Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
In the Gospel today Jesus tells Jairus, “Do not be afraid just have faith.” (Mark 5:36) This was probably easier said than done for a fearful and grieving father. Jesus knows two things that Jairus does not. First, that death is no obstacle for His healing power. Second, that ...
Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
We have much to celebrate this weekend! Today we celebrate Father’s Day, the official beginning of summer, the lessening of COVID restrictions in California, and last but certainly not least, the return of our Carmel Mission Choir to the 11am Mass!
We have been eagerly anticip ...
Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
I am very excited to share with you that we have exceeded our 2021 AMA Campaign Recovery and Renewal goal of $250,000! Thanks to your generosity we now stand at just over $302,000. This is an amazing accomplishment in such a short period of time, and is a testament to your selfless ...
Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi Sunday. This wonderful feast celebrates the amazing gift that is the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. It can be easy, I feel, for us to lose our sense of wonder and ...
Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
Today we celebrate the Holy Trinity, God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-equal and co-eternal. The triune nature of God is one of the greatest mysteries of our faith. The most astute minds in our tradition have attempted to explain what it means that Father, Son ...
Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
Today we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost, often called the birthday of the Church. We remember when the disciples were visited by the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus had promised. Tongues of fire hovered over their heads, and a kind of spiritual universal translator allowed their w ...
Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. This great feast celebrates the moment when Jesus is taken up in to Heaven. Of equal importance in the Gospel today is what precedes and follows this moment in the lives of the disciples. Immediately before He is taken up J ...
Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
In the Gospel today Jesus tells His disciples, “As the Father loves me, so I love you. Remain in my love.” (John 15:9) Earlier in John’s Gospel we heard “No one has ever seen God.” (John 1:18) If we cannot see God, how do we experience God, how do we relate to G ...
Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
Today in the Gospel we hear Jesus refer to Himself as the true vine, His followers as the branches, and His Father as the vine-grower. This beautiful image is appealing on many levels, and not only to those of us who love a good glass of cabernet! When we look at a vineyard, we see the m ...
Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
The Gospel today invokes one of the most beloved images of our Savior, Jesus Christ, that of the Good Shepherd. Throughout the centuries, this depiction of Christ, as the loving shepherd caring for His flock, has inspired art and music and touched the imaginations of countless believers. ...
Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
In the Gospel today, Jesus tells His disciples that they are witnesses to His life, His death, and His glorious Resurrection. Every person since that moment who chooses to be a follower of Jesus is given the same mandate as the original disciples be a witness to the Resurrection.
Our f ...
Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
It was a great joy to celebrate last week with all you who joined us here at the Mission or online for our Holy Week celebrations. Despite ongoing restrictions and challenges due to COVID, we were able to safely celebrate with record crowds outdoors on Palm and Easter Sundays and con ...
Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
Alleluia, He is Risen! Jesus has risen from the dead, carrying with Him all our hope, and the world will never the same.
I am always encouraged by the witness of the unnamed disciple in the Gospel today, who does not yet fully understand what it means that Jesus has risen from the dea ...
Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
What a difference a year can make! I remember last year at this time, confronting a situation I had never experienced in over forty years as a priest, a Holy Week without public celebrations. We were fortunate that we were able to pivot quickly and begin to build our virtual communit ...
Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
I want to thank all of you who have reached out with your prayers and support for me and my family in this sad time of loss. While it has been so difficult to lose our Mum, I am grateful that I was able to be with her, and with my family. We deeply appreciate your kindness towards us.
I ...
