Parochial Vicars

That’s the title that is given to the priests who are appointed to assist the pastor of a parish. At St. Edward the Confessor and San Felipe de Jesús we are blessed to have two parochial vicars, Fr. Marco and Fr. Joseph. The three of us priests work together as a team, and I feel very blessed to have them. Each has his own unique gifts, and I could not do what I do without them.

Sadly, we have received news that both of our parochial vicars will be leaving us on July 1st of this year. Fr. Marco will be transferred to the parish of Santiago de Compostela in Lake Forest, and Fr. Joseph will be transferred to the parish of Holy Spirit in Fountain Valley. We will miss them both very much, and I am sure you will join me in taking every opportunity to express appreciation to them between now and the first of July.

Of course, on July 1st we will also receive two new parochial vicars. Fr. Mauro Tinoco is coming to us from St. Irenaeus parish in Cypress, and Fr. Aristotle Quan is coming from the parish of San Francisco Solano in Rancho Santa Margarita. We will give both of them a warm welcome, and together with them we will continue spreading the Kingdom of God on earth as we journey towards heaven.

In the meantime, I hope you are having a good and fruitful Lent. Let us pray for each other!

Gratefully yours,

Gratefully yours,

Transfiguration

This weekend the Sunday Gospel tells of the Transfiguration of Jesus: When he took Peter, James, and John to the top of Mount Tabor and allowed them to see the glory of his divinity. This Gospel also provided Pope Francis the inspiration for his Lenten

message this year.

Our Holy Father speaks of how Lent calls all of us to climb upward. “We need to set out on the journey, an uphill path that, like a mountain trek, requires effort, sacrifice and concentration.” Whatever our Lenten penance may be, it is something we do in union with the Lord and his disciples; we are not alone. And the beautiful sight of the Lord’s glory, at the summit, is more than worth the journey.

As we continue our Lenten climb, let’s not become discouraged or complacent. This is really the journey of a lifetime: a lifetime with Jesus, who suffered, died, and rose from the dead to save us. With our eyes fixed on him, all things become possible. He never calls us to do something without giving us the grace to do it.

Let’s cooperate with the graces of this season, so that Easter will truly be a celebration of new life in the Lord.

Gratefully yours,

Fr. Philip

Lent

Do you like the season of Lent? The way I see it, the answer to this question can go two ways. Do I like the idea of a season to grow closer to the Lord? Of course I do. Do I like the idea of doing penance? Well, if I liked it, it wouldn’t be penance. The idea of penance is that I don’t like it, but I do it anyway because it’s the right thing to do.

The three classic practices for Lent, based on Jesus’ words in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt. 6:1-6, 16-18) are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Extra prayer can take many forms: weekday Mass, spending time in the Eucharistic Chapel, coming to Stations of the Cross, gathering with a prayer group, or quiet time at home. Fasting includes the mandated practices of limiting our eating on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and abstaining from meat on the Fridays of Lent, but may also include giving up some favorite food or dessert, giving up (or limiting) our time on the phone or computer, or doing without something else that we don’t really need. Almsgiving may include contributing to some cause that provides for the poor, donating clothes and food, or giving our time to a charitable work.

In carrying out these Lenten practices, we must remember their purpose: to return to the Lord with our whole heart (see Joel 2:12). It’s about the Lord, not about us. May we truly draw closer to Jesus, our Lord and Savior, during this special season of grace.

Gratefully yours,