It's been my blessing to work at St. Robert's for over four years now. While working and serving, brings many joys, I occasionally encounter moments of discouragement that test my faith and perspective. Allow me to share a recent experience that taught me a valuable lesson about God's work in our community.

Two weeks ago, we hosted our annual "Day of Mercy and Peace" Penance Service on the Friday before Holy Week. We prepared meticulously—examination of conscience materials in both English and Spanish, organized spaces for the priests, arranged for music ministry, and scheduled prayers including the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet. We even started earlier to accommodate more confessions.

When 5:30pm arrived, I waited expectantly for the usual crowd, but something was different. Despite having nine priests available—seven of whom had graciously come from other parishes—our church remained eerily quiet. Over three hours, perhaps only 75 people came. I felt devastated. Standing outside at the Welcome Center, I questioned everything: What were we doing wrong? How could we better invite people to prepare their souls before walking with Christ through His Passion?

As I wrestled with these thoughts, something unexpected happened. A couple emerged from the church where they had been since before we began. Tears of joy streamed down their faces. They had just come from the Cry Room where Grupo de Oración had been praying over them. With profound gratitude, they shared how meaningful the evening had been—praying two Rosaries and two Divine Mercy Chaplets in both English and Spanish. Whatever spiritual healing they had been seeking, they found it that night.

In that moment, I remembered Jesus' parable: "What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy" (Luke 15:4-5). I had been focused on numbers—on the 99—when God was rejoicing over the one.

The Lord gently reminded me that ministry isn't about quantity but about the quality of spiritual encounters. As Matthew 18:20 assures us, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

My perspective shifted from disappointment to gratitude. I realized my discouragement stemmed from selfishness—from    measuring success by my standards rather than God's. As Isaiah 55:8-9 teaches us: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways—oracle of the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

I needed to trust in divine timing. "There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). God works according to His perfect schedule, not mine.

This experience taught me to look beyond my expectations and to recognize the Holy Spirit's movement, even when it appears different from what I anticipated. Sometimes the most profound ministry happens with just one or two people, as Jesus demonstrated repeatedly throughout His earthly ministry.

May we all remember that the Good Shepherd rejoices more over the one sheep that was found than the ninety-nine who never strayed. And may we find peace in knowing that God's will unfolds in His perfect timing, not our own.