Notes from the Pastor

My brothers and sisters,

In this weekend’s Gospel from St. Luke the story of the Road to Emmaus once again communicates such a hopeful story. In this Eucharistic Encounter these two faithful followers of Jesus didn’t recognize Him along the way until the Breaking of the Bread. When their eyes were finally opened, they were full of excitement and rejoiced in His presence. In their eagerness to share their excitement, they return to Jerusalem to share their experience with the other disciples. When Jesus first encounters the two disciples along the way, they are downcast and upset for they are troubled by the crucifixion and death of their friend and teacher. They felt hopeless and lost because they “were hoping that He would be the one to redeem Israel” and they do not see how this Mission could come to pass with Jesus now dead. They feel troubled, abandoned and full of uncertainty.

In this time of quarantine and isolation, many of us are experiencing feelings of uncertainty, abandonment, loss – of freedom, of place, of community, possibly even loss of loved ones – and fear. As we journey together during this time, has Jesus been present to us? Have we “not been able to recognize Him?” As we prayed through Lent and rejoiced at Easter, were we open to the signs of hope and peace that God provided us? Although we have been prevented from gathering together physically, have we not grown stronger spiritually as a church community nonetheless; through sharing devotional prayer online, coming together for Sunday Masses, the Triduum, the Easter Vigil? We have seen the creativity and love of our neighbors and children through the pictures that have been shared on FaceBook and on our website. Neighbors have reached out to help each other in this time of need. While we have not been able to receive the Eucharist physically, through prayer and meditation we are able to experience the peace and hope that Christ’s Resurrection promises us. So, let us not be downcast and afraid but rather, let us rejoice and share our excitement that Jesus Chris is Risen and open our eyes with the our two faithful brothers on the road to Emmaus and recognize Christ is with us and He has always been with us… and like them realize that our hearts are burning within us because He continues to encourage us with a hope that He will indeed “SHOW US THE PATH OF LIFE” (Psalm 16)!!!

– Father Pagano

On Sunday, April 18, Sister Faustina was beatified by Pope John Paul II in St.  Peter’s Square in Vatican City during a Mass celebrated with over 100,000 pilgrims from all over the world. During the Mass the Pope preached the homily in Italian, Spanish, Polish, and English, based on the readings for the Second Sunday of Easter. The following excerpts are taken from that homily.

“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His mercy endures forever” (Ps 118 [117]:1).

 Like a band of light this psalm of thanksgiving passes through the octave of Easter. It is the choral “thank you” of the Church which adores God for the gift of Christ’s resurrection: for the gift of new and eternal life revealed in the risen Lord. With one heart the Church adores and thanks Him for the infinite love which has been communicated to every person and to the whole universe in Him.

I salute you, Sister Faustina.  Beginning today the Church calls you Blessed, especially the Church in Poland and Lithuania. O Faustina, how extraordinary your life is! Precisely you, the poor and simple daughter of Mazovia, of the Polish people, chosen by Christ to remind people of this great mystery of Divine Mercy! You bore this mystery within yourself, leaving this world after a short life, filled with suffering. However, at the same time, this mystery has become a prophetic reminder to the world, to Europe. Your message of Divine Mercy was born almost on the eve of World War II. Certainly you would have been amazed if you could have experienced upon this earth what this message meant for the suffering people during that hour of torment, and how it spread throughout the world. Today, we truly believe, you contemplate in God the fruits of your mission on earth. Today you experience it at its very source, which is your Christ, “dives in misericordia.”

‘I clearly feel that my mission does not end with death, but begins,’ Sister Faustina wrote in her Diary. And it truly did! Her mission continues and is yielding astonishing fruit. It is truly marvelous how her devotion to the merciful Jesus is spreading in our contemporary world and gaining so many human hearts! This is doubtlessly a sign of the times — a sign of our 20th century. The balance of this century which is now ending, in addition to the advances which have often surpassed those of preceding eras, presents a deep restlessness and fear of the future. Where, if not in The Divine Mercy, can the world find refuge and the light of hope? Believers understand that perfectly.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is merciful.”

Today, on the day of the Beatification of Sister Faustina, we praise the Lord for the great things He has done in her soul, we praise and thank Him for the great things He has done and always continues to do in the souls who through Sister Faustina’s witness and message discover the infinite depths of The Divine Mercy.

I share with you on this day of joyous celebration a commentary by Hesychius of Jerusalem, a monk who was defender of orthodoxy and a gifted interpreter of scripture.— Father Pagano

 

Commentary by Hesychius of Jerusalem**
(Easter Homily: Source chrétiennes 187, 66-69)

The teaching of scripture is that he must rise from the dead.

The festival we celebrate today, is one of victory—the victory of the son of God, king of the whole universe. On this day the devil is defeated by the crucified one; our race is filled with joy by the risen one. In honor of my resurrection in Christ this day cries out:

  “In my journey I beheld a new wonder—an open tomb, a man risen from the dead, bones exulting, souls rejoicing, men and women refashioned, the heavens opened, and powers crying out: ‘Lift up your gates, you princes; be lifted up, you everlasting doors, that the king of glory may come in.’

  “On this day I saw the king of heaven, robed in light, ascend above the lightning and the rays of the sun, above the sun and the sources of water, above the dwelling place of the angelic powers and the city of eternal life.”

On this day the divine call is heard, the kingdom is prepared, we are saved and Christ is adored.

Hidden first in a womb of flesh, he sanctified human birth by his own birth; hidden afterward in the womb of the earth, he gave life to the dead by his resurrection. Suffering, pain, and sighs have now fled away.

For who has known the mind of God, or who has been his counselor if not the Word made flesh, who was nailed to the cross, who rose from the dead, and who was taken up into heaven?

This day brings a message of joy: it is the day of the Lord’s resurrection when, with himself, he raised up the race of Adam. Born for the sake of human beings, he rose from the dead with them.

On this day paradise is opened by the risen one, Adam is restored to life and Eve is consoled.

On this day the divine call is heard, the kingdom is prepared, we are saved and Christ is adored.

On this day, when he had trampled death under foot, made the tyrant a prisoner, and despoiled the underworld, Christ ascended into heaven as a king in victory, as a ruler in glory, as an invincible charioteer.

He said to the Father: here am I, O God, with the children you have given me and he heard the Father’s reply: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.” To him be glory, now and for ever, through endless ages, amen.

My brothers and sisters,

On this celebration of Palm Sunday, we hear in the readings that Jesus enters Jerusalem to cheers of “Hosana!” Coming from the Hebrew phrase “hoshiya na” from Psalm 118:25 meaning “Save, please”, it originally was a cry to God for help from His people who were in exile. Throughout time this phrase evolved to mean “Salvation has come!” and is a shout of hope and exultation. In our Lenten journey we have experienced the penitential humility of Ash Wednesday, acknowledging to God and to ourselves our sinfulness, and spending time in inward reflection to examine our hearts. As we fast and pray, we are asking for God’s mercy and forgiveness, we are calling out to Him to “Save us, please”; simultaneously, we anticipate the coming of the summit, the most holy part, of our Liturgical Year, the Easter Triduum. From Holy Thursday when we celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, through Good Friday when we remember our Lord’s Passion, into Easter Sunday when we celebrate joyously the Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord and we can proclaim “Salvation has come!”

In this time of the coronavirus pandemic when our usual routines and daily lives have been severely disrupted, we cry out to God “Save us, please!” however, we must not give in to our natural inclinations toward fear and doubt; we must stay strong in our faith and increase our prayer. Despite the desire to perceive the Stay at Home restrictions as isolating and limiting, let us, instead, view this time as an opportunity to grow closer to one another, closer to God, closer to our own hearts. Perhaps in this new routine of “nowhere to go and nothing to do” we can see the benefits and the joy of having time for our families, our friends, ourselves and our Lord. I have witnessed parents, who are usually working or busy, spending more time with their children, going for bike rides, doing puzzles, going for walks and talking. I have seen kids of all ages finding innovative ways to connect, spending time outside and smiling, instead of rushing from activity to activity. We are able to sleep sufficiently, eat more healthy meals, and experience each other on a different level. While these are not the experiences of all, and I acknowledge that this unusual time also may create stress and challenges, let us turn to God for comfort, let us turn to each other for support and let us find peace in the reading from the Prophet Isaiah knowing that God’s help gives the servant, and us, the confidence and ability to continue to be His faithful people even in the midst of suffering. Jesus had to suffer and die on the Cross in order that He could rise from the dead, conquer Death itself and be the Salvation of the World.

– Father Pagano