We just received some good news, Archbishop Gregory will visit our parish to celebrate the 5 pm Saturday Vigil Mass on September 19th to close the celebration of our 40th anniversary; please mark your calendars. Our parish was established by Cardinal Hickey on September 15, 1980 and on Tuesday, September 15th our parish will turn 40 years. We would also like to honor the current parishioners who have been members from the very beginning (e.g. Special Blessing by the Archbishop just before the beginning of the 5 pm Mass) and would appreciate it if you could let our office know whether you will be available or not on that day (if you cannot come, we would still like to recognize you). Any other suggestions for the closing of our 40th year are most welcome (office@olhoc.org). We plan to discuss them at the August 13 meeting of our Parish Council. Stay tuned for more detailed information around the end of August. We are also excited to share some good news...

Many times we hear people questioning the existence of a loving God because they experience so many sufferings in their own lives or in their own families or in their own countries. As a Christian response to sufferings, I have used more and more St Paul's famous quote, "All things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). You will hear this quote this weekend as it is the first verse of our second reading, and I invite you to reflect on how St Paul's words (truly inspired by God) can help you face your daily challenges. We know that for God everything is possible. We also know that GOD IS LOVE. He loves everyone without exception, and He wants us to return His Love. As Jesus teaches us, "God's greatest commandment is to love Him with all your heart, and all your soul and all your mind" (Matthew 22:35-40). Because He loves us totally and is all-powerful, everything happening to us individually is God's own will and part of His plan for us. God is involved in all things. It is easy to believe this when...

Are you looking for a Christian experience that will change your life? Whenever we go to attend Mass, we can be transformed not only by receiving Jesus Himself in the Eucharist, but also by hearing the Word of God. I have spoken much to you about the central role of the Eucharist in our Christian lives. Today, I want to focus on the amazing Power of the Word of God. Every time we hear the Gospel proclaimed at Mass, we hear Jesus speak to us. Jesus Himself is the Word of God: "In the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with God ...and the WORD became flesh, and lived among us, and we have seen His Glory" (Prologue of St John's Gospel). Jesus is the Incarnate Word of God, the Word made flesh. HE is both man and God. Jesus' words never change. His words as alive today as 2,000 years ago. Jesus says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not change." St Anthony of Egypt is one of the most famous examples of having his life totally changed through hearing the Word of God at Mass. Anthony was a very young man (about 20) when both his parents died, and he inherited a large estate. He knew that his life was going to be totally different. He did not expect what God had in plan for him. As he was at Mass, Anthony heard...

In my homily last week, I made a short reference to the "end of time" in the context of the outbreak of the coronavirus. At the end of Mass, one parishioner asked me to clarify my statement that we should be ready for the end of time, and whether I could give more information on the Church's teaching on the end of time. My main point in the homily was that we should always be ready for the end of our individual time on earth (whether our natural death or the end of time for everyone together) and that is why regular confession is so important. I did not plan to say much about the end of time itself, but it is clearly a topic of interest to many. Some people have tried to interpret the unprecedented closing of churches for nearly three months as well as the growing rejection of God in our modern society as trials and possible signs from God that the world as we know it may come to an end sooner rather than later. When I asked the question: "Are you ready for the end of time?", I did not imply that the end of time was coming very soon but that WE...

I have just finished reading Cardinal Sarah' s recent book: "THE POWER OF SILENCE: Against the Dictatorship of Noise.” If you want to improve your prayer life and be able to hear God speak to you personally, I invite you to read this book and I can assure you that you will find at least "one gem" that can help your unique relationship with God. It is a free gift that you cannot refuse: since our parish has access to FORMED (click here to access "The Power Of Silence:Against the Dictatorship of Noise"). This book is so rich with so many insights that I will not attempt to summarize it. I will simply give you an example on how it has helped one of our parishioners who for the last few months has been very sick and is bed-ridden. To maintain confidentiality, I will call this parishioner John. Throughout his life,..

"Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were BAPTIZED into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life." What an amazing statement by St Paul in this weekend’s second reading (Romans: 6:3-4)! Do you believe that by dying with Christ in baptism, you are also raised with Him and can have eternal life with Him? Through his own death and his resurrection, Jesus Christ conquers death once and for all. This is the Good News of the Gospel. This is our FAITH. Through baptism we are giving access to a new life, a new spiritual life: eternal life with Jesus Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1277) affirms: "BAPTISM IS BIRTH INTO THE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST. In accordance with the Lord's will, it is necessary for salvation, as is the Church herself, which we enter by Baptism." Our parishioners are ...

June is the traditional month of ordination of priests, transitional deacons (to become priests one year later) and permanent deacons (traditionally married men who will serve the church for many years). Most of the attention is normally given to the ordination of priests. On the first Saturday of this month, June 20th, at OLHOC, we had a Holy Hour for Vocations to the Priesthood and special prayers for the 8 young transitional deacons to be ordained priests for the Archdiocese of Washington. Today, we want to give thanks to God for the Gift of Permanent Deacons. In the last 10 years,

THE GREATEST GIFT FROM JESUS: THE EUCHARIST! Earlier this year during Lent, many of us attended the five-week series on the "GIFT OF THE EUCHARIST", based on talks by Dr. Brant Pitre. It was a most inspiring presentation followed by discussions in small groups. Due to the closure of churches in mid-March, we held the last two sessions as virtual meetings via Zoom. As our church is gradually re-opening and as many parishioners have been hungry to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, it would be worthwhile to offer the series the “GIFT OF THE EUCHARIST” one more time. Stay tuned for more details!

"The GRACE of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the LOVE of God, and the COMMUNION of the Holy Spirit be with you all!”Do these words sound familiar? We hear them at the beginning of every Mass. This is the way the celebrant greets the congregation, they come from the ending of St Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians (13:13). They are one of the clearest Trinitarian prayers in the New Testament. Not surprisingly, we hear them in this weekend’s Second Reading as we celebrate the SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY.

We need help from the Holy Spirit more than ever. As we celebrate PENTECOST this Sunday, let us all pray together the first verse of the Holy Spirit Sequence,“COME, HOLY SPIRIT, COME!” Yes, the Holy Spirit is able to transform each of us. We just have to surrender to Him and let Him guide us!

Dear parishioners,As announced in my May 19th message on Flocknote to all of you,please find below, just completed by our Task Force, the detailed comprehensive note to ensure a smooth re-opening of our church.