Dear Prince of Peace Parishioners:
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY … To all Mothers, we give thanks to God for you, who have been a true Gift from God and a Blessing to us as sons and daughters. To all Mothers who have gone before us, our prayer this day and always is that God’s promise of Eternal Life be granted to all of you as we confidently ask in continue celebrating Easter Season.
Borrow the Blessing from the Bible, we ask God to Bless ALL of our Mothers: ‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Numbers 6:22-26).
This weekend is the Annual Catholic Appeal 2022 Commitment week. Please consider to share the Blessing of God that you have received in participating in the Annual Catholic Appeal campaign this year. Let’s join as parishioners in our parish community and other parishioners throughout the Archdiocese to make a commitment for the Annual Catholic Appeal in 2022. Individually we cannot respond to all the legitimate needs of the people of God in the Archdiocese; but TOGETHER, we will be able to accomplish the need for all people of God.
Like the early Christian community in the book - Acts of the Apostle 2:42-47, we came together not only as St. Gabriel Parish but also as many parishes in a local Church of the Archdiocese of Seattle. Our shared common Pastoral Ministries are: (for example: The Office of Vocations to the Priesthood, Religious Life and Lay Minister; Ministries to the Youth and Young Adults; Catholic Schools and College Campus Ministry; Catholic Community Services; Cultural and Ethnic Ministry…) What we shared, not only help us to continue further Jesus’ Ministry in our world today; but also, help our St. Gabriel Parish to participate in this “communal life” of the whole Church.
On this Fourth Sunday of Easter, we encounter the Good Shepherd who knows his flock intimately. "Good Shepherd Sunday" is also the World Day of Prayer for Vocations in the Church. This ideal image of the shepherd finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. He is the "Good Shepherd" who goes in search of the lost sheep; he feels compassion for the people because he sees them "as sheep without a shepherd"; he calls his disciples "the little flock". Today's Gospel passage presents to us one of the deepest mysteries of the human spirit. Faith, the ability to hear and to follow a call, is a gift to Jesus and a gift to the followers of Jesus.
Please remember to pray for “the children” from our parish community who are preparing for their First Communion – an encounter of Christ in the Sacrament of Eucharist for the first time in their lives – on Sunday May 15 at the Spanish Mass.
An “enthusiastic word of joy” like the Apostles from the Gospel in this Easter Season: “We have seen the Lord; as they told the apostle Thomas”. A number of our children in the Religious Education program who are saying to our faith community at St. Gabriel: “WE have come to the table and share the Body and Blood of Christ – in our First Holy Communion. We have experienced the Risen Christ in a special way”.
As we will begin a new month of May, where the Church traditionally celebrate our Blessed Mother, Mary in a special way; devoted parishioners are inviting us to pray together as a community before Mass the “Mysteries of the Rosary – a meditative prayer in the life of Jesus and our Blessed Mother, Mary”.
May this tradition and our “common prayer – the Rosary” extending to our family at home and in our own individual time, the necessity of praying always.
May the Joy and Blessing of the Easter Season continue to help us actively involve in the Ministry of Jesus in our Church’s today.
Christ’s Peace,
Fr. Phuong Hoang