Blessed 1st week of Easter to each of you Holy People!
It has
been a busy season here, as I am sure it has been for you as we together learn
how to serve and love others like Jesus. And as we approach the 2 Sunday of
Easter along with the Church we reflect on the Divine Mercy of our Lord and
savior Jesus Christ, we must trust in our Lord Jesus Christ in His mercy for
not only ourselves but for all souls.
With that
being said, I wanted to reach out to you and honor you and to give you a short
update of all the blessings we have been grateful to receive here. Reflecting
on the immense mercy and love that Jesus has poured out over His poor here that
we entrusted Him to we are filled with words of gratefulness and thanks which
resound within my prayers for each one of you for your love and your
partnership. There is no doubt that the poor here have encounter a Christ
like love, and they have had many real encounters with the living Christ
because your works of Mercy, so thank you!
Jesus no doubt is pleased with your
merciful gestures and attitudes as we recall the words of JPII when he
said
"It is important then that we
accept the whole message that comes to us from the word of God on this Second
Sunday of Easter, which from now on throughout the Church will be called "Divine Mercy
Sunday". In the various readings,
the liturgy seems to indicate the path of mercy which, while re-establishing
the relationship of each person with God, also creates new relations of
fraternal solidarity among human beings. Christ has taught us that
"man not only receives and experiences the mercy of God, but is also
called "to practise mercy' towards others: "Blessed are the
merciful, for they shall obtain mercy' (Mt 5: 7)" He
also showed us the many paths of mercy, which not only forgives sins but
reaches out to all human needs. Jesus bent over every kind of human poverty,
material and spiritual."
"His message of mercy continues to reach us through his hands held out to suffering man. This is how Sr Faustina saw him and proclaimed him to people on all the continents when, hidden in her convent at £agiewniki in Kraków, she made her life a hymn to mercy: Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo."
"It is not easy
to love with a deep love, which lies in the authentic gift of self. This love can only be learned by
penetrating the mystery of God's love. Looking at him, being one with his
fatherly heart, we are able to look with new eyes at our brothers and sisters,
with an attitude of unselfishness and solidarity, of generosity and
forgiveness. All this is mercy!"
Pope John Paul II Homily, MASS IN ST PETER'S SQUARE FOR THE CANONIZATION OF SR MARY FAUSTINA KOWALSKA, Sunday, 30 April 2000
Home visits with a special Guest
Yesterday Father Gilber came up the mountain and spent most of the morning allowing us to take him on home visits to the elderly that we visit each week. He heard their confessions and ministered the
anointing of the sick to those who needed it. It is such a blessing, and the morning filled my heart to have Father with us, to have his presence in the homes that we
visit gives us so much hope and joy to the poor, but I feel rekindle with affirmation a fire in our hearts as well.
Lent
Lent was a blessed time for us as a community, we as a
community walked and prayed the stations of the cross each Friday. We walked
many hours in rain and darkness, and God used this time to bear a lot of fruit,
allow areas of forgiveness among community members, allowed opportunities for
new friendships and sparked knew hope among many.
Holy Week
We spent Thursday with our Community here and spent
the night with Jesus in the Garden. On Friday we had our last Stations of the
cross and ended the night with the Celebration of the Word and with the
community receiving communion.
Two new short-term guests
At the beginning of Holy week, we received a new
mother and her young son. After here Court hearing she is planning to return to
her parent’s home, which will be in a few weeks. Please pray that Jesus allows
us many opportunities to love her and her son well before they go.
Back to School
In March the week before Holy Week the Peruvian
children country wide went back to school.
Because of your generosity we were able to provide a
small portion of school supplies to all of the children in our pueblo, and we
were able to purchase uniforms, shoes, backpacks and all school supplies
needed for the year for 15 children that needed a bit more help this year.
College also started back up during the middle of March for
Karina. And we have two new college students
this year, Tonya a single mother who completed her Highschool while pregnant is now enrolled in studies to become a teacher, and Gabriel my son was accepted into Holy Apostle College and Seminary to begin dual credit courses through their online program. I ask you to please keep them all in your prayers.
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| Karina |
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| Tonya with her baby Gorgina |
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| Gabriel and his stoic pose |
Theology of the Body Retreat for teens
At the beginning of Lent, Gabriel and I hosted a Theology
of the Body retreat for teens, It was a 4 day intense retreat that dove deep
into the question why God create us, and for what purpose? We discussed
topic such as, being created for love, loving freely, the language of the body,
Marriage, Celibacy, how to discover their vocation, and the purpose of purity. The
reaction was positive among the youth that attended. However, I fear it may not
have been so for some of the parents.
I say this because one of the young ladies who attended the retreat who
lives with her mother and younger brother, I found out earlier this week, was
given away to an older man by her mother. Seleny is only 15 years old, quiet,
respectful, and very meek. I try to not allow myself to get angry, because I can only image
Seleny’s mother feels she was doing good by finding her daughter a man who
would take care of her. Perhaps I should be angrier with the fact that it is
the sad reality that the poor are faced with here.
In any event it just shows how much more work is still
needed here in order that women are treated with dignity and respect. Please pray for Seleny, her mother, and for
Gabreil and I as we navigate the next steps of this situation. Pray that somehow,
we can get her back and that her mother will come to recognize her daughter needs
her, and her protection and wisdom.
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| The young lady with the heart around her is Seleny |
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| The youth and the talk about mistaken Identities, what the world says we are vs what God says we are |
The new chapel for Santa Clara is almost complete
We have just a bit more work to do before the Chapel in Santa Clara is complete. The floors are done
the brick walls almost ready to be painted and just a few more finishing touches
to be made before the new chapel will be blessed. Stay tuned for more pictures as
we get closer to completion.
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