Third Sunday of Easter--April 19, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I pray that this Easter Season has begun as a time of reawakening for your Domestic Church as we strive more vigorously to live out our Baptism. For the next four weeks we will be reflecting on the effects of the resurrection and the growth of the infant Church as we listen to the Scripture Readings from the Acts of the Apostles, the Letters of Saint Peter and the Gospel of Luke and the Apostle, Saint John. This meditation will lead us to Ascension Sunday, May 17th and to the conclusion of the Easter Season on Pentecost Sunday, May 24th. As many come into the faith and continue to advance in their faith journey, here at Saint Joseph and throughout the world, we must see ourselves as part of a family. Baptism incorporates us into the Family of God and makes us members of the Church. Saint Luke, in the Acts of the Apostles, tells us that “The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power the Apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all.” I encourage the adults, their sponsors and families and all those who were received into the Church, and all of you, in this call to recognize our belonging to God and His Church. Just as the apostles taught the faith and commissioned others by the laying on of hands, so I encourage all of you, and I too must teach you, encourage you and commission you to live your faith; that is to say, live in relationship with Jesus. I urged all of you to do two things – to pray and to receive the Eucharist. Remember, prayer is a surge from the heart towards God. Everyday we must engage in conversation with God if we are to have any type of real relationship with Him. There is much to ask God for, there are so many things to prayer for, and there is so much to be thankful for. Yes, this is all good to include in our daily prayer, but we must also be quiet so that we can listen to God speak to our heart. We must let God into every part of our lives. I challenge you to pray at least for 5 minutes a day. But, if you just do the basics that I listed above, you will need more than 5 minutes. It is amazing what we discover about God and about ourselves when we pray.

Happy Resurrection to all,
Fr. Steven Guitron