Dear Friends,

This past Thursday, August 22nd, the Roman Catholic Church celebrated a memorial in honor of the Queenship of Mary. This memorial is an Octave, that is, eight days after celebrating Mary's Assumption into Heaven. We can consider the memorial as a prolonging of the celebration of the Assumption.

Lumen Gentium of Vatican II reaffirms authoriatatively the doctrice of Mary's queenship, " When her earthly life was over," she was "exalted by the Lord of Queen over all things, that she might be more fully conformed to her Son". (LG 59)
When Mary's life journey ended, she was assumed body and soul into heaven and received for her faithfulness the "The crown of life" (RV 2:10b). Her queenship has universal signifcance because she has attained full communion with Christ and is a majestic icon of the Church as we move forward toward the Kingdom of God that is already here and is to be fully realized becoming " a new heaven and a new earth," God's dwelling, the state of being known as heaven, in which "there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain." (RV 21:1; RV 21:4) Mary Queen of Heaven- pray for us!

Fr. Gino

Estados Amigos,

El pasado jueves, 22 de agosto, la Iglesia Catolica Romana celebro un memorial en honor a la Reina de Maria. Este monumento es una octava, es decir, ocho dias despues de celebrar la Asunicion de Maria en el Cielo. Podemos considerar el monumento como una prolongacion de la celebracion de la Asuncion.
Lumen Gentium de Vaticano II reafirma con autoridad la doctrina de la reina de Maria: Cuando su vida terrenal habia terminado", fue :exaltada por el Senor como Reina sobre todas las cosas, para que pudiera estar mas plenamente conformada a su Hijo".( LG59). Cuando el viaje de la vida de Maria termino, fue asumida en cuerpo y alma al cielo y recibio por su fidelidad "la corona de la vida." (RV 2:10b). Su reina tiene un significasdo univerasal porque ha alcanzado la plena comunion con Cristo y es el icono majestuoso de la Iglesia a medida que avazamos hacia el Reino de Dios que ya esta aqui y debe ser plenamente realizado convirtiendose en "un cielo nuevo y un a nueva tierra," la morada de Dios, el estado de ser concodico como cielo, en el que "no habra mas muerte ni luto, lamento o dolor." (Rv 21:1; Rv 21:4) Maria reina del cielo ora por nosotros!

​Padre Gino

Hello Friends,

I wonder what came to your mind when you heard the readings this weekend, especially the Gospel.  One of the things that we are aware of is that suffering and turmoil have been a part of everyday life, especially for the Middle East people.

The first reading takes us back 600 years before Christ when the land we now know of as Iraq had the name of Babylon and at a time when Babylonians were trying to take Jerusalem. The Babylonians were in power at the time and the Kings Army's goal was to conquer all the nations around them. Jeremiah, God's prophet, told the Jews it was useless for them to fight or try to defend themselves; they should  just go ahead and surrender or Jerusalem would be destroyed. Such talk was viewed as unpatriotic and Jeremiah was considered a traitor. Many of the Jewish leaders decided to kill Jeremiah and they persuaded their King, Zedikiah, to give in to their wishes. He allowed Jeremiah to be thrown into a cistern to die. Later, Ebed-Melech, a Cushite (which means Ethiopian), ne of Jeremiah's friends, persuaded the king to change his mind.

Estados Amigos,

Este fin de semana escuchamos unas lecturas bastante duras y dificiles de entender, especialmente el evangelio. Primeramente, todos sabemos que el sufrimiento y confusion han sido parte de la vida diaria yo cotidiana. Este fue y es el caso de la gente en el Medio Oriente. La primera lectura nos lleva 600 anos antes de Cristo cuando los Babilonios querian gobernar todas las naciones a sue alrededor. Asi que los Babilonicos planearon en conquistar la gran ciudad de Jersusalem. El profeta de Dios, Jeremiah les dijo a los judios que lo lucharon contra los Babilonicos, que era inutil resistirse, por lo que lo miraron como un tradior y trataron de matarlo. Es intersante como Dios nos habla a todos en diferentes manera, aun en medio de desastres.

Fr. Alex Urena

Dear Friends,

The tragic shootings in El Paso, Tx and Dayton, OH have devastated the lives of many people. Many have lost their lives, families and members of these communities are suffering, and the nation suffers with them. We prayed at our Vigil Mass this past Saturday and Sunday Masses for victims, first responders and all who have been in service to helping in these tragic events. Let us all be in solidarity with all of them during this time of mourning and prayer remembering "God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57b)

Fr. Gino
​
Estimados Amigos ,

El pasado fin de semana las tragicos tiroteos en El Paso y Dayton han devastado la vida de tantos personas. Muchos han peridido, las familias y los miembros de estas comunidades estan sufriendo, y la nacion sufre con ellos. Oramos en nuestra misa de Vigilia el pasado Sabado y en las Misas dominicales por las victimas, las familias y los soccoristas y todos  los que han estado al servico de ayudar en estos tragicos acontecimentios. Sigamos siendo solidarios con todos ellos durante este tiempo de luto y oracion recordando a "Dios que nos da la victoria y traves de nuestro Senor Jesucriston" (1 Cor 15:57b)

Padre Gino