“We all have within us some areas, some parts of our heart that are not alive, that are a little dead….But if we become very attached to these tombs and guard them within us and do not will that our whole heart rise again to life, we become corrupted and our soul begins to give off, as Martha says, an ‘odor’ (see John 11:39), the stench of a person who is attached to sin. And Lent has something to do with this. Because all of us...can hear what Jesus said to Lazarus: ‘He cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” (11:43).

Dear Sisters and Brothers, Grace and Peace! The whole world is facing unsettling times because of the COVID-19 crisis. As children of God, Sisters and Brothers of our Lord Jesus, we firmly believe that there is a purpose as to why we are experiencing this pandemic. However, despite the negative consequences of this contagion, we hear and read positive things happening all over the world. The spirit of compassion, caring, cooperation, solidarity, having more time to bond as a family, prayerfulness and other gospel values are intensely being practiced by an outpouring of the world's population. It is only God who knows when this will end. Surely, there is healing happening at different levels of human relationships, in society, in nature, for we are all interconnected. Our Lord is with us. That is His name “Emmanuel.” In His time, this crisis will end. There are a vast number of opportunities nowadays that God wants us to optimize to bring about the Christ-like character in us. We are in lockdown here in Oahu. Thus, our Parish Office and our two schools are physically closed until the end of April. Our Principal at the upper school and Director of ELC have received guidelines as to how to proceed given the situation. As the need arises, kindly call our Parish Office at 734-0396 and leave a message, and I or Fr. Pat will get in touch with you as soon as we are able to respond to your request. Fr. Pat and I are praying for all of you in our private adoration and Mass. Keep us also in your prayers. Let us continue holding on to the hands of Christ and our Blessed Mother, Star of the Sea. As the Psalmist said “weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.” (Ps. 30:6) In our Bread of Life, Fr. Frankie, SSS Pastor

How’s your eyesight? What do you see when you look at the world around you? That seems to be the issue in today’s Gospel. As the story opens, we meet a man whom everyone assumes is a sinner because he is blind (John9:2). But by the end of the story, Jesus says that those who claim they can see are really the ones in darkness.

The Gospel is from St. John 4:5-42. This gospel, about the Samaritan woman, is exceptionally rich. Every time we read it we are passionately moved by that intense conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. When Jesus asked a Samaritan woman who had come to the well to give Him a drink, more was going on than Jesus just looking to quench His physical thirst. As St. Therese of Lisieux wrote, “When He said, ‘Give me a drink,’ it was for the love of His poor creature that the Creator of the universe was seeking. He was thirsty for love. We might wonder why. Why would Jesus desire the love of someone who was not only a Samaritan, but who also had a checkered past.

My dear Sisters and Brothers, Peace and Grace in our Savior! I will never forget when I went to the Mountain of Transfiguration in the Holy Land with a pilgrim group. A profound feeling of peace enveloped my entire being. On top of a mountain, we certainly get a wider perspective and view. Our eyes roam very far into the horizon and, as the view leaves us breathless, it is as though so much is soaking through the pores of our skin, drowning us in its noise and materialism. That is why, like Peter, James and John, we need a mountain top experience with Christ to catch a vision of something better, to widen our perspective, to have a glimpse of the glory of Jesus’ divinity.