Happy Easter from Hawaii! The day after Easter Sunday my family and I flew to the island of Oahu for a much-anticipated two weeks of vacation together. As we continue into this season celebrating the Lord’s resurrection and His triumph over sin & death, my prayer is that the graces He has won will transform our world and our lives.

On that note, I’d like to ask for your prayers for two very special intentions. The first you undoubtedly know: prayers for the repose of our Holy Father Pope Francis. The tradition of novemdiales (nine days of mourning) is likely a familiar one, given that we have said goodbye to several popes over the last few decades, but it is an important reminder that we all must stand before the Lord to account for our lives. To be made pope is to assume a grave responsibility and we ought to intercede most fervently for all those who have done so – and the one who will be chose in the days to come.

I would also like to ask your prayers for an intention more local. One of my dear friends, Francine Mastini, fell ill over the Easter weekend. Since then she has been suffering greatly, with serious decline in her mental and physical health. There are significant indications that she has Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease – it is 100% fatal and life expectancy is measured in months or even weeks. A conclusive determination about that possibility is about a week out, but her condition is grave and subject to extraordinary ups & downs. In your kindness, please pray for her and her husband (Thom Ryng). If you feel so called, a friend of the family has set up a GoFundMe (I have personally confirmed that this is the official one, approved by Thom himself) to help support them.

In baptism we share in the life of Christ – all of His life: Passion, death, and resurrection. For us who still walk in this valley of tears, perhaps the most powerful intercession is found in the simplest of prayers: “Jesus, I trust in You”. May He accompany all those suffering here on earth and welcome into His embrace all those He has called to Himself.