One summer, I was teaching first and second graders about salvation history. I was teaching them about how Mary is the New Eve because, as we can see on so many statues of Mary, she crushes the head of the serpent. As I was saying this, all the first and second graders spontaneously stood up and began stomping on imaginary serpents. In some way, they had gotten the message.

But the First Reading which says, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” Doesn’t that mean that Jesus will crush the head of the serpent? Yes, but this passage traditionally reads (in the Latin Vulgate), “She will crush your head.” So which is it? As with many aspects of our faith, the answer is both. Mary crushes the head of the serpent in union with and through the victory of Jesus on the Cross.

Jesus says, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” Even though Satan’s kingdom may not be divided, he delights in sowing division in others. Through the doubt that he has planted in the hearts of Adam and Eve, Satan has successfully divided them from God, from each other, from nature, and internally. They are unable to stand, and because of this, God promises them the woman and her offspring who will crush the head of the serpent, namely Mary and Jesus.

This is what we see in the Gospel. Jesus gains a reputation for driving out demons, even saying that He has tied up the strong man, Satan, to plunder his house. He clearly demonstrates His coming victory over Satan. In the midst of this conversation, Mary and Jesus’ relatives arrive. At first glance, it might seem like Jesus is dismissing them, but we need to look carefully at what He says: “For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Mary is Jesus’ mother not only in virtue of giving birth to Him but also because she does the will of God better than any other human person. We see this most clearly at the Annunciation when she says, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done unto me according to your word,” but her entire life is a “yes” to God. In doing this, she also crushes the head of the serpent in union with Christ.

This union of Jesus and Mary through doing the will of God undoes the division sown by Satan, and shows us that we also can crush the head of the serpent. If anyone who does the will of God is Jesus’ brother and sister and mother, then all we need to do is imitate Mary in staying in union with Jesus Who has already won the victory. When we do this, like my first and second graders, we can also stomp on the head of the serpent.

Father Frank

In every Mass there are entrance and exit processions with priest, deacons, and servers! Have you ever wondered why? What does this simple gesture of walking in and out of Mass mean? The reason is simple: in this world, we are on a journey. It can be clearly seen in our daily lives. We are constantly on the go, going between point A and point B.  This is seen in our careers, our vocations, but more importantly in our spiritual lives. We are on a journey from this world to the next!

However, like any journey, our spiritual life is filled with many obstacles, crosses, and trials.  And if it isn’t apparent to you by now, let me be the first to tell you: the spiritual journey was never meant to be traveled alone, nor are we un-equipped to make that journey! 

This Sunday we celebrate Corpus Christi – the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.  It is an old tradition of the Church to have a longer procession with the Eucharist after Mass, which we will do on the parish grounds after the noon Mass. Some churches will carry the Eucharist throughout their entire town. What does this symbolize? Why go out into the world with the Eucharist in a Monstrance (that gold frame in which we carry our Lord)? This procession reveals to those around us, and even to ourselves, that we are on a journey with the Lord; and that our Lord has given us food for that journey.  He has equipped us with His Body and Blood, to feed, nourish, and to give us strength for the road ahead.

On this day of Corpus Christi, let us give praise with joy and gratitude to the Lord our God who gives us His very Body and Blood, and who travels with us in our journey of life!

Father Michael

It is with great sadness, that I must say my goodbye to Our Lady of Mercy. I have been at OLM for two years, and this experience has been beautiful. I shared my sentiments at some of the Masses last week, but not fully at all of them. This was because during the first two times I said goodbye at Mass I was extremely emotional. I could hardly say anything at the 4pm Mass on Saturday.

What I truly wanted to share was that when I first came to the parish I had completed four years of college seminary. I completed these first four years in Minnesota at St. John Vianney Seminary. I am extremely grateful for this time because I grew tremendously. However, absent from the experience in Minnesota was a connection to the diocese that I was studying for and preparing myself to serve. During my time of discernment, one of the things that filled my heart as I considered the priesthood was my desire for parish life. Thus, leaving the parish to study for four years in Minnesota was extremely tough for me! Although it was, in my opinion, a necessary step for me. Many of you may have heard the phrase, “healed people heal people”. When I entered seminary, I didn’t think that the Lord needed to do any healing in my life. However, during my time there The Lord pointed out places where he invited me to experience greater joy, peace, and love, even if I didn’t realize it at first because I was not bleeding out or suffering excruciatingly. In many ways, he used my time in Minnesota to prepare me to be sent out into parish life.

Thus, getting the opportunity to serve you at the parish and share in your times of joy, suffering, and grief has been a privilege. Know that during my time here you have been loved, and know that during my time here I have felt loved. I will keep you in my prayers, especially during the upcoming summer program that I am doing in Mexico City. If the Lord allows it and if you are able, it would be a wonderful thing to see you all at my deaconate and priesthood ordinations.

Please keep me in your prayers and don’t be a stranger if you ever see me around!

Jonathan Hernandez

In high school, I suffered from a pneumothorax, which means that my right lung collapsed. When it happened, all I felt was sharp back pain. My parents began to drive me to the emergency room, but I decided it really wasn’t a big deal and I made them turn around and go back home. The pain continued, so I eventually went to see a doctor. He listened to my lungs with a stethoscope, and when he got to my right lung, he said very calmly, “There are no lung sounds in your right lung. You need to get to the emergency room immediately.” He explained that in thinner young men, small bubbles called blebs form on the tops of their lungs and can pop, creating a hole in the lung, and causing the area above to fill with air. After I spoke with the doctor, I was able to go the emergency room to get the surgery and care I needed. Thankfully, I haven’t had another pneumothorax for over ten years.

I bring this up because when I had the surgery for my pneumothorax, I learned that the word that Jesus uses for the Holy Spirit in the Bible is pneuma. It can mean spirit, and also more literally, breath and wind. The Responsorial Psalm says, “If you take away their breath, they perish […]. When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.” The Holy Spirit is as necessary to us as our breath. Just as we need to breathe to stay alive, we need the Holy Spirit to fill our souls to keep us spiritually alive.

We first receive the Holy Spirit at our Baptism, and we receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit at our Confirmation. And so we are alive. But many of us do not know the Holy Spirit. Many of us are like me after my lung collapsed. We are still alive, but we feel that something is wrong. We just can’t put our finger on it. And maybe, like me, we refuse to go to the emergency room because we think we are okay. But in reality, we are trying to breathe with only one lung while the other lung has a hole in it!

So what’s the remedy to this? We need to ask the Holy Spirit to renew the grace of Pentecost in our hearts so that we can live out the mission He is calling us to. And after we ask the Holy Spirit for this grace, we need to get to know Him, becoming more aware of His voice, and following His promptings in our daily lives. We might not notice any change at first, but when we open the Upper Rooms of our hearts to the Holy Spirit, we will be amazed at the transformation He will begin to work in our lives. And it all begins with one simple prayer: Come, Holy Spirit!  

Father Frank

I’ve known a lot of foolish people in my life; in particular, I’ve known many foolish women. I should probably rephrase that. I’ve known many women who have loved greatly. Have you ever noticed that from the outside looking in, those who love seem to act foolishly? We see an example of this in our faith, as the Apostles left everything behind because of their love for the Lord. And we also see this “foolishness” in our daily lives.  In my own vocation, I’ve had people ask me about choosing the celibate life of a priest, only seeing it as something that is foolish. Of course, my response is that it is not foolishness, but really a response to love, for the sake of the Lord and his people, and only possible with God’s grace to respond to the call.

As we celebrate mother’s day, and a month dedicated to our Blessed Mother, I thought I would honor the “foolish” women in my life who loved radically. To my Grandmother, who allowed her husband to move to the United States to work for two years before reuniting with their 4 children. To my mother, who was engaged to another man, called off the wedding the night before, only to accept my Dad’s proposal three weeks later. To my sister, who after being firmly established in her practice and field, found a man online, picked up her life, and moved across the country to follow her heart and started a family of her own. From the outside looking in, these actions may seem foolish, but if you know their stories, you can see how greatly these women loved!

I’ve also been lucky to know friends who have left everything to join religious communities: from my friend Sister Joshua Marie, who left Notre Dame her sophomore year (a sin to the Irish I’m sure) to pursue a life with the Missionaries of Charity (St. Mother Theresa’s order), to my friend Mother Marie Benedicta of the Cross, who after college decided to join the Carmelites in the Des Plaines cloister. (Meaning that she is never able to leave and is called to live a life of continual prayer) I look up to these women, and am grateful for their example of how to love.

As we crown our Blessed Mother this weekend and celebrate Mother’s Day, I think it is only fitting to honor those who have loved so greatly, that to the world it seems foolish.  May we be inspired by their “foolish” acts of love. May our Blessed Mother continue to bless us, guide us, and encourage us as we respond to her son, our Lord Jesus’ Christ and his beautiful call to bring the faith to all we meet. In the eyes of the world, our actions will look foolish but we know that it is all worth it because we are in love.   

Father Michael