From the desk of  Fr. Trinidad 

​Today’s gospel begins with Jesus describing some of apocalyptic literature’s typical cosmic signs that God’s plan is nearing completion. In contemporary thought, this kind of writing can be interpreted as being fictional  or illusionary at best.                This mode of thinking would be surprising to Jesus contemporaries. The truth is, that Jesus devoted his entire life                      and ministry to inaugurate God’s final rule, the Kingdom of God in His person and action. This belief is not an idea, rather,  it is the word of God, spoken directly from the mouth of Jesus. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus urges his disciples to attend           to the signs of the Messiah’s arrival. Just as we can read nature’s indications to the changing of seasons, we also must become adept at perceiving, that God’s final rule over all things, will be accomplished through the chosen Messiah Jesus Christ. As the liturgical year approaches its end, the Church invites us to focus on a threefold coming of Christ: in history, in the present, and in His Glory, the completion of the final age. How do we prepare for this? By waiting and watching constantly for His divine presence and action. Fortunately, we do not know the time of God’s plan for salvation. Not knowing allows us to stay focus in our spiritual life and prayer, otherwise we would get exceedingly distracted. Those who chose  to trust in that final coming, are encouraged to stay awake by listening to the word that does not pass away. 
 
Pax et bonum
Rev. Trinidad
 
El evangelio de hoy comienza con Jesús describiendo algunos de los signos cósmicos típicos de la literatura apocalíptica. En el pensamiento contemporáneo, este tipo de escritura se puede interpretar como ficticia o ilusoria en el mejor de los casos. Este modo de pensar sorprendería a los contemporáneos de Jesús. La verdad  es que Jesús dedicó toda su vida y ministerio a inaugurar el gobierno final de Dios, el Reino de Dios en Su persona y acción. Esta creencia no es una idea, más bien, es la palabra de Dios, hablada directamente de la boca de Jesús. En el evangelio de Marcos, Jesús insta a sus discípulos a que presten atención a las señales de la llegada del Mesías. Así como podemos leer las indicaciones de la naturaleza sobre el cambio de estaciones, también debemos volvernos expertos en percibir que el gobierno final de Dios sobre todas las cosas se cumplirá a través del Mesías elegido Jesucristo. A medida que el año litúrgico se acerca a su fin, la Iglesia nos invita a enfocarnos en una triple venida de Cristo: en la historia, en el presente y en Su Gloria, la culminación de la era final. ¿Cómo nos preparamos para esto? Esperando y vigilando constantemente Su presencia y acción divina. Afortunadamente, no conocemos el momento del plan de Dios para la salvación. No saber nos permite mantenernos enfocados en nuestra vida espiritual y oración, de lo contrario nos distraeríamos mucho. A los que optan por confiar en esa venida final, se les anima a permanecer despiertos escuchando la palabra que no pasa.
 
Pax et bonum
Rev. Trinidad

Brothers and Sisters,
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Several of you have asked that I share a bit about the time spent in the Holy Land with the priests and bishop and  so I will relate a bit about the pilgrimage here. The time spent in the Holy Land was broken into two parts, the first half we stayed in Galilee on the Mount of the Beatitudes. The place we stayed was a bit of a monastery and every room had an outside terrace that looked onto the Sea of Galilee. The place is somewhat remote, so there was a silence in the mornings and evenings that was very peaceful. Everyday that we were in Galilee we visited one or two places mentioned in the Gospels. Galilee is particularly important as Jesus spent the vast majority of his time ministering in that area. Due to the pandemic and lack of tourists, we were able to spend time in Capernaum, Korazim, Nazareth, and other places in prayer without the distraction of many groups coming in and out. Having lived in the Holy Land myself, I was amazed at how few people there were.  In addition to visiting the Holy Places and celebrating Mass together either there, or at the monastery, we took all our meals together, often at one table. It was a great opportunity for priests who knew each other superficially to spend some time to get to know each other. It also allowed for us to discuss some difficulties we face in ministering in the 21st century and how we might address those difficulties.
We spent the last half of the pilgrimage in Jerusalem and visited the Mount of Olives (and Gethsemane), the Pool of Bethesda, Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the cenacle, where we renewed our priestly vows. It was incredible to be in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher while it was almost entirely empty. In all the times I have been there, it has never really been a place I could pray. It is usually full of people walking around, or spending an hour or two in lines waiting for the 10 seconds you get to spend in prayer at the place of the crucifixion or the place of the empty tomb. We spent hours in the silent church with the freedom to sit in front of these places and pray, contemplating the events that happened there.            It was a real gift from the Lord and an experience I don’t think I will ever have again in my life.
In Jerusalem we took some time to gather in small groups to discuss our own histories and where we each                         encountered Christ and to again reflect in a more systematic way on where we are as a diocese and how to address the  challenges we face. It also allowed the priests the opportunity to share with the bishop any questions or concerns they had regarding administrative or pastoral matters. Listening to each other helped created a sense of fraternity in our common mission in the diocese.
I will obviously not be able to list all the places we visited, or experiences we shared, but suffice it to say that the pilgrimage allowed the priests everything the bishop intended: times of prayer together, times of solitude with the Lord, times to share and build fraternity, and a time of rest. I believe that the time away together will bear fruit for the diocese and in the vocation of each priest. Please know that I prayed for the parish and all of you while in the Holy Land and continue to do so. Don’t forget to pray for me!

In Christ,
Fr. Kevin                      

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                                                                                    From the desk of Fr. Trinidad
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On December 25, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI wrote his first encyclical letter title Deus Caritas  Est (God is Love). Personally, I believe that this little church document, is one of the most beautiful and easiest encyclicals to understand. If you ever have a moment to reflect upon your life and the world that surrounds us, I strongly encourage you to read it. I decided to include the first paragraph of the opening introduction in this week’s bulletin. It describes perfectly the formula on how to become a saint and ultimately, reach our final destiny, our eternal dwelling place in heaven.
 
Pope Benedict writes: “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in  him” (1 John 4:16). These words from the First Letter of John express with remarkable clarity the heart of the Christian faith: The Christian image of God and the resulting image of mankind and its destiny. In the same verse, St. John also offers a kind of summary of the Christian life: “We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.” In these words, the Christian can express the fundamental decision of his life. Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea but the encounter with an event, a Person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction. St. John’s Gospel describes that event in these words: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should… have eternal life” (John 3:16).
 
I hope that as we celebrate All Saints day and All Souls, we can come to a deeper appreciation, of the greatest event, that has ever happened in human history, our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only reason why we have existence, why we can come together as a community, why we can walk in one  faith, one hope and one love. Heaven is knowing that to be loved by God and loving others, gives us our very existence. Some may say the reaching of heaven is a lifelong uphill task, others may that trying to be holy is only for the saints. What I am certain of, is that for those of us who have a soul, Our Lord is slow to anger, kind of heart and merciful. Aim for heaven, but just in case we choose the bumpy road out of negligence or procrastination, there is always purgatory. Hopefully, some kindhearted soul will pray for us when we are there.
 
Pax et bonum
Fr. Trinidad