The choice of Bibles at this facility are either the King James or the Good News Bible.
The Good News Bible
This Bible differs from a Catholic Bible which has deuterocanonical books like 1 and 2 Esdras. It falls in the category of the Greek Orthodox Bible and is an extension of the Book of Ezra. I use this Bible because it does include all the Catholic books that Martin Luther and the Protestant reformers removed. Both Mario and I were intrigued by 2 Esdra. This book concentrates on eschatology. It was definitely an interesting read.
The Book of Acts
Biola University was my first encounter with the Book of Acts. I had left the Catholic Church for a season (about 15 years). One of my classes was based on reading and interpreting The Book of Acts. I had no idea who these Bible characters were and the entire Book of Acts was one of my biggest challenges. Through the grace of God, I finally began to understand this book’s full meaning. Today this is one of my favorite books in the New Testament.
Third Week of Easter
We are in the third week of Easter. We Catholics celebrate Easter until Pentecost, which will fall on June 8th this year. During this time part of the readings are from the Book of Acts. In Acts 5:34-42 Gamaliel, who is a Pharisee and a leading authority in the Sanhedrin, speaks to the other members and warns them:
Acts 5:36 New American Standard Bible
36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.
Gamaliel also mentioned another example of a failed uprising. But when Gamaliel spoke these profound words it changed the destiny of the Apostles.
Acts 5:39 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
39 But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him.
Black Lives Matter
I told Mario that this is exactly what happened to Black Lives Matter, because of its corrupt leaders, it was not of God. And just as Gamaliel said it came of nothing. I whispered this to Mario because we were surrounded by many black men, and in no way was he going to disrespect them.
According to an article in the New York Post, May 28, 2023, of the $90 million in donations, only 30% actually helped charitable foundations. Remember all the crazy snowflakes that gave millions of dollars to this organization? How corporate American rallied for this debunked movement? Praise the Lord that the truth will always be revealed and that nothing will be left unturned.
The Word of God is real and powerful, not to be taken lightly. After much studying, being properly catechized with revelations from God, I can finally say I understand this book.
Philippians
We moved on to Philippians, a great example of what one can accomplish while in prison. The apostle Paul wrote this letter to encourage his friends and to continue to spread the Gospel. Imagine that, having the joy of the Lord while in prison. The more I visit Mario, I can see that truly he wants to become the man God created him to be. I see joy on his face, and he loves to study the Bible. Philippians captures the true essence of Christianity in the sense of community.
Philippians 1:27 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
27 Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear news of you, that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind struggling together for the faith of the gospel,
St. Paul continues to encourage them by telling them:
Philippians 2:14 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
14 Do everything without grumbling or questioning
The first thing I do when I wake up is to thank the Lord for another day, but it’s always followed by grumbling about my aches and pains. Mike constantly reminds me, “One day you will wake up and not complain.”
Mario’s Goals
July 15, 2025, is the release date given, so that means that soon Mario will be a free man. He has goals and wants nothing more than to become a productive member of society. I wrote down his goals and tucked them in my back pocket. I didn’t want to cause an uproar by smuggling something out of the facility.
The first thing Mario wants to do is get a job. The second thing on his list is to get his driver’s license. This falls second because he needs to complete DUI classes to get this in order. This matter has been hanging over him for years. He wants to find a good church. Mario wants to complete his AA degree; he lacks only two classes. And he wants to spend time with his family. I am asking, if you read my Blog, please add Mario to your prayers. Pray that God will grant him the desires of his heart.
Our family, Will was working
Early Mother’s Day Celebration
We celebrated Mother’s Day a week early because Mikos and Jenny will be out of town. My family always asks me, “What do you want for Mother’s Day?” My favorite gift is getting together with a shared meal with my family. I praise the Good Lord that most of the time we all get along. This time was extra special because Maddie was home from college. I love my family!
My Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for the work You are doing in Mario’s life. Give Mario special graces to succeed after his release. Help him to find a good-paying job so that he can support himself. Surround him with godly friends, and help him find a church filled with Your Holy Spirit. Jesus, guide his steps and allow him to live without being judged because of his prison background. Amen.
Jacob, Wil. me, Mike and Lucas. Maddie will be home from college next week
We truly are the Easter people.
The family
The Abbey
An announcement was made at our parish that during the week of Holy Week there would be no confessions. It had been a month since my last confession, so I felt that before Easter I needed to be purged of my transgressions. My friend Susan and I made plans to go to St. Michael’s Abbey because they were still hearing confessions.
When we arrived the line was wrapped around the building with more than 50 people waiting. We arrived at 1:15 p.m.
I had an appointment with my optometrist at 3:30 p.m. that I had to cancel because I knew this was going to take longer. With four priests hearing confessions, we were done by 3;00 p.m.
Small Talk
Small talk has always been my gift, so I started a conversation with a lady behind us. She had driven from Dana Point, which was a 45-minute drive. As our conversation continued she mentioned that on Good Friday Santiago Retreat Center opens to hikers to go through the Stations of the Cross. “Is it a hard climb?” “Could someone like me do it?” I asked. She was an outdoorsy-type of person who hikes on a regular basis. She answered, “I’m sure you could do it!” This was a challenge, but I did not want to do this alone.
The No Planning Debacle
If you know anything about me, even if I plan things, something always goes wrong. I called Russ ( my son-in-law) and asked if he would like to join me on this hike. I could hear Sonja in the background, “Why are you planning things with my husband?” Russ added that Sonja was off on Good Friday. So between the two of them, the message was clear that they were not interested. But on Thursday, while Mike and I were at dinner, I received a text from Russ saying that they wanted to go on the hike.
On Good Friday I woke up in a panic. “I needed to be at Sonja’s at 7:45 a.m.. “Are you coming with us?” I asked Mike. “Going where? What are you talking about?” The hike, I answered. Of course I forgot to mention all the specifics to Mike but, thank God, he decided to join us.
I had an unscheduled appointment to see Mario, so I wanted to make sure that we finished on time for me to drive to Norco.
Sonja, me and MikeThe pathBlessed Mother Mary watching over the pilgrimsWe made it!
Being unaware that we needed to register online was just one small hurdle. I forgot to bring water, so Sonja supplied us. “Do you have the directions?” I asked as we were driving. Sonja looked puzzled, “I thought you took care of this.” No, just pull it up on your phone,” I answered. “What is the name of the place?” she asked. “Silverado Retreat Center,”I replied. “Mom, there is no such place! I found Santiago Retreat Center.” “Oh, I forgot, that’s it!”
The Stations of the Cross
This experience was both beautiful and challenging. As I looked in the distance I could see the iron cross. I thought to myself, “We’re not going that high, are we?” We were, and it took an hour to hike up to the summit. Some of the terrain was rocky and steep; with each station the walk became more arduous.
When we reached the Forth Station of the Cross, it became more of a spiritual challenge. I knew the Lord was with us at every station. I felt safe. When reaching the summit, I looked at the path below us and thanked God for allowing us to experience this holy adventure. It was around 11:15 a.m. by the time we finished our hike, two hours total. I was in a bit of a rush because I needed to drive to Norco.
The Visit
A quick breakfast of fried eggs and avocado toast, and then I was off to visit Mario. When I arrived at the facility there were two new guards at the check-in station. I arrived a little before 1:00 p.m. I remembered the time that I did not have an appointment I was made to wait until 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon. For as many times as I tried to make an appointment, the prison system was blocking me. In frustration, I gave up. To this day their system is still unable to get this problem resolved.
Two Rude Officers
“Do you have an appointment?” asked the first woman officer. “No, your system is down and I was unable to get one scheduled,” I answered. “Well, we’ve changed the time for walk -in appointment visits to 4:00 p.m. Didn’t you read the website?” she smugly answered. “When was it changed?” I asked. “Two weeks ago, you should have read the website.” We went back and forth, with me trying to explain that not only did I not know about this, but that Mario was unaware of this change as well.
I pleaded with both of these rude women, but they would not give in. I explained that I was the only one there, that it was Good Friday, and all I wanted was to minister to my nephew. One with a tight bun looked at me and told me to stop arguing with them. I was not in anyway arguing but only trying to explain that I could not get an appointment because of their faulty system.
I asked to speak to their supervisor but to no avail. “We’re not going to do that because the answer is going to be NO!” “How do you know if the answer is going to be no if you don’t ask?” I responded.
When I reminded them that it was Good Friday, one of them said, “It’s just a another Friday.” I could not wait three and a half hours, so I left. I cried part of the way home, thinking I let Mario down. By the time Mario called I was more composed; we were both saddened by this rude outcome.
One thing I will never understand about visiting someone in prison is that the visitor is treated like a prisoner.
My Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You for allowing us to walk the Stations of Your glorious Cross. I pray for every pilgrim who took this hike to come to the knowledged of how very difficult each station was for You, Lord. Please touch the hearts of these prison employees. Teach them empathy and to treat all visitors with respect. Amen.
Following in the footsteps of Jesus as He made his triumphant entry into the city, one can truly imagine the joy in the hearts of His followers. Experiencing this as a pilgrim, my eyes recorded this joyous event and I stored them deep within my heart.
Why did Jesus ask His disciples to bring Him a colt? This was done to fulfill the prophecy in Zechariah.
Zechariah 9:9
The King’s Entry into Jerusalem
9 Exult greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! Behold: your king is coming to you, a just savior is he, Humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Riding in on a lowly animal is a symbol of peace. There were plenty of horses in the time of Jesus, but they were used by the Romans and for war. The donkey was a connection to the common people. The Jews were under Roman rule; they were hated by Rome. The Romans treated them with great contempt. Jesus came as a humble king to serve and save the oppressed. No one had sat on the colt because it was the right of the King to do this first.
In Matthew 21:7-8, the people spread their cloaks over the animals because this was a tradition of the Israelite kingship to reestablish a Davidic line. It’s also important to understand that there were two groups of Jews: the Jews who joined Jesus for His triumphal entry and the Jews who lived in Jerusalem. The Jews who lived in Jerusalem knew very little if anything about Jesus; these were the ones who joined forces with the Romans to demand Jesus’ crucifixion.
Monday
On this day Jesus curses a fig tree for not bearing fruit. What good are we if we are not bearing fruit, or if our fruit is tasteless? As disciples of Jesus, we should always bear good fruit. This was also the day that Judas Iscariot negotiated with the Sanhedrin to betray Jesus (Mat 26:14-16).
Tuesday
The chief priest, scribes and Pharisees form a pack against Jesus and attempt to entrap Him. They organize an ambush but Jesus evaded their trap. Jesus’ harsh word against them:(Mat 23:24-33)
Wednesday
The Bible does not say what Jesus did on Wednesday but Bible scholars believed He spent the day resting in Bethany in anticipation of the Passover.
Holy Thursday, The First Day of Triduum
The word Triduum comes from the Latin meaning three days in preparation for a great feast.
In the Upper Room, Jesus took on the role of a servant and washed the feet of His disciples. Washing the feet is part of the Aaronic priesthood (Ex 30:21).
While they are eating the Last Supper, Jesus announces that one of them will betray Him.
The bread and wine is the institution of the Holy Eucharist.
Good Friday Via Dolorosa
On Holy Thursday Jesus instituted the priesthood over his apostles at the Last Supper (Mt 26:26-29). This is commemorating the celebration of the first Mass. At every Mass we recall what great sacrifice Jesus did for us by dying on the Cross.
Good Friday, Second Day of Triduum
While Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas arrives with the chief priest, scribes and elders. Judas has done his dirty deeds and received thirty pieces coins. We know that Judas hanged himself, but before that, he returned the money he received for the betrayal of Jesus to the high priest (Mt 27:3-10). This too was in fulfillment of the prophet Zechariah.
Zechariah 11:12-13 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
12 Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, withhold them.”And they counted out my wages, thirty pieces of silver. 13 Then the Lord said to me, Throw it in the treasury—the handsome price at which they valued me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the treasury in the house of the Lord.
Despite all His accusers and false witnesses, the chief priest and the entire Sanhedrin could not find fault in Jesus.
Mark 14:55 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
55 The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, but they found none.
Jesus is given his Cross. Through all the Stations of the Cross is a mix of Jesus’ true believers and those who hate Him and wish Him death. As we carry our crosses in life may we always recall the painful path of the Via Dolorosa that the Lord took on our behalf. May we never forget!
We are to abstain from meat on Good Friday. Also no Mass is celebrated anywhere in the world. The passion gospel will be read. We leave the church in total silence.
Holy Saturday, The Last Day of Triduum
The chief priest requests that a guard be placed at the tomb of Jesus. The guarded tomb is secured and sealed. This was done so that Jesus’ body could not be stolen, allowing His disciples to later claim that He had risen from the dead. These guards were assumed to be Roman soldiers because Jews had no authority to perform an executions (Mt 27:62-66).
Holy Saturday is the great Easter Vigil, this is always an evening service. The church will be in complete darkness – representing the tomb. Fire is lit from outside of the church followed by a procession. The Paschal candle is lit – representing the light and life of Christ. This candle is used throughout the year for celebrating baptisms , First Holy Communion, Confirmation and funerals.
Easter Sunday
As the women who loved our Lord come to anoint His body, they discover an empty tomb. Jesus entrusted the great news of His Resurrection to women! (Luke 24:1-9) Alleluia, Christ the Lord is Risen!
My Prayer
Dear Jesus, as we walk through Holy Week with You may our hearts be filled with sorrow and gratitude for what You have done for us. May we never deny Your existence. Teach us to carry our crosses as You did with great dignity. Lord reveal to us, in the spirit of Simon of Cyrene, to help those whose crosses are to hard to bear. May we come alongside them in prayer. Thank You, Lord, for Your glorious Resurrection! Amen.
