"He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said." (Matthew 28:6)

SEEK

1. Where do I need to encounter the Risen Lord anew—especially in places of loss, uncertainty, or waiting for new life?
2. How is Christ inviting me to see resurrection at work in the lives of those newly baptized and confirmed this Easter season?
3. What rhythms of prayer, worship, or community help me seek the living Christ rather than remain at the “empty tomb” of old habits?

REFLECT

1. How does the truth that “He has been raised” reshape the way I understand suffering, death, and hope in my own life?
2. When have I experienced the support of others helping me take my first steps—or next steps—as a disciple of Christ?
3. Do my words, attitudes, and actions reflect Easter joy and confidence in God’s power to bring new life?

SERVE

1. How can I intentionally welcome and accompany those newly baptized and confirmed into the daily life of our parish?
2. What small, concrete gestures of hospitality can help new disciples feel seen, supported, and at home in our community?
3. Where is the Risen Lord sending me to witness—through encouragement, invitation, or presence—to new life in Christ?

LENT (February 18–April 4, 2026)
Journey to Jerusalem – Conversion and Accompaniment

• Seasonal Vision:    Lent is a pilgrimage of the heart, a journey with Christ toward Jerusalem - toward the cross, and toward the hope that rises from it.
• Hospitality:    Extend compassionate hospitality to all who approach the Lord during this season - those returning to confession, those beginning or deepening their OCIA journey, and those carrying burdens known only to God.
• Missionary:    Accompany the vulnerable. Walk with our Elect. Practice mercy in ways both quiet and courageous.
• Maps of Hope:    Be agents of healing in places where guilt, shame, or brokenness have dimmed the light of hope.

EASTER SEASON (April 5–May 24, 2026)
Sent Forth in Joy – Living the Resurrection

• Seasonal Vision: We are an Easter people - alive with hope, renewed in purpose, and sent forth to proclaim that Christ is risen.
• Hospitality: Rejoice with the newly baptized and confirmed. Introduce them to ministries, invite them into parish life, and accompany them as they find their place within our community.
• Missionary: Share your own stories of resurrection - moments when God’s goodness broke into your life. These testimonies breathe life into weary hearts.
• Maps of Hope: Be agents of healing in places where guilt, shame, or brokenness have dimmed the light of hope.

Does valuing family life mean ignoring family wounds?

Is marriage a real union or is it only a social contract?

For some, marriage has only ever been "transactional"—a trade-off in which women sought material security from men, who in turn sought family connections, domestic upkeep, or comfort.

Others have a more "romantic" view of marriage, in which the relationship is only built on sentimental notions of love as a feeling.

Is a third view possible?

PRAY

REFLECT

By the age of 45, as many as 1 in 4 women have had an abortion, and a similar number of men and family members have been involved. Those who have participated in abortion suffer guilt, grief, and regret—often in silence—wrongly believing abortion to be “the unforgivable sin” and fearing they are beyond God’s mercy.

Yet, the Sunday of Divine Mercy is an opportunity to share the message of Christ’s infinite mercy with all suffering under the weight of sin. In the 1930s, Jesus appeared to a humble Polish nun, St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, who recorded His messages in her Diary. On one such occasion, Jesus said to St. Faustina, “My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners” (Diary, no. 699).

On this Solemnity, we contemplate the fullness of the Paschal Mystery. From the beginning of creation, throughout Scripture, and most perfectly in the life, Passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus, God has revealed himself as love itself. In his infinite love for us, God desires nothing more than to wash away our sins and offer us his mercy. Our celebration of the Sunday of Divine Mercy is a celebration of the forgiveness now available to all of us, by virtue of Christ’s Resurrection. We must only run toward the outstretched arms of Christ.

God desires to take the greatest of sinners and transform them into the greatest saints. No sin is beyond his mercy. He makes “all things new” (Revelation 21:5) through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Let us never fail to seek the mercy that God desires to freely give us. Jesus, we trust in you!

Excerpts from Kowalska, Maria Faustina. Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul. Stockbridge, MA: Marian Press, 2000. Used with permission of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M.

Act

• Join us April 12, 2:30 pm in the church as we pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
• Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at 3:00 pm (the Hour of Mercy), with the intention of healing for all suffering from involvement in abortion. How to pray: usccb.org/divine-mercy-chaplet.
• Jesus spoke to St. Faustina, “Reveal all the wounds of your heart. I will heal them” (Diary, no. 1487). Seek Christ in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and allow his healing mercy to reach every hurt and hidden pain.
• Offer some other sacrifice or prayer that you feel called to do for this month's intention.