April 23, 2023 3rd Sunday of Easter To My Spiritual Family of Holy Redeemer and St. Anthony, Pray Without Ceasing: St. Paul offers us the challenging exhortation: “Pray without ceasing (1 Thes 5:17).” Indeed, prayer is essential to our life as Christians. Prayer is foundational. This is true for each of us as individual believers, but it is also true for us as a community of faith. As a parish, we strive to be a family who prays, loves, and serves the poor. We want to keep these goals constantly before us. We want to be very intentional about making those goals a reality. One simple way to enter into a prayer encounter with another is to ask that person: “How can I pray for you?” We’ve talked about this before, and many of you have made the effort to ask this question (even to strangers). Thank you! Let’s take it a step further, though, and make this a regular part of our conversation. For us to be a parish that prays without ceasing, we must regularly and consistently be inviting others to pray. The sweet name of Jesus should always be on the very tip of our tongue! Often, when we see friends before or after Mass, we talk about the ballgame or grandkids or the weather. Beyond those topics, what if we ask our fellow parishioners what is on their heart so that we can lift it (and them) up to the Lord? Here at the parish, Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings should be times of intense prayer – not only during Mass itself – but before and after as well. That’s why we’ve begun offering prayer team ministry after Mass. But I’d love to see an authentic culture of prayer grow into every aspect of our parish life. Guests should walk through our doors and immediately be struck by a palpable sense of ongoing prayer. Please give this a try. Please be brave enough to ask the question. Thank you and God bless you for your willingness to vulnerably step out in faith! Eucharistic Revival: It’s the season for First Holy Communions. What a beautiful season indeed! Seeing our very young ones receive the Body and Blood of Christ for the first time is an uplifting moment for sure. It’s a precious moment. But we do that moment a disservice if we relegate it to a cute photo opportunity. Why? Because receiving the Eucharist is so much more. Whether it be our first Holy Communion or our 10,000th Holy Communion, those moments of Eucharistic reception our profound moments, sublime moments, and ineffable moments of grace. To receive the Eucharist is to actually encounter and receive the God of the Universe, Jesus Christ. To receive the Eucharist is to receive Life itself! The 3-year period of Eucharistic Revival continues throughout the Catholic Church in the United States. We will enter into that Revival in a special way here in the parish when we host the relics of St. Manuel Gonzales Garcia and Blessed Carlo Acutis during Pentecost weekend. Yet every day can be a day of Eucharistic Revival. I encourage you to go to FORMED and check out some of the films and studies that focus on the Eucharist. I encourage you to prayerfully visit the saints’ relics when they are here. Most of all, though, I encourage you to be with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Sit at his feet. Seek his love. Know the reality of his Presence. He loves you and gives himself for you. What a beautiful gift is the Holy Eucharist! Mary, Mother of the Holy Redeemer – Pray for us! Our Lady of Guadalupe – Pray for us! St. Anthony – Pray for us! St. Joseph – Pray for us! Fr. Steve