I Came So That They Might Have Life And Have It More Abundantly

04-30-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Manasseh Iorchir, VC

The Fourth Sunday of Easter has come to be known as Good Shepherd Sunday, chiefly because on the fourth Sunday of Easter each year, the Gospel Reading is taken from chapter 10 of St. John’s Gospel where Jesus declared Himself the Good Shepherd. We can observe that the readings revolve around the theme of the shepherd hood of Christ and its consequence on all of us who make up His living flock.

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He Was Made Known To Them in the Breaking of the Bread

04-23-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Manasseh Iorchir, VC

The Gospel passage for the Third Sunday of Easter presents the story of how the Resurrected Jesus revealed Himself, through the scriptural hermeneutics and the breaking of bread, to two of His disciples, Cleopas and his unnamed companion, who were going to a village called Emmaus. As they journeyed, they discussed recent occurrences in Jerusalem including the reported resurrection of Jesus. St. Luke reports that Jesus “drew near and walked with them” but they could not recognize Him. The stranger (at least in their eyes at that moment) wanted to know what they were discussing. They offered a concise summary of the events surrounding the Resurrection, “informing” Jesus about the crucifixion of “Jesus the Nazarene,” His death on the cross, their seemingly dashed hope that He would be the salvation of Israel, the discovery of the empty tomb by some women among them, and the subsequent investigation and confirmation of the story by some of the Apostles.

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Whose Sins You Forgive Are Forgiven Them

04-16-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Manasseh Iorchir, VC

We celebrate today the Second Sunday of Easter. On May 5, 2000, St. Pope John Paul II decreed that the Second Sunday of Easter, the Octave of Easter, would be known and celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday. The feast was established by the Pope after he canonized St. Faustina, a humble Polish nun to whom Jesus revealed His message of Divine Mercy. On this Sunday, reflecting on the immensity of God’s unfathomable mercy towards creation, we reiterate our constant need for it and express our unflinching trust in Divine Mercy.

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This Man God Raised on the Third Day and Granted that He Be Visible

04-09-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Manasseh Iorchir, VC

On this day we celebrate the glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. On Good Friday, we commemorated the Passion and Death of Jesus on the Cross. We recalled the event when the Divine Redeemer willingly offered Himself as a sacrifice that would pay our debt of sin, reconcile humanity to God, and effect the restoration of our friendship with our Creator. We know that He had promised not to remain in the grave but to rise from the dead on the third day so as to destroy death, the consequence of sin, and afford us hope for a life with Him in eternity. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, fulfilled this promise on Easter Sunday.

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Hosanna to the Son of David!

04-02-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Manasseh Iorchir, VC

We celebrate on this day, the triumphant and Messianic entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, an event that ushers us into the Holiest Week of the year during which we shall celebrate the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. There are two Gospel Readings on Passion Sunday. The First, which is read outside the Church building before the procession, tells the story of the triumphant entrance of the Messiah into Jerusalem.

In humility, alluding to the kind of Messiah He was going into Jerusalem to be, Jesus preferred to ride on an ass rather than the conventional horse that was the standard means of transportation for Kings and warriors at that time. St. Matt hew recounts that His Disciples honored Him by spreading cloaks and branches from trees for Him to ride on, while acknowledging Him as the Son of David, the One who comes in the name of the Lord. In our time, Jesus desires an entrance into our hearts and lives (Revelations 3:20).

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