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Pancakes

Let me share with you this story I found on the Internet.

“Six year old Brandon decided one Saturday morning to fix his parents pancakes. He found a big bowl and spoon, pulled a chair to the counter, opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling it on the floor. He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most of a cup of milk and added some sugar, leaving a floury trail on the floor which by now had a few tracks left by his kitten. Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting very bad. He didn’t know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove, (and he didn’t know how the stove worked)! Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away, knocking the egg carton to the floor. Frantically he tried to clean up this monumental mess but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas dirty. And just then he saw Dad standing at the door. Big crocodile tears welled up in Brandon’s eyes. All he wanted to do was something good, but he’d made a terrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a smacking. But his father just watched him. Then, walking through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting his own pajamas dirty in the process. That’s how God deals with us. We try to do something good in life, but it turns into a mess. Our marriage gets all sticky or we insult a friend or we can’t stand our job or our health goes sour. Sometimes we just stand there in tears because we can’t think of anything else to do. That’s when God picks us up and loves us and forgives us, even though some of our mess gets all over Him. But just because we might mess up, we can’t stop trying to ‘make pancakes,’ for God or for others. Sooner or later we’ll get it right, and then they’ll be glad we tried.”

Pope Francis reminds us that it is not easy to trust in God’s mercy because our sins do not allow us to go to His Presence and enjoy His love and mercy. The Pope says during his homily on March 17, 2013, “It is not easy to entrust oneself to God’s mercy, because it is an abyss beyond our comprehension. But we must! … ‘Oh, I am a great sinner!’ ‘All the better! Go to Jesus: He likes you to tell him these things!’ He forgets, He has a very special capacity for forgetting. He forgets, He kisses you, He embraces you and He simply says to you: ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more’ (Jn 8:11).”


Let us not be afraid to go to the sacrament of reconciliation and to experience the wonderful mercy of God. Let us remember that our parish offers this wonderful sacrament on Tuesdays at 4:30 pm* and Saturdays at 3:00 pm. In addition, there will be an evening of penance service with individual confessions this Monday, March 18th at 7:00 p.m. You can also call me and ask for an appointment for confession.

*Confessions will not be available on Tuesday, March 18th.


God is our Father who is always ready to forgive us regardless of what we did. The only condition to receive His forgiveness is to want to receive God’s forgiveness. Let us make a good examination of conscience and go to this marvelous sacrament.

God bless you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramirez

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Laetare Sunday

Once I was presiding at the Eucharist wearing the rose vestments on the Fourth Sunday of Lent. In my homily, I explained why the priest wears this color, which is not very often used in the liturgy. Some people said to me, “Father, you look very nice in ‘pink’ ”, or “this is a very unusual color in Church.” These were nice comments, but the most significant comment that day for me came from a 4 year old boy. After Mass, he came to me, looked at me, and said, “Father… don’t wear pink… pink is for girls.” His parents, people who were there, and me just laughed. I knelt down to his level, smiled, and said to him, “thank you very much for your words… I will keep in mind what you said to me.” He smiled with me at that moment. Even though I continue to wear the “pink” color because this is a suggestion by the Church (it is not obligatory to wear this color), I remember in a special way this boy who reminded me of the simplicity of the gospel, and how God expresses His love through these “little ones.”

The little boy saw a color that in his understanding was only for girls, not for boys. In the understanding of the Church this color is used to manifest the joy that we feel for knowing that the Lord Jesus Christ came to save all of us. To see the priest wearing the “pink” or “rose” color should produce in us a big smile because this color is telling us that the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ is coming soon. We smile because we are happy. We smile because Jesus gave us salvation and eternal life through His Death and Resurrection. For this reason, the priest wears the “rose” color. A color which is a combination of two colors: red, which means the Passion and Death, the blood that Jesus shed for us on the Cross, and white which is the color of the resurrection. I learned in elementary school that red and white produces “pink” or “rose.”

This Fourth Sunday of Lent is called Laetare Sunday or Sunday of Rejoicing, and it is very different from Gaudete Sunday which is celebrated on the Third Sunday of Advent. This one also means joy. However, the joy of Advent is because the savior of the world is coming on Christmas, but the joy of Lent is because Christ saved us through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. “In Lent it comes in the form of Laetare Sunday and in Advent it comes in the form of Gaudete Sunday. Both days get their name from Latin roots which are principally used to express joy. The difference between the two is that Laetare reflects a joy that is manifest outwardly whereas Gaudete reflects a way of rejoicing internally” (Gaudete v. Laetare).

It does not matter what you call this color, “pink” or “rose.” The most important thing is to start to celebrate the joy of the Risen Lord. Let us prepare ourselves for the coming celebration of Easter with joy and always have a thanksgiving attitude toward the Lord.

God bless you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramirez

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Almsgiving

During this sacred time, the Church introduces us to the Lenten observances. Almsgiving is one of them. What is the meaning of Almsgiving? Almsgiving is simply “the act of charity to another.” It is to help in the necessities of other people. These necessities could be physical or spiritual ones. The Lord, in the gospel of Matthew (Mt. 25: 31-46), is telling us the parable of the Judgment of the nations. In this parable, we see how a king came to judge people according to their actions. Those who helped other people were taken to the Kingdom of heaven, and those who didn’t help their neighbors were sent to eternal punishment. From this parable, the Catholic Church teaches us the works of mercy. They are 14 works of mercy, and they are divided into two groups: corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

Physical works of mercy

  1. Feed the hungry
  2. Give drink to the thirsty
  3. Shelter the homeless
  4. Visit the sick
  5. Visit the prisoners
  6. Bury the dead
  7. Give alms to the poor

Corporal works of mercy

  1. Counseling the doubtful
  2. Instructing the ignorant
  3. Admonishing the sinner
  4. Comforting the sorrowful
  5. Forgiving injuries
  6. Bearing wrongs patiently
  7. Praying for the living and the dead

The works of mercy are good works that we can do to give alms to other people, especially to the poor. Other ways we can help people who are most in need is through our Webster Hope (donating items that will help others) or helping economically to any organization, such as hospitals, churches, organizations or our Diocese of Rochester. For instance, at Holy Trinity Church, we have our weekly collections, Operation Rice Bowl, and the Catholic Ministry Appeal (CMA) that our diocese is working on throughout the year. So far, our parish has reached 84.79% (based on February 26, 2024) of our goal for 2024. Hopefully, we can reach this goal, and in that way, we can help people in the different ministries of our Diocese.

Let us pray so all of us have a spirit of giving to all people in their physical and spiritual necessities.

God bless you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!
Fr. Jorge Ramirez

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Prayer

We usually hear about the necessity to pray, especially during this time of Lent. But, what is prayer? Prayer simply is to talk to God. Think about God as your best friend. We usually want to talk to our friends to tell them our concerns, problems, goals, success, and so on. If God is our best friend, we should tell Him everything about ourselves. For instance, Saint Teresa of Avila refers to the early stages of prayer as “frequent solitary conversation with Him who, as we know, loves us.” God loves us very much, and He desires to talk to us. For this reason, we need to try to pray always, anytime, anywhere. Jesus frequently says to us in the Gospel that all of us need to pray always (cf. Lk. 18:18).

There are different forms of prayer:

Blessing or adoration prayer: We can bless people or things, wishing for them all of God’s gifts. For example, we can bless our children before they go to sleep or bless our meals before eating. More over, we can bless God in response to God’s blessing for us. One way to bless or adore God is going to the Blessed Sacrament and to worship Him because we recognize that we cannot do anything without Him.

Petition prayer: We ask God for our necessities; e.g. we ask God for our health or economic situation. We express to God our concerns and trust in God’s providence. We believe that God will help us always. We need a spirit of humility in this prayer, recognizing that without God we cannot do anything.

Intercession prayer: We ask God for the necessities for someone else. For instance, we pray for a brother, our mother, our father, or a friend who has a problem or hard situation in their lives. Also, we ask Jesus, the Holy Spirit, or one of the saints to intercede for us or for somebody else before God, the Father.

Thanksgiving prayer: We recognize that God has done wonderful things in our lives and say thanks to Him. For example, we say thanks to God for your job, your children, or your life. The Eucharist is a thanksgiving prayer. Next time that we go to the Mass, do not forget to say thanks to God.

These are some ways to pray. We can always pray using common prayers, such as the Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, the Holy Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, and so on. These prayers are very important in the Church because they are part of the tradition of the Church, and when we pray these prayers, we spiritually join with the rest of the community.

Let us pray always, at all times, in any place. God is always there to listen to us because He is our best friend who loves us very much.

God bless you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramirez

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The Sacrament of Penance

During Lent, the Roman Catholic Church invites us to practice the Lenten observances: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. These practices help us to have a better understanding of the real meaning of this wonderful liturgical season called Lent. In addition to the Lenten observances, the Church also is insisting, not only during these 40 days of conversion, but through the whole year that we go to the wonderful Sacrament of Penance.

Penance is the sacrament in which we experience the mercy of God. This is a wonderful sacrament. Unfortunately, not everyone goes to receive forgiveness, and they are denying themselves the gift of many graces and blessings from God.

I would like to remind you about the steps to have a good confession:

Before Confession

Confession is not difficult, but it does require preparation. We should begin with prayer, placing ourselves in the presence of God, our loving Father. We seek healing and forgiveness through repentance and a resolve to sin no more. Then we review our lives since our last confession, searching our thoughts, words, and actions for that which did not conform to God’s command to love Him and one another through His laws and the laws of His Church. This is called an examination of conscience.

Begin with a prayer asking for God’s help.
Review your life with the help of some questions, which are based on the 10 Commandments.
Tell God how truly sorry you are for your sins.
Make a firm resolution not to sin again.


During Confession

Contrition: A sincere sorrow for having offended God, and the most important act of the person confessing. There can be no forgiveness of sin if we do not have sorrow and a firm resolve not to repeat our sin.

Confession: Naming our sins2aloud2to the priest, who represents Christ and the Church.
Penance: The prayers2or sometimes, the good deeds2the priest gives, for our healing and the healing of those we have hurt by our sins.

Absolution: The words the priest speaks by which “God, the Father of mercies” reconciles us to himself through his death and resurrection, called the Prayer of Absolution.

(Taken from https://www.archindy.org/thelightison/guide.html.)

Let us go to the wonderful Sacrament of Reconciliation and let us allow the Spirit of God to come to us.

God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramirez

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Repent, and believe in the Gospel

Very soon, a wonderful season in the Church will begin again: Lent. I say “again” because year after year the Roman Catholic Church insists on repentance, conversion, to see God faceto face, and to ask Him to forgive our sins. But, why does the Church say this again and again, year after year? Why does the Church always invite us to prayer, fasting, almsgiving, penance, sacrifice, conversion? How many times have we heard about this in the sanctuary through the preaching of many priests? Once? Twice? Three times? Thirty times? Fifty times? Eighty times? One hundred times?… In my case, I have heard about this fortythree times, because that is how old I am.

The answer to these questions is very simple, and sometimes we do not pay enough attention. The Church is inviting us year after year to think about all of these because she is thinking about our salvation. If you and I belong to the

Roman Catholic Church, go to the Eucharist, practice the sacraments, it is not because we do not have anything else to do, but because we want to go to the Kingdom of God, that means to gain eternal life.

We need to think about our salvation; hence, all the elements that the Church is introducing us, such as fasting, penance, almsgiving, sacrifice, service, etc., are tools that help us to think how we can be closer to God, surrender to Him, and reach eternal life. If we do not think about our salvation and eternal life, our faith does not make sense. I do not go to Church because I have nothing interesting to do or because my mom, dad, child, or friends are there, but because I want to have a closer encounter with Christ.

Thus, not only during this Lenten season, but all the days of our lives that we should pray and celebrate the sacraments, such as the sacraments of Eucharist and Penance (confession or reconciliation). Let us serve one another and let us allow our love for Christ to be reflected in our service to our neighbors. Through this love and service, we gain salvation and eternal life.

May this Lenten season lead us to have a special encounter with Christ to get to the house of our Heavenly Father.

So, when we go to Church this coming Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of this great season, let us think about the words that our priest or lay people say at the moment we receive ashes on our forehead: “Repent, and believe in the Gospel,” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Both sentences should, once again, make us to think about our salvation. Why will we go to receive ashes this coming Wednesday? Will I receive because of tradition, or because I really want to change my life? May this Ash Wednesday help us to think about our spiritual life, change many aspects in our lives, and prepare ourselves to go to the house of our heavenly Father.

God bless you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramirez


Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is one of the most popular and important holy days in the liturgical calendar. Ash Wednesday opens Lent, a season of fasting and prayer. Ash Wednesday takes place 40 days before Easter Tridium, and is chiefly observed by Catholics, although many other Christians observe it too. Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head. The ashes symbolize the dust from which God made us. As the priest or one of the ministers of the parish applies the ashes to a person’s forehead, they speak the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Alternatively, they may speak the words, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”

The hours for Ash Wednesday are:

If you have relatives or friends who are sick and cannot come to the Church and want to receive the Ashes, Confession, Holy Communion, or Anointing of the sick, please let me know. For more information, please contact the parish office at (585) 265-1616.


St. Valentine's Day
St. Valentine's Day

St. Valentine’s Day is coming soon. Renew the love that you have for your spouse, family, relative, or friend at Mass. On February 10th and 11th, during the Mass, there will be a special blessing for matrimonies and couples who are engaged, or dating. Those who are single, don’t worry. We’ll also have a special blessing for you because we appreciate your friendship and support for our parish. St. Valentine’s Day is also the friendship day. Please, come and receive this wonderful blessing by God.

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¡Buen viaje!

Important information for Holy Trinity Church

I would like to share with you that I am leaving for vacation from January 22nd to February 9th. I will go home, to my wonderful country, Colombia. I have not been in Colombia since July 2022. I am very excited to go back after all this time. I will be visiting my family and friends in Medellin, my hometown, and probably, I will visit other cities as well. This will be a good time to relax, share with my family and friends, speak Spanish, and of course, to eat delicious Colombian food. I will preside some Eucharists with my family and friends during this time. Also, it will be a good time to renew my faith and vocation, and to be ready to come back to this wonderful family of Holy Trinity Church to work for God’s Kingdom.

Meanwhile, wonderful priests and a deacon will be with you during these weeks.

Let us start with Deacon Gary Terrana. You know him. He has been serving in our parish since I started my ministry as the Pastor. The parish will not have daily Masses during my time in Colombia; however, Deacon Gary will preside at Communion services. Please, go to these services, pray, and receive Jesus present in the Eucharist.

Fr. John Mulligan will be presiding the Eucharists during weekends and helping to listen to people in confession on February 3rd. You are always in good hands in the company of Fr. John.

Fr. Bill Michatek will be presiding at the Eucharists as well with Fr. John. He will listen to people in confessions as well on January 27th. Fr. Michatek has kindly offered to celebrate daily Mass at Holy Trinity on January 24th, February 2nd and February 6th. You know very well Fr. Michatek, so give him a warm welcoming during these days.

In addition, confessions on Tuesdays are canceled. If you need a priest for pastoral emergencies, anointing of the sick, or confession, please contact St. Paul Church, St. Rita Church, Holy Spirit Church, or St. Joseph Church.

Even though I will not be here, we have a wonderful parish staff, who can help you in case you need it. Please, pray for me during my vacation. I will pray for you from Colombia.

God bless you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramirez

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Christmas is over, but we continue the celebration

Christmas is over… for a while, we won’t have the Christmas tree at home, or eat Christmas cookies, or exchange presents. No more Christmas carols or expecting for the coming of Santa. However, although Christmas is over, the joy of having the Lord with us should remain in our hearts. This is precisely the meaning of Ordinary Time. Some people believe that Ordinary Time means “boring time;” however, its meaning is very different. “Ordinary Time is called “ordinary” not because it is common but simply because the weeks of Ordinary Time are numbered. The Latin word ordinalis, which refers to numbers in a series, stems from the Latin word ordo, from which we get the English word order. Thus, the numbered weeks of Ordinary Time, in fact, represent the ordered life of the Church–the period in which we live our lives neither in feasting (as in the Christmas and Easter seasons) or in more severe penance (as in Advent and Lent), but in watchfulness and expectation of the Second Coming of Christ” (learnreligions.com). Moreover, “Ordinary Time is a time for growth and maturation, a time in which the mystery of Christ is called to penetrate ever more deeply into history until all things are finally caught up in Christ” (usccb.org).

Christ is among us. He is “The Emmanuel” who is always showing us the merciful Father. We need to be closer to Him, allowing us during the different seasons of the liturgical year to experience the love of God. If we have a special connection with God through the sacraments, different prayers, and our service to our brothers and sisters, we are really letting Jesus touch our hearts and so we have an ordinary life; that means, to have a life according to the natural order created by God.

My brothers and sisters, let us celebrate always that the Lord Jesus is with us, regardless of the liturgical season. God is with us 365 days a year, so let us rejoice because the Emmanuel is here always to lead each one of us to the house of Our Heavenly Father.

Fr. George

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The Epiphany

Some people believe that Christmas is over. Perhaps, they think that Christmas is only celebrated on December 25; therefore, probably they have already taken down all Christmas decorations. No more Christmas tree, ornaments, lights, and so on. However, we, Catholics, understand that Christmas is not only a day, but a joyful season which we celebrate the mystery of the nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, let us continue celebrating this wonderful season with the celebration of the Epiphany. This celebration is better known as the feast day of the three kings. They are also known as the three wise men or the three magi. They appear in the gospel of Matthew 2:1-12. This is the story of how 3 magi go to worship the new baby king. They recognize that Jesus is the King of kings; hence, they gave Him three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold was a gift for a king, frankincense was a gift for God, and myrrh was an oil that was used for burials. With these three gifts, the magi recognize Jesus as a king and God, and they tell us with the myrrh the destiny of Jesus: to die on the Cross for us. This is a beautiful story to read at home, especially with our kids.

There is a short novel by Henry Van Dyke called “The other wise man,” and published in 1895. Almost a century later, in 1985, Michael Ray Rhodes filmed a television movie called “The fourth wise man,” based on the story of Van Dyke. This story tells us the life of Artaban, one of the Medes from Persia. Like Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, Artaban saw the star which would lead him to see the king of kings. However, he had difficulties and could not go to see the newborn king. All his life, he tried to see Jesus, and the only time he was able to see Him was during the crucifixion. However, Jesus appeared to Artaban when he was dying and said that every time he helped people, he saw Jesus’ face. This is another story that we can share with our family.

The story of the fourth wise man is a fictional story. It does not appear in the Bible. However, it brings us a great message: we are that fourth magi who always see Jesus each time that we do charitable works. Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar worshipped the baby of Bethlehem. Artaban tried to see and worship the newborn king, but you and I are always able to see Him in the Eucharist, in the sacraments, and in the face of our brothers and sisters, who we interact with every day.

Let us worship the King of kings always with our prayers, our actions, and our lives.

Let us pray:
O God, who by the guidance of a star did on this day manifest Your onlybegotten Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that we who know You by faith may also attain the vision of Your glorious majesty. Through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you!

Fr. Jorge Ramírez

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¡Muchas Gracias!

God, through Bishop Matano, decided to send me to work here at the Church of the Most Holy Trinity after working for two years as the Parochial Administrator of N.E.T. Catholic, which has three parishes: All Saints Church in Lansing, Holy Cross Church in Dryden, and St. Anthony’s Church in Groton. I cannot believe that it has been six months since I became the pastor of this wonderful family of Holy Trinity. Six months… six months in which I have tried to demonstrate my faith in God, and work for Him and for His Church.

In these six months, I have been celebrating the sacraments, especially the sacrament of the Eucharist and reconciliation, worked on CMA, facilities, the pastoral and finance councils, and the different committees of the parishes and their activities. I blessed the pets on the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the solemnity of All Saints, the Colombian tradition of “Las noches de las velitas” / The night of the little candles, our family Christmas tree, Christmas celebrations, among other activities I have done during these months. Everything I have done is thanks to each one of you because you are realizing that we are more than a parish… we are one family who are walking together under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, through our Lord Jesus Christ to the house of our Heavenly Father. You are also realizing the importance of my theme or slogan for my pastoral plan, “the parish that we dream, is the parish that I help to build.”

For all of these and for your prayers and friendship, I only have to say, “¡Muchas Gracias! “Thank you very much.” These six months of 2023 were amazing, and I know that the following year will be much better. Please, let us continue to work for the kingdom of God all together as one great family… The Most Holy Trinity family. I know that God has wonderful things for each one of us.

¡Feliz Próspero Año Nuevo 2024! / Happy New Year 2024.

God bless all of you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always.

Fr. Jorge Ramirez.

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