Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
“ Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid”. These words Jesus spoke to the apostles today . They were frightened because of the waves that were tossing about their boat. I truly feel we can relate to this Gospel. Today many of us feel like we are in the midst of a storm. During this pandemic, our lives have been shaken. We are afraid and anxious. Jesus tells us: “Take Courage, it is I, do not be afraid”.
As we continue the Gospel, we see Peter questioning if it truly is Jesus. Jesus tells him to get out of the boat and walk on the water towards Him. Peter is doing well until he takes his eyes off Jesus and concentrates on the waves. This is when he begins to sink. The very message here is to keep your eyes on the Lord. If we get stuck on the waves that surround us, we lose sight that Jesus is with us and he calls us to come forward.
Today, in the midst of our own fears and anxieties, let us be aware that whatever storm we go through, Jesus is with us and He says to us: “Take courage, do not be afraid”!
God bless and protect all of us,
Fr. Tony
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
In today’s Gospel, Jesus multiplies the fish and the loaves. Thousands of people longed to listen to Him. As the time went on Jesus was aware that the people must be hungry. How would they ever feed thousands of people. Well a little boy had some fish and loaves. The boy offered his food to the Lord. Jesus took it, blessed it, broke it and shared it.
Just as the little boy offered what seemed to be a meager gift, Jesus was able to take it and multiply it in order to feed everyone and still have leftovers.
When we give ourselves to the Lord, no matter how meager we may think we are, our gifts and talents Jesus takes it, blesses it, breaks it and shares it. Don’t ever hesitate to give the offering of ourselves to Jesus. He can use each of us no matter how small or big the gift.
God bless you and have a safe week,
Fr. Tony
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
In today’s Gospel, Jesus multiplies the fish and the loaves. Thousands of people longed to listen to Him. As the time went on Jesus was aware that the people must be hungry. How would they ever feed thousands of people. Well a little boy had some fish and loaves. The boy offered his food to the Lord. Jesus took it, blessed it, broke it and shared it.
Just as the little boy offered what seemed to be a meager gift, Jesus was able to take it and multiply it in order to feed everyone and still have leftovers.
When we give ourselves to the Lord, no matter how meager we may think we are, our gifts and talents Jesus takes it, blesses it, breaks it and shares it. Don’t ever hesitate to give the offering of ourselves to Jesus. He can use each of us no matter how small or big the gift.
God bless you and have a safe week,
Fr. Tony
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
Once again Jesus speaks to us in a parable. Remember a parable is an earthy story with a heavenly meaning. In today’s Gospel, the parable is once again about weeds and wheat. The farmer sowed his wheat in the fields. At night time an enemy came and sowed the weeds. The immediate reaction is to pull up all the weeds. Surprisingly, the owner said: No, if you pull up the weeds, you will also uproot the wheat along with them. Rather let them grow together until harvest. At harvest time we can separate them, weeds will be tied up in bundles for burning and the wheat will all go into the barn.
This parable really applies to all of us. As we grow we must admit we are surrounded by both good and evil. I think one of the greatest fears of a parent is that their child will be influenced by the evil around them. As the Gospel states, we grow together but God will separate the good from the evil. This is because the Lord is so full of mercy. He always gives people a chance to grow and change.
So, today, let us pray for God’s Mercy to touch any evil influence that surrounds us. Let us pray that in God’s time they will turn to the Lord and experience His love and mercy.
There are so many times when I have personally seen people who seemed steeped in bad and who eventually have a conversion. Let’s pray for conversion today for all of us.
Have a Blessed Week,
Fr. Tony
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
In today’s Gospel, we hear about a Sower who went out to sow his seeds. We hear how the seeds fell on different types of soil. Finally the seed falls on good soil and it produces a hundred-fold. This parable has a lot to do with each one of us.
The Sower is the Lord . The Lord goes out to scatter the seed which is the word of God. The different types of soil and ground represents each one of us. Some soil was rocky, some soil was filled with weeds, and some seed feel on the soil that birds of the air came and carried it away. Finally the seed falls on rich soil. The seed was able to grow and produce much fruit.
The Lord sends His Word to all of us. We must be open to taking the Word of God and allowing it to grow in each of us. Once the Word takes root, it is able to produce much fruit and that fruit is the love that we share with others.
I am sure that each of us have been touched by someone whose life has made a difference. Take time today to thank God for this person and to reflect on what was it that touched your life and made a difference in yours.
The question I ask is: What kind of Soil are you?
Have a Blessed Day,
Fr. Tony
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
One of my favorite passages in the Bible is from today’s Gospel. “Come to Me all of you who labor and are heavily burdened and I will give you rest”.
Whenever I feel burdened or overwhelmed, I repeat these words of Jesus to us. Today we all feel stressed and burdened. With all that is going on in our world whether it be the coronavirus, the reminders of racial injustice, the hurricane season that is upon us…..we feel truly overwhelmed. In the midst of all this we hear Jesus’ words: Come to Me…..bring your fears and anxieties before Me and believe Me…..I will give you the strength and comfort you need. This is Jesus’ promise to all of us. He doesn’t say we won’t have problems in life but He does promise to give us what we need to get through the tough times.
Today, bring your burdens before the Lord. Tell Him what weighs on your heart and truly trust in Him to give you the courage and strength and peace that you need . I truly believe that it is through some of the most difficult times in our life, that the Lord wants to break through and be with us. Allow Him to be with you and me during these days.
God bless all of you, Fr. Tony
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
When I was growing up, my Dad always told us to remember your priorities: First is God, second is your family and third are your friends. He always reminded us that if God is number one in our life, everything else falls into place.
I truly believe in that reminder. Often people place material goods, money, jobs, etc. even before their family. Is there any wonder that they never truly find happiness. Happiness comes when my life is in order with God.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds the apostles that their love for Him must surpass even their love for their families. Again, if we truly love the Lord, we will naturally love our parents and children.
He does remind us that we all have crosses in life…..it is not the cross but how we carry it that will matter. Remember He wants to carry it with us.
Today in the midst of a pandemic, demonstrations regarding racial injustice and fear of hurricanes, we turn to the Lord and seek His strength. He is our Hope as we carry the crosses of life. His cross on Good Friday brought Him to Easter Sunday. May our crosses bring us to new life and hope.
Have a Blessed Week and July 4th Weekend,
Fr. Tony
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
Today as we honor our fathers, grandfathers, godfathers and those who have been fathers to us we hear Jesus reassure his disciples by reminding them of the tender care of his heavenly Father. God, our Father, watches over us faithfully and lovingly.
These days are truly ones that find many of us with fear and anxiety. We have concerns about the pandemic that has plagued our world. We are anxious about the injustices and racial tensions that exist and surround us. Finally, we are also fearful about once again finding us into another hurricane season. In the midst of all of this we hear Jesus say to us in the Gospel: ‘ do not be afraid……you are truly worth more to me than many sparrows.’ He goes on to tell us:”if you honor me, I will honor you”.
In the midst of all that surrounds us these days, Jesus tells us: “DO NOT BE AFRAID--------Trust in Him!” He is with us to calm our fears and lead us throughout the dangers of life. Turn to Him with your whole heart and as the Psalm tells us today: “ Lord, in your great love, answer me.”
Let us turn to the Lord with our prayers and actions so that He may enter into our world, our nation, our city and our own hearts.
God bless all of you and keep safe,
Fr. Tony
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
The greatest gift that Jesus left us was the Holy Eucharist. On the night before He died, He celebrated the Passover with His disciples . At the end, He took bread and wine and said the words: “ This is My Body: This is My Blood”……Do this in memory of Me! Every time we gather at Mass, Jesus is truly present in the Holy Eucharist. Communion means to be one with. Our communion makes us one with the Lord and gives us the nourishment that we all need at this time to continue our journey of faith.
So many people mentioned to me, how much they missed receiving Holy Communion. Last week, the Clarion Herald, had reflections from seniors whose senior year was changed drastically because of the pandemic. One young man, a senior from Jesuit High School, wrote that every Sunday his family would attend Mass together and receiving the Eucharist gave him the strength he needed for the coming week.
On this Feast of Corpus Christi ( the Body and Blood of Christ), let us reflect on what receiving Jesus in the Eucharist means to you. When we say : “Amen” before receiving the Lord, do we really believe in this Gift of Jesus!
Have a Blessed Week,
Fr. Tony
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Trinity. Whenever we bless ourselves before we pray, we always make the sign of the cross. When we were baptized it was in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We were baptized into the Holy Trinity. There is only one God, He touches us as a Father who creates, as a Son who saves us and as the Holy Spirit who gives us strength.
This is truly a mystery to understand but one year while teaching high school we were talking about the Holy Spirit. One student gave me an example that truly struck me. He noticed that there was a beautiful rose bush outside the classroom. He said the Rose Bush is God the Father. God the Father desires to give us the most perfect Rose and that is God the Son and the fragrance that fills the air is the Holy Spirit.
Wow! I was always amazed at this example. Today we ask the Holy Trinity to truly bless us and our world during this time of pandemic and unrest all over the country. May They bring us Peace and Healing. Have a Blessed Week,
Fr. Tony
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
Happy Birthday! Yes, Happy Birthday! Today is Pentecost Sunday . It is fifty days after Easter. Today we celebrate the Birthday of the Church. Before Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, He told the disciples to wait until the Holy Spirit came to them. It was then that they would go out to spread the good news to all the nations.
Over two thousand years ago on this Sunday, the disciples were in the upper room and all of sudden a strong life-giving wind (the Holy Spirit) came into the room. They were filled with the Holy Spirit. A tongue of fire appeared over each of them. This was the symbol that they were on fire with the message . They began to speak in foreign languages. This was the sign that they were to go out to all the nations to spread the good news. It was on that day that the Church began.
The apostles were so filled that they had the courage to go forth and preach. The Holy Spirit is with us today. He desires that each of us have the courage and strength to go forth daily and spread the Good News. The Good News is that Jesus is our Hope and Joy.
Today, more than ever, we need the Holy Spirit. During this time of the pandemic, so many people are suffering from anxiety and fear. Many have experienced depression. It during these days, that we call upon the Holy Spirit to come upon us. May each of us feel the gifts of the Holy Spirit today and each day.
God bless you. Fr. Tony
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
This week we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension. It is forty days after Easter and Jesus took His disciples up to the Mountain. There He gave them His last will and testament. These were the final words of Jesus on earth. He told them: “Go into the whole world and preach the Gospel, baptizing in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”. He ended by saying: “And remember I will be with you always”.
For over 2,000 years the Church has continued to fulfill Jesus’ message. The Gospel has been preached throughout the world. The Church has and continues to experience the good times but also the challenging times. However, no matter, it has remained because of Jesus’ words: “And remember I will be with you always”.
Today, Jesus reminds us that, no matter what we are experiencing, He will never leave us. He will be with us throughout the good days as well as the tough days. This gives me hope. This gives me the reason to look forward to a future when this pandemic will no longer make us fearful and anxious.
Jesus is Our Hope! In response to Jesus’s Last will and Testament, let us continue to share the Good News of Gospel. That Good news is don’t be afraid, but trust in our Loving God. Jesus is Our Hope!
Have a blessed week,
Fr. Tony
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
Each of you are in my prayers daily. I miss being in physical contact but I can assure you that every day you are with me spiritually at Mass and in my prayers. I look forward to being with all of you once everything opens up again.
The Gospel for this weekend gives us comfort. Jesus is preparing His disciples for the day that He will leave them. I can’t imagine what they felt since they had placed all of their life in His Hands. Jesus assures them that He will not leave them as orphans. He will send them the Advocate , the Holy Spirit, to give them the strength and courage that they will need.
This message of Jesus is meant for all of us. The Holy Spirit comes daily to give us the strength and courage that we need during these days. Each morning my first prayer is:” Lord, give me the strength just for today!”. My night prayer is always thanking the Lord for seeing me through another day.
We are never alone as long as we hang onto our faith. Jesus came to bring us hope. Our faith helps us to walk through the fears and worries that come our way.
God bless you and stay safe,
Fr. Tony
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
The words of Jesus today in the Gospel really struck me. The disciples were confused: what would their future be when Jesus leaves them to return to the Father in Heaven.
Jesus: tells them:”Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me”. I think all of us need to repeat those words of Jesus especially during these months of the pandemic. Jesus knows how we are feeling right now. He knows of our fears, our confusion, our loneliness and our anxiety about the future. He tells us as He told the disciples: ”Don’t be afraid”.
He goes on to tell them:” I am the Way and the Truth and the Life”. Jesus is the Way when we feel lost and confused. He is the Truth when we are surrounded by messages that are not fully true or outright lies and finally He is the Life. He came to bring us life to its fullest. Jesus came to bring us the strength and hope that we all need when we are going through rough times.
Jesus is with us. Take time during these days to reflect on times in the past that were troubling to you. Hopefully you made it through those times. We will also get through these days and why because no matter what has changed, Jesus is the same Yesterday, Today and Forever. Don’t Be Afraid!
God bless you and have a Blessed Week.
Fr. Tony
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
As we continue our “lock down”, as I call it, I pray that you are all finding new ways to deal with our lack of interaction with one another. I teach at the University of Holy Cross and since classes are all online, I have had to learn how to go on ZOOM. I have to be honest, I am not a person who is good at technology but it is certainly a blessing to be able to see and talk with families and friends through this process.
This Sunday is called Good Shepherd Sunday. The image of sheep dominates the readings today. For me, the image of Jesus as Good Shepherd has always appealed to me. There is a window in our Church with Jesus surrounded by sheep and one is on His shoulders. That window is over the piano in the front of the Church. Just as Jesus carries the one sheep that was lost, so too, He carries each one of us, when we feel lost and afraid.
Of the150 Psalms in the Old Testament, my favorite is Psalm 23. The Psalms were written to express our feelings of fear, confusion, sorrow, joy and hope. The one line that I repeat often is: “Even if I walk in a dark valley, I fear no evil for you are at my side to give me courage”. Today and throughout this pandemic we have felt like we were walking in a dark valley. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, desires to walk by our side. He will lead us out of this valley. He will give us the strength and hopefully we will be better for it. Whenever you feel alone and frightened read Psalm 23. It will bring you peace and comfort.
God bless all of you, Fr. Tony
23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.[a]
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness[b]
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[c]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely[d] goodness and mercy[e] shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell[f] in the house of the Lord
forever.[g]
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
I know that these weeks have been difficult ones for all of us. The routine that we were accustomed to has certainly changed tremendously. As we read the Scriptures for this Sunday, we hear how the disciples’ lives were thrown into confusion. They were filled with fear and anxiety. What would their future be like? We can all relate to them at this time .
Today two of the disciples were walking to a town called Emmaus. They were discussing all that had happened over the weekend. As they were sharing, Jesus appeared to them. Although they didn’t recognize Him , they were encouraged by the word He spoke to them. As He is about to go ahead they say to Him:” Stay with us”. He remains with them and it was in the Breaking of the Bread that they recognized Him.
This Gospel , for me, reminds me what we do when we gather. We hear the Lord speaking to us in the Scriptures and then He feeds us with the Bread of Life. We, too, say to the Lord :”Stay with us”. Don’t leave us. During this epidemic, the Lord didn’t leave us. He is with us to see us through this time of fear and anxiety. He promised to be with us and today He says to us: “Be not afraid…….trust Me”.
You are all in my prayers,
Fr. Tony
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
This past Easter was certainly one that we will never forget. I thank God that we were able to have Mass streamed on our website and Facebook. Mass is also able to be seen daily on television. For me, personally, it was quite strange to celebrate Mass without a congregation present. Although we are not physically present to each other, we are united spiritually . This is the one thing the virus can’t take away from us.
In 1965, there was a song that came out titled:“ Turn, Turn, Turn”. It was a song by a group called The Byrds. Now you can tell how old I am !!!!! The words actually came from the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament. The words are: To everything, turn, turn, turn. There is a Season , turn, turn, turn and a time for every purpose under heaven…….A time to be born, a time to die; A time to weep, a time to laugh…. A time to embrace, a time to refrain from embracing. The Book of Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a Season and a time for everything. In the midst of the time we are going through right now…..one thing doesn’t change….and that is the presence of God in my life. This gives me strength and hope. In this Sunday’s Gospel, we hear that Jesus, after His Resurrection, appeared to the disciples who were hiding behind locked doors. His first words were :” Peace be with you”. In the midst of their own fears and worry about the future, Jesus says….PEACE!
Today Jesus comes to all of us and He says:” Peace be with you”. He is with us… let us never let our fears overcome the peace that Jesus promises. My prayer for all of us is that today and each day we may experience the Peace that Jesus came to bring us. Open your hearts and allow His Peace to enter!
Have a Blessed Week!
Fr. Tony
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
Happy and Blessed Easter! I don’t think any of us will ever forget Lent 2020. These forty days truly challenged all of us. Lent is a time for sacrifice and I don’t think any of us could have imagined the types of sacrifices we have been called to make this year.
We have had to sacrifice work, school and above all our worshiping together and receiving the Holy Eucharist. These weeks have given me personally a time to reflect . I truly believe that in every moment of our life, the Lord is speaking to us. It is up to us to discover what is He saying to us. For me, personally, He is reminding me of what are my priorities. What is really important in my life. My relationship to God and all those whom I love and care about are truly the most important to me. Each of you are part of those priorities. I miss all of you but I want you to know that each of you have been in my every prayer. May the Lord continue to protect and bless us.
I also can’t help but thinking of all the who daily give of themselves to protect us. I especially am grateful for all those who work with the sick and all the first responders. I thank God for the many who work in grocery stores and drug stores. I sometimes take them for granted.
Easter is a time for us to say: ”Alleluia”. Today I say “Alleluia” for all the wonderful people in my life. God bless you and keep all of us safe. I look forward to the day when we will be gathered again around the table of the Lord.
With Easter Blessings,
Fr. Tony