FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT: THE CHRISTIAN JOURNEY TO GOD’S LIGHT

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This Fourth Sunday of Lent invites us to move forward on our journey of faith towards Easter. In today’s Gospel, we hear a section of Jesus’ night encounter with Nicodemus in Jerusalem, the place of Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection. Jesus is trying to bring him to the light of God’s love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). Lent is a profound journey at the level of the heart from our darkness to God’s light manifested in Christ’s total self-giving for us! “This is the verdict, that the light came into the world” (Jn 3:18). I pray that all of us as one community may walk these days towards Christ’s light, so that we may be transformed at the Easter mysteries into the Light of the world (cf. Mt 5:14). 

Everything that happens on our journey to God comes from Him and leads us to a deeper relationship with Him. The Devil constantly brings us thoughts of discouragement and evil desires, so that we may abandon our journey. With the help of the Church, the Word of God, the sacraments and our brothers and sisters, we can arrive to our final destination: the joyful victory of Christ.

During this Lent, we pray that we may continue to persevere on our pilgrimage of faith towards the Paschal Mystery of Christ, in the company of Mary, Queen of Peace, all the angels and saints, and our brothers and sisters in the faith!

In this time of Lent, in which the Church invites us to Pray, Fast, and Give Alms, I encourage you to take seriously the new prayer initiative for our new Parish Center. We have a goal to pray 1,000,000 Rosaries and/or Divine Mercy Chaplets as a parish family, for the success of our building project. We are so close to reaching $4 in our Capital Campaign, and so close to  reaching our $5 million goal. I am extremely grateful for everyone who has made a pledge and everyone who is working to make this happen. However, the most important thing to do is to pray, so that the Lord may open our hearts and lead us in this project of faith.

In Christ,

Fr. Felix P. Medina-Algaba,
Pastor