brought your attention to a major area of concern: a massive drop in Sunday collection. I presented a couple of reasons to account for the reduction in contribution. One of the reasons is low attendance at mass. We noticed the trend in low attendance at mass from around the covid shutdown. I offered some suggestions to get us back on track. One of my recommendations is that we begin a mission of internal evangelization. Let us invite our friends and family members who have stopped coming to mass to return and take ownership of their parish by once again becoming active actors in the life of the parish. We must aim to invite old and new members to mass. The Lord's words to Prophet Isaiah are addressed to you here, "Whom shall I send?" Are we open to being sent on a mission to invite our absent brothers and sisters back to the pew?
 
And do not say, "I am not called to this mission." Please do not say I am unworthy or unqualified. Despite their flaws, God sent Isaiah, Paul, and Simon on a mission in our Sunday mass readings. Isaiah thought his lips were unworthy to speak God's words (Is. 6:5), Paul was a persecutor of Christians (1 Cor 15:9), and Simon acknowledged his sins, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man" (Lk 5:9). I say to you who feel inadequate to answer God's summon to go and evangelize and bring back to mass our brothers and sisters who haven't be around in a long while, "Do not be afraid." These were the words of Jesus to Simon to encourage him to go out and become fishers of men. The Lord who summons and sends will grant the grace of fruitfulness. Let us be bold in announcing the Gospel of Christ to others (see Rom 1:16), and let us leave the effectiveness of our efforts to God. May God grant success to our efforts.
 
God's call to mission is a commission to ministry. Reaching out to invite and encourage is a ministry with diverse forms. We have a ministry just for you in the parish. Check things out. I repeat once again: God calls all to mission and evangelization. Let us "put out into deep water" in faith and be hopeful as we do so. In the Jubilee Year of Hope, we must learn to be optimistic that God will bless our initiatives. We only need to listen to God to know where he asks us to serve in the mission to build our parish. Just like he spoke to St. Francis to rebuild his church, he is beckoning us to renew and reconstruct St. Peter Catholic Church.
 
We celebrate World Marriage Day today. At the end of our Sunday masses, we consistently recognize and pray for couples on their wedding anniversary. We will continue to do so and encourage Christian marriages to endure. For all our married members, we wish you a happy union, and for those preparing for a wedding, we pray for God's grace to assist you as you take steps toward a major decision.
 
St. John Paul II designated February 11 as World Day of the Sick. This day falls on the feast of our Lady of Lourdes. We are called to pray for the sick among us and also learn to offer up our sufferings for the spiritual health of others, especially for the souls in purgatory. If anyone is very ill or going for major surgery, they should attend the mass on Tuesday to either receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick or prayer for healing by laying of hands in the name of Christ and His Church (Mk 6:6). Jesus wants to heal us more often than we imagine. We must continue to ask him in faith and hope for healing, and he will grant it if it is his will for the greater good of our souls.
 
God calls all of us to ministry. Let us respond to his call.
 
In His Service,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,

The presentation of the Lord in the Temple is celebrated forty days after Christmas in the liturgical calendar. It is the fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. This feast, whose beginning is in the fourth century Jerusalem, is also called Candlemas (Candle mass) to illustrate Simeon's acknowledgment of the fulfillment of the prophecy that Jesus is "a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for the glory to your people Israel" (Lk 2:32). Consequently, candles are blessed at mass this Sunday for liturgical and personal use throughout the year.

The presentation recalls the events recorded in this Sunday's Gospel passage from Luke: Mary and Joseph bring their son to the Temple for consecration as the firstborn male child, fulfilling the Law. In the Temple, they came in contact with Simeon and Anna, two distinguished servants of God who revealed the mission of Jesus as the "light of the nation." Jesus is recognized as the light that will draw all to his presence. That is why, on this feast, the priest blesses our candles to be lit for procession and those for use during the liturgical year. We bear the lit candle in procession into the church, symbolic of our acceptance and followership of Christ, the light of the World.

This Sunday is also observed as World Day for Consecrated Life. According to St. John Paul II, the aim is "to help the entire Church esteem ever more greatly the witness of those persons who have chosen to follow Christ by means of the practice of evangelical counsels" and " to be a suitable occasion for consecrated persons to renew their commitment and rekindle the fervor with which should inspire the offering of themselves to the Lord."

As we celebrate the feast of the Presentation, let us continue to invite our young men and women to consider a vocation to the priesthood and the consecrated life. It is a beautiful gift from God to the world. In embracing the call to this life, we indicate our priority for total dedication to God and become a sign of the promise of the world to come. I believe God has given us vocation in this parish. God has designated some of your sons and daughters for vocation to the priesthood and consecrated life. Let's do our part in encouraging and supporting this sacred call. Let me remind you that we now have a Vocation Awareness Ministry in our parish that you can contact if you have someone in mind you think God might be calling to consecrate their life to Christ and his Church.

In Christ our Light,

Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

 Beloved in Christ,
 
"He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah" (Is 4: 16). We just heard a gospel passage read to us that Jesus went into the synagogue on a sabbath day, as was his custom, stood up, and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah from which he read of the prophecy about the messiah who will announce good tidings, proclaim liberty to captives, restore sight to the blind, and set in a year of the Lord's blessings. Jesus is the living fulfillment of this prophetic passage. Sacred scriptures are God's words and plans for our ultimate good. If it was customary for Jesus to go to the synagogue to read and preach the Word of God, what about us? What is our relationship to the Word of God?
 
Today is the Sunday of the Word of God. Pope Francis established this celebration of the centrality of the Bible in Christian life as a universal event just six years ago, and we must make the best of this opportunity. The Church encourages us to develop a love for Sacred Scriptures by owning one, reading and meditating on it, and applying its instructions to our daily lives. What is one good reason for reading and meditating on the Bible? Jesus! Jesus was a man of the Sacred Scripture. He read and used the Scriptures in his ministry and life. Jesus quotes the Scriptures so often to explain and defend his mission. He even used the words of the Scriptures to fight and defeat the devil's temptation after his forty days of fasting. Jesus revealed his identity to the Jewish people by referencing the Old Testament, as in today's gospel. After reading messianic prophecies from Isaiah, he gave a short reflection that shows that he is the Messiah, the anointed one: "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing" (Lk 4:21).
 
If Jesus was familiar with the Holy Scriptures, so should we. We should imitate our Lord. The Bible's central character is Jesus Christ himself. He fulfills all of God's promises to humanity. If we must deepen our knowledge and increase our love of Jesus, we must make reading the Bible an essential part of our daily Christian living. As St. Jerome famously said, "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." The Bible scholar saint taught us that the Bible contains the wisdom and power of God, and seriously studying the Sacred Word is not an option but an obligation for one who wants to grow in the knowledge and love of Christ. I strongly encourage those who do not have one to get a Catholic Bible with orthodox commentary. I can recommend a couple to you. I have many versions and translations of the Bible. I read them comparatively and studied the commentaries. I can testify that my constant reading, study, and praying of the Bible has been a significant source of my enduring faith in times of distress. Get a Bible. Read your Bible daily. Get to know God and his plans for you.
 
Talking about God's plan for us, Scripture was very instructive in discovering God's plan regarding my vocation. Reading the Bible helped me realize that God had called me a priest. Other factors contribute to that awareness. The Church and family were also a big part. In light of this, I am happy to announce that, in fulfilling the wish of Bishop Timothy Senior and Fr. Josh Weaver, the Diocesan vocation director,  our parish recently established a Vocation Awareness Ministry (VAM). I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the following generous volunteers who are part of the VAM membership: Don Heffner, Rob Cavender, Holly Collins, Lisa Cleveland, and Frank Telenko. Thanks!
 
In Christ,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,
 
"This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory" (Jn 2:11). The first part of the gospel of John is called the Book of Signs. In John's narrative, he refers to miracles as signs. There are seven signs in all that Jesus performed. What are the significance of these signs? What do those signs point to? What is the importance of the sign at Cana in Galilee? What does this first sign by Jesus in John's gospel say about him?
 
Signs is the English translation of the Greek "Semeion," which implies that Jesus' miracles or signs point to something beyond the act. Jesus indeed brought about a change of water to wine, a miracle! However, Jesus' sign goes beyond the miraculous act to indicate something about Jesus' identity. Jesus is the new wine that brings joy, gladness, and abundance. The more profound meaning and significance of turning water into wine is connected with the prophecies and events in the Old Testament. The motif of wedding and banquet points to the identity of Jesus and our need to trust in Him. The wedding sign is indicative of God's covenantal union with his people. We see the allusion to marriage between God and his people in our first reading from Isaiah 62. St. Paul would later write on this espousal of God to his people in the new covenant as it implies the union of Christ to his body, the Church (Eph 6). The marriage of Jesus, the groom to his bride, the Church, is the reconciliation of God to his people, restoring the proper relationship between God and his people.
 
The image of the wedding extends to the banquet held to celebrate the nuptial act. The Jewish wedding banquet is lavish, with an abundant supply of wine and food that lasts seven days. The celebration was crashing because they ran out of wine, as Mary announced to her son. Jesus is the one who restores joy and gladness. He asked that the six stone water jars that can hold thirty gallons be filled and served to the guest. On tasting the drink, the head waiter announced with excitement that the groom had just served the best wine at the end of the banquet instead of at the beginning. Here, we see the sign pointing to us placing our trust in Jesus, the perfect one, he who can restore our joy and grant us life in abundance (Jn 10:10). Jesus reveals himself through the sign at Cana as the messiah who comes to restore us to living union with the Father, to complete in the New Covenant what is incomplete in the Old Covenant. Through this sign, he shows his glory and identity as the world's redeemer and calls us to believe in him and trust in his power to transform our lives. Can we trust Jesus and believe in his words as Mary, his mother, tells us: "Do whatever he tells you"? We should.
 
Next Sunday is designated as Sunday of the Word of God, an opportunity for the body of Christ to devote herself to celebrating, studying, and disseminating the Word of God. To celebrate this day solemnly, I encourage each of us to come to mass next Sunday with our bible; we will use it literally and metaphorically.
 
Have a Happy Martin Luther King, Jr Day!
 
In Christ, I trust.
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

 Beloved in Christ,
 
"After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized...." (Lk 3:21). In today's feast, we celebrate the baptism of Jesus by John the baptism at the River Jordan. Why would Jesus need baptism? This is the first question that came to mind when reading about Jesus' baptism. Jesus has not sinned. The baptism conducted by John is not sacramental as we have it today; it is a sign of cleansing and purification according to the Old Law. But even then, Jesus did not have a personal sin that needed cleansing. Jesus went under the requirement of the Law for our sake and was an example to us to fulfill the demands of the Law. He chose to submit himself to the Law's requirement and instructed us to obey God's Law. Also, by requesting baptism, Jesus, according to St. Augustine, intends to "freely proclaim through his humility what for us was to be a necessity." We need baptism because it is the first step towards our salvation (See 1 Pet 3:21).
 
Jesus prepares us for the Sacrament of Baptism by his baptism, which he will require as the doorway to the journey to paradise. The necessity of baptism is indicated when he commanded baptism in the power of the Holy Trinity at his Ascension (Mt 28:13). In the sacrament of baptism, Jesus himself is at work in us as He, the Father and the Holy Spirit come to make a home in us and make us sons and daughters of God. As John says, so it is; Jesus' baptism is done in power and effects a supernatural change to our soul. "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Lk 3:16).
 
The day of our baptism should be the most cherished one. On that day, our sins, original or actual, are forgiven, and we not only become sons and daughters of God by adoption, but we also receive faith and grace. Without these gifts, our longings and desires are never going to be fulfilled. Through the gifts of baptism, we receive help to make our efforts fruitful. By the grace of baptism, God makes our lives bear the fruits of a heavenly dimension. God healed our sin-soiled nature with this healing sacrament. What a great gift we receive in baptism! And how unaware are we of what happened to us at such a mystery-filled moment of baptism? Our mouths will be filled with praise and thanks only if we know what happened to our souls at our baptism.
 
St Leo the Great famously says of baptism in a Christmas homily: "Thanks to the Sacrament of Baptism you have been turned into a temple of the Holy Spirit. Don't let it happen that you drive away so noble a guest by your evil deeds, or ever again submit to the power of the demon: for a price you were bought with is the Blood of Christ." May we heed St. Leo's exhortation. Let us be thankful to God for the gift of our baptism. Let us begin to apprehend the meaning and implications of our baptism. Let us recover the faith and grace of this sacrament if we have allowed sin or indifference to the life of faith to make us lose them. Let us turn to the Lord to help those who have become passive or dormant in exercising their baptismal faith and grace. We know of so many in our families and parish. In particular, to our parish family, let us raise prayers of praise and thanks to God for all the five children who received the sacrament of baptism from our baptismal fount in 2024.
 
After the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we come to the end of the Christmas season, and Ordinary Time begins on Monday, 13 January. Let's continue with the daily business of seeking and embracing life in Christ. Don't forget that our first parish monthly Adoration of the Year is on Monday, 13 January, at 6 p.m.
 
In Christ,
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP