Welcome to St. Eulalia Parish
Catholics find meaning and hope in Jesus Christ, whom God the Father
has sent into the world for the salvation of all peoples.
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Dear Parishioners and Friends of St Eulalia Parish,
Do you really believe that God’s word has power to change and transform your life? Have you made one or two specific and doable resolutions for yourself this Lent yet? God is good, always! The prophet Isaiah is telling us: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful…So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth (Tue.2/23. Is 55:10-11). God’s Word has power to penetrate our dry barren hearts and make them springs of new life.
How appropriate it is for us to meditate on this passage this week as we continue to celebrate the season of Lent by prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The word “Lent” comes from the old English word “Lenten” which means spring. If we think of the season of Lent as springtime, then the importance of the rain and snow becomes self-evident, and being fertile and fruitful is greatly blessed. Spring is a new beginning for everything: plants, animals, and the earth seem to come to life again. Spring/Lent is a reminder that our God is all about making things new. If we let God’s word take root in our heart, it will transform us into His likeness and He will empower us to walk in His way of love and holiness.
The transformation and empowerment of God’s word are certainly exemplified in the lives of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Ignatius of Loyola (only two examples). Francis lived a carefree life when he was young. Coming back home from his military service, he went to Rome for a pilgrimage. After spending some time in lonely places asking God for spiritual enrichment, he heard Jesus’s calling, “Francis, Francis, go and repair my house which, as you can see, is falling into ruins.” Unlike Francis’ military experience, Ignatius was wounded and underwent several surgical operations to repair his leg. While recovering from surgery, he underwent a spiritual conversion by reading religious texts on the life of Jesus and on the lives of the saints.
Friends, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven (Fri. Mt 5:20). Obeying the Father’s order, this is my beloved Son, listen to him (Sun. Mk 9:10), we need to pay attention to the things Jesus reminds us of in the gospel: not to get angry with our siblings and loved ones, not to be judgmental, be reconciled with one another, and pray for our enemies and persecutors. We do these because we are children of the Heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good (Mk 5: 20-48); we do this because we want to let the word of God transform our lives and hearts.
NOTE: For those who have not made any resolutions yet, I recommend some scriptural passages for meditation on the topic of Lent and Spring: A. Growth: He is like a tree planted near streams of water... (Ps1:3). B. Starting over: ...like spring rain that waters the earth (Hosea 6:3). C. Learning: may my teaching soak in like the rain…like a shower upon the crops (Deut 32:2). D. Peace: learn from the way the wild flowers grow… (Mt 6:28-29). God bless,
Fr. John Chen
The office is open Monday through Thursday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. .
To send a message, you may email us from our contact page
Please tune into the 4:00 pm Mass this Saturday or 10:00 am or 5:00 pm Mass this Sunday and 9:00 am Mass daily.
Morning Prayer 8:30AM
Mass with Distribution of Ashes 9:00AM
Distribution of Ashes (no service) noon to 1
Mass with Distribution of Ashes 5:30PM
Ashes will be distributed this year with a cotton swab.
Mass times at St. Mary Parish can be found on the St. Mary Parish website.