Let us pray for this wonderful man who served God and the Church

During these days, we have received sad news about Pope Francis, who was always serving God through his service and love for our Roman Catholic Church. Jorge Mario Bergoglio, also known as Pope Francis, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina on December 17th, 1936, and died on April 21st, 2025. Pope Francis was elected as the head of the Church on March 13th, 2013, after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on February 28, 2013. He was the first Jesuit and Latin American man who became Pope.

Pope Francis always worked for the poor and marginalized taking as an example and model the Gospel and the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi. His style was different than other Popes because he always lived in simplicity and humility. During his pastoral ministry as the Holy Father, he preached the mercy of God. He demonstrated with his life that God is our merciful Father, the same Father who was preached about by Jesus constantly, especially in the Gospel of Luke, in the parable of the Prodigal Son (cf. Lk. 11:11-32).

This merciful Father is also reflected on Jesus Christ who died and rose from the dead because He loves us very much. This mercy is celebrated in the Church this second Sunday of Easter, which is also called Divine Mercy Sunday. St. Faustina, in 1935, received a vision of an angel by God to chastise a certain city. She began to pray for mercy, but her prayers were powerless. Suddenly she saw the Holy Trinity and felt the power of Jesus’ grace within her. At the same time, she found herself pleading with God for mercy with words she heard interiorly:

Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world; for the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us (Diary, 475).

Pope St. John Paul II, on April 30, 2000, during the canonization of sister Faustina Kowalska, designated the second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday. It is very important to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet not only on this second Sunday of Easter, but as often as we can (hopefully every day).

In God’s mercy, let us pray for the church, because now, the chair of Peter is empty, that means the office of the Pope is vacant. Let us pray for the eternal rest for Pope Francis, and ask the Holy Spirit to come and elect our next Pope who will lead us according to the heart of Christ.

Let us pray for the soul of Pope Francis.

O God, immortal shepherd of souls, look on your people’s prayer and grant that your servant Pope Francis, who presided over your Church in charity, may, with the flock entrusted to his care, receive from your mercy the reward of a faithful steward. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.

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

Fr. Jorge Ramírez

Lent is a time where all Christians prepare themselves to celebrate the greatest feast of the Church: Easter. With this wonderful and sacred time, each one of us is preparing ourselves to live with faith and enthusiasm, the redemption given by Our Lord Jesus Christ. This is precisely what the readings in the liturgy are introducing to us. For instance, the gospel according to John (John 4:5-42) tells us how Jesus has an encounter with the Samaritan woman. Even though Jesus asks her for water, Jesus finally is giving her the living water. This living water is Jesus Himself who is calming our thirst for God.

The experience of the Samaritan woman should motivate us to say, “Sir, give me this water.” How many times have we said this to the Lord? This is a question that this Lenten season is asking us. Do I come to the Mass to receive the living water who is Jesus Himself present in the Eucharist? Or do I just come to the Mass because it is Sunday, and I must go? Let us review how we are celebrating this wonderful encounter with Christ.

Saint Luke (Lk. 13,1-9), talks about the different fruits that we are producing. The Lord does not want us to sin any- more; therefore, instead of punishment, we receive all His love. Pope Francis constantly is reminding us that God is merciful. He is always ready to forgive us, just as the gospel of the “Merciful Father” or the “Prodigal Son” tells us. Pope Francis, in the Apostolic Letter Misericordia et Miseria, says, “Mercy gives rise to joy, because our hearts are opened to the hope of a new life. The joy of forgiveness is inexpressible, yet it radiates all around us whenever we experience forgiveness. Its source is in the love with which God comes to meet us, breaking through walls of selfishness that surround us, in order to make us in turn instruments of mercy (MM #3).”

God wants us to turn our faces to Him. He wants that we do not sin anymore but change our lives and get eternal life (Cf. Ez. 18:23). God always is ready to receive each one of us with open arms because He loves us always regardless of our situation or whatever we did. He loves us for who we are, not for what we did. So, are we ready to receive His forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation? Let us remember that the priest acts in persona Christi Capitis (in the head of the person of Christ). That means, that everything that the priest does is not in his own name, but in the name of Jesus Christ who acts through him. Why are we waiting to go to His encounter and ask for forgiveness for all things that we did that offended Him? Once we had gone to Confession, we should remember the words that the Lord says to the woman caught in adultery, “Go and from now on do not sin anymore” (John 8:11).

Lent time should take us to a personal and close encounter with the Lord who is always ready to forgive us regardless of what we did, because He is the living image of the Merciful Father. May all of us, in this Lenten season, be closer to God, and then all of us can go out into the world and give a true testimony of the Risen Lord, who redeems all our sins.

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.

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

Fr. Jorge Ramirez

This past Wednesday, March 5th, the Universal Church celebrated Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent. Ash is used as a reminder that we are just dust in comparison with the existence of God. Hence, one of the formulas that you heard on Ash Wednesday was “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” This phrase recalls the book of Genesis at the moment of the creation of a human being, “The Lord God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). God made us in His image (Cf. Gen. 1:26-27). However, we cannot forget that we depend totally on God. We need His presence and love in our lives to live. We need His breath of life, that is the Holy Spirit, to walk in this world and work for the Kingdom of God and gain salvation and eternal life.

To attain salvation, it is necessary to turn our faces and repent from our sins. This is the second formula that we could hear this Ash Wednesday, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” This is what Jesus proclaimed when He started His public life (cf. Mk. 1:14-15). The Lord Jesus is constantly inviting us to ask God for forgiveness. He is teaching us that God is the merciful Father who is waiting for us with open arms to bring us His love, mercy, and forgiveness (Cf. Lk. 15:11-32). For that reason, the Roman Catholic Church is always highlighting and promoting prayer, fasting, almsgiving as Lenten observances which help us to ask God for forgiveness. Besides, the Sacrament of Penance (known as well as Confession or Reconciliation) plays an important role in this wonderful season. Let us go to this sacrament of forgiveness and practice the Lenten observances with love, believing that through them, we can obtain the mercy of God, salvation and eternal life.

There will be different spiritual activities for Lent at Holy Trinity Church, such as the Stations of the Cross, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and opportunities for confession. Please check the Lenten program which was distributed as an insert in last week bulletin. If you have questions or concerns, please let us know.

Let us pray:

Remember, The Parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.

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

Fr. Jorge Ramírez

“I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Mt. 16:18). These are the words that Jesus said to Peter when he made his profession of faith, recognizing the Lord Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. In other words, when Jesus said these words, He chose Peter to be the head of the Church. That means that Peter was the First Pope in the Church’s history. From Peter to Francis, the Roman Catholic Church has had 266 Popes. Each Pope has apported wonderful elements for the teachings of the Church, such as councils, documents, synods, encyclicals, visits, homilies, and so on.

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, from Argentina, was elected as the 266th Pope on March 13, 2013, taking Francis as his name. Pope Francis has shown wonderful values such as simplicity, humility, joy, and a deep love for the Lord and the Church during his pontificate. It is not a secret to anybody that our Holy Father, Pope Francis, is having health problems. We know that he is in a critical situation at the hospital. The whole world has been praying for the health of the supreme pontiff who is 88 years old. Children have sent letters wishing good health and a quick recovery to Pope Francis. Pope Francis said, “I have recently received many messages of affection, and I have been particularly struck by the letters and drawings from children. Thank you for your closeness, and for the consoling prayers I have received from all over the world!”

We, as Catholics, also need to pray for the health of Pope Francis. God is wonderful and always is ready to listen to each one of our prayers.

Let us pray,
Prayer for Pope Francis

O God, shepherd and ruler of all the faithful,
look favorably on your servant Francis,
whom you have set at the head of your Church as her shepherd;

Grant, we pray, that by word and example
he may be of service to those over whom he presides so that, together with the flock entrusted to his care, he may come to everlasting life.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the
unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.

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

Fr. Jorge Ramirez

Since last December, the Roman Catholic Church has been celebrating the Jubilee Year 2025, Pilgrims of Hope. This is a year-long celebration of living in fraternity and helping those in need. Remember, “Jubilees ordinarily take place every twenty-five years. A Jubilee is a special time encouraging renewed holiness through acts of forgiveness, reconciliation, mercy, and pilgrimage. This year’s Jubilee theme is ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. The faithful can obtain the Jubilee indulgence.

Many of us have heard about indulgences. But, what is an indulgence? “An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints” (CCC 1471). In other words, an indulgence is a gift from God. This gift helps us in our spiritual life to be closer to God. Although, we go to the sacrament of reconciliation to confess our sins and God gives us His love and mercy, when we die, we will need to be for a “period of time” (I write this in quotes, because we do not understand the measure of time after death), in purgatory. God is, through the Church, giving to us this wonderful gift that aids us to go to heaven faster. It is necessary to be completely clean before going to heaven. Purgatory will help us to be pure before seeing God face to face.

Pope Francis says that the Jubilee should transform us, so our hearts get bigger and more generous to help other people who are hungry for the love of God. This Jubilee is a great opportunity to be closer to God.

Let us pray,

The Jubilee Prayer

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.

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

Fr. Jorge Ramirez

Dear brothers and sisters,

I am very sure that many of us (perhaps all of us) have a Bible at home. How many times do we open the Bible and read it? Do we really understand the message that God has for us? I know that some parishioners go to Bible study, which is every other week on Wednesdays and Thursdays in the parish (if you want to join this study, check the bulletin, or call the parish office for information). The Bible is the Word of God. For this reason, I would like to introduce you to Lectio Divina (Divine Reading). Lectio Divina is a Christian practice of reading the Bible, meditating, and praying. It is a traditional monastic practice that dates back to the early centuries of Christianity. These are the steps to listen to God’s Word through this wonderful practice.

Prayer: Invoke the presence of the Holy Spirit to understand better the Word of God. “Before I open my Bible and heart to the Word of God, I first open my mouth in prayer.”

Lectio or reading: Read the text two, three or more times. What does the text say? Look at what the characters are doing, places, actions, settings, and so on. Try to understand what the text is saying.

Meditatio or meditation: What does the text say to me? Think about what the phrase that stood out to you meant to the original audience, and what the author might have been thinking when he wrote it. Picture yourself in the setting and context of the passage. Play out the scenario in your head. Think about the specific part of the pas- sage that spoke directly to you. Focus intently on why the Holy Spirit might have chosen these words to speak to you today. Reflect on how it might apply to your life. Is it relevant to something that you are going through? Does it bring to mind a struggle that you have been dealing with? Do certain people come to mind that God may want you to reach out to or reconcile a relationship with? Is there a strong sense of a movement or change that needs to happen? When you are thinking about a passage in God’s presence, ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate that passage so that you can grasp the message in terms of your own life.

Oratio or prayer: What do I want to say to God about the text? Take all the thoughts, feelings, actions, fears, convictions, and questions you have meditated on and offer them to the Lord in prayer. Talk to God and tell him what you are feeling, just like you would with a good friend or family member. It is so important to ask God to help us in the areas in which we need improvement.

Contemplatio or contemplation: What difference will this text make in my life? Sit in the presence of God and feel His tender love and embrace. We are to continue to resist worrying about our cell phones, work, friends, illnesses, and whatever else holds us back from God and sit in the love that is shared between us and Jesus. Commit yourself, with the help of God, to “do” the truth that he has implanted in your heart. It is our submitting to God’s Word, our living it out, that God is calling us to. Living out our faith is a following of Jesus that happens naturally as we know Christ and become like him.

Let us practice Lectio Divina and let us allow God’s message to come to us, discovering the wonderful plan that He has for each one of us.

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.

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

Father Jorge Ramirez

My dear family of Holy Trinity Church.

As I said to you in my last weekend bulletin, October is the month of the Rosary. Our mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary is very special for all of us because Jesus gave her to us when he was on the Cross, “When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple there whom He loved, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home” (John 19:26-27). We pray the rosary because we believe that Mary, our mother, always is showing us Jesus and, at the same time, she is leading us to Jesus.

Our Lady of Rosary is not the only advocation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There are more than 30,000 Marian advocations of Mary. Some of them are: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Our Lady of Rosary, Our Lady of las Lajas, Our Lady of Coromoto, Our Lady of Chinquiquirá, Our Lady of the Snow, Our Lady of the Milk, Our Lady Queen of Peace, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and so on. Depending on the place of the apparition of our mother, she receives a different name. One of these places is Medjugorje. Probably, some of you have heard this place before, and even some of you have been there.

On September 19, 2024, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued “The Queen of Peace,” a note about the spiritual experience connected with Medjugorje. According to Bishop Matano, “The Dicastery, with the approval of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, grants approval for devotion linked to Medjugorje, but at the same time withheld making any declaration on the supernatural character of the Marian apparitions.” That means that having a pilgrimage, a spiritual experience in Medjugorje is an act of devotion which will help us in our relationship with the Lord by the hand of our mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. I am always available to explain what the Church says about Medjugorje in case that you have questions.

Some of you know that I will go to Medjugorje this coming May 2025. I am very excited for this wonderful opportunity to travel and have a closer relationship with the Lord in this place. Some of you will go with me! I hope we have a delightful pilgrimage. If you are also interested to join me in this fantastic adventure, you can contact me to know more about it. Moreover, in the parish boards you can find information about this pilgrimage.

The Blessed Virgin Mary helps us always to be closer to the Lord. Regardless of what is your favorite advocation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, through her intercession, let us always worship the Lord. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave His mother to be with us, so let us love and honor her always.

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.

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

Fr. Jorge Ramirez

Pilgrimage to Medjugorje

May 22-31, 2025

with spiritual leaders:
Fr. Jorge Ramirez & Dcn. Leo Flynn

Learn More

St. Paul writes in the Letter to the Romans that the love of God poured forth on us by Christ brings a Hope that “Does not disappoint.” God’s promises made to humankind will not fail. It’s a sure thing.

Paul contrasts this one hope with all the other things that have disappointed us in life. He was familiar with constant disappointment and hardship. You and I have also seen our hopes come to nothing. Careers, relationships, health and finances can all go sour. There can develop a cynicism or even despair. “Don’t start hoping it hurts too much”, we tell ourselves.

Look at our children and the young generation called “Millennials”. Their eyes are bright, their hopes and dreams burn in their hearts. Parents smile . . . perhaps a sad smile, as they imagine the disappointments that inevitably come. We want to protect them or warn them of the hurt that awaits. Why? Because it happened to us.

Think of what you’ve hoped for:

• True and lasting spousal love – Good friends for life
• Healthy, happy children – Success and recognition of one’s efforts
• Rewarding work – Some financial security
• Good health – Peace of heart about the life you chose

I’m sure these are on your list in some fashion. What else?

We’re old enough by now to have made our peace with many of life’s disappointments. In fact with age, there’s a certain sweet sadness for what might have been. (Watch the movie “Babette’s Feast” for that beautiful message).

But do we stop hoping? What is this hope that will not disappoint? What can I bet my life on? Christians believe It lies in the words and deeds of Jesus of Nazareth. He tells us he is the Good Shepherd, the Bread of Life, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Resurrection and the Life. “I am going to prepare a place for you . . . I will come back and take you with me.”

But how do we know for sure he is all these things? We don’t want to hope in vain. St. Paul goes on to say, “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us . . . while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son.” Romans 5:10.

There is no love like this anywhere else in the world   only in God through Christ. It gets better. “I have told you these things that might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

So what should we hope for? Again Jesus gives us the key . . . “If God so clothes the grass of the field, will he not much more provide for you. Seek first His Kingdom and these other things (life sustaining things) will be given you as well.” Luke 12:31

In other words, our hope lies in the promises of Christ. He promises to dwell in us here on earth and then in the fullness of the Kingdom forever. It will not disappoint.

But we must do our part. Do what Goodness tells you to do. And you will see His plan.

Gaudete!

Fr. Tim

Do you remember some of the things you used to do over and over as a kid? Little, personal and sometimes quirky activities that you’d do when things got boring or you started getting nervous?

Some children would suck their thumb. Some might bite their finger nails. Maybe you had a special blanket you would take everywhere. (Later in life my father and I battled cigarettes (I still struggle!). We call repeated actions habits; we do them without thinking. They relieve tension or anxiety and bring a mild pleasure or calming effect.

Some habits are healthy and benefit people whenever they do them. “That’s a good habit to get into,” we say. (Brush your teeth/eat your vegetables.) Other repeated actions can hurt us or others. These are bad habits. Some are bad (e.g. Lying) because the act itself is bad. We call these “sinful habits”. Others are bad because they go too far (“Too much” of anything is a bad habit) or not far enough (sloth, or carelessness) in doing the right thing.

So . . . what’s the point? It’s simple. Get in the habit of doing good things. How? All habits begin with Repetition. Doing something again and again will bring a certain ease of performance. A good thing, once rather hard to perform (choosing not to gossip) can, with repetition, become easier. Parents, I can’t stress this enough for your children. “Repetition” of good actions is essential to finding a path to true happiness in life.

Our bodies themselves bear witness to this. Sit-ups/push-ups (yuk!) become easier with repetition. It’s really no different for our spiritual lives. Repetition makes for habit. Habit makes for virtue (an abiding strength). Virtue leads to happiness. Want to be happy? Keep on doing good. Simple eh?!

Let’s take matters of sexuality. I don’t think anyone of us is immune to the “sinful habit” that can develop in our thoughts or actions as we confront lustful images or impulses that exist within us and around us.

There is a “good habit” that can defeat this lustful impulse. It’s called “custody of the eyes”. It refers to a mental readiness to turn away from seeing things that we know go beyond “just seeing” to become “lusting”. It’s kind of like being nosy . . . with our eyes.

Here’s how it goes. Our eyes want to see everything. Some things are not ours to see (or show). We need to have a mental readiness to turn away from things we “ought not see”. (Be ready to change the channel, look away, find something else to focus on.) We do this because it carries a respect for that person. Repeated ways of acting in this way we call “modesty” and become a habit leading to the virtue of “purity”.

(Purity has gotten a bad wrap in our culture. It’s seen as prudishness or a “holier-than-thou” attitude, or even a certain fearfulness of sex. Not so! Purity is a veneration of the person as a vessel of the Holy Spirit. God dwells in each of us and therefore we are each worthy of love . . . not lust.)

The point here is to make clear these virtuous states don’t “just happen”. In fact, when left to nature, the opposite happens. Lust grows, not purity. Rumor, not truth. Selfishness, not generosity. It’s part of our fallen human nature that this tendency exists.

Let’s develop “habits of love”, actions of reverence for others and ourselves motivated by the knowledge of who we are . . . God’s beloved children. This friends is the way to JOY.

Everyone of us, God’s Children – no exceptions.

Bless your heart.

Fr. Tim

PS. A great habit? Morning prayer.