Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
Another week has passed in the new reality imposed on us by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. I hope this finds you and your loved ones still safe and healthy.
I hope you have been joining us on our website, carmelmission.org, each morning for my daily prayer message, as well as the opportunity to stream our weekly mass. We have had an overwhelmingly positive response to our online presence, doubling the number of people who joined us for the mass this past weekend. I thank those of you who wrote to me and our Carmel Mission team in appreciation. A frequent comment was that you felt you were there in the Basilica with us, which is what we are hoping and trying to achieve. In a time when so much is unknown and uncertain, and when much of what we are seeing and hearing is frightening, it is a comfort to return to the loving embrace of our God in our Basilica, even if only virtually.
We have also experienced a great response to our prayer requests. Fr. Rodrigo and I so enjoy hearing from each of you, and being able to take your requests in our prayers and masses to our loving Father. Please do continue to send us your requests by emailing PrayerRequest@carmelmission.org or by clicking the PRAYER REQUEST button on our website.
We are working to make it easy for you to participate in our community online. Please see the bulletin for some directions on how to view the daily prayers and streaming masses on your phones, computers and televisions. We have also activated an email, help@carmelmission.org, if you have any questions or need any support with accessing our videos and website features.
In this time of splendid isolation, we are discovering new ways to connect and communicate with our parish family, and of course, none of this would be possible without your continued support. I ask that you continue supporting our efforts here by clicking on the DONATE button on our website or mailing your offering to the Mission at 3080 Rio Road, Carmel 93923.
This week we journey with our Lord, from a royal reception with palms and Hosannas, to the intimate meal He shares with His closest friends, to the agony in the garden, to the sham trials, the political smoke and mirrors, the betrayals, the physical and emotional pain and shame, the cross on Calvary, and even into the tomb. The crowd taunts Jesus, “He trusts in God, let him deliver him, if he wants him” MT 27:43. But God’s ways are not our ways. God’s Son did not hang on the cross because He could not come done, but because He would not come down. Instead, He would suffer death and be buried, so that He could rise again, conquering death itself. This is our God, our champion and our protector. I invite you to journey with Jesus this week, bringing your own pain and your own fears to the Cross to be redeemed, and rise with Him again In triumph on Easter Sunday.
I wish you and your loved ones a very blessed Holy Week,
Fr. Paul