On the night when the Church commemorates the resurrection of Jesus, the Elect are asked to renounce the devil and profess their faith in God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Church. Before the whole community, they are baptized with water and anointed with the oil of Chrism. They are given a new name—Christ, or Christian—and they participate for the first time as members of the faithful in the great Eucharistic Prayer. The climax of their initiation is at the altar when they share for the first time in eating and drinking the Body and Blood of Christ, completing their full transformation into the image of Christ by becoming what they eat.

There are so many reasons to be joyful and grateful for this month. Firstly, a heartfelt Mother’s Day greeting to all mothers. Thank you for everything you do. I find it providential that today we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday. In your vocation as mothers, you have been an image of the Good Shepherd to all of us. Your love, care, devotion, understanding, support, and patience are but a few of the ways we continue to experience the presence of the Risen Lord in our lives. Thank you!

Sustaining Hope: A Catholic Therapist’s Guide to Teen Anxiety, Depression, and Resilient Healing Tues. May 13th 7:00 PM. Click here for more information and to register.

At our evening Good Friday service a few weeks ago, our youth displayed the love that Christ has for us by enacting part of the Gospel passage taken from the Gospel of John. It is a simple enactment, yet a powerful one. Not much has changed from the enactment done years and years previously. The same movements are made…the same song is sung…yet each year, we gain something different.

The USCCB calls parishes to magnify efforts to ‘put the gospel of life into action’ by opening up and offering help to vulnerable women and children. Please click here to read the full article.

On Easter Monday, the whole world was shocked by the news of the death of Pope Francis. Because of that, social media was overflowing with memories about the pontiff. What struck me was a picture of Francis with the caption: “Smile even in the midst of pain and suffering.” Pope Francis frequently emphasized the importance of finding joy and hope even in the face of pain and suffering. He encouraged individuals to embrace vulnerability and see suffering as an opportunity for growth and encounter with God. He suggests that a smile, even in the midst of difficult times, can be a powerful way to find meaning and connection. Yes, we mourn the loss of such a good servant of God. But the message of Easter reminds us that God is with us. Christ is risen from the dead. The tomb is empty and as I have said in my Easter homily, this a powerful reminder that the risen Lord’s presence is not tied to a physical body, but in His spirit and His friendship with us. This weekend, we hear the story of the disciples being locked in the upper room. But as soon as Christ breathed the Spirit upon them, they went out to boldly proclaim Easter in their lives and in love. I believe Pope Francis was also thinking of that event every time he invited us to go into the peripheries to bring Christ’s mercy and love. Perhaps that is how we can honor Francis to continue to build a church that is inclusive, embracing and welcoming everyone as brothers and sisters in Christ. In other words, Pope Francis challenged us to live as Jesus lived! Let us join the whole Church in praying for the repose of Pope Francis’s soul and in giving thanks for the gift of his life and faithful ministry. Let us also ask the Holy Spirit to guide the Church in this time of prayer and discernment in choosing the next successor of Peter. And let us entrust the Church to the maternal care of Mary, the Mother of the Risen Christ and the Mother of the Church.

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Holy Spirit: Allow Fr. Robert and I to be the first to greet all of you with a Joyful Easter! I welcome everyone visiting with us during this holy season. We are very grateful you have chosen Holy Spirit as your place of worship.

The Eucharist is at the heart of our faith... for the Eucharist to shape our lives fully, we must enter into the mystery with intention and awareness of what is taking place in the rituals in which we participate. Click here to read more.

A week ago, I listened to Fr. Paul Soukup’s presentation on “At the Cross.” Fr. Paul invited all the listeners to enter into an imaginative prayer, seeing ourselves as standing at the foot of the cross. What struck me was when he referred to all of us as the “beloved disciple.” I have always thought “the beloved disciple” was John the Evangelist because that is what I learned in the seminary. Although Fr. Paul is not refuting that claim; he was inviting us to see ourselves as “THE” beloved disciple. We can begin to appreciate what we are about to celebrate.

I can’t believe it is the Fifth Sunday of Lent. I love this Sunday in Cycle C because we hear the story of the Woman Caught in Adultery in the gospel of John. Biblical scholars say that this might be a later interpolation because the end of chapter 7 does not seem to flow with the story. But whether it is an original part of the manuscript or not, it says a lot about who God is – clearly, He is a God of compassion, mercy, forgiveness and unconditional love. I believe it is fitting that we hear this story as we prepare to enter Holy Week next weekend. The story reminds us of the underlying meaning of Holy Week, and that is love.

Please note the adjusted reconciliation times for the remainder of Lent. We have an upcoming parish lenten service on April 9, 2025. Reconciliation is always available by appointment.

Back in October 2024, we launched the new website to be a place for information and connection for our parish and our community. To help us make the most of our website, let’s highlight some features here.

When we hear the word election, we immediately think of political office or ballot measures. In the context of our faith, the word election refers to Divine election—it is God who elects us by calling each of us to a relationship of love. Once elected by God, then, it is our decision to accept or not. We celebrate this election in two rites in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults or the OCIA process.

Please note, there is no baptism prep class on April, 2, 2025. Thank you.

The Power of Music in the Lenten Gospels The readings we hear during Lent are exceptional as they both inform and form us on the encounters of God in the life of Jesus. Here are some songs that we will hear and sing at our liturgies in hopes to inform and form us on our Lenten journey:

A few days ago, my good friend, Tess, phoned me. She was excited to remind me that March 5th was just around the corner. At first, I did not know what she was talking about. I thought she was referring to someone’s birthday or anniversary. I asked her: “What about March 5th?” She said: “March 5th, Ash Wednesday! I love Lent and I always look forward to the season. I can pray more and cook my favorite meatless soup, tomato basil! I am so excited!” In my 22 years of priesthood, Tess was probably the first person I met who was excited about Lent. Perhaps most of us think of Lent as not a joyful season. But when we think about it, she’s right. We should be excited. Lent is our forty days of preparation for Easter, not Good Friday.

Read our March 2025 newsletter for updates about mental health ministry in the Diocese of San Jose.

Last weekend, our gospel helped to prepare us for the season of Lent. In it, we find the commandment to love, not just our families, relatives, and friends, but to love those who might be seen as “enemies.” After hearing those words, we are probably asking ourselves how? Jesus gave us three action items –pray, do good, and bless. Don’t they sound like the three disciplines of Lent, namely, prayer, almsgiving, and fasting?

There is no Baptism Preparation class on March 5, 2025. It is Ash Wednesday.

The Parish Office will be closed on Monday, 02/17/2025. The Parish Office will reopen on Tuesday.