This weekend Gospel reading speaks about Jesus as the “Good Shepherd”. There are two reasons why Jesus is called the Good Shepherd.

1. Jesus is called the “Good Shepherd” because He gave and sacrificed His life for the sheep.

2. Jesus is called the “Good Shepherd” because He is not a hired or employed shepherd. Jesus is the shepherd by birth. He was born to be the shepherd with all the Shepherd’s rights. The sheep are His and He is the sheep’s. The hired shepherd was just a man passing through who was temporary help. He was a man hired to look after the sheep until the real shepherd came along. He was not the true, permanent shepherd. He was a false, unfaithful and irresponsible shepherd. His interest was not a calling but, a job and profession, money and comfort, acceptance and recognition, position and prestige, authority and esteem.

The false, unfaithful, and irresponsible shepherd has little if any sense of responsibility for the sheep. He seeks to benefit self, not the sheep. He is the shepherd for what he can get out of it, not to serve and care for the sheep. His primary interest is not the sheep but job security: wages and benefits, position and prestige, money and comfort. He values himself much more than the sheep. He seeks His own things and not the things of others. He has not natural care for the state of the sheep. He has no interest in seeking the lost sheep, lest his life be threatened “in the open country.”

The proof that Jesus is the “Good Shepherd.” There are four proofs.

1. Jesus knows His sheep, and they know Him. There is an intimate knowledge between Jesus and His sheep. He knows them, their lives, their being, their all. He knows them by name, individually and personally, in all their joy and blessing, in all their trials and sorrows, in all their wanderings and stumbling’s, in all their need and lack.

2. Jesus knows the Father, the Owner of the sheep. The question naturally arises, how well does He know Him? one thing is of critical importance. When Jesus claims to know the Father, He does not mean that He knows God in the same sense as the other men know Him.

3. Jesus will die for the sheep. He was the “Good Shepherd,” not a bad shepherd; therefore, He would face the enemy of the sheep. He would not run away from His calling and purpose. He would stand and fight the enemy as the Good Shepherd was sent to do.

4. Jesus worked to enlarge the fold, “the sheep pen.” Note the “other sheep” was a reference to worldwide evangelization. It referred to all believers who were not standing there with Him. It included all countries and generations. It foresaw every believer of all time.

The future sheep were to become sheep of His by “listening to His voice.” There is to be one flock, not two flocks. Every believer becomes a part of the Good Shepherd’s flock.

Christ is Risen! Alleluia!  Alleluia! 

 Christ is Risen! Alleluia!  Alleluia!  Happy Easter! 

 From all of us here at St. Valentine Parish, Priests, Deacon, and our entire staff, we pray that you and your loved ones may have a blessed and hope-filled Easter. May we accept the grace Jesus won for us with gratitude and amazement, and live our lives as his resurrected people. And being filled with Easter Joy may we share that message to those who still sit in darkness and fear. Archbishop Alan Vigneron wants us all “to move towards the goal of becoming a band of joyful missionary disciples.” In joy, may we answer Jesus’ mission to us, and go out to our brothers and sisters in our own homes and neighborhoods, bringing Jesus and His new life through our words and actions.

With heartfelt gratitude, we would like to thank all those who worked hard to make our Lenten and Easter celebrations so meaningful. Added to that, thanks to our ushers, altar servers, Eucharistic Ministers, lectors, Kevin, Katrina and the choir members, Michael Burden and those who assisted him in changing the liturgical environment, Religious Education teachers and aids, and teachers of the Word for the Little Ones, for all your dedicated and loving service to the parish. We are indeed blessed with such selfless and loving followers of Christ.

 Congratulations to Kendall Drake, Aubrey Locklear, Allison Alexander, Nickolas Bilski, Richard Franz, Bonnie Zelakiewicz, Wendy Wagner, Jodi Williams and Kimberly Mathis who walked the journey and now are fully initiated into the Catholic Church. We pray that you continue to grow deeper in your relationship with Jesus.

May Jesus live in all our hearts, that we may always embrace Him with love and gratitude. And may the Risen Christ bless you and your families abundantly throughout the fifty days of this Easter Season and always.

Rejoice! For He has Risen, Alleluia!

 Fr. Socorro and Fr. Henry

Divine Mercy Sunday—April 8—3:00 p.m. in the Church

 The celebration includes a recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction.

 In preparation for the Feast, and to gain the greatest indulgence, you should receive the Sacrament of Penance during the Lenten Season; and pray the Divine Mercy Novena and Chaplet daily, starting Good Friday — ending April 7th. A pamphlet for praying the Novena and Chaplet is available in all the vestibules of Church.

 Please join us in celebrating this wonderful devotion.

 “Jesus, I Trust In You”

Next Sunday (Palm Sunday) we will have a second collection, which will be for the mission and works of the Pallottines back in India. In the past years you have always been very generous and we are grateful for that. Know for sure that your sacrifices will go a long way. If you are not able to help financially do not be disheartened, just offer a prayer for our missionary works and you will receive your blessings in return.

Back in India, The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Province (ABVM) is venturing into new mission areas and our formation houses are still growing with many seminarians at different stages of their formation.  This April-May 2018, our Province will have 12 newly ordained priests. Who knows in years to come some of them may be sent to this country to serve.

We as Pallottines are very blessed to have this opportunity to serve here in this Archdiocese and especially here at St. Valentine Parish for the past 11 years.  Your prayers, words of encouragement and your support keep us going stronger. Thank you once again for all the sacrifices you make for the good of the parish.

 God Bless you.

Fr. Socorro

The Hour in John’s Gospel

In this weekend’s gospel Jesus is using the term “the hour.” He says, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” The phrase “the hour” or “my hour” or “my time” is a constant symbol of Jesus’ death. “The hour” or “my time” refers to all the events of the cross and all the trouble and sufferings surrounding the cross. Note two facts.

1. “The hour” is a set, fixed time in the purpose of God. Jesus said, “The hour has come” (Jn. 12:23-24, 27; 13:1). He has said some time before, “My time has not yet come” (Jn 2:4; see 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20). The hour of Jesus was inevitable: a definite period of time, a set of events, a number of experiences that He had to face and go through. As He said, He must die in order to bring forth fruit (v.24).

2. The hour was to have a definite beginning. There was a set time for the trouble to begin (v.27), a set time for Him to begin suffering for the sins of the world. There was a fixed hour when He was to begin suffering the pain and anguish, the agitation and disturbance, the pressure and weight, the strain and stress of having to be separated from God in behalf of man.

It’s good to know what Jesus means. There is a deep meaning of “the hour” in John’s Gospel that wants to reveal more to us than merely “this is the hour when Jesus died.