YLI # 64 Martinez ca

04/12/2026

03/31/2026

Holy Week Schedule!
Check out the flyer for Mass times, Stations of the Cross, Morning Prayer, and etc.

03/23/2026

✝️ DON’T RUSH AFTER HOLY COMMUNION… STAY WITH JESUS

After receiving Holy Communion, resist the urge to move on quickly. Remain for a few quiet moments in prayer. Those silent minutes after receiving the Eucharist are among the most sacred and intimate moments of the day.

Here are three beautiful intentions many Catholics offer right after Communion:

✝️ Thanksgiving
Take time to thank Jesus for the gift of Himself.

“Lord, I thank You for coming to me in this Sacrament of love. Out of Your mercy, You feed my soul and draw me closer to You. All glory and praise be Yours forever.”

✝️ Reparation
Offer prayers for sins—your own and those committed against the Eucharist.

“My Jesus, I am sorry for every offense against You in the Blessed Sacrament. I offer this Communion in reparation for all indifference and irreverence. Fill my heart with a deeper love for You.”

✝️ Love and Union
Ask Jesus to remain with you and transform your heart.

“Jesus, I love You. Increase my love and unite my heart completely to Yours. Stay with me and help me share Your love with others today.”

✝️ A Precious Moment
These quiet moments after Communion are a gift. Do not waste them. Christ is truly present within you—close, alive, and listening. Speak to Him.

What do you usually say to Jesus after receiving Him? Share your prayer below 👇

Credit: Ignatius Catholicum.

03/23/2026

Become EXTRA prepared for Easter Sunday, the Resurrection of the Lord, by completing the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We are adding extra times for confessions during the Sacred Triduum. Check the flyer below to see what time works best for you!

03/22/2026

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03/22/2026

Join Chris Pratt, Mark Wahlberg, Jonathan Roumie, Sr. Miriam, Fr. Mike Schmitz, and more alongside millions of others for Hallow's Lent Pray40: THE RETURN.

03/16/2026

There is a crisis in the Church due to a lack of young men choosing to respond to God’s call to the priesthood. We believe that the cultural negativity surrounding the priesthood is a significant factor in this crisis. We are actively countering the negative perceptions by sharing the reality—that priests are courageous, holy, and selfless individuals devoted to serving God and their communities.

03/16/2026

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02/19/2026

IF I WASHED OFF MY ASHES, DID I COMMIT A SIN?
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Every year on Ash Wednesday, many people walk out of church with ashes boldly marked on their foreheads. Some keep them all day. Some wipe them off quickly. And some quietly wonder:

“If I washed it off… did I sin?”

The simple answer is no.

Ashes are a sacramental, not a sacrament. They are a sacred sign. They are not a permanent spiritual mark. They are not magic. Washing them off does not cancel grace. It does not offend God.

But let’s go deeper.

The ashes are placed on your forehead as a visible sign of repentance. In the Bible, ashes were used to show sorrow for sin. People sat in ashes to say, “I need mercy.” It was an outward sign of an inward change.

The key word is inward.

God never asked for ashes alone. He asked for a broken and humble heart. If the heart repents, the ashes have done their work.

Some people keep the ashes all day as a witness. That is beautiful. Others wash them off because of work, hygiene, or personal reasons. That is not sinful. The Church does not command you to keep them on your skin for a certain number of hours.

The real question is not, “Did I wash it off?”
The real question is, “Did I live it out?”

You can keep ashes on your forehead all day and never repent.
You can wash them off in an hour and still live in deep conversion.

The power is not in how long the ashes stay visible. The power is in whether repentance stays in your heart.

Ash Wednesday is not about public display. It is about interior truth. The mark on your forehead fades quickly. The mark of grace in your soul is what matters.

So no, washing off your ashes is not a sin.

But ignoring the call to repentance, that is the real danger.

Dust will disappear.
The question is: will your conversion remain?

God bless you.

02/06/2026

LENT COMING SOON...

02/04/2026