Category: From the Pastor’s Desk

From the Pastor’s Desk

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We have now entered the Ordinary Time of the liturgical year. All the Christmas poinsettia plants, trees and wreaths have been taken down. Even though we are no longer singing Christmas carols, we continue to sing God’s glory here at St. Martin de Porres. How blessed we are to gather as a community to thank the Lord for all the many graces he has bestowed upon us and that he will bestow upon us in the future. In my homily last week, I made reference to the fact that Jesus is a gift that is meant to be cherished and shared with one another. Jesus is truly the center of our joy. Our gospel today shows John the Baptist having yet another encounter with the Lord. Upon seeing Jesus walk towards him, John proclaims a beautiful acclamation of faith, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” We hear those words every Sunday at Mass proclaimed by the priest before we receive the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus is the lamb who takes away all sins. He is the lamb who was sacrificed, the lamb who was slain for our salvation. In just a few weeks, we will begin the season of Lent. We pray that as we prepare to enter these most solemn of days that the presence of Christ will continue to radiate through us to others. Continue reading “January 15, 2023” →

From the Pastor’s Desk

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Dear Parishioners,

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. We hear in today’s gospel the story of the three Magi. They were sent to bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. There are many cultural customs throughout the world that considers today to be “Little Christmas”, in which gifts are exchanged amongst each other. On this Epiphany Sunday, the Lord asks us to bring only one gift, and that is ourselves! The Lord wants an undivided heart from us, allowing him to be at the center of our lives. We pray that the Holy Spirit will give us the strength and courage to give ourselves completely and totally to Jesus. One of the most beautiful images of today’s feast is light. The Magi were led by the light of a star to Jesus. We are called to be the light of Christ in this world to radiate his love and mercy. With the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord on Monday, we officially conclude the Christmas season, and we move to the Ordinary Time of the liturgical year. I hope and pray that these days of Christmas have been a time of deep spiritual renewal, as we continue to grow closer to Christ our Savior and King. Continue reading “January 8, 2023” →

From the Pastor’s Desk

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Dear Parishioners,

I take this opportunity to wish all of you a very happy and blessed New Year 2023. I know that it has been the custom to have “New Year’s resolutions”, which might include spending more time with family, less indulging and maybe more time at the gym. As great as all those things are, the Lord asks us, not just on January 1 but every day of the year to continue to take care of ourselves, both spiritually and physically, but in addition, to spend more time with him. Our relationship with the Lord must be a regular part of our lives, knowing that we must go to him in good times and in bad. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God. How appropriate it is to begin this new year 2023 giving thanks and praise to God through the intercession of Mary, the Immaculate Virgin God-bearer. It is my prayer that this year 2023 will be a year filled with God’s love and joy, bringing the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ here in Bedford Stuyvesant. Continue reading “January 1, 2023” →

From the Pastor’s Desk

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Dear Parishioners,

We have come to the 4^th and final Sunday of Advent. What a blessing to have 4 full weeks of Advent this year. Over these last few weeks we have been spiritually preparing for the coming of the Lord this Christmas season. We have been hearing from the prophet Isaiah to prepare the way of the Lord. Now in just a few short days, we will celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Our gospel passage for Mass today gives us Joseph’s dream. The angel appears to Joseph and tells him not to divorce Mary, but that she would be the mother of the Savior. They will name him Emmanuel, which means, God is with us. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, we pray that our hearts will be filled with gratitude and thanksgiving. I know that this is the season to give gifts to others, but ultimately, the only gift Jesus wants is our complete selves. May Christ continue to radiate his light through us to others. Continue reading “December 18, 2022” →

From the Pastor’s Desk

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Dear Parishioners,

Our Advent journey continues today as we see the lighting of the second candle of our Advent wreath. As I mentioned in my homily last week at Mass, these days of Advent are important in order to celebrate with great joy the birth of Christ our Savior. Our gospel passage for Mass today introduces us to John the Baptist. John the Baptist tells us that the Messiah is coming and that we must be ready to welcome him. John echoes the words of the prophet Isaiah, “prepare the way of the Lord, make straight a highway for our God”. He is a clear reminder that all of us must be heralds of the good news of Jesus. We must have the courage and the strength to go out and tell the world about Jesus. As we continue our Advent journey, let us pray that through the intercession of St. John the Baptist, we will proclaim to the world, prepare the way, Jesus is coming! Continue reading “December 4, 2022” →

From the Pastor’s Desk

Dear Parishioners,

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. It is also the last Sunday of the liturgical year. Next week we will begin the season of Advent, as we prepare for the birth of the Savior, Christ the Lord. Christ the King has always been one of my favorite feast days. It focuses on the reality of Christ as King of the Universe. Our gospel passage today depicts the crucifixion of our Lord on Calvary. The rulers mocked him and jeered saying, “if you are the King of the Jews save yourself”. One of the convicted criminals who was crucified with Jesus says to the Lord, “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom”. Those are our words to the Lord today on this beautiful feast, Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus is truly the King of heaven and earth. As he was nailed to the wood of the cross and placed with a crown of thorns on his head, we see Christ crowned as savior and redeemer. We pray that the Lord will continue to rule with his mighty arm until he comes again in glory and majesty. Long live Christ the King! Continue reading “November 27, 2022” →

From the Pastor’s Desk

Dear Parishioners,

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. It is also the last Sunday of the liturgical year. Next week we will begin the season of Advent, as we prepare for the birth of the Savior, Christ the Lord. Christ the King has always been one of my favorite feast days. It focuses on the reality of Christ as King of the Universe. Our gospel passage today depicts the crucifixion of our Lord on Calvary. The rulers mocked him and jeered saying, “if you are the King of the Jews save yourself”. One of the convicted criminals who was crucified with Jesus says to the Lord, “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom”. Those are our words to the Lord today on this beautiful feast, Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus is truly the King of heaven and earth. As he was nailed to the wood of the cross and placed with a crown of thorns on his head, we see Christ crowned as savior and redeemer. We pray that the Lord will continue to rule with his mighty arm until he comes again in glory and majesty. Long live Christ the King! Continue reading “November 20, 2022” →

From the Pastor’s Desk

Dear Parishioners,

What a beautiful celebration we had last week! Words cannot begin to express how tremendously blessed I am to be the Pastor of such a vibrant and amazing community here in Bedford Stuyvesant. I take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support and hard work in making last Sunday’s feast day Mass so beautiful. It’s hard to believe that the month of November is flying right by! Next Thursday is Thanksgiving Day! We are also quickly approaching the end of this liturgical year. Next Sunday is the Solemnity of Christ the King, which is the last Sunday of the liturgical year as we prepare for the season of Advent. Our scripture readings for Mass this weekend prepares us for the second coming of Christ. Jesus tells us in today’s gospel that we must be prepared and ready to welcome him. We know neither the day nor the hour, but Jesus is coming soon to lead us to the Kingdom. St. Paul boldly tells us that we must act in accordance with what Christ has called us to and to mind our own business. These are strong yet powerful words from St. Paul, who challenges us to allow the light of Christ to radiate through us to others. Continue reading “November 13, 2022” →

From the Pastor’s Desk

Dear Parishioners,

I take this opportunity to wish all of you a happy and blessed Feast Day of St. Martin de Porres. In 2007, the Diocese of Brooklyn canonically merged the parishes of Holy Rosary, St. Peter Claver and Our Lady of Victory to become the newly formed parish of St. Martin de Porres. We are truly blessed as a parish community over these 15 years to continue the mission of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and serving the people of God here in Bedford Stuyvesant. St. Martin de Porres was praised for his unconditional care of all people, regardless of race or wealth. He took care of everyone from the Spanish nobles to the African slaves. Martin didn’t care if the person was diseased or dirty, he would welcome them into his own home. Martin’s life reflected his great love for God and all of God’s gifts. It is said he had many extraordinary abilities, including aerial flights, bilocation, instant cures, miraculous knowledge, spiritual knowledge and an excellent relationship with animals. Martin also founded an orphanage for abandoned children and slaves and is known for raising dowry for young girls in short amounts of time. Let us pray that through the intercession of St. Martin de Porres all of us will continue to grow in the image and likeness of Christ. Continue reading “November 6, 2022” →