Dear Parishioners and Visitors,
April 28, 2019
"Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, the one who lives.
Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever.
I hold the keys to death and the netherworld."
With those words of encouragement, the' Lord takes away the fears of the apostle John. He has been condemned to hard labor at the stone quarries on the island of Patmos; it is there in the midst of physical torments that he experiences the presence of the Lord offering him hope and relief . It is precisely there that he receives the major revelation contained in the Book of Revelation. The Lord in his mercy offers him a vision of what is to come, and of the final battle between good and evil.
We live in a world of conflict and aggression where at times we doubt God's presence and mercy. There is so much pain and trouble around us that at times we can be tempted with the idea that God does not care, that he is indifferent to our struggles, but his love for us is everlasting. We are never abandoned to the violence of this world. God's love is always there supporting and encouraging us and this happens because his mercy knows no limits. It is up to us to open our hearts and accept God's mercy. We cannot conquer the world by our own forces, but together with the Lord we will be able to conquer any situation this world presents to us. We are strong in the Lord.
Let us echo the words of the psalmist in proclaiming that: His mercy endures forever. If God is with us, who can be against us!
-fr. Alberto Rodriguez, O.P.
