St. Joseph as the First Confessor of the New Law…as we continue to look at the blessing of St. Joseph in our lives as faithful disciples, we come to understand him as a confessor of faith. As Archbishop M. de Langalerie writes, “He was the first after the Blessed Virgin to imitate Jesus Christ in a perfection until then unknown. He listened to Jesus Christ, and implicitly believed the truths received from the lips of Eternal Truth.” (p. 48, from “The Month of St. Joseph”) As a confessor of truth he knew the voice of God through his interactions with the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.

One of the most important aspects of being a confessor of faith is to see the blessings God gives in love of His creation where we read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The human person: with his openness to truth and beauty, his sense of moral goodness, his freedom and the voice of his conscience, with his longings for the infinite and for happiness, man questions himself about God’s existence. In all this he discerns signs of his spiritual soul. The soul, the “seed of eternity we bear in ourselves, irreducible to the merely material”, can have its origin only in God.” (#33)
This positive view, where holiness, goodness, and happiness are the cornerstones of who we are in the eyes of God and how we should look outward in our relationships with others in our life of faith. We can imagine St. Joseph as he enters into marriage, fatherhood and the growing closeness with Jesus and the Virgin Mary, the weariness and hurts of the world begin to fall away and his heart opens to the holiness and goodness he lives in contact with every day of his life. When we live in the reality of God’s blessing surrounding us in such great abundance, our heart naturally opens to greater love.

This doesn’t mean the sin of the world disappears. Because as we know very clearly how the violence and sins of the time surrounded the Holy Family and something St. Joseph had to deal with each and every day, but holiness in his daily interactions with the Word Made Flesh, Jesus Christ, transformed his heart into a willing receptacle of the grace given and shared.
And this is how we are called to live our lives. Even amidst the horrific sins of the world we are invited to share our lives in service of one another. Imagine where we, like the Holy Family are called to invite others to our table as well as the table of the Lord. We are challenged to care for our neighbors with prayers and works of mercy. We are given the gifts needed to do all things with God as our guide and center of our life.
This begins the path of holiness and points us towards our true home. “We can enter heaven without being canonized saints and confessors, or without forcing on ourselves the fulfillment of the evangelical counsels; but it is not possible for us to attain eternal bliss if we do not, in some degree, imitate the saints and advance in the path of perfection.” (p 48) In other words, we don’t have to be perfect to follow Jesus. We must simply begin to follow him and the path of perfection will be placed before us.

This brings us back to St. Joseph and our call to imitate him in seeing and living the gift of holiness, as confessors of the new law, in our own life and seeking this in others even when we are surrounded by a culture of death and the sins of our fallen world. I often think of Joseph bringing co-workers and friends back into his home for a meal, a prayer and some time together and how the child Jesus would listen to the words of his foster father as he spoke with gentleness and kindness seeking the very best of each person. This challenges us to do the same, as Jesus continues to be present in our homes, to listen and share seeking the best of each other …seeking the holiness and truth of our Heavenly Father.
God bless
Fr. Mark

St. Joseph as a model of union with Jesus Christ is seen most visibly in the many depictions of Joseph holding our Lord in his arms, embracing our Mother Mary as she carries Jesus or of St. Joseph and our Lord Jesus in the workshop of Nazareth. The union comes in the constant unity, companionship and care for Jesus in each and every aspect of the life of St. Joseph as husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus.
This union is what each person should strive to live in our lives with St. Joseph as our model. It is a unity and model of seeking the holiness of life in serving our brothers and sisters in our daily life.
How do we do this in our lives? Ultimately, I believe it comes from a joyful faith in Jesus Christ. “Union with Jesus Christ is the most perfect expression of our faith, at the same time is its characteristic principle. Spiritual life receives its vitality from Jesus Christ, and is more productive of virtue and abundant in good works as the union of the soul with Jim becomes more intimate.” (p 43 from “The Month of Joseph”)

I have been privileged as a priest to witness this virtue of joyful service in so many people in my ministry. A good example of this is another Joseph I know: Fr. Joseph Diaw, who has been is in residence with us at St. Lucy parish these past four years. Joyful and abundant in love of Jesus are two very simple ways of describing Fr. Joseph in a way that St. Joseph was a model of for each of us.
Fr. Joseph has been working and studying here in the United States as he prepares to return to his home diocese in Senegal where he will continue to serve the poor and refugee in the love of Jesus Christ.
Fr. Joseph will be leaving us very soon and reflecting back on his union with Jesus Christ and how we can continue to carry out his mission. I didn’t expect this gift of joy in my life and ministry when I arrived at St. Lucy. I received a call from Fr. Oscar, the former pastor of St. Athanasius, that there was this African priest who was here to study and did I have a place for him at St. Lucy. I was happy to accept him and there began the journey. Fr. Joseph’s English was limited at the time but the his joy and willingness to serve was apparent and he immediately fit into the house with Fr. Steve and I as we shared time together. We learned both expressions in French and Fr. Joseph’s native language but also the unity of our Catholic faith as he shared stories of serving in Africa and his missionary work with refugees.

During his study of English and then his MBA at the University of San Francisco this past year showed a dedication and virtue of perseverance where his love of God’s people drove him forward in learning something that did not come easily and took much time as he continued to serve at St. Lucy. His “yes” like the “yes” of St. Joseph was one that often stretched and invited him into areas that are not comfortable. And there our Fr. Joseph entered joyously and with a smile on his face. When asked, his “yes” came with a smile and for this I will always be thankful.
As Fr. Joseph departs St. Lucy, let us once more here the reflection of Archbishop M. de Langalerie, “Are our lives in union with that of Jesus Christ? Let us repeat these words, imposed on us as a dogma: Nothing without Jesus; on the contrary all things by Jesus, in Jesus, and with Jesus by him as mediator of grace; with Him, our model and our strength; in Him, the sole objects of the Satisfaction of the Father.”
Farewell my brother and God Bless you on your journey
Adieu mon frère et que Dieu vous bénisse pendant votre voyage. (google translate…forgive the errors.)
God Bless
Fr. Mark

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mk 16:15)

This weekend we will celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven and the words from Mark’s Gospel we read above are the last words spoken by Jesus to us his disciples. This command is still relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago when it was first spoken. And that is what they did following the command of our Lord.
I have spent this past week with our Bishop and many of my brother priests in four days of study. What did we study? Our lives. We looked at who we are and what we are called to do and how these 16 months of pandemic restrictions have affected our ministry and our person as sons of the Living God. This was the first time we had been together during this long time and the community rebuilding was so vitally necessary where the four days did not seem enough and we will continue to work on this ministry.
Our presenter, Fr. Chris, a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia shared with us many insights that are not just necessary for our priestly fraternity but also call each of us to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” The parish staff and leadership at St. Lucy has begun to look at doing much of the same things we talked about during these four days but more and more I am convinced of the need to begin to heal our souls from the woundedness and division these past 16 months have inflicted upon our communities.
And I believe that Pope Francis, in declaring this a “Year of St. Joseph” and where our Diocese of San Jose calls for a jubilee year we have been given a great gift to begin the healing and blessing of life where each of us continues our baptismal mission to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation”
As Pope Francis notes in Patris Corde, “Joseph’s attitude encourages us to accept and welcome others as they are, without exception, and to show special concern for the weak, for God chooses what is weak. He is the “Father of orphans and protector of widows,” who commands us to love the stranger in our midst. I like to think that it was from Saint Joseph that Jesus drew inspiration for the parable of the prodigal son and the merciful father.” (#4) Like St. Joseph we are called to reach out and serve, heal and care for those around us. We may have become strangers in our own way these past 16 months but we are called to accept and welcome God and others into the heart of our love.
This means the entering into a conscious and deliberate decision to seek and include the presence of God in the moments of our lives, not just when it is convenient or in a moment of despair or suffering, but in the little and seemingly insignificant moments of our lives. Pope St. John Paul II shares this bit of wisdom, “What is crucially important here is the sanctification of daily life, a sanctification which each person must acquire according to his or her own state, and one which can be promoted according to a model accessible to all people: “St. Joseph is the model of those humble ones that Christianity raises up to great destinies;…he is the proof that in order to be a good and genuine follower of Christ, there is no need of great things-it is enough to have the common, simple and human virtues, but they need to be true and authentic.” (#24)
The sanctification of daily life is the service in joy and hope of all people. It is an invitation to return to the offer of life Jesus shares with us and St. Joseph chose to embrace. Let us choose to embrace Joseph’s way in living the life of holiness, the gift of sanctity and the grace of family in the life of a true disciple of Jesus Christ.
“ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”(Phil 4:4-7)
God Bless
Fr. Mark

Cambios son difíciles. Y espero que esto ayude a explicar por qué dije que sí al cambio de asignación parroquial.

Cuando estaba en el seminario, mi director espiritual, el Padre Vincent, y yo tuvimos largas conversaciones sobre las dificultades que enfrentan los sacerdotes una y otra vez. Fue parte de mi cuestionamiento y su consejo y formación de mi corazón para estar más cerca del corazón de Jesús.
Una cosa que siempre me recordó fue que la promesa de obediencia es algo tan difícil y es fácil caer en la desobediencia cuando nuestros propios deseos chocan con nuestra obediencia a Dios y su santa Iglesia.
Cuando dije que “sí” a la solicitud del Obispo de cambiar de parroquia y dejar Santa Lucía, fue en obediencia y amor a nuestra Iglesia Católica. Fue difícil y mi corazón está roto y lleno de tristeza, pero fue mi elección decir que “sí” con amor obediente.
Sé lo difícil que es para una parroquia cuando los sacerdotes cambian de asignación y, especialmente, durante este año de pandemia, parece aún más difícil y, sin embargo, debemos continuar moviéndonos y encontrar nuevas formas de servir a Dios en y a través de nuestra fe y la Iglesia.
A menudo me han sorprendido mis asignaciones, siempre para lo mejor. Busco encontrar los dones positivos y las bendiciones detrás de cada nuevo desafío, a veces misterioso, de mi sacerdocio.
Mi primera asignación fuera del seminario fue como vicario parroquial de St. Martin of Tours. Antes de mi ordenación, varios sacerdotes diferentes me aseguraron que me asignarían a una parroquia u otra, pero St. Martin nunca apareció en ninguna de nuestras conversaciones. Cuando me senté con mis compañeros de clase y abrí nuestra carta de cita del Obispo, me quedé impactado y sorprendido de ver mi primera tarea, incluso hice una doble vuelta para mirar y asegurarme de que era mi nombre en la parte superior de la carta. No me decepcionó, sino que me confundió y, al final, me alegré de ser sacerdote y comenzar a servir a Dios. Mis tres años estuvieron llenos de tantas bendiciones y en esto me convirtió en un mejor hombre y en un sacerdote aprendiendo muchas lecciones del Padre Jack y el Padre Chris, los dos párrocos bajo los que serví y también el Padre Ray Kenny (+) quien estaba jubilado en residencia.

Mi segunda asignación a la parroquia del Holy Spirit también fue parte de mi experiencia de aprendizaje. Mi “sí” fue con dificultad por irme, pero también aprendí mucho del párroco de Holy Spirit, el Padre Brendan quien compartió conmigo muchas lecciones. Mi único año en la parroquia pasó volando y me ayudó a comprender mucho mejor las necesidades de las comunidades donde, incluso en este corto tiempo, construí muchas amistades que aún alimentan mi deber.
El cambio inesperado a mi tercera asignación, como párroco de St. Catherine of Alexandria, donde me habían asignado para mi año pastoral, fue en un momento inspirador y abrumador. Estaba descubriendo cómo ser sacerdote y ahora estaba asignado a dirigir esta maravillosa parroquia. Fue allí donde vino mi ministerio con el Encuentro Matrimonial Mundial, mi crecimiento en el idioma del español, mi comprensión de la corresponsabilidad y las dificultades para liderar y cuidar de una gran comunidad diversa, todo con altibajos y muchos obstáculos en el camino.
Después de seis años, cuando el Obispo me pidió que me cambiara, hubo una gran tentación de decir “no” por muchas razones. Estaba a la mitad de varias cosas. Quería completar algunos proyectos pastorales que acabábamos de comenzar. Estaba cómodo. Estaba contento viviendo en Morgan Hill. Podría enumerar cien más … pero en el amor obediente a la Iglesia y mi promesa a mi Obispo dije que “sí”.
Si no hubiera respondido con un “sí”, tal vez no estaría escribiendo esta carta a mi familia de Santa Lucia. Quizás nunca hubiera llegado a conocerlos y amarlos. Quizás mi vida sería menos rica ahora por un “no”. Si hubiera dicho “no” hace seis años, ¿qué otros “no” habrían comenzado a llenar mi ministerio como sacerdote? Esa es la tentación y la realidad. Decirle “sí” a Jesús es tomar la cruz, por difícil y doloroso que sea en estos tiempos, porque siempre lleva al amor.
Estoy muy feliz de haber dicho que “sí” hace seis años, incluso cuando me causó tanto dolor y el corazón de St. Catherine of Alexandria. Mi “sí” a Santa Lucía ha estado tan lleno de bendiciones que esta página no puede contenerlas.
Cuando decidí decir que “sí” a la solicitud de nuestro Obispo de cambiarme a St. Lawrence the Martyr, supe la tristeza que llenaría mi corazón y las lágrimas que seguirían. Cuando la escuela parroquial llenó mi oficina con tarjetas de bendición por mi cumpleaños, me reí mientras lloraba, sabiendo que esta sería la última vez. Pero la tristeza también está llena de tantos buenos recuerdos.
Sé que esto nunca explicará completamente las decisiones o quitará la tristeza, pero confío en la Divina Providencia de la santa voluntad de Dios y en el futuro a medida que avanzamos como la Iglesia una, santa, católica y apostólica de Jesucristo.
Que Dios lo bendiga,
El Padre Mark.

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Change is hard. And I hope this helps to explain why I said yes to the change of parishes assignments.

When I was in seminary my spiritual director, Fr. Vincent, and I would have long conversations about the difficulties facing priests over and over again. It was part of my questioning and his advising and forming my heart to be nearer to the heart of Jesus.
One thing he always reminded me of was that the promise of obedience is such a difficult thing and it is easy to slip into disobedience when our own desires and wants clash with our obedience to God and his holy Church.
When I said yes, to the Bishop’s request to change parishes and leave St. Lucy, it was in obedience in love of our Catholic Church. It was difficult and hard and my heart is broken and filled with sadness but it was my choice to say yes in obedient love.
I know how hard it is for a parish when priests change assignments and especially during this pandemic year it seems even more difficult and yet, we must continue to move and find new ways to serve God in and through our faith and the Church.
I have been surprised often in my assignments, always for the better. I seek to find the positive gifts and the blessings behind each, sometimes mysterious, new challenge of my priesthood.
My first assignment out of seminary was as parochial vicar of St. Martin of Tours. Leading up to my ordination I had been assured by several different priests that I would be assigned to one parish or another but St. Martin never came up in any of our conversations. When I sat with my classmates and opened our appointment letter from the Bishop I was shocked and surprised to see my first assignment, I even did a double take to look and make sure that it was my name at the top of the letter and not mix up with a classmate. I wasn’t disappointed but confused and in the end just happy to be a priest and begin serving God . My three years were filled with so many blessings and in this I became both a better man and priest learning many lessons from both Fr. Jack and Fr. Chris the two pastors I served under and also Fr. Ray Kenny (+) who was retired in residence.
My second assignment to Holy Spirit parish was also expected and was part of my learning experience. My yes was one of difficulty in leaving but also of a new time of learning from Holy Spirit’s pastor Fr. Brendan who shared with me many lessons. My one year at the parish flew by and helped me to understand the needs of communities much better where I, even in this short time, built many friendships that still feed my soul.

The unexpected move to my third assignment, as pastor of St. Catherine of Alexandria, where I had been assigned for my pastoral year, was at one moment inspiring and the next overwhelming. I was just figuring out how to be a priest and was now assigned to lead this wonderful parish. It was there my ministry with Worldwide Marriage Encounter came, my growth in my Spanish language, my understanding of stewardship and the difficulties in leading and caring for a large diverse community came with ups and downs and many bumps in the road.
After six years, when the Bishop asked me to move, there was a great temptation to say “no” for many reasons. I was in the middle of something. I wanted to complete some pastoral projects we had just begun. I was comfortable. I liked being in Morgan Hill. I could list one hundred more…but in the obedient love of the Church and my promise to my Bishop I said yes.
If I had not responded with a yes, perhaps I would not be writing to my St. Lucy family this letter. Perhaps I would never have come to know and love you. Perhaps my life would be less rich now because of a no. If I had said “no” six years ago what other no’s would have begun to fill my ministry as priest. That is the temptation and reality. Saying yes to Jesus is to take up the cross, as difficult and painful as it is in these times, because it always leads to love.
I am extremely happy I said yes six years ago even when it caused so much heartache and sorrow in both my heart but also St. Catherine of Alexandria. My yes to St. Lucy has be so filled with blessings this page cannot contain them.
When I chose to say yes to our Bishop’s request to move to St. Lawrence the Martyr, I knew the heaviness that would fill my heart and the tears that would follow. When the parish school filled my office with cards of blessing for my birthday, I laughed as I cried, knowing this would be the last time. But the sadness is also full of so many fond memories.
I know that this will never fully explain the decisions or take away the sadness, but I trust in the Divine Providence of God’s holy will and the future as we move forward as the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of Jesus Christ.
God bless
Fr. Mark.

Tomorrow, May 1, is the Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker it is also, this year, my 60th birthday. It is a decade milestones that happen only once and is filled with many blessings. I am going to take a break in writing about my birthday patron in his holy year and reflect a little bit on life in giving thanks to God for the blessings I have received over the past 60 years.
First and foremost, I thank God for my two loving parents. My father, Maynard, died in 1985 and my mother, Mariel, continues to chug along.

While certainly not perfect in every facet of life, their love for me and my eight siblings is truly a great blessing. People often say I look like my dad, belly and all now, and I take that as a compliment out of love and respect. When I left home and entered the Marine Corps I always enjoyed the brief calls I made home and the time I could talk with dad and one of the hardest things, after his death, was picking up the phone to give him a call and realize that he was gone and then take some time in prayer. I missed being able to share with him the day I decided to go to college full time and most of all the day I was accepted into the studies for the priesthood and on my day of ordination.

In many ways my mom gave me many gifts and blessings. She has been a sounding board and a ballast for some of the crazier times in life. The home on the farm had been a refuge and a time of rest especially after my ordination where I went home just to be a son and brother.
I was also blessed to have two very different but wonderful godparents, my Uncle Philip, my dad’s eldest brother, and Aunt Nelia, my mom’s younger sister. They gave me a different and wonderful perspective on life. What I most remember about Uncle Philip was his reliability in the advice and gifts given. Each Christmas and birthday I received and a young boy and teenager either a bottle of Old Spice or a manly soap on a rope. Aunt Nelia has referred to me as “Markie” and still does, just now with the “Fr.” moniker now added. It is a gift of humility and joy in still being known as her godson.

I could write ten thousand words about my brothers and sisters. As the 4th of nine, I was not exactly the middle, that goes to my sister Mary Cay, but with all my brothers and sisters enjoyed the reality of always having a friend in the house to help comfort one another in or pains and sadness and share the joys and blessings of life. I cannot imagine growing up in a smaller family and as brothers and sisters we all know the devastation of the death of a sibling when my younger brother Mitch died. Being surrounded by so much love is a gift God has shared with me. In many ways I think this has helped me in my priesthood in dealing with so many different personalities and the controlled chaos often found in parish life.

I will now be entering into my 16th year fo priesthood. I was ordained on June 5th, 2005 along with my classmates for San Jose, Fr. Andres Parra(+), Fr. John Poncini, Fr. Vincent Pineda and Fr. Joseph Page. The blessings of the priesthood may not be ten thousand words, I’ve been a brother for 60 years and only a priest for 16, so I don’t have quite as much time. I Many of my brother priests have helped me be a better priest that have now gone to their eternal reward. Fr. Alex Affonso(+), who I worked with at St. Catherine of Alexandria in Morgan Hill was a true man of grace and dignity who loved the priesthood with such great joy. Being able to walk with him during his final days gave me a profound gift of peace and grace in facing death and trusting in a loving and merciful God. And I could write so much more….but
These are just a few of the blessings….Thanks be to God for the gift of life and for each of you in blessing my life.
God Bless
Fr. Mark