Last weekend we celebrated the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Preaching on this Sunday is challenging. It happened to be “Deacons’ preaching Sunday” (held once every five weeks).

We have been blessed to have three deacons assisting us since last September: newly ordained Deacon Juan Pablo was assigned to our parish in his last year of preparation to the priesthood.

In his last homily as Deacon, Deacon Juan Pablo focused on “Vocations/Calls from God” as he was addressing the OLHOC Graduates from High School and College. It was a wonderful opportunity for Deacon Juan Pablo to talk about his own vocation story. Please find below excerpts from his last homily:

The mystery of the Trinity cannot be fully understood due to the limitedness of our humanity. The readings this Sunday allow us to have a glimpse of this mystery. God is one, God is love, God is merciful, and God is mission.

In the first reading, we see Moses interceding for the “stiff-necked people,” pleading God to make himself available to them. Moses, prefiguring Jesus Christ, reveals that God is merciful and loving, despite one’s sins and idolatries. This is true. It is an experience; it has been my experience.

I congratulate you for finishing High School and College. I have been there, and I am aware of the excitement, the fears, the projects... that are filling your lives. When I was about to graduate, I received my letters of acceptance from universities in the UK and in the US offering me nice scholarships. Something strange occurred. None of the letters containing this exciting news gave me peace or profound joy. There was something missing. What was I to do in life? What do I live for?

I was invited to participate in a four-day vocational retreat. It started on a Thursday and finished on Sunday. There was a problem: my graduation ceremony (where I was giving a speech) was on that Thursday and the prom at the Marriott Hotel in Quito was on Friday. I had two options; it was either to party or to choose God. What did I choose? I did not choose God, I chose my idols (affection, prestige, music, etc.). This is what happened to the Israelites who started worshipping the golden calf. They sought instant gratification.

The party began at 6pm and finished at 6am. God was merciful to me. My family was sitting right next to the open bar. This prevented me from getting drunk. While my friends soon after the party started were completely drunk, I kept dancing for several hours. The music, the friends, the family, the great company... None of this fulfilled me. I felt empty. At the end of the party, I, dressed with my tuxedo, asked my dad to take me to the bus stop for me to go two hours away and attend the vocational retreat. I thought that upon arriving there, the catechists organizing the retreat were going to send me back to my city. “Was I mature enough for them to take me seriously?”

To my surprise, they told me, “Welcome! Did you have breakfast?” I experienced the mercy, patience, and love of God. I open a parenthesis for all the catechists, parents, teachers, priests, and deacons. Be merciful! Be patient! Be loving! Our children and youth already suffer enough out in the world. 

They need to encounter God through you. Also, I invite you to remember how God has been merciful to you. They need to experience the power of the Trinity, the power of love.

At the end of the retreat, the priest asked me, “Do you want to be happy? Leave your plans and do God’s will.” Without thinking, I answered “yes” to being happy and to go to the seminary. I experienced peace, the peace that none of my projects could provide. I was destined by lottery/chance to Washington to be formed as a diocesan missionary presbyter. It has been quite a journey. The Lord has allowed me little by little to know how sinful and unfaithful I am, and more importantly how loving he is. God has given meaning to my life.

God wants to give meaning to your life. He wants you to experience him in order to fill that immense void that all of us have.

As you start a new chapter in your lives, I invite you to keep this in mind: God loves you! He will never stop loving and forgiving you, no matter what you do and no matter how many times you betray him. This is your home, the Church, where you can receive life, where you can discover who you are, where you come from, and where you are going. You are called to have eternal life, life. There is no other life outside in the world.

Filled with the Holy Spirit, I invite you to, in the words of St. Ignatius of Loyola, to “Go and set the world on fire!” This generation, more than ever, needs to receive the good news. They need to experience through you that it is possible to forgive, to love, to be happy. Go and set the world on fire with the fire of the Holy Spirit! May the Lord bless all our paths so that we may experience already on this earth the graces of life eternal. Amen.

I am sure you have enjoyed reading this beautiful Homily by Deacon Juan Pablo, and you have appreciated learning more about his personal journey from graduate student in Ecuador, to Priest for the Archdiocese of Washington.

As you know, Deacon Juan Pablo will be ordained to the Priesthood at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on June 17, and will be celebrating his first mass as Priest in our own parish the next morning at 11:30 am. You are all invited to join the Reception we will hold for him and his family and friends from Ecuador in the Father Martin Hall following the Mass.

My God continue pouring his blessings upon Father Juan Pablo.

One in Christ,

Father Alain



 

La Ultima Homilia de Diacono Juan Pablo como Diacono

El pasado fin de semana celebramos la Solemnidad de la Santisima Trinidad. Su predicacion en ese domingo fue un reto. Sucede cuando es el “Domingo de Predicacion de los Diaconos” (que se hace cada cinco semanas).

Hemos sido bendecidos con tener tres diaconos asistiendonos desde el pasado Septiembre: el recien ordenado Diacono Juan Pablo fue asignado a nuestra parroquia en su ultimo año de preparacion hacia el sacerdocio.

En su ultima homilia como Diacono, Diacono Juan Pablo se enfoco en las “Vocaciones/El Llamado de Dios” se dirigio a los graduados de la Secundaria y el Colegio. Fue una maravillosa oportunidad para Diacono Juan Pablo para hablar sobre su propia historia de vocación. Por favor vea su ultima homilia.

El misterio de la Santisima Trinidad no puede ser completamente comprendido debido a nuestra limitada humanidad. Las lecturas de este Domingo nos permiten dar un vistaso a este misterio. Dios es uno, Dios es amor, Dios es misericordioso, y Dios es mision.

En la primera Lectura, vemos a Moises intercediendo por un pueblo de “cabeza dura”, rogando a Dios que estuviera disponible. Moises, es la prefiguracion de Jesucristo, revela que Dios es misericordioso y amoroso, a pesar de nuestros pecados e idolatrias. Es una verdad. Es una experiencia; esta ha sido mi experiencia.

Los felicito por finalizer su escuela Secundaria y el Colegio. Estuve alli, y se de las emociones, los miedos, los proyectos... que llenan sus vidas. Cuando estaba por graduarme, Recibi las cartas de aceptacion de universidades en Reino Unido y en los Estados Unidos ofreciendome becas muy buenas. Pero a veces ocurre lo extraño. Ninguna de estas cartas que contenian tan emocionantes noticias me daban paz o una gran alegria. Habia algo que me faltaba. Que tenia que hacer con mi vida? Para que vivo?

Habia sido invitado a participar en un retiro vocacional de cuatro dias. Empezaba el Jueves y terminaba el Domingo. Habia un problema: la ceremonia de mi graduacion (donde iba a dar un discurso) fue ese Jueves y y la fiesta de graduacion en el Hotel Marriot en Quito era Viernes. Tenia dos opciones; ir a la fiesta o escoger a Dios. Que fue lo que escogi? No escogi a Dios, escogi a mis idolos (afectos, prestigio, musica, etc.). Esto es lo que les paso a los Israelitas cuando empezaron a adorar el becerro de oro. Tuvieron gratificacion inmediata.

La fiesta empezaba a las 6 pm y terminaba a las 6 am. Dios fue misericordioso conmigo. Mi familia estaba sentada cerca del bar abierto. Eso me evito emborracharme. Mientras que mis amigos poco despues de que la fiesta empezo estaban completamente borrachos, me mantuve bailando por varias horas. La musica, los amigos,la familia, la agradable compania... Nada de esto me llenaba. Me sentia vacio. Al final de la fiesta, yo, vestido con mi tuxedo, le pedi a mi papa que me llevara a la parada del bus y viajar por dos horas para asistir al retiro vocacional. Pense que cuando llegara, los catequistas rganizadores del retiro me iban a mandar de regreso a la ciudad. “Era lo suficiente maduro para ellos para tomarme en serio?”

Al final del retiro, el sacerdote me pregunto, “Quieres ser feliz? Deja tus planes y haz la voluntad de Dios.” Sin pensar, respondi “si” a ser feliz e ir al seminario. Experimente paz, la paz que ninguno de mis proyectos podria darme. Fui destinado por loteria/oportunidad a ir a Washington y ser formado como presbitero misionero diocesano. Ha sido todo un viaje. El Senor me ha permitido poco a poco saber cuan pecador e infield soy, y lo mas importante cuan amoroso es El. Dios le ha dado sentido a mi vida.

Dios quiere darle sentido a tu vida. El quiere que ustedes experimenten a El para llenar ese inmenso vacio que todos tenemos.

Ahora que empiezan un nuevo capitulo en su vida, los invito a tener esto en mente: Dios los ama! El nunca dejara de amarlos y perdonarlos, no importa lo que hayan hecho y las veces que lo hayan traicionado. Este es su hogar, la Iglesia, donde pueden recibir vida, donde pueden decubrir quienes son, de donde vienen y a donde van. Han sido llamados para la vida eterna, vida, No hay mas vida afuera en el mundo.

Lleno con el Espiritu Santo, los invito a, en las palabras de San Ignacio de Loyola, a “Ve y prende fuego al mundo!” Esta generacion, mas que nunca, necesita recibir las buenas nuevas. Ellos necesitan experimentar a traves de ustedes que es posible perdonar, amar y ser feliz. Vayan y prendan fuego al mundo con el fuego del Espiritu Santo! Que el Senor bendiga todos nuestros caminos para que experimentemos aqui en la tierra las gracias de la vida eterna. Amen.

Estoy Seguro que ha disfrutado leyendo la preciosa homilia que nos dio como Diacono, Juan Pablo, y usted ha apreciado saber mas sobre su viaje personal desde su graduacion en Ecuador, hacia el sacerdocio.
Como ustedes saben, Diacono JP sera ordenado como Sacerdote el La Basilica de la Inmaculada Concepcion el 17 de Junio y estara celebrando su primera misa como sacerdote en nuestra parroquia la siguiente manana a las 11:30 am. Todos estan invitados a unirse a la celebracion que tendremos para el, su familia y amigos de Ecuador en el Salon Padre Martin despues de la Misa.

Que Dios siga derramando sus bendiciones sobre Padre Juan Pablo.

Uno en Cristo,

Padre Alain