“Always be ready to give an
explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope”
(1 Peter 3:15)
Many of us have had the opportunity to hear some fascinating conversion stories of the lives of others. We might not think our story is exciting. For most of us, God has been present and constant within our lives without dramatic ups and downs. We all have a story to tell however mundane or exciting we think it is. The God who has created us and loved us has been interacting with us our entire lives.
This weekend at Mass I will tell you my story. Well, at least what I am able to tell in 10 minutes or so. I will tell you the reason for my hope. What is your story? You do have one and I would love to hear it. Often we do not spend enough time reflecting how God has been intertwined in our lives and it is easy to miss God’s presence. But if we look closely, we can see God has been in every part of our lives even when we didn’t think so. By telling our stories, it also gives us an opportunity to share the Gospel and evangelize others. Always be prepared to give others the reason for the hope that is within you.
On another note, thank you to everyone who volunteered and participated in last weekend’s welcome reception. It was a wonderful to meet so many of you. All of the homemade foods and desserts were delicious and the decorations were beautiful. It was a lot of hard work to prepare food, set up, decorate, serve and clean up. I am so grateful to all of you!
A special thanks goes to Olivia Catibayan, Loretta Abril, Santi Indra, Marie Welsch, Eydie Casey, Luci Vees, Margie Alvarez, Patrick Parker, Deacon Ken Hobbs, John Humphrey and all of the countless others who volunteered throughout the weekend. Thank you!
God bless you all and have a great week.
With my love and prayers,
Fr. Patrick
