As we continue striving to deepen our reverence and focus on what is truly happening in the liturgy, it is worth reflecting on the quiet moments the Church gives us.

Silence Before Mass
When we enter the church, we enter a sacred space. Maintaining a spirit of quiet helps all of us prepare for worship. It is a way of acknowledging: something different is happening here. We are coming into the presence of God.

Silence in the Penitential Act
After the invitation to call to mind our sins, we pause. This is not just a routine moment—it is a real opportunity to examine our hearts and ask for mercy. The silence allows that prayer to be sincere and personal.

Silence After “Let Us Pray”
When the priest says, “Let us pray,” there is a brief silence before the opening prayer. In that moment, each of us brings our own intentions to God. The priest then gathers those prayers and offers them to the Father on behalf of all.

Silence After the Word of God
After the readings and the homily, silence allows the Word of God to sink in. Without it, we risk simply hearing the Scriptures without truly receiving them. God speaks through His Word—but we need quiet to listen.

Silence After Holy Communion
After receiving the Eucharist, we are united with Christ in a profound and personal way. This is not a time to rush. It is a time for thanksgiving, for adoration, and for resting in His presence. This silence is one of the most intimate encounters we have with the Lord.

A Parish Growing in Reverence

As we continue the work of strengthening our Catholic identity—both in how we worship and in how our church reflects the sacred—these moments of silence become even more meaningful. Reverence is not only expressed in what we see, but also in how we listen, how we pray, and how we wait upon the Lord.

Silence is not something to be filled. It is something to be entered.  The next time you come to Mass, I invite you to embrace these quiet moments. Do not rush past them. Let them draw you deeper. For it is often in the silence that God speaks most clearly.

In Christ,

Fr. Joe Connelly

A week later when Jesus returns, He doesn’t admonish Thomas but offers his hands and his side to his disciple to touch. Jesus responds to Thomas with mercy, inviting him into an encounter in a way that will draw him into deeper faith. In the same way, Jesus also comes to us, mercifully inviting us into relationship with him regardless of what we demand or how often we fall away.

God extends mercy to us as an undeserved gift. But we must be humble and seek repentance, particularly in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It can be hard to receive mercy. In receiving mercy, we must first admit that we need mercy and then realize that we are not capable of healing ourselves. Actively receiving mercy involves trusting in God’s goodness, forgiving others, and surrendering to His will.

Jesus asks us to accept mercty ourselves and to be merciful with others. Being merciful to others is just as hard as accepting mercy. We must look beyond what others do and respond to them with love seeing their true dignity and worth.

The Church reminds us of how to care for both the physical and spiritual needs of others in the Corporal and the Spiritual Works of Mercy.

Corporal Works of Mercy

1. Feed the hungry: donate to a food shelf: have dinner with a friend or a shut-in.
2. Give drink to the thirsty:

Give your time to the lonely (those thirsting for human contact).

Volunteer as a catechist (Help those thirsting for God)

3. Cloth the naked: donate some of your clothing.
4. Shelter the homeless: donate to a shelter or to a homeless person.
5. Visit the sick: visit those in a nursing home, parish shut-ins (home bound), relatives or friends.
6. Visit the imprisoned:

Become a prison pen pal (send a card). Visit those trapped in the cycle of poverty. Visit those with chronic problems (debt, mental health, marital).

7. Bury the dead: attend a vigil, wake or funeral, send a sympathy card, or maintain a cemetery.

Spiritual Works of Mercy

1. Instruct the ignorant: read and study the bible, volunteer as a catechist.
2. Counsel the doubtful: read the catechism and study the faith.
3. Admonish sinners:

Support life (pro-life).

Support marriage.

Live chastely (no pornography, TV violence).

4. Bear wrongs patiently: be more tolerant, pray for patience.
5. Forgive offences willingly: let go of grudges and hurts, go to confession.
6. Comfort the afflicted: be sympathetic, practice listening, send cards, visit sick and elderly.
7. Pray for the living and the dead.

Practice daily acts of mercy. Smile and speak kindly or offer a kind word to someone, even if they are unkind to you, and pray for them. Practice self-mercy by accepting your own flaws and relying on God’s mercy, which helps prevent being judgmental of others.

As we celebrate this Sunday of Divine Mercy, give thanks to God for the gift of His infinite mercy and show gratitude to God by extending this mercy to others.

Deacon Michael Braun 

Christ is risen. He is truly risen.

Today we celebrate not a symbol, not a memory, but a reality: Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. The tomb is empty. Death has been conquered. Sin has been defeated. And because of this, everything has changed.

This is not just something that happened long ago. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ changes your life now.

It means that no sin is beyond forgiveness.
It means that no suffering is without meaning.
It means that even death itself is not the end.

In a world that often feels uncertain, divided, and burdened, Easter stands as a firm and unshakable truth: hope is real, because Christ is alive.  Perhaps you are here today after being away from the Church for some time. If that is you, know this: we are truly glad you are here. More importantly, the Lord is glad you are here. He has never stopped seeking you.

Easter is not simply an invitation to attend Mass once a year. It is an invitation into a new life.  Through Baptism, we are united to Christ’s death and Resurrection. Through the Eucharist, we encounter the risen Lord Himself. Through Confession, we experience the mercy won for us on the Cross. This is not just tradition—this is how Christ continues to act in our lives today.

If you have been away, I invite you to take a simple next step: come back. Come back to Sunday Mass. Come back to Confession. Come back to a life of prayer, even if it is just a few minutes each day. You do not have to have everything figured out. You simply need to begin.

For those who are striving to live the faith each day, Easter is also a call to go deeper. The Resurrection is not the end of the story—it is the beginning of a new way of living. A life marked by faith, hope, and charity. A life that looks different because we know that Christ has conquered death.

Whatever burdens you carry today—grief, anxiety, struggles within your family, or the weight of past sins—bring them to the risen Lord. He does not stand far off. He meets you here. And He has the power to transform even the darkest parts of our lives.

At Guardian Angels, we seek to celebrate these sacred mysteries with reverence, beauty, and faith, because what we celebrate is real. Christ is truly present to us, and He continues to draw His people to Himself.

Do not let Easter be just a day. Let it be a beginning.

Christ is risen—and that changes everything.

In Christ,
Fr. Joe Connelly

Easter and the Easter Season are powerful symbols of transformation and renewal. They offer us a chance to reevaluate, reassess and redirect what is most important to the health of our Body, Mind and Spirit. Health of body, health of mind, and health of soul are interconnected. Catholicism encourages stewardship of the body, mental wellness, and spiritual nourishment through prayer, sacraments, and service. Some thoughts....

• Practice gratitude daily to appreciate life and improve emotional well-being. Each day write down three things you're grateful As you keep practicing, you'll begin to see more of God's goodness in your life. God is with us.
• Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's a choice. According to writer EM Tyler, 'Gratitude is a form of worship'. Thank God for what He's doing in your life: in ordinary moments, moments of joy and moments of grief.
• Nurture the body with nutrient rich foods, get regular exercise, spend time outside and get adequate sleep to improve cognitive function and
• Pope Francis spoke about the specific practices and habits we choose (prayer, meditation, music, nourishment) will help us reduce stress, feel better, be less judgmental, listen more attentively, and walk closer with our Lord.
• Feeding on God, His Word, and the Eucharist helps us to see the incredible love we are made for and called God invites us to come to Him, to sit with Him, to let Him love and feed us with His peace. (The Vermont Catholic News)
• If we ignore or neglect our body, it negatively impacts the soul; if we ignore the soul, our body suffers.
• Being 'Easter People' is to focus on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and to walk in faith with Him all

On the First Sunday of Lent the gospel reading was The Temptation of Jesus in the Desert. In this gospel Jesus tells us that “One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

Jesus reminds us that we must seek spiritual nourishment from God's Word. This is especially true during Holy Week. The Word of God is our nourishment. It will lead us through Holy Week helping us to reflect on the mysteries of Christ's passion, death, and resurrection. By immersing ourselves in the Gospel, we allow the living Word if God to shape our hearts and prepare us to celebrate Easter with faith and gratitude.

Holy Week is an opportunity to encounter Jesus in the Scriptures, prayer, and participation in the Sacred Liturgies. The events of Holy Week are the climactic moments of our salvation. By participating in the liturgies this week, it will make these moments present to us, here and now.

In Paul’s Letter to the Philippians that we hear this weekend, Paul speaks of Jesus’ self-emptying love. Although he was God, Jesus took on our humanity and offered his life in humble obedience to the Father, accepting even death on a cross.

During Holy Week we reflect on the profound mystery of Jesus’ journey from His triumphal entry into Jerusalem to the agony of the cross. This journey of Jesus demonstrates His infinite love, a love that is selfless and sacrificial. Through his obedience and suffering, he shows us how to surrender ourselves fully to God’s will.

Holy Week offers us the opportunity to walk alongside Jesus and to meditate on the events of his death and resurrection: the Mass of the Lord’s Supper celebrated on Holy Thursday, the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night. Each of these liturgies reveals Christ’s selfless love and sacrifice.

By participating in the liturgies of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil, we encounter the depths of God’s mercy and are reminded of the hope that comes from Christ’s resurrection. During Holy Week our prayers and our participation in these liturgies will lead us to a deeper understanding of God’s love and prepare us to celebrate Easter with renewed joy.

Deacon Michael Braun

Lent is drawing to a close. We have entered the desert. We have faced the reality of sin. We have looked upon the Cross. Now the Church places before us a final, urgent question: Where do we actually encounter the mercy of Christ? Not in theory. Not in vague hope. But concretely — where does forgiveness happen? The answer is clear and unmistakable: In the Sacraments.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus does not forgive sins from a distance. He speaks directly. He touches. He restores. “Your sins are forgiven… go in peace” (cf. Holy Bible). That same authority has been entrusted to the Church.

After the Resurrection, Jesus breathes on the Apostles and says, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them” (cf. John 20:23). This is not symbolic. It is a real gift — a real power — given so that His mercy could remain accessible in every age. This is why the Sacrament of Confession is so essential. Confession is not simply a conversation. It is not counseling. It is not self-expression. It is an encounter with Christ, who absolves, heals, and restores.

In that moment, grace is given.
Sin is forgiven.
The soul is made new.

And yet, many avoid it. Some stay away for years. Some carry the same burdens quietly. Some convince themselves they will go “eventually.” But Lent is not meant for “eventually.” It is meant for now.

There is a second Sacrament that stands at the center of our lives as Catholics: the Eucharist. If Confession restores us, the Eucharist strengthens us. In the Eucharist, we do not receive a symbol. We receive Christ Himself — His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. The same Lord who died on the Cross gives Himself to us as food.

This is why we must approach the altar worthily. To receive the Eucharist while knowingly remaining in serious sin is to contradict what we are receiving. But when we come prepared — with a clean heart and living faith — the Eucharist becomes the source of transformation. The Christian life is not lived on our own strength. It is sustained by grace. As we approach Holy Week, the Church invites us to return fully to the sacramental life.

Go to Confession.
Return to the Eucharist with reverence.
Do not remain at a distance.

The early Church spoke with clarity about this. St. Cyprian of Carthage famously taught that one cannot have God as Father without having the Church as Mother. Why? Because it is through the Church that Christ continues to act — to forgive, to feed, to sanctify.

Lent is ending. Easter is near.  Do not let it arrive as just another Sunday.  If we have walked this journey seriously — if we have repented, embraced the Cross, and returned to the Sacraments — then Easter will not feel routine. It will feel like new life.

Because that is what it is.

In Christ,
Fr. Joe Connelly

In the first reading, we are reminded that as humans we tend to see others based on what appears on the outside, but God looks and sees what is in our hearts. The prophet Samuel thought that God would choose Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab, because of his impressive appearance and physical height. But God chose David, the youngest brother, who was out tending the sheep.

In the gospel reading, Jesus uses saliva and mud to heal a man born blind. One of the most profound interpretations of this action reminds us that in Genesis, God made man out of “the dust of the ground.” (Gen 2:7) Jesus’ use of mud suggests that he is re-creating the blind man before him. The man receives a whole new life, such that even those who see him after his healing question whether he is the same person as before: “Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?” . . .  “No, he just looks like him.”

The Pharisees only saw this man, born blind, as a sinner, born from sinners. The Pharisees only looked at the man’s physical abilities. But this is actually a man that Jesus will use to bear witness to all that God has done for him.

God often chooses the unlikeliest persons to be the messengers of his Gospel. We may wonder why God has chosen us. Or we may feel that we lack the qualities needed to lead others to the Lord, or to be of service to the gospel.

There is a popular phrase “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called”. It is through the gift of grace given to us in the sacraments that Jesus gives us his Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that will equips us for the work of sharing the Gospel.

Through the readings this weekend, Jesus is inviting us to see that every time he touches us in the sacraments, we are inwardly re-created and inwardly renewed.

As we come to this midway point in Lent, we must prayerfully look into our hearts and see with the eyes of faith, the ways God is waiting to meet us with his healing love in the sacraments, and that take advantage of God’s amazing grace.

Deacon Michael Braun 

St. Paul writes, “We preach Christ crucified” (cf. Holy Bible, 1 Corinthians 1:23). Not Christ as an idea. Not Christ as inspiration. Not Christ as a moral teacher.

Christ crucified.

The Cross is not an unfortunate ending to the story of Jesus. It is the very reason He came.  Every temptation in the desert was an invitation to avoid it. Every misunderstanding from the crowds pushed against it. Even His own disciples struggled to accept it.

And if we are honest, so do we.

We prefer a Christianity without sacrifice.
We prefer discipleship without cost.
We prefer resurrection without crucifixion.

But there is no Easter without Good Friday.  The Cross reveals two things at the same time: the seriousness of sin and the depth of God’s love. Sin is so destructive that it requires redemption. And God’s love is so faithful that He willingly gives Himself to accomplish it.

The Cross stands at the center of our faith because it tells the truth.

It tells the truth about us — that we cannot save ourselves.
It tells the truth about God — that He does not abandon us.

In Lent, we are not simply asked to admire the Cross. We are invited to take up our own. Jesus is clear: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (cf. Holy Bible, Matthew 16:24).

Your cross may not look dramatic. It may be hidden.

It may be illness.
It may be strained relationships.
It may be responsibilities that feel heavy.
It may be the quiet struggle against habitual sin.

The temptation is to resent the Cross, to see it as punishment or proof that God has forgotten us.  But the Cross is not rejection. It is participation.  When we unite our suffering to Christ — intentionally, prayerfully — it becomes redemptive. It becomes a path to holiness.

Lent asks us a difficult question:

Is the Cross at the center of my life, or is comfort?

If comfort is at the center, faith becomes fragile. When suffering comes, we are shaken. When inconvenience appears, we drift.  But if the Cross is at the center, everything changes. We begin to see sacrifice not as meaningless loss, but as love poured out.  The Cross disciplines us. It purifies our motives. It teaches us endurance. It deepens compassion. It anchors hope.  And most importantly, it leads to resurrection.

This week, spend time before a crucifix. Do not rush. Look at it. Pray with it. Ask the Lord to show you what you are still resisting. Ask Him for the grace not merely to endure your cross, but to embrace it with trust.

Because when the Cross is at the center, Christ is at the center.

And where Christ is, there is life.

In Christ,
Fr. Joe Connelly