March 31, 2024

Dear Parishioners of Saint Polycarp,

Happy Easter! Christus Resurrexit! Christ is Risen! Let us praise God for His wonderous deeds to us by raising up Jesus.

To proclaim that Christ is risen, we believe and profess that Christ triumphs over everything, including sins and death. Nothing can hold back Our Lord Jesus—the Lamb who was once slain and now is alive. This is our faith. This is what we Christians believe.

Before the resurrection, Jesus underwent many trials, persecutions, and death. On Holy Thursday, Holy Mother Church invites us to celebrate with Our Lord Jesus the Last Supper, in which He instituted two greatest Sacraments: the sacred Priesthood and the Holy Eucharist. These two sacraments are interconnected: one cannot speak of the Eucharist without the Priesthood, and vice versa. The sacred priesthood is always the Priesthood of Jesus Christ, who is present in the form of Bread and Wine. Thus, it was at the Last Supper that Jesus commanded us: “Do this in remembrance of me” (Mk 14: 22-25).

On Good Friday, Holy Mother Church invites us to look at the tomb where Our Savior Jesus was buried. We are invited to embrace the burial of Jesus, especially to embrace the moment He was charged by those who hated Him, to the moment He was hung on the Cross. From the Cross, we are invited to hear these powerful words of love and forgiveness: “Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk 23: 34-38). Jesus died for our sake; He died for our sins. A beautiful tradition in the Church on Good Friday is the veneration of the Cross, for it was the Cross that Jesus frees us from the slavery of sins and brings us to new life.

On Holy Saturday at the Easter Vigil Mass, Holy Mother Church invites us to rise with Jesus to new life—the Resurrection. The proclamation of the Resurrection has been the central preaching and profession of the Church. Saint Paul in his preaching to the Corinthians stated, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Cor 15:15).

My dear family of Saint Polycarp, please join me to express our congratulations to those who are baptized and received into our Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil Mass. I want to thank Sister Jessica, Deacon Tri, and their OCIA teams for assisting and journeying with our neophytes (newly baptized). I also thank those who have helped us with Lent, Palm Sunday, and Triduum. Lastly, with my brother priests, deacons, and parish Staff, I wish to bestow this Easter proclamation and blessing to you and your family. May the Risen Christ continue to reign in your heart and home. Happy Easter!

Father Viet Peter Ho, Pastor

Fathers Nicolas T. Nguyen, and Saul Alba-Infante, Parochial Vicars

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