‘PARDON AND PEACE’ is our theme this Advent at OLHOC. At the end of 5 pm Mass a few weeks ago, I was greeting an entire family when one young child filled with JOY told me that he had gone to CONFESSION just before the Mass and he had felt “so good“, so happy when leaving the Confessional. This child had received the fullness of GRACE that God pours upon us through the SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION, preparing us to receive the BODY OF CHRIST at Communion in a STATE OF GRACE. First, we are FORGIVEN and then we are FED, BECOMING ONE IN CHRIST: we are totally at Peace with Christ ... until we sin again and separate ourselves from God. We all seek...

I love to celebrate the weekly Mass for the students at St Peter’s School. I do so once a month. This week (November 16) we had one powerful first reading from the Book of Revelation 4:1-11, where St John has a VISION OF AN OPEN DOOR TO HEAVEN! I asked the students to raise their hands if they wanted to go to Heaven. All hands went up...Then, I asked: “WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WHEN YOU ARE IN HEAVEN? To find the answer, I told the children to...

Last Wednesday evening, we entered the church in DARKNESS. It was a SOLEMN AND MOVING PROCESSION. For many participants, it was a reminder of the last time they participated in an Easter Vigil: entering the House of God in darkness following the newly blessed Paschal Candle and holding their own lit candles. THE LIGHT OF CHRIST lifts us up from our Baptism throughout our entire life on earth. This time, the HOLY SPIRIT had guided us to pray for the souls of our RECENTLY DECEASED parishioners in a new way. It is hard for a single individual to resist the Movements of the Holy Spirit. It is nearly impossible for a "family of families" mourning the loss of loved ones to resist the invitation of the Holy Spirit to come and pray together in a totally NEW WAY. The Holy Spirit had allowed us plenty of time to plan...

THE WAY OF THE CROSS IS THE WAY TO HEAVEN. JESUS asks all of us: "TAKE UP YOUR CROSS DAILY AND FOLLOW ME." (Luke 9:23). Accepting our daily sufferings, we can walk with Jesus. He is the one helping us to carry our daily crosses. Earlier this week, as part of the annual celebrations of All Saints and All Souls, we have reflected on our own journey from Earth to Heaven. Since our baptism, we are all CALLED TO BE HOLY, we are all called to keep WALKING ON THE WAY TO HEAVEN. God has created each one of us “to Love and to be Loved". GOD IS LOVE. He Loves each of us immensely and wants us to be always with Him, now on earth and then in Heaven forever and ever. Reflecting on the lives of my favorite saints (St John Vianney, St Agustin, St Therese of Lisieux, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and last, but not least...St John Bosco), I can see my own littleness and unworthiness to be in Heaven with such giants of the Christian Faith. What we have in common with the earthly life of Saints is our daily sufferings and the frequent attacks of the devil. I BELIEVE THAT...