Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The beauty of the Catholic faith is our emphasis on Divine Mercy. God’s mercy is available in abundance. No matter how great our sins, the mercy of God is greater than our sins. Just look at King David (who committed adultery and murder). Look at Peter, who denied Jesus three times, or the good thief, St. Dismas who asked for mercy from the cross. What about the Prodigal Son who wasted his inheritance and dishonored his father? These are just a few examples of the many sinners who called upon the mercy of God. Our Lord wishes us to recognize that His Mercy is greater than our sins so that we call upon Him with trust, receive His Mercy and share that mercy with others.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Happy Easter to all of you and a special welcome to all of our visitors! I pray as you celebrate Easter Mass with us that you may come to know the peace of God in your hearts now and always. You are always welcome to come and to thank God for His many blessings, most especially His Son who has risen from the dead and offers forgiveness for our sins! I find that people who are struggling with anxiety, depression, and loneliness may have a difficult time relating to God. That relationship with God can be restored through His mercy.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Welcome to Holy Week! Today we begin the holiest week of the year for the Catholic Church. This week, the Church commemorates Christ’s death and burial. Ancient writers called this the Great or Holy Week of Our Lord’s Passion. The custom of keeping the Holy Week goes all the way back to the time of the Apostles. When the early Christians spoke about Jesus to others, they started with the Passion of Our Lord. Scholars believe that the Passion of Our Lord spread before the other parts of the Gospel were even written down. The Passion of Our Lord is really the starting point for building our relationship with Jesus.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Maybe you have heard the critique that is lodged against Catholic parishes that goes something like this: “I went to Mass at that parish for many years and no one even said hello to me.” One could ask why an isolated person didn’t say hello either. But still, hospitality is an essential charism for any community that wishes to grow and flourish! I have heard from many visitors how blessed they felt by the warm welcome that they have received at St. Bernadette. Whether it be by the usher who welcomed them at the doors of the church, or a parishioner who welcomed them as they sat down, or at The Grotto for some coffee while looking for that perfect gift.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Occasionally, I receive a call from a former parishioner or a non-parishioner who was asked to be a godparent for someone to receive the Sacraments of Baptism or Confirmation in the Catholic Church. Very often the person is requesting a letter from our parish stating that he or she is a Catholic in good standing. This status of a Catholic in good standing is part of what is required to be a godparent. This measure helps to ensure the person receiving the Sacraments will be supported in the Catholic faith.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In today’s Gospel from St. Luke, Our Lord offers us the parable of the fig tree. This is a challenging but straightforward parable from Our Lord. If a tree produces fruit, it lives! If it doesn’t produce fruit, it dies! When the gardener was told to cut down the fig tree that was not producing fruit, the man replies: “Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down” (Luke 13:9).

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Jesus Christ entered the world through the human family. He came as an infant born into the marriage and home of the two holiest human beings who ever lived — Joseph and Mary. In a time when our world and our Church needs examples of holy men, of holy families and faithful disciples, could there be a more fitting time to venerate the man who gave his life and his love to the Blessed Mother and the Son of God?

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In today’s Gospel, we hear that Jesus is led by the Spirit out into the desert where He is tempted by Satan. Jesus will not be distracted by the devil’s efforts to thwart His mission. Jesus came to proclaim the Good News: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” As disciples of Our Lord, we know that God, through Christ, has defeated Satan. Even though the devil remains active in our world today, we know a day will come when all evil will be destroyed forever, and the rule of Satan will be replaced by the Kingdom of God.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Lenten Season begins on Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025. On Ash Wednesday, St. Bernadette parish will offer a 6:30am Mass, 8:30am Mass, a 12:00pm Liturgy of the Word and 5:00pm Mass. Everyone who comes to Mass, or the noonday Liturgy of the Word will receive ashes on their foreheads. The ashes are reminders that each one of us came from dust and will return to dust one day. The ashes on our foreheads are in the shape of a cross. Wearing this sign on our foreheads proclaims to others "I live for Christ".

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Like the early disciples, we, too, are a faithful community that seeks to love Our Lord with our whole hearts. We, too, are invited to be in close relationship with Jesus. We, too, have been called to a unique mission of bringing hope to the hopeless, comfort to the sorrowful, and love to the lost. Sharing your blessings, your gifts, and talents, brings the light of Christ to those who have known much darkness.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

“To love at all is to be vulnerable,” wrote CS Lewis. This is why real love can be amazing and not so easy at first! The temptation is to think that it is better to never love. The tragedy is that life is never fully lived in the capacity with which God created us to live. The temptation is to think that you are playing it safe by refusing to love. But the alternative to the risk of love is boarding on a hell-like existence completely self-absorbed.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Our culture has embraced February 14th as the day to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day. St. Valentine was a 3rd-century martyr whose life and deeds are celebrated worldwide. Although the Roman Catholic Church continues to recognize St. Valentine as a saint of the Catholic Church, he was removed from the General Roman Calendar in 1969 because of the lack of reliable information about him. He is the patron saint of lovers, people with epilepsy, and beekeepers.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Church celebrates Candlemas Day on February 2nd every year. Today the Church celebrates the Presentation of the Lord. This feast celebrates three important events. It commemorates the day that Our Blessed Mother Mary came to the Temple as the Law required of all women, to go through a purification ceremony 40 days after giving birth. Because of this, it is also referred to as the Feast of the Purification of Mary and is the reason why it is always celebrated on February 2nd.