Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
Today is Palm Sunday. It is the beginning of the holiest week of the year. Our Mass will be streamed live on Facebook ( go to St. Jude Shrine, New Orleans) and you should be able to view Mass. We will also have Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday as well as Easter Sunday Mass streamed on Facebook. We certainly will never forget this Lent. This epidemic has changed the very way we do things that we often took for granted. When I consider this Lent, I can’t but help thinking that the cross and suffering has been the theme that runs throughout these 40 days. Although we have been going through our own Good Friday remember Easter will come for all of us. We must therefore not give up Hope in the Risen Lord who promises to raise us up from this virus. Although we haven’t had contact , I want you to know that every day I have you in my prayers. We are a family here at Our Lady of Guadalupe and each of you are very important to making us that family.
God bless and keep us all safe,
Fr. Tony

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe, These days have been filled with anxiety and fear. I have included a prayer that we can say during this time of the Coronavirus. In our fear, we hear the Gospel for today. It is Jesus is curing the blind man. Even after he was healed, many still were blind to see the true light…..Jesus! We may not be physically blind but often we can be spiritually blind. Today we pray for the ability to see the Lord in our life and to see us through this time of epidemic. We can’t lose sight of Jesus guiding us through the dark moments of our life.
Fr. Tony

A Prayer Amid an Epidemic by Kerry Webber
Jesus Christ, you traveled through towns and villages “curing every disease and illness.” At your command ,the sick were made well. Come to our aid now, in the midst of the global spread of the coronavirus, that we may experience your healing love. Heal those who are sick from the virus. May they regain their strength and health through quality medical care. Heal us from our fear, which prevents nations from working together and neighbors from helping each other. Jesus Christ, healer of all, stay by our side in this time of uncertainty and sorrow. Be with the doctors , nurses, researchers and all medical professionals who seek to heal and help those affected and who put themselves at risk in the process. Be with leaders of nations. Give them the foresight to act with charity and true concern for the well-being of the people they serve . Give them the wisdom to invest in long-term solutions that will help prevent future outbreaks. Finally, stay with us as we endure and mourn, persist and prepare. In place of our anxiety give us your peace. Jesus Christ, heal us.

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
On this 3rd Sunday of Lent, Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman. He broke the rules of his day. People rejected the Samaritans and to speak to a woman from Samaria was forbidden. Jesus doesn’t judge her but rather showed her compassion and care. How often do we judge others and never get to see them as our brothers and sisters? Jesus asks her for water, but she is the one who receives the Living Water. She is never the same after her encounter with Jesus. When we meet the Lord through others, we may never be the same.

Don’t forget our St. Joseph Altar will be viewed on Thursday, March 19th. A special thanks to Vicki O’Brien and her tremendous volunteers who are working so hard. The Altar will be blessed after the 7AM Mass and the meal will begin at Noon. All are invited. Have a blessed week, Fr. Tony

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
As we continue our Lenten Journey, we hear the Gospel for today tell the story ofthe Transfiguration of Our Lord. Jesus took Peter, James and John up to Mt. Tabor and there He was changed and transfigured before them. They heard the voice from the heavens: "This is My Beloved Son, Listen to Him”. When Lent began, we received ashes on our forehead. The ashes represented our desire to change and grow spiritually. How are we trying to change during these forty days? I always think that we should work on one way to grow and change during this time. Often we give up our intentions because there might be too many resolutions. We give up too quickly. It might be giving up grudges or gossip or it can be taking time to pray and exercise. Whatever you choose, may you experience growth spiritually.
May you continue to grow spiritually during this Lent,

Fr. Tony