Last weekend was a blessed one for our parish. Seeing so many of our parishioners at the Cathedral for the ordination of Deacon Paul Flor and Deacon Francisco Jaurides really filled my heart. So did the ordination itself, in which a number of deacons were also ordained.

Remember that these new deacons will both assist Fr. Gilbert at the 1pm Mass today (Sunday). Following that Mass, everyone is invited to Mercy Hall for coffee, cake, and refreshments. It will be a great time to congratulate Deacon Paul and Deacon Francisco, and to celebrate their ordination.

I want to begin my remarks this week with thanks to God for the ordination of Paul Flor and Francisco Jaurides to the diaconate. These men are known to many of you, as they have been members of our parish for many years. Their ordination is the culmination of several years of study, spiritual growth, and pastoral education.

I want to begin by wishing a very Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers, grandmothers, and spiritual mothers in our parish! Thank you for all the love, sacrifices, and other good works that too often go unnoticed.

I want to thank all of you who asked about my little vacation last week. It was a wonderful break but, as always it’s good to be home with you again.

May is always a busy month in our parish. In addition to being the Month of Mary, it is filled with things like First Holy Communion, which will be celebrated in our parish this and next weekend. Please pray for the children as they receive Jesus in Holy Communion for the first time.

It was so nice to celebrate Holy Week and Easter with all of you here at St. Philip and St. James. The presence of so many people at all of the Masses was inspiring and uplifting. Thanks to everyone who joined us in celebrating this holy time of year.

I want to begin by wishing each and every one of you a blessed and happy Easter. The Resurrection of Jesus stands at the very heart of everything we believe as Catholics. It is my favorite day of the year, and I am always happy to celebrate it with you.

For some reason, I’ve always loved Palm Sunday. It was easy for me, even as a little kid, to see that Mass was a bit different that day. The blessing of palm, the longer Gospel, and the crowds of people at Mass all told me that there was something special about Palm Sunday. Indeed, there is something very special about Palm Sunday.

It’s hard to believe, but next Sunday is already Palm Sunday. Palms will be blessed and distributed at all of the Masses. Please take some Blessed Palm, and treat it with respect since it is a Sacramental we use to praise God, be reminded of His presence, and disposed to cooperate with His grace.