MASS OF PALM SUNDAY (PASSION SUNDAY), YEAR B Readings: Isaiah 30: 1-7. Phil. 2: 6-11. Mark 14: 1-13: 17. Theme: We are called to spread the palm/branches of

good works, prayers and penance. Last Sunday, we read that some Greek religious community that came from Jerusalem requested to be allowed access to the Lord. This community was attracted to the mystery of Christ because they saw the passion coming, and they decided to let Jesus know on time. (Explain) We call today Palm or Passion Sunday because the liturgy underlines two important and opposing events in the life of Jesus, namely; Triumphant entry into Jerusalem and the Passion and death of Jesus. Palm Sunday: This underscores the status of the King w ho triumphantly entered into Jerusalem and great crowds of people spread their cloaks on the road, while others were cutting branches from the tree and spreading them in his path, shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessing on him who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heavens. In this same way, we walk in procession today to commemorate the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem, announcing the imminent victory of the risen Christ. The crowd in procession is the image of the elected people marching towards Celestial Jerusalem. Palm signifies victory and power. As the procession of our lives leads to Jerusalem, we are expected to greet the Lord who comes from Jerusalem to meet us and lead us by him self to the holy city. And the best way to him the Lord is through spreading on the ground the branches of the trees of our good works, prayers and penance. By doing this, we proclaim to the world that the road to Jerusalem trodden by the Lord is not a road to death but a road to life, not a road leading to a dead-end but a road to a new beginning. Passion Sunday: The Church wants us to read the passion of the Lord at the beginning of Holy Week to introduce us to the poignant experience of our Lord before his death on Good Friday. It also indicates that those who were singing Hosanna, Hosanna to the Son of David would be the ones that could crucify him. The text of the passion is well detailed and already self-explanatory. It presents the horrible scene of the tribulations of our Lord Jesus Christ, which included, among others: 1. betrayal by his own apostle, 2. Condemnation as a criminal although he was innocent, 3. Physical and emotional pains, 4. Abandonment by his apostles and particularly by Peter who had promised to remain faithful but denied him three times, 5. His crucifixion, 6. Derision and insults from passers-by and onlookers. 7. the most puzzling of all, he felt abandoned even by the Father and wept, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Cf. Mt. 27: 46). The life of JESUS (his passion, his relationship with the father, his crucifixion and death, and his final exaltation) matched with Isaiah’s description of the Servant of Yahweh. Therefore, early Christians did not hesitate to apply it to him. After a short response to Pilate, he never opened his mouth, like a lamb about to be slaughtered, like a sheep about to be sheared. (Cf. also Isaiah 53:7). As we reflect over the suffering and death of Jesus this week, may we also ask for forgiveness of our own sins and that of those who contributed to the death of Jesus (Jews, Pilate, Judas, and humanity represented by the crowd). Jesus loves you, and so do I. - Rev. Marcel Okonkwo

Altar Servers (Carol Garcia 446-2129) March 27 - Aurelio, Aurora, Josh & Joseph

March 28 - Caleb, Gigi, Ovian & Patrick

April 1 - Aurora, Aurelio, Patrick & Josh

April 2 - Samuel, Caleb, Gigi, Joseph

April 3 - Aurelio & Aurora

April 4 - Gigi, Patrick, Josh, & Joseph

Church Cleaners: Carol & Lloyd Garcia. If you can’t make your assigned date, please trade with someone else. If the Church is not open, please call Carol Garcia at 446-2129. We need more volunteers to help clean our church. Please consider volunteering.

Nuestra Señora de La Luz

Our Lady of the Light Catholic Church

P.O. Box 236 La Luz, New Mexico 88337

(www.ourladyofthelight.org) Office: (575) 434 - 9460

Mon. – Thurs. (10:00 - 4:00pm) Pastor - Fr. Marcel Okonkwo

Deacon: Andy Weiss DRE: Alicia McAninch

Ministry to the Home Bound: Janice Gillen

Food Bank: 434-9460 Palm Sunday

March 28th, 2021

Sacrament of Reconciliation:

Saturdays: 3:00 – 3:30 pm

Weekend Masses:

Saturday Evening: 4:00 pm

Sunday: * 9:00 am - Rosary recited

before Mass

Weekday Masses:

Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday - 8:30 am

Communion Service - Monday & Wednesday

Eucharistic Adoration - Thursdays after

Mass.

Anointing of the Sick - 1st Friday of the

month

Mass Intentions

Sat: + Amparo L. Ortega by Marie Diaz

& + Beto Mars by the Lozanos

Sun: Sp. Int. for Fr. Marcel & Deacon

Andy by the Luis Salinas Family

Mon: Communion Service

Tues: + Sarah Haggerty by the Spears

Family

Wed: Communion Service

Thurs: + Stella Herrera by Angel Lucero

Fri: Good Friday

Sat: + Don Ruday Cardenas by the Luis

Salinas Family & Sp. Int. For Fr. Marcel

by the Villarreal Family

Lectors (Carol Garcia) March 27 - C. & T. McGinn

(The Passion Voice) – C. Kline

March 28 - A. Mizerka & K. Burnett

(The Passion Voice) - D. Chelgren

Holy Thursday- D. Chelgren & S. Moquin

Good Friday - C. Moquin & B. Shoaf

(The Passion Voice) - T. Lozano

Holy Saturday - L. Valle, C. Kline, T. &

C. McGinn

Easter Sunday - D. Chelgren & F. Spears

Please pray for those serving in our military

Major Paul Weaver (USAF) Jeremiah Williams (USAF) Eric Gayso - (National Guard) SSgt. Eliza Granados (USAF) Tec. Sgt. Robert Seaburgh (USAF) Markie Campbell Raul Martinez Jr. (USAF) Capt. Amanda Armijo Katherine Agnew (Army) John Gill - USAF Andrew McLaughlin Clinton Caleb Muncy (Marines) Victor Baray (Marines) Tec. Sgt. Veronica C.de Baca Tec. Sgt. Matt Leal (Air Force) Mario Gallegos (Marines) Christopher Garcia (USAF)

Sick of the Parish John Herrera Sandra Wilder David Kellar Martha Kellar Bob Kellar Danny Lucero Marie Black Lane Dokken Lucas Gaukler Tilly Telles Stacy Miller Bill Gayso Frank Borunda Erlinda Garcia Edward Strumpf Sandra Carrillo Amanda Rose John Wilson Bobby Granados Gigi Gutierrez Paula Hernandez Juan Hernandez Ben & Mary Placencio Tim Lozano Manny Rojas Mikala Trujillo Wayne Wild Amber Cuellar-Town Carmen Guitard Amber Lozano Johnson Edward Silva Martha Walters Angie Madl Freddie Pacheco

Parish Office Hours: Monday - Thursday 10:00am - 4:00 pm - Or by appointment.

Closed on all major holidays. (575) 434-9460(www.ourladyof thelight.org)

Visit Our Website for Parish News, Events, & Photos! http://www.ourladyofthelight.org

We will have a Special Collection on Good Friday for

the Holy Land.

Rice Bowls - The Rice Bowls should be returned by Good Friday (April 2nd). Thank you for your participation in this year’s CRS Rice Bowl Campaign.

From Fr. Marcel: Please call the parish office if you have anyone who is bedridden and would like to receive the sacraments during Holy Week. Please provide a telephone number and the house address too.

Easter Lilies Please help decorate the church for Easter by purchasing an Easter Lily. You can purchase one for $10.00. It is a wonderful way to remember a loved one.

Schedule of Holy Week Services

Holy Thursday - 4:00pm Good Friday - 4:00 pm Easter Vigil - 7:00pm

Easter Sunday - 9:00 am Fr. Tom Smith from the Holy Cross Retreat Center will be here to help with the Holy Week Services. *There will be no morning mass-es on Thursday and Friday morning.

Holy Week Services at St. Francis Holy Thursday - 6:00pm

Good Friday - Stations at 2:00pm followed by the liturgy at 3:00pm

Easter Vigil - 8:00pm Easter Sunday - 11:00am

Our Parish Mission — ‘Nuestra Senora de La Luz’ (Our Lady of the Light) is a community that comes together to model Jesus to all peoples by addressing physical concerns and spiritual matters, and to do as Jesus did, giving everything to bring people into a closer relationship with God, in celebration.

Our Lady of the Light Food Pantry The Food Pantry served 136 families last Tuesday. They will be open on

March 30th from 10:00am until 2:00pm. The pantry is in need of the

following items: Canned soup or ramen, Cold or hot cereal, Canned tuna or

chicken, Pasta Noodles, Cups of fruit or applesauce, Meal helpers; Small flour

or sugar; Small oil, Bottled juice, & Dried rice or beans. We want to thank the

pantry volunteers and all who have contributed food and given monetary

donations this year. God bless you all.

Keeping you Safe The most important things we can do to keep one another safe: 1. Wear a mask inside the church (if

you don’t have a mask, some are provided on the table located on the left side of the church as you enter.)

2. Sanitize your hands when you enter church before taking a missalette to your pew.

3. Social Distance - please sit in designated pews only. Families should sit together. Please distance yourself from those you do not live with.

4. If you take a missalette to your pew, leave it on the pew bench after mass. The pew kneeler should be left down so that we can sanitize the pew, kneeler and missalette. Thank you for helping us keep our church open and safe by following these few safety measures.

Our Lady of the Light Religious Education

Our Lady of the Light Religious Education program will begin having a few “in Person” classes in the next few months. The next “in-Person” class will be held on Wednesday, March 31st. The 1st Grade through 5th grade will meet that afternoon from 2:30 until 3:30. The Middle school grades and the Confirmation class will meet from 3:40 until 4:40. The classroom areas will be sanitized before and after each class session. We will follow the state mandated guidelines of mask wearing, social distancing, and hand sanitizers. Please notify us and let us know you would prefer for us to send faith lesson materials through the mail. Please remain safe and continue to pray. — Blessings, Alicia McAninch, DRE

During the Lenten Season Remember

Fasting (age 18-59) – 2 small meals cannot equal or exceed your 1 large meal. Abstinence (age 14 and over) – Refrain from eating meat and meat products. Fast & Abstinence: Ash Wednesday & Good Friday Abstinence: Fridays of Lent

We want to thank all

the volunteers and everyone who supported our recent Enchilada Dinner. We made $4, 679.00.

From Fr. Marcel “We wish to thank our Parishioners Who always make donations to our parish. And, we continue to encourage such donation towards the United in Ministry and Sunday Offertory. Throughout the one year of the pandemic we have been trying to survive. “