By: Ivonne J. Hernandez

By: Rick Hernandez

I was at Mass on Sunday, at our parish of Saint Peter the Apostle, when I felt compelled to look around. I saw many people—most I knew only by sight—but there were also many I knew well, for they have been here since the founding of our parish in 2008 and now serve as elders, leading many of our parish ministries. We have come to know them well, ever since they first welcomed me and my family when we moved to the area in 2017. I can only imagine what those first parishioners—those missionary disciples who helped plant and nurture this community—must feel as they look upon such a large and beautiful congregation gathered at our parish today. I cherish that we get to witness and experience this—for it is a true gift of grace: to see some of the fruit of our efforts while still on this earth.
 
There was one face missing in the crowd, and my heart skipped a bit. We recently lost a dear parishioner and sister in Christ. Our dear Kathy was the first person to welcome and invite my family to participate in all that was happening at Saint Peter’s. Because of her, we were able to meet many of our brothers and sisters in the parish. Kathy was truly a good steward of Christ’s fields, a faithful disciple who was never afraid to work for the good of others. She understood people well, and was caring, present in the moment, understanding, and encouraging, and she did these things because she understood that her love of Christ will live on through those she tended.
 
It is part of our mission to pass on our experience, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, for we are not going to live forever on this earth. As the keepers of the Lord's earthly fields, there is a time to plant the seeds and a time to tend the saplings—just as there is a time to watch them grow, and a time to gather the harvest. But we will not always be here to work, or even to witness, every harvest.
 
Eventually, we will no longer be the laborers at harvest time. Yet we pray that the work of our hands will remain visible to those who understand, to those who follow. At the end of our days, the Lord of the fields will show us every harvest—the fruit of the labor of our hands. Will He find us to have been good and faithful servants, good stewards of His fields?
 
It may not be obvious to many of us, but we are all called to this missionary discipleship. It is our responsibility to work His fields and to train those who follow, so that they may continue the labor of love, bearing fruit for Him who entrusted us with the fields and who guides our hands, hearts, and minds.
 
Our missionary discipleship will never be fully complete—not until the end of the age, when the wheat will be separated from the chaff, and each of us will receive our final recompense: either the joy of Heaven or the despair of Hell. But that time of sorting is yet to come, while our time to labor is now. In this very instant, we can choose to heed the call to work the fields, to care for the needs of the many—including ourselves. We pray for what is needed today, for the grace we receive is given for today—for the "now"—not for the "later". Today is not tomorrow, and for some, tomorrow will not come.
 
Tomorrow will take care of itself if we do the right things today. If we tend the fields faithfully, the fields will yield as expected.
 
Our Lord is telling us that the time for planting is now. The time to tend the seedlings is this very moment. The time to lovingly care for others, and to humbly learn to love ourselves—as seen through the eyes of our Lord—is today. Let us take advantage of the time we have been given and use it to tend lovingly to Christ in our brothers and sisters.
 
We miss our dear Kathy already, but by following her example, may we—whom she so lovingly tended—learn to live out our mission today, just as she did. May we be Eucharist to those who see and interact with us today—because we what we have is today, and tomorrow is not assured.
 
Let us pray: Lord of the Harvest, help us to be your faithful laborers. May we tend to Your fields with loving care, present in the now, living in the Hope of Your Kingdom, with as much Love, Mercy, and Compassion as we are able to muster from Your Grace gifted to us. May all your faithfully departed, be able to see all the wondrous works You accomplished through their hands. Amen.

Dearest Eucharistic Family,
 
Continuing the Easter Season, we are blessed to live in the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The mystery of Christ is so intense that it brings us to a place of hope. For those who believe there is so much beauty in our faith, in our Church, and in the power of love.
 
From the time of the Resurrection of Christ to the birth of the Church at Pentecost, can we imagine what the apostles were doing and thinking?
 
Jesus' followers, the holy women and men, must have been confused to see death yet long for life; perhaps they were holding onto the exceptional faith in all the miracles they witnessed.
 
It may have crossed their lips and certainly possessed their minds to think, "What is going on?" perplexed. Yet they ran to Jesus, they followed, and what they did most was pray.
 
For blessed are our lives to be called to prayer.
 
Pray without ceasing (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer transforms our lives. Walking with Mary in the mysteries of her love, our Mother teaches us the way to Christ in the fullness of our invitation to follow Him; we go to the tomb; we run to Jesus.
 
The scriptures, the miracles of Jesus during this Easter season, empower us to know what God can do through a heart that believes.
 
So what's preventing us from raising the dead, or helping those who are not at peace? Many are not living in the objectivity of our Church, and the power of the Holy Spirit working within our lives.
 
I remember last summer, my husband had a septic infection and nine total surgeries; every day was another drama, another trauma. My heart seemed to weigh a million pounds during that time; however, I carried it to church every morning.
 
I remember one specific day; Raymond was in surgery. I went to 7 AM Mass. Although surrendering and trusting in God's Holy Will for whatever was going to happen, I had a tremor in my leg and couldn't stop shaking. I went to Mass knowing my husband was in surgery. Didn't know what to do with myself after Mass, so I walked several blocks to St. Jean Baptiste in Manhattan. I knew our Blessed Sacrament community was there, and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament would be available. I walked through the front doors of the church, and there He was, our Jesus in the beautiful monstrance. I dropped to the floor before the front steps, my head to the ground, and wept.
 
We do not know why God heals some and not others, but I knew in that moment before the Blessed Sacrament that my husband would be OK and that he would receive a special grace and get through the surgery. After 85 days in the hospital, he was out. It was an amazing grace, a miracle that needs to be proclaimed to the whole world.
 
My husband is still healing from the open wound on his left gluteus. I don't know why he had to suffer from this illness. However, in God's grace, we have been able to coast through with rosaries tight in hand, and the reception of Holy Communion to sustain us. We know a miracle was granted.
 
We have a new Holy Father in our Catholic Church. Let's pray for him, rise up to the gift of blessings for the sensitive issues in our Church to be addressed in truth and mercy. Let us run to Jesus and bring the intentions of our Holy Father.
 
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, may the oneness of the triumphant God reign as we do our part.
 
Let us run to the tomb. Let us be a people of prayer. Let us be a people of grace. Let us be a people of mercy and justice and do our best to teach our brothers and sisters.
 
Our new Holy Father is an Augustinian. The great Saint Augustine was the worst of sinners. Grace upon Grace was poured out through this holy man's life of conversion.
 
Let us try to stretch a hand out to those who are blocking the grace of God through their stubbornness and let us remember that all we have received comes from the grace of God.
 
Let us run to Him, Jesus Christ our Lord.