Fr. Patrick Gonyeau C.PP.S.

A word of encouragment on living life in the Holy Spirit in a difficult season...

In John Chapter 14, we hear Jesus proclaim "do not let your hearts be troubled" and that "in my Father's house there are many dwelling places and I go to prepare a place for you and I will come back again to take you to myself so that where I am you also may be." Behind these beautiful words indicative of a specific marriage practice in ancient Israel is the backdrop of salvation history and God's remarkable desire to have an eternal marriage bond with his people in the New & Eternal Covenant.

In declaring "I am the gate" (Jn 10:9) & "the good shepherd" (Jn 10:11), Jesus makes clear that entering into a life of faith in Him, in which He leads us, is entering into the life of heaven even now: "I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me adn I know the Father." (Jn 10:14-15)

Defeated and downcast, two of the disciples of Jesus left Jerusalem on Easter Day not believing he had risen from the dead, only to encounter a stranger on the way who would change thier lives forever...

From calming his fearful apostles, to blessing them with the gift of the sacrament of confession to restoring a wavering Thomas...the divine mercy of the risen Jesus is on full display for us to taste and see in chapter 20 of John's gospel...

An brief introduction and overview of the devotion to Divine Mercy...

The culmination of Holy Week brings us to the awesome reality that through the gift of our baptism, we have recieved the grace of the resurrection and that the resurrection transformation of our lives here and now is God's wonderful will for our lives!

At the Easter Vigil we enter into the overwhelming joy of Mary Magdaline and Mary (the mother of James & John) as they encounter the angel who shows them the empty tomb, and then they encounter the risen Lord Jesus. We look at the unique grace of the resurrection given to us through our baptism that enables to live with Holy Spirit resurrection-power filled humanity.

Journying through the Sacred Triduum we come to the cross with Jesus on Good Friday. As a King, with all power and authority, he freely submits himself to his passion and death, giving us the ultimate revelation of the Father's love, and our path to redemption and salvation.

Beginning the litrugy of the Sacred Triduum, we come to the Mass of the Lord's Supper with Jesus. In the midst of the Passover Seder, Jesus declares his vows, the oath instituting the New & Eternal Covenant and declaring his intention to give up his body and pour out his blood to overwhelm the powers of sin and death through divine love flowing at maximum capacity through Jesus Christ for all of us.