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Jesus speaks clearly to us when he says that he desires Mercy not sacrifice. Jesus does not withhold his mercy from us, so why should we withhold our Mercy from others? We can think of several reasons why not to forgive someone, not to stop and assist the poor and suffering, we’re too busy, to overwhelmed to become involved. It’s easy to say, “I’ll give a donation; how much can I write a check for?”

Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown Mercy.” We are living the call of Christ to be merciful; Jesus is the model for us to be living vessels of mercy, a source of happiness that lifts others out of despair; a source of hope and joy that embraces all good works. Feeding the hungry, visiting the sick and praying for the prisoner. Christ has been each one of these. We see him daily on the street, do you just pass him by?

Christ compassion unfolds when we love one another and bring his Mercy to others. Jesus wants our hearts and when we give him our hearts, we will discover the goodness of God within us. We are living the call of Christ to have Mercy. All of us will be judged by our Mercy and Charity and how we treated each other. Jesus is Mercy and Compassion.

Mrs. Denise Fedie, OP

Ezekiel 36:16—28

In this reading from the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord speaks to him about Israel defiling the land with their conduct and deeds. I look at the world we live in today and we aren’t any different. We also defile this land that the Lord has given us. We murder, we steal, we defame, we do all kinds of terrible things to each other, which defiles us as a people, defiles our nation, makes us an abomination in the eyes of God. And what we do to the least of us, we do to Christ. It’s a sobering thought.

But, despite our behavior, God’s love for us is still immeasurable. We are His people, His bride, and we comprise His body. He cleaves to us, just as a man leaves his parents to cleave to his wife. God fulfils His promise to sprinkle water and make us clean. Through baptism, He marks us as His own, placing an indelible mark on our souls. He replaces our hearts with new hearts and puts a new spirit in us. All we have to do is let Him. Can we do that? Let God make you new. Let Him refresh your spirit and breathe new life into you. This renewal could happen at every Mass.

Yes, we should definitely renew our baptismal promises to Him this Easter. Renounce Satan and all his empty works. Let God know that we are His, even though we are not worthy; He knows that we fall, and He invites us to repent. Let us return love for Love this year. Pray earnestly for your own renewal and that of others. The Lord is patiently waiting for your response, but don’t delay. We don’t know the time or the season when the Lord will return. It’s better to be prepared, our lamps full of oil. Please, do it today. Let God renew you. The hard work is already done. Jesus has died on the cross and risen today. The gift of salvation is possible and all we need to do is accept it. That’s what we’re doing when we allow God to breathe new life into us. Afterward, we see things and people differently, therefore our responses will be different. This is how we get there, together, as His people. May our Risen Lord bless you abundantly this Easter.

Ms. Renee Valenzuela, OP

The question that always haunts me during Lent and Passion Week: “Why – why would Jesus suffer like this for us, for me?”  It is a question that has echoed through time.  Many centuries before Christ the Psalmist wrote in Psalms 8:4, “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”   

We look around and see our own failings and weaknesses on display.  We see the atrocities that human beings do to each other.  We see families being torn apart – men, women and children longing for love, yet unable to give or receive the love they need.  Seeing this and often experiencing this pain, we can understand the temptation to embrace cynicism.   

It is not surprising that many people find it hard to understand why the creator of the universe, the creator of stars, galaxies, black holes, supernovae, plate tectonics and volcanoes, can actually love us enough to be beaten, ridiculed and nailed to a cross.

In spite of all of this, here we are – the people of God, in the Church, willing to walk with Christ this Holy Week.  Palm Sunday begins with Christ entering Jerusalem with crowds praising and adoring Him and it ends with His death on the Cross.  If the story ended there, it would be a fit ending for a cynic.  Cynicism will not allow the hope of a Resurrection.  Cynicism can only laugh at the foolishness of the crowd who loved Jesus on the day He entered Jerusalem.  Cynicism could never comprehend the love of God nor and His willingness to suffer for His frail and beloved children.  However, our Lord did, in fact, suffer and die for you and for me.

We begin the Holy Week with love for Christ in our hope of His Resurrection and His Love – which passes all understanding.

Mrs. Helen Hawkins, OP

St. Margaret of Castello, OP – 1287-1320

St. Margaret of Castello was born in 1287 in Metola, Italy to noble parents. Her father was a famous military hero, and her parents were determined to have a son to carry on the family’s military reputation. When the news was told that their newborn was a daughter, born blind, hunchbacked, dwarfed, and lame, Margaret’s parents were embarrassed. Margaret was kept in seclusion on the upper floor of the family castle in the hopes that her existence would be kept secret, in an attempt to avoid embarrassment to the family’s reputation.

When Margaret was six years old, she was accidentally discovered by a guest of the manor. Her parents took further actions to hide her from others. Determined to keep her out of the public eye, her parents moved her to a small chapel on a remote part of the estate manor. They built a room without a door attached to the side of the chapel and walled Margaret inside this room. She lived there in seclusion for the next 14 years, never allowed to come out. Her food and other necessities were passed to her through one of two small windows. Another window opened into the interior of the chapel and allowed her to hear Mass and receive Holy Communion. During this imprisonment, a local priest took upon himself the duty to educate her. (On the internet, you can view the room attached to the manor chapel where Margaret lived for 14 years. A door to the left of the chapel was added centuries later – here). 

After years of living in this enclosure, her parents heard rumors of miraculous cures occurring at a shrine in nearby Citta di Castello, Italy. Margaret’s parents made a pilgrimage to the shrine expecting a healing, taking Margaret with them in secret. They waited in the shrine for a few short minutes, but nothing happened; they quickly gave up and left in secrecy, abandoning Margaret in the shrine. They returned to their manor, never to see her again. 

Margaret, abandoned and homeless in a strange town, had to beg to survive. Over time, while living on the streets of Castello as a beggar, she became known for her holiness. She often preached to her fellow beggars and helped guide them spiritually. She preached a message of joy and thankfulness, despite all their suffering. She noted that, as beggars, they were able to mimic the Holy Family by living in poverty and exile. 

Her reputation for holiness continued to grow in Castello and she was asked to join a monastery of contemplative cloistered nuns in the town. Joining the monastery was initially a great joy for Margaret, but things quickly changed. As a nun, Margaret was intent on living the cloistered life exactly as written in their rule of life. In contrast, the nuns were largely ignoring their rule, living lavishly and lax. Soon the nuns became resentful of Margaret, claiming that Margaret was going too far in her piety and obedience. Margaret unintentionally exposed their corruption, so they expelled her from the monastery. 

Margaret was now back on the streets of Castello. Since she had been kicked out of the monastery, many townspeople were skeptical of her. The nuns spread false rumors about Margaret to support their actions. Over time, the truth was revealed. The townspeople realized that it was the nuns who were being inauthentic. The people noticed that Margaret always spoke about her time in the monastery with gratitude while the nuns always spread evil rumors about Margaret. Eventually, the townspeople began to see the wicked truth about the nuns and the true holiness of Margaret. Not long after this incident, the monastery of nuns closed in scandal and the site eventually became a monastery for Dominican nuns.  

Margaret’s reputation grew and soon Castello citizens invited her into their homes. It was now an honor to have Margaret live with them. She passed from family to family in this way, a homeless beggar now being adopted by the citizens of the city. At each home where Margaret stayed, the families reported physical healings, spiritual healings, mended relationships, and a sense of peace while Margaret was with them. In multiple interviews as part of her canonization process, the families reported that everywhere she went, things got better.

In one of the homes where Margaret stayed, she met a member of the Mantellata. The Mantellata were a group of women, often widowed, who led a life of prayer, penance, and charity devoted to the Dominican Order as lay members. In our time, we would refer to them as the Dominican Laity. Becoming a member of the Mantellata led her to meet the Dominican friars in Castello where she received spiritual guidance and the habit of the Dominican order. As a member of the Dominican laity, she devoted herself to tending to the sick and dying and visiting prisoners in the city jail for the rest of her life.

Margaret forgave her parents for their ill-treatment of her and always treated others with great care. Her cheerfulness stemmed from her conviction that God loves each person infinitely, for He has made each person in His own image and likeness. Despite her suffering, Saint Margaret remained serene, thankful, cheerful, and courageous. She never became bitter, complained, criticized others, or became discouraged. She preached through her joy and gratitude and through her service to the poor and imprisoned. 

Margaret died on April 13, 1320, at the age of 33. As a member of the Mantellata, Margaret was buried in the Dominican tertiary habit. At the time of her death, the Dominican friars intended for her to be buried in the chapel of the Dominican convent, but the townspeople of Castello, recognizing her holiness, demanded that she be laid to rest in the town church so that all may have the opportunity to venerate her as a saint. (You can still view her incorrupt body in Castello at the altar of St. Dominic’s Church). More than 200 miracles have been credited to her intercession. She was beatified in 1609. Thus, the daughter that nobody wanted is now one of the glorious saints of the Church. Margaret was canonized in April of 2021 by Pope Francis. Her feast day is April 13.

Br. John Steilberg, OP

The weekend of 30 Apr – 1 May 2022

On the physical plain, our physical plain, we can only express love in concrete ways.  One way is through words.  There are stronger ways though, better ways – through our actions.  Then there is the ultimate way to express our love for another:   to give our lives for them.  On our physical plain, there can be no better way to express love than this.

Peter was asked three times if he loved Jesus.  Jesus tells him three times what he must do if the love he has for Jesus is true:  Peter must feed Jesus’ sheep.  This will take a lot of effort and a fair amount of time and pain.  

When Peter is pulled before the Sanhedrin, he is accused of spreading the news of Jesus throughout Jerusalem.  The Sanhedrin tells Peter to cut it out and lets him go.  This is the beginning of Peter’s obligation of love to Jesus.  Where will it end?

Peter is told that he has a choice – now – but that there will come a day when there will no longer be a choice.  A day when he will stretch out his hands and others will take him to where he would rather not go.  Love – true love – can have a heavy price even though it is given and accepted freely.

Are we ready?  Will we, too, work the will of He-Who-Loved-Us-First, despite its cost in effort, time, and even pain?  Ultimately, will we stretch out our hands and allow others to lead us to where we’d rather not go?  Is the love from God and the love we give to God worth such a high price?  Oh, yes.  Yes, it is.  All the saints attest to it, Jesus attests to it – the whole triune God attests to it.  It will not be easy; but what a life it will be!  What could be more adventurous?  More fun?!  It will be so, so worth it!

Ms. Cathie Lambert, OP

Sunday, April 3, 2022

The early morning in the temple area was a beautiful place to be. Jesus enjoyed this time alone; praying and listening to his Father before the people sought him out for teaching. As he made his way to the temple the people had already started gathering to hear his teachings for the day. 

The day started as any other day, with a prayer and thanksgiving to God the Father, when suddenly a crowd of scribes and pharisees came into the middle of the group dragging a disheveled young woman with them, she was caught in the act of adultery they were screaming at her and she was screaming right back at them,” how dare you judge me.”  The Pharisees wanted to stone her, as the law of Moses commanded, what would you have us do, Jesus? 

Jesus began writing on the ground with his finger, but they continued, “Jesus! this is a sinful woman, she must be put to death, she is an enticer and an evil doer from a bad neighborhood. She is just a prostitute; the world would be better off without her.” Jesus, tell us what you would do? They wanted to trap Jesus in his own words so they could accuse him. Jesus stood up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin cast the first stone; one by one they dropped their stones and left, and Jesus was left alone with Mary of Magdalene. Jesus forgave Mary and gave her a new life, through reconciliation and mercy. We too can have the same forgiveness. As we travel through the desert. Christ is always waiting for us on the other side. 

Mrs. Denise Fedie, OP

Ex. 3:1-8a, 13-15; 1 Cor. 10:1-6, 10-12; Lk.13: 1-9

Our readings today reflect God’s tender care of His people. He allows trials to awaken the people to the consequences of turning from Him but assures them of His hearing their cry as they seek Him. He reveals He is the center and creator of everything as His name, I AM who am. St. Paul tells of God fulfilling His promise of care comparing the Jews baptism in the water of the Red Sea to liberate them to the much greater next step. The baptism into Jesus is the fulfillment of redemption. But, like the Jewish people experienced, we must not turn away from Him to evil or He will call us back to Himself through chastisements. God gave the Egyptian Pharaoh many chances to repent through the wake up calls of plagues. But Pharaoh hardened his heart and demanded he be served rather than God. He eventually harvested the fruit of punishment.

God does not give up on us when we fail Him. He always gives us another chance to repent. He is patient and persistent in pursuing us. Like the fig tree that didn’t produce fruit, we often fail to live the gospel commands and then fail to produce fruit. The Lord sends “gardeners” who teach and enrich us with spiritual nourishment in hopes that we will repent. Lent is great time to evaluate what is really important and Who we serve. We will eventually harvest the good fruit produced in our lives or the deserved punishment of serving self rather than God. Let’s soften, not harden our hearts.

Mrs. Marilyn Pipkin, OP

Sunday, March 13, 2022

Jesus wants to increase the faith of his disciples by his transfiguration; to strengthen them for what
will soon take place, his crucifixion and death. By giving them a taste of his future glory he is giving
them a taste of their own future glory. His clothes become dazzlingly white. He is accompanied by
Moses and Elijah who spoke of the exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.

Peter, James and John, who accompanied Jesus, are blinded by an excess of light which is above human
power and hear a voice from the cloud saying, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”

How well do we listen to Jesus?

Unlike Peter, we need to be quiet before the Lord. We need to go to that place in our soul where we can speak to Jesus and, more importantly, listen to him speak to us.

This takes practice.

We should never become discouraged by distractions, but keep on striving to meet Jesus in that peaceful place where he communes with us.

Spending time in Adoration will increase our ability to achieve this through the power of the Holy Spirit. This Lent make an effort to attend Adoration and, also, to practice Lectio Divina.

Mrs. Peggy Brechtel, OP

1 Samuel 26:2, 7, 9, 12-13, 22-23

1 Corinthians 15:45-49

Luke 6:27-38

Today we hear an important message in all three of the Mass readings: All that the Lord God has created is to be treated as holy and belongs to Him; therefore, we are called to love others as God has loved us. Let me expand on that a bit.  

In the first reading, David refused to harm King Saul because Saul was God’s anointed one. He treated Saul as he wanted to be treated, as God’s anointed one. David had been anointed also, as boy, a young shepherd. This was unknown to Saul, but David knew and did not flaunt it. He respected God’s timing, trusted God with all of his heart, and obeyed the Lord. In fact, during his kingship, David would go on to write most of the Psalms, describing to us 3000 years later, his confidence in God and we, too, can trust the Lord, especially in times of difficulty. Remaining faithful in times of hardship is how our faith is tested. And, when we fall, David teaches us repentance in Psalm 51 and reminds us in Psalm 95, what happens to those who test God with their insolence. David, even though he sinned greatly, was God’s anointed one. He repented of his sins and remained in God’s favor. God loves us too, despite our sinfulness.

In the second reading Paul reminds us that although we are physical beings, we are also spiritual beings. As Jesus is both fully man and fully divine, we also, made in His image and likeness, are fully human and fully spiritual. Both natures, our physical and spiritual, must be lived well. In order to live well, we must be fed well. Our physical nature is fed with good food, our spiritual nature must also be fed well by reading, studying, and putting our faith into practice every day. When we eat, we need to remember that it is God who created the food that we receive and thank Him for it, with a contrite heart. When we attend Mass and receive the True Bread from heaven, the Eucharist, the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, we truly need to be thankful with every essence of our being: our mind, body, and soul. Being thankful at this level is a complete and total submission to God and His will. God only wills the good for us, because that is what love is: willing the good for another.

In the gospel reading, Jesus tells us to love our enemy, because that is what distinguishes us from all others. So, if love is willing the good of another, then to love one’s enemy is to provide for their good. How do we do this? We pray for those who do harm to us. Lord have mercy; they know not what they do. We do not speak ill of those who do not love us. Lord, help him change his ways. We do not commit the sin of detraction against those who hate us. Lord, show her the path to you. We do not commit the sin of calumny against those who hold grudges against us. Lord, show her how to be merciful. We do not seek vengeance against those who have hurt us. Lord, be merciful in your judgement of him.  

We do not waiver in our faith that God is the One who will judge us all, and therefore we shall not judge others. If we do, we will be held to the same standard at our own judgement. We ask God to be merciful on us, thus we must be merciful to all others. In the Our Father, we ask God to forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. We will be judged in the same measure that we judge others. Let us all reflect on this lesson that David, Paul, and Jesus teaches us: All that the Lord God has created is to be treated as holy and belongs to Him; therefore, we are called to love others as God has loved us.

Ms. Renee Valenzuela, OP

                I nearly died – a couple of months ago – from a really bad case of COVID.  No, I didn’t get the vaccine.  It bothered me that the tissue of an aborted or miscarried fetus was used to develop and test at least some of these vaccines, and I dithered one way and the next, trying to find a valid reason to either get the vaccine or not.  I must admit that one of my core traits came into play as well:  procrastination.  It wasn’t two weeks after talking to my doctor about the pros and cons of the vaccine that I contracted COVID.

                I wasn’t just stay-in-bed sick… I was have-your-son-take-you-to-the-hospital sick.  By the time I got to the hospital (the wrong one at first since I get my medical care through the Veterans Admin.) I was so sick I couldn’t stand up – could barely sit up in the wheelchair in which they brought me in.  They asked me, “Do you have pain?”

                “Yes.”

                “Do you have a ‘booming’ headache?”  I wasn’t too sure what they meant by that, but ‘looking within’, I did discover that my eyeballs and eardrums were swelling and shrinking in time to my labored heartbeat. 

                “Yes!” 

                “Okay, just wait here.”

                Finally they shuffled me into an ambulance and drove me the two miles to the Veterans’ hospital.  They stuffed me into a tiny room which evidently hadn’t been used in a while:  I made this determination after one of the nurses said, “What is wrong with this bed?  I can’t get it to go down!”  Then, glory of glories, two things happed which gave me the greatest relief:  They hooked me up to oxygen – I could finally catch my breath (and my snot bubbles dried up) and; they carefully led me to the bathroom – no need to explain the relief I got from that.  Then they placed me in an adult diaper and tucked me in.

                I was in the hospital for twelve days, getting the tiniest bit better each day.  At first I was given what I later found out was a massive amount of ‘heated, high-flow oxygen’.  It basically came blasting through my canula, forcing oxygen into my poor lungs even when I was exhaling.  (It worked and later I was weaned down to the amount of oxygen that could be handled by a home oxygen concentrator.)

                Then there was the food – but that was actually pretty good!  My favorite was the ‘hamburger’ which looked, smelled, and tasted nothing like a hamburger – but was really good.  I did my best to be a ‘good’ patient – being polite to everyone who came into my room and even writing little ‘thank you’ notes to the kitchen crew on the menu selection sheet for the next day.  The kitchen liked my notes so much that I started getting ice cream along with breakfast!  Not a usual selection.

                On the second or third day, I texted my Dominican sisters and brother to tell them what was going on.  Rene texted back right away.  She reminded me that I really should have the Anointing of the Sick.  (Didn’t they used to call that Last Rites?  Huh.) 

                I hadn’t really thought about the possibility of dying.  I wasn’t afraid (strange that my greatest fear about dying is being afraid).  I wasn’t regretful or sad.  I was, I think, just… waiting.  That night, my respiratory therapist told me with great enthusiasm, “You’re going to make it!  I know you’re going to make it!  Do you know why?  Because you want to live!”  I want to live?  That was news to me.  Though not burdened with dire trials as many are, I had never relished living.  I remember as a teenager, looking at an old, tottering, white haired woman.  I envied her… because she was so much nearer ‘the end’ of all this than I was.  Of course God could always throw a bus at me any time and I would happily precede even those on their death beds.  I had, I think, kind of felt like St. Paul  – you know the verse: 

For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.  If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. And I do not know which I shall choose.   I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ, [for] that is far better.  Yet that I remain [in] the flesh is more necessary…  (NABRE, Phil 1:20-24_a)

                I texted my parish priest and asked if he would Anoint me because I was pretty sick.  He was there within minutes of my text.  I can’t but admire him for coming – in truth, it was an act of bravery.  I was, of course, on the “COVID Floor” of the hospital – no visitors, you know.  He came in with a face mask on and those blue gloves instead of the ‘CDC space suit’.

                It was just us in my little room.  He pinched off the tip of his glove on his index finger and thumb.  He then opened a tiny jar with the holy oil in it.  The scent was so warm, subtle, and comforting!  He put some on the palms of my hands and my forehead and I just felt so relieved of all worries, I felt I didn’t have to struggle any more… I just had to rest and wait with the mildest of curiosities, to see how things would turn out.  I share with you now the fruits my my contemplation.  I thought, ‘Huh.  I guess I really do believe this stuff.’ 

                It may not sound particularly profound, but like all of us, I have my faith, but I also have my doubts.  They’re like potholes in the road.  Some of them I see and avoid, but a significant number sort of sneak under the tire and give you quite a jolt.  Okay, I would think, that’s a Doubt which I can neither prove nor disprove… therefore – it doesn’t matter.  Keep on driving.

                But this Anointing of the Sick thing showed me something I hadn’t realized before.   See, I had decided to believe all this Jesus stuff, this Catholic stuff.  I’d made up my mind.  But what haunted me was that I’d made decisions like this before… and been wrong.  I wasn’t sure I could trust my ‘gut instinct’ – but I’d decided and I was darn well going to follow through – but I’d been wrong so many times before, what made this decision any different?  That is where the tire meets the pothole!

                After being Anointed though – I ceased to doubt myself and my decision – it all just drifted away.  I hadn’t so much doubted the veracity of Jesus or even the Catholic Church… I had doubted my ability to make a true and good decision regarding them.  But my reaction to being Anointed was so smooth, so calming, and… right, that the pothole-doubts were just – there.  They were part of the road but not a part of me.  I could chunk through them or swish around them, it really didn’t matter.  They were just there.  I knew… I know what I believe and – thank God – I know that I really do believe it.

                What a relief.  If I have to live some more – though that bus could come flying through the air a squash me at any time – then this is the way to do it.  I somehow always knew that ‘… to die is gain…’ but now I truly know that ‘… to live is Christ… ‘.  And I’m okay with that.  At last.

Ms. Catherine Lambert, OP