Looking for Jesus
The disciples looked for Jesus and when they found Him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” Indeed, everyone was looking for Jesus because even after Jesus had cured many who were ill and drove out many demons, there were still many more who were sick with various diseases and possessed by demons.
In this day and age, where and how should we look for Jesus? A number of the faithful have a tendency to be drawn to people who claim to have visions and locutions; to those who have been reputed to have healing powers, or to the so-called “renowned exorcists.” Perhaps that is because they reckon that these people are very close friends of Christ, and therefore they can find Christ in them. But the more we try to look for God in exceptional and extraordinary ways, the less we remember that God is more so present to us in ordinary ways.
God is present in His creation, and we can reflect on Him there; God is present in His Word in Sacred Scripture, and we can meditate on Him there; God is present in the Eucharist, and we can adore Him there. But there is another way that God is present to us: God is present in our hearts, and through prayer, we can access Him there.
When we are at a loss on how to pray, we can take the example of Jesus who went to a deserted place to pray. We can try to find a quiet place to recollect ourselves and in faith, direct our thoughts and prayers to God. In a practical sense, we can find Jesus in the Eucharist, where He is truly present. Jesus wants to restore all of us back to the Father, and He does so by giving Himself to us in the Eucharist. He says again and again, “I have been here for you all along.”
Jesus did not come merely to be a teacher, healer or exorcist. Rather, He came to bring us God’s Kingdom. Jesus gives to all who listen to Him the hope for a new and better tomorrow. He offers a way of life whereby one can become attuned to God’s actions in life, to follow God’s lead, and to nurture a loving trust in God that surpasses and overcomes the sufferings and trials of life.
Chinese New Year is on February 12, 2021. We will celebrate Holy Mass for Chinese New Year on February 14, 2021 in lieu of the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time. After Mass, there will be the solemn tribute for our ancestors and Fr. Bill will give out the hong pao (red envelopes).
In a memo dated February 1, 2021, Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer issued the following instructions for Lent, Holy Triduum and Easter:
- Palm Sunday: In accordance with instructions sent from the Vatican for Easter 2020, the Commemoration of the Lord’s Entrance into Jerusalem is to be celebrated within sacred buildings; in parish churches and in other places the third form is to be used. Parishes can distribute palms after Mass, but distribution should be arranged in such a way as to avoid crowding.
- Holy Thursday: The washing of feet is to be omitted. At the end of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the procession is also omitted, and the Blessed Sacrament is to be kept in the tabernacle.
- Good Friday: The adoration of the Cross by kissing shall be limited solely to the celebrant, but the congregation can reverence the Cross by a bow or genuflection.
- Easter Vigil: The Elect are to be baptized by sprinkling or by pouring water over their heads. Baptism by immersion is not allowed. For the “Renewal of Baptismal Promises” by the faithful, the Sprinkling Rite is to be omitted.
During Lent, the Stations of the Cross in Chinese will be held on Wednesdays immediately after the 12pm Mass, and the Stations of the Cross in English will be held on Fridays immediately after the 12pm Mass.