February 21, 2016

Dear Community,

As we celebrate the Second Sunday of Lent, we come across the Gospel of Luke. The evangelist writes that Jesus took Peter, John and James and led them up to a high mountain to pray. The mountain was a very relevant place in the life of Jesus. Very important moments of Jesus’ life took place on a mountain. For instance, the mountain of his temptation, the mountain of his great preaching, the mountain of his prayer, the mountain of his agony, the mountain of the Cross, the mountain of the Risen Lord and the mountain of the Transfiguration.

The Transfiguration was a prayer event. It describes Jesus’ encounter with his father: “His face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white.” The dazzling white garment is truly a symbol of our Baptism. Through Baptism we are clothed with Jesus, we receive his light and become more like him. For Jesus, the mountain was a place of encounter with God. and therefore, it was a place for prayer and worship, joy and suffering.

​St. Patrick is our sacred place for prayers. It is like our mountain of prayer. The more we come to Church, the more our soul will shine, the more we become light with Christ, the more we know God and identify ourselves with Him. As we gather to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, my offering and your offerings, we pray that through the Lenten Season we may have a true conversion of mind and heart. We hope we can say, along with Peter, “Master it is good that we are here.” May our Lenten observances, prayer, almsgiving, fasting and abstinence direct our lives to Christ.

Fr. Lopez. 

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