Rest Well, good friend! Nuncio Sambi dies at 73

Saints of God, come to his aid

Hasten to meet him, angels of the Lord.

Goodnight, Big Boss, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

Receive his soul, and present him to God the Most High....

Eternal memory, and everlasting thanks, from no shortage of the church you leave behind.

The Nuncio's Stateside funeral will be held in every DC papal legate's home-turf for major liturgies: Washington's Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the rites scheduled for next Saturday, 6 August -- Transfiguration Day -- at 2pm.

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The kingdom of God is like the true treasure one is searching for. He will not stop until the treasure is found. The true treasure is where the hear t is most at peace. There lies in the true treasure what God wants for his people. When the treasure or pearl of great price is found, the finder should value it with his life and make the treasure the reason for his existence. He is to protect and preserve the treasure because it is what will give direction to his life. It is a gift to him from God. And so, there should be no half measures in taking care of the gift given by God. And God in his wisdom will help the one looking for the true treasure to find it because it is what will make his life charged with purpose and meaning, and that is what God wants for us. The life of the Christian is a search for the true treasure so that hopefully when he finds it, he may have peace and serenity and joy in the heart. But more often than not, we find out it is not an easy search. There are so many treasures in the world vying for our attention, each offering us all sorts of promises of satisfaction and happiness Some of these supposed to be treasures make us even more restless especially when we jealously cling to them. They do not give us peace, yet we cannot seem to let go of them. And because they are not the true treasures for us, we have invested wrongly on them and much of our time and energy are wasted pursuing these things which do not really help us grow as persons. Some people pursue worldly honor and glory. Others pursue wealth obsessively. Still others pursue greatness and power. They spend a lot of time and energy acquiring these things and eventually get stuck on them. We know that they are not true treasures because those who possess them are not genuinely happy and free because they live in constant pressure and suspicion and mistrust in other people. They even dehumanize other people in the process. The Gospel therefore reminds us to seek the true treasure and to really put our hearts on where our true treasure lies. The true treasure is willed by God and so it is what makes us fully human. It is said that the deepest desire of the human heart is God's will. God's will and man's deepest desire converge and come together in the human heart. After all, what guides our deepest desire is the Spirit of God who teaches us to pray. And the true prayer of the heart is the expression of God's will. God's will is what brings us to the true treasure in life. It is God's will, responded to by the best choices and honest decisions we make, that gathers for us true treasures. 

XVII Domingo del TIempo Ordinario

Cada vez que nos reunimos para celebrar la Santa Misa, la comunidad cristiana debe tener conciencia clara que es convocada por y en nombre del Señor Jesús. Es él quien nos llama, nos preside, nos habla y se entrega a la voluntad del Padre. Es él quien prepara una casa verdadera a todos nosotros que andamos desvalidos por el mundo y buscamos en Dios fuerza y poder (cf. antífona de entrada). La comunidad reunida para celebrar los Misterios de Cristo, pues, es la mejor expresión de la Iglesia que vive alabando a Dios, pues se sabe redimida por el amor inefable de Cristo y de su pasión salvadora (cf. oración después de la comunión). En este domingo encontramos como idea central la exigencia de una opción sin reservas por el Reino de Dios; o dicho con otras palabras, por Dios mismo y su mensaje de salvación. La liturgia de la Palabra nos presenta, en este sentido, un ejemplo y dos parábolas. El ejemplo es aquel de Salomón (primera lectura); él es prototipo del rey sabio que reina según la justicia y la voluntad de Dios, que prefiere los preceptos de su boca antes que miles de monedas de oro y plata (cf. salmo responsorial). Ante la promesa de Dios, dispuesto a conceder lo que pidiera, el rey implora discernimiento. Ello provoca la alabanza de Dios y la promesa de un «corazón sabio e inteligente, como no lo ha habido antes ni lo habrá después de ti». La sabiduría por la que se caracterizó Salomón es, por lo tanto, saber elegir lo mejor según la voluntad de Dios, poniendo antes la virtud que el afán de dominio o de poseer. Desde esta perspectiva, los cristianos, siguiendo el ejemplo del rey sabio, también tendremos que establecer una prioridad en aquello que llena nuestro corazón y dar a las cosas materiales su justo valor; por ello pedimos la misericordia de Dios para que nos conceda adherirnos a los bienes eternos sirviéndonos rectamente de los pasajeros (cf. oración colecta). Las dos parábolas que completan esta idea son aquellas del tesoro escondido y de la perla de gran valor (Evangelio). Aunque, desde una lectura superficial, pudieran parecer unas comparaciones muy «materiales» –en radical oposición con lo dicho anteriormente–, en realidad nos enseñan la necesaria opción radical por Cristo; en síntesis, la misma decisión firme y empeño que tendríamos para conseguir un importante tesoro se nos pide para luchar por «conseguir» los valores del Reino de Dios. Esta actitud de vida encuentra su fundamento en el principio enunciado por la antífona que repetimos al cantar el salmo responsorial: «¡Cuánto amo tu voluntad, Señor!». La tercera parábola del Evangelio –cuya lectura se propone como opcional– se separa en cuanto al contenido con las dos anteriores; tiene claras conexiones con aquella de la cizaña del domingo pasado. Ambas, como decíamos allí, insisten más en el sentido de la paciencia divina y la «selección escatológica» de los peces buenos; acción que sólo pertenece al Señor del Reino. Una última pero importante consideración. La opción que el hombre está llamado a hacer por el Reino de Dios debe enmarcarse en el contexto de la providencia divina y en su previa elección; sin ella nada podríamos, pues «a los que había escogido, Dios los predestinó a ser imagen de su Hijo… a los que predestinó, los llamó…» 

Understanding and Reading a Blog (for Newcomers)

You new here? Is it your first time at The Pastor’s Bench Blog? No Problem. I’ve been a new reader to many blogs and when you are presented with a whole lot of new information all at once, sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. So let me make it easy for you.

There are four ways to read this blog:

Chronologically. If you are parishioner who likes to read things in logical progression, then you might want to read my posts in the order in which I wrote them. The most direct way to do that is to start here with my very first post. When you’re done, you can go up and up.

By Archive. However, if you like to go in chronological order, but don’t want to read every single post, no problem. Check out "archivo del blog" (wich means blog archives), section located on the side bar. You can read posts by their post date.

By Specific Topic. If there is a topic you think I have covered before, but haven’t dealt with recently, you might want to use the “Search” box at the very top of blog. Type in the topic you think I have covered and tan-tan! You might find a post on the very topic you were searching for.

By Category. You can find the list of categories on the sidebar.

I don’t consider myself a writer. I’m just a roman catholic priest and a blogger, plain and simple. My blog isn’t written in some elegant, poetic prose- it’s written in my voice. For good or bad. What is a blog? Well, the name blog is a contraction of the term, describing a special kind of website: web log. Probably the simplest explanation to "what is a blog" question is that blog is an online journal. The latest entry -or post- is always displayed first, or in reverse chronological order. Blogs are usually updated frequently via software that allows users with hardly any or no technical skills to update and maintain it. That's one reason for blog's popularity. Right now this blog is the way for our parish to have a presence in cyberspace, we are working on a web site more formal and functional. If you want to say something ortell us something, go ahead! Our email is pastoralcouncilsvdp@gmail.com, wewelcome your suggestions and comments, all we ask is that they are based on respect and courtesy. Fr Agustin, Pastor. ■

Feast of our Lady of Mt. Carmel (7.16.2011)

The apparition of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel actually begins with the story of the life of St. Simon Stock.  And, the apparition unfolds within the story of the Carmelite Order, who has as its patroness, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Simon Stock was born in the County of Kent, England about the year 1165.  Records indicate that when Simon was about 12 years old he began to live as a hermit and chose to live in the hollow trunk of a huge oak tree.  He studied the Word of God and shared it with others, as he developed into an itinerant preacher.  Then, when the Carmelite Order came to England, he entered its community and became a friar. Soon, he traveled to Rome, and from there, onto Mt. Carmel in the Holy Land.  On the holy mountain of Elijah, in the western Galilee (very near the city of Haifa today), Simon Stock spent several formative years in the Carmelite monastery of Mt. Carmel. It is historically certain that in 1247, when Simon was 82 years old, he was elected the sixth superior-general of the Carmelites, at the first chapter held in Aylesford, England.  He continued to live in Aylesford (where the apparitions occurred).  Throughout his life, he continued to show remarkable energy and did much to benefit the order then, as well as, far into the future.  Unfortunately, at that particular time the order was experiencing much oppression – struggling everywhere to gain admission, either to obtain the consent of the secular clergy, or the toleration of other orders. In the year 1251, the monks fervently asked their patroness, the Blessed Virgin Mary, for her special intercession, counsel and guidance as to what to do.  Her answer was revealed to their prior, that they were“to apply fearlessly to Pope Innocent, for they will receive from him an effective remedy for these difficulties.”  The prior followed the counsel of the Virgin, and the order received a letter of protection from Innocent IV against any such molestations. (Papal letter dated 13 Jan. 1252, Perugia.) It was during the same year of 1251, that Our Lady of Mt. Carmel appeared to Simon Stock with a scapular in her hand.  On Sunday, July 16^th she appeared to him holding the child Jesus in one arm and the brown scapular in her other hand.  She said to Simon, “Take, beloved son, this scapular of thy Order as a badge of my confraternity and for thee and all Carmelites a special sign of grace; whoever dies in this garment, will not suffer everlasting fire.  It is the sign of salvation, a safeguard in dangers, a pledge of peace and of the covenant.”   After this apparition, Simon was instrumental in the formation of Carmelite houses in the university cities of that era:  Cambridge, Oxford, Paris and Bologna.  He, also, became distinguished for his special veneration and love for the Blessed Mother, as evidenced by the moving chants and canticles that he wrote in her honor. St. Simon Stock lived a holy life for 100 years!  He died in the Carmelite monastery at Bordeaux, France on May 16, 1265. The feast of “Our Lady of Mt. Carmel” was instituted between 1376 and 1386 to celebrate the victory of the Carmelite order over its enemies on obtaining the official seal of approval of its name and constitution from Pope Honorius III on January 30, 1226.  But the feast day was assigned to July 16^th because on that date in 1251, according to Carmelite traditions, the scapular was given by Our Lady to St. Simon Stock.  This apparition was officially approved by Pope Sixtus V in 1587 ■

Fiesta de Nuestra Señora del Carmen (7.16.2011)

En la madrugada del día 16 de julio de 1251 Nuestra Señora se apareció al santo carmelita inglés, Simón Stock y le entregó el milagroso Escapulario del Carmen. Simón Stock era, por aquel entonces, Superior General de la Orden del Carmen. Se encontraba en una situación de mucha aflicción, ya que su Orden pasaba por dificultades muy serias, pues era despreciada, perseguida e incluso se veía amenazada con extinguirse. Hombre de fe viva, San Simón no cesaba de implorar socorro a la Santísima Virgen y también le pedía una señal sensible de que sería atendido. Conmovida por las angustiadas súplicas de este hijo suyo tan fervoroso, Nuestra Señora le trajo del Cielo el santo Escapulario y le dirigió estas palabras: “Recibe, hijo muy predilecto, el Escapulario de tu Orden, señal de mi confraternidad, privilegio para ti y para todos los carmelitas. Todos los que mueran revestidos de este Escapulario no padecerán el fuego del Infierno. Es una señal de salvación, refugio de los peligros, alianza de paz y pacto para siempre.” A partir de esta misericordiosa intervención de la Madre de Dios, la orden carmelita volvió a florecer en todo el mundo. Y el Escapulario pasó a recorrer su milagrosa trayectoria, en señal de alianza de Nuestra Señora con los carmelitas y con toda la humanidad. Setenta anos después, Nuestra Señora se le apareció al Papa Juan XXII y le hizo una nueva promesa, considerada como complemento de la primera: “Yo, como tierna Madre de los carmelitas, bajaré al purgatorio el primer sábado después de su muerte y los libraré y conduciré al Monte Santo de la vida eterna”. Esta segunda promesa de Nuestra Señora dio origen a la célebre Bula Sabatina del Papa Juan XXII, publicada el 3 de marzo de 1322, confirmada posteriormente por otros Pontífices como Alejandro V, Clemente VII y Pablo III. Al comienzo, el Escapulario era uso exclusivo de los religiosos carmelitas. Posteriormente, la Iglesia, con el deseo de extender los privilegios y beneficios espirituales de ese uso a todos los católicos, simplificó su tamaño y autorizó que su recepción estuviese al alcance de todos ■

Roman Missal Third Edition

Dear brothers and sisters in the coming weeks our usual "Pastor's Bench", will give space to a number of articles of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. It is very important to pay attention to what the bishops want to say. They are the successors of the apostles and we need a warm attachment to their words. These texts are designed and written by the bishops of our country to help us better understand the changes that will take place soon, I'm talking about the third edition of the Roman Missal. The entire Church in the United States has been blessed with this opportunity to deepen its understanding of the Sacred Liturgy, and to appreciate its meaning and importance in our lives.  I also want to let you know that during the months of October and November of this year we will have some workshops to formally present the new Roman Missal. These workshops will be presented by our Pastoral Council, the group of people who advise the pastor in the government of the parish. The workshops will be on Sundays after Mass in the parish center and will be a good opportunity to ask questions and become more familiar with the changes we're going to have in our liturgy. I want to ask you to pay attention to these articles that will appear in the coming weeks in the newsletter. Texts will be short (two pages) but with much content. The texts will have some theological and liturgical terms and are therefore a way to learn and shape, enrich our culture and especially our Catholic faith. I thank you for the affection with which you all have received the "Pastor's Bench." After the preparation for the Roman Missal, it will return as before ■ Fr. Agustín, Pastor. 

La tercera edición del Misal Romano para la Iglesia de los Estados Unidos de América

Queridos hermanos en el Señor, como quizá han escuchado o incluso leído, el Misal Romano, es decir, el libro con las normas para la celebración de la Santa Misa, en su edición en inglés, tendrá un cambio importante que será efectivo en todas las parroquias de todos los Estados Unidos a partir del primer domingo de Adviento de éste año (27 de Noviembre). Si bien éstos cambios NO afectan a la misa en español, sí es bueno e importante que todos conozcamos éste gran cambio de la liturgia en inglés pues es la lengua del país en el que vivimos. Por todo esto, y a partir de éste fin de semana y durante un breve tiempo, el Pastor’s Bench cederá su lugar a una serie de artículos publicados por la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos  (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) que tienen como objetivo ir sensibilizando poco a poco a los fieles laicos para la recepción del nuevo Misal. Comprendo que algunos de ustedes no están, digamos, muy sueltos en la lectura en inglés, pero confío que en familia, entre todos, podrán leer y comprenderlos. En los meses de Octubre y Noviembre tendremos unos talleres en los que se explicará a los fieles de una forma más formal éste cambio. Los feligreses de habla hispana también estarán cordialmente invitados a asistir; es una forma de enriquecer la cultura, de conocer nuestra fe en sus diversas formas de celebración y de crecer como comunidad parroquial. Les agradezco el cariño con el que han recibido éste Pastor’s Bench que, pasadas unas semanas volverá a la normalidad. Los abraza y bendice a cada uno y sus familias  ■ P. Agustín, Párroco. 

Our beloved Archbishop receives pallium from the Holy Father. 

Laus Deo!

4th July

God of our Fathers, Shepherd of Thy people, Lord of free men's souls, 

bless Thou our nation with a valiant, Godly spirit, with a vision to see, 

with the courage to try, with the power to achieve, that, 

marching behind Thee, Thy people shall not perish.
God, bless our America! 

Hear our prayer for our united peoples, 

grant guidance to our leaders,
protection to our sons, 

and teach each of us Thy way of life in good will and peace. 

Amen ■ Cardinal Francis Spellman

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

On Friday, July 1st, we celebrated the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a very important holiday for Christian spirituality. The heart has always been seen as the "center" or essence of a person ("the heart of the matter," "you are my heart," "take it to heart," etc.) and the wellspring of our emotional lives and love ("you break my heart," "my heart sings," etc.). Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is devotion to Jesus Christ Himself, but in the particular ways of meditating on his interior life, His threefold love, His divine love, His burning love that fed His human will, and His sensible love that affects His interior life. From the earliest days of the Church, Christ's open side and the mystery of blood and water were meditated upon, and the Church was beheld as issuing from the side of Jesus, as Eve came forth from the side of Adam. It is in the eleventh and twelfth centuries that we find the first unmistakable indications of devotion to the Sacred Heart. Through the wound in the side, the wounded Heart was gradually reached, and the wound in the Heart symbolized the wound of love. General devotion to the Sacred Heart, the birthplace of the Church and the font of Love, were popular in Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries, especially in response to the devotion of St. Gertrude the Great (b. 1256). But specific devotions became even more popularized when St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690), a Visitation nun, had a personal revelation involving a series of visions of Christ as she prayed before the Blessed Sacrament. She wrote, "He disclosed to me the marvels of his Love and the inexplicable secrets of his Sacred Heart." Christ emphasized to her His love, and His woundedness caused by Man's indifference to this love. My brothers and sisters, I invite you to take a few moments to ponder this great mystery of Jesus' heart. At the heart of the Lord is all that our soul needs, we should not lose this great opportunity! ■ Fr. Agustín, Pastor

El Sagrado Corazón de Jesús

Hermanos el viernes pasado celebramos la solemnidad del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús. La difusión de esta devoción la debemos a santa Margarita María, a quien Jesús se le apareció con estas palabras: "Mira este corazón mío, que a pesar de consumirse en amor abrasador por los hombres, no recibe otra cosa que sacrilegio, desprecio, indiferencia e ingratitud, aún en el mismo sacramento de mi amor. Pero lo que traspasa mi Corazón más desgarradamente es que estos insultos los recibo de personas consagradas especialmente a mi servicio." Duras palabras que deben llevarnos a meditar y desagraviar. Estas son las promesas que hizo Jesús a Santa Margarita, y por medio de ella a todos los devotos de su Sagrado Corazón: 1. Les daré todas las gracias necesarias a su estado. 2. Pondré paz en sus familias. 3. Les consolaré en sus penas. 4. Seré su refugio seguro durante la vida, y, sobre todo, en la hora de la muerte. 5. Derramaré abundantes bendiciones sobre todas sus empresas. 6. Bendeciré las casas en que la imagen de mi Corazón sea expuesta y venerada. 7. Los pecadores hallarán en mi Corazón un  océano infinito de misericordia. 8. Las almas tibias se volverán fervorosas. 9. Las almas fervorosas se elevarán a gran perfección. 10. Daré a los sacerdotes el talento de mover los corazones más duros. 11. Las personas que propaguen esta devoción tendrán su nombre escrito en mi Corazón, y jamás será borrado. 12. Les prometo que mi amor todopoderoso concederá a todos aquellos que reciban la

sagrada Comunión durante nueve primeros viernes consecutivos, la gracia de la perseverancia final; no morirán sin mi gracia, ni sin la recepción de los santos sacramentos. Mi Corazón será su seguro refugio en aquel momento supremo. Las condiciones para ganar esta gracia son tres: 1. Recibir la Sagrada Comunión durante nueve primeros viernes de mes de forma consecutiva y sin ninguna interrupción. 2. Tener la intención de honrar al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús y de alcanzar la perseverancia final. 3. Ofrecer cada Sagrada Comunión como un acto de expiación por las ofensas cometidas contra el Santísimo Sacramento. Qué importante es, pues, para nosotros la devoción al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús. Los invito a meditar en esto durante los próximos días ■ P. Agustín, Párroco.