From your Pastor...
This weekend we had a retreat for our children who are preparing themselves to receive their First Holy Communion. They looked very excited and I see that they are ready to take the next step in their faith lives by consuming the Lord for their very first time.
The Eucharist is the greatest gift the Lord has given us since it leads to eternal life and helps us to enter into heaven. During this retreat we provided personal and spiritual formation while teaching our students the doctrine of the Church. We helped them to come into a deeper knowledge of the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist which is called “Transubstantiation”.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that, “By the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation” (CCC, no. 1376)
Their retreat reminds us of our meeting with the Lord every Sunday to “do this in memory of me”. When the Lord told the disciples they needed to eat his body and drink his blood if they wanted to have eternal life, many didn’t believe him, it was hard to believe. Many of them left Jesus because his teaching couldn’t be understood. For us it is an honor to celebrate the Real Presence of Jesus under the species of bread and wine. We also recognize his presence when we come to adore the presence of Jesus outside the liturgy.
I am pleased to thank Ginny Cuevas, our Religious Education Director, Charlene Dronen, Soledad Olguin, Sunshine Radach, Barb Agnew who offer their service and talents to teach our children about the love of God we receive in the Eucharist. Thank God for generous people who share their time and talents in forming our students in the Catholic Faith.
Sincerely,
Rev. Miguel Gonzalez
De parte de su Pastor...
Este fin de semana pasado tuvimos un retiro para nuestros ninos que se estan preparando para recibir su Primera Comunion. Parecían muy emocionados y veo que estan listos para dar el siguiente paso en su vida de fe al consumir al Senor por primera vez.
La Eucaristía es el regalo mas grande que el Senor nos ha dado ya que nos conduce a la vida eterna y nos ayuda a entrar al cielo. Durante este retiro brindamos formacion personal y espiritual mientras ensenamos a nuestros estudiantes la doctrina de la Iglesia. Les ayudamos a tener un conocimiento mas profundo de la presencia real de Jesus en la Eucaristía llamada "Transustanciacion".
El Catecismo de la Iglesia Catolica dice que “por la consagración del pan y del vino se opera la conversión de toda la substancia del pan en la substancia del Cuerpo de Cristo nuestro Señor y de toda la substancia del vino en la substancia de su Sangre; la Iglesia católica ha llamado justa y apropiadamente a este cambio transubstancia- ción" (CIC, n. 1376).
Su retiro nos recuerda nuestro encuentro con el Senor cada domingo para “hacer esto en memoria mía”. Cuando el Senor les dijo a los discípulos que necesitaban comer su cuerpo y beber su sangre si querían tener vida eterna, muchos no le creyeron, era difícil de creer. Muchos de ellos abandonaron a Jesus porque no podían entender sus ensenanzas. Para nosotros es un honor celebrar la Presencia Real de Jesus bajo las especies de pan y vino. Tambien reconocemos su presencia cuando venimos a adorar la presencia de Jesus fuera de la liturgia.
Me complace agradecer a Ginny Cuevas, nuestra directora de Educacion Religiosa, Charlene Dronen, Soledad Olguin, Sunshine Radach, Barb Agnew quienes ofrecen su servi- cio y talentos para ensenar a nuestros ninos sobre el amor de Dios que recibimos en la Eucaristía. Gracias a Dios por las personas generosas que comparten su tiempo y talentos para formar a nuestros estudiantes en la fe catolica.
Atentamente,
Rev. Miguel Gonzalez