Entries for February 2023

As I write this, I have just come back from offering the 7 a.m. and Noon Masses on Ash Wednesday. For me as pastor, the experience was like a shot of spiritual B-12! The numbers of people coming and participating in Mass was an inspiration!

With the beginning of Lent, God offers all of us the opportunity to participate in Sunday Mass and Holy Communion. In our Catholic tradition, we speak of the “obligation” to participate in the Mass every Sunday and holy day, unless serious circumstances prevent us from doing so. I know that in our culture, an obligation does not seem so much like an invitation as a burden or unpleasant task. However, there are good and positive reasons why Catholics should gladly assume the obligation of Sunday Mass.

As creatures of a loving God, we owe God proper worship. The obligation is ours by the nature of things. Everything we have comes from God. We cannot be fully human without a relationship with God in which we invest ourselves in a way that is pleasing to God. Already in the Old Covenant, God revealed the kind of worship that is pleasing to God and good for us. This included regular observance of the Sabbath.

Now in the New Covenant, we see the extent of God’s love for us in the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. We are invited by Jesus to share in his perfect worship of the Father. Participation in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and in the power of the resurrection is available to us fully in the Mass. This is the worship that is pleasing to God, and so we owe it to God. We are blessed to have this joyful duty so accessible to us in our parish week by week.

When we say that we have “missed” Mass on Sunday, we only acknowledge part of the truth. We have actually chosen to do something else instead, something that is not the right worship of God. Even without fully intending it, we have placed a false god at the head of the week’s activities and responsibilities. A serious disorder results in the life-giving relationship that God is offering us in the sacrifice of Jesus.

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ASH WEDNESDAY

THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE BLESSED ASHES WILL TAKE PLACE DURING MASSES ON ASH WEDNESDAY AT 7:00 A.M., 12 NOON, AND 7:00 P.M.

The Church ritualizes the beginning of Lent through the blessing and distribution of ashes. The Word of God on Ash Wednesday emphasizes repentance, reconciliation, and interiority. Prayer, penance, and almsgiving are signs to God that we take these 40 Days seriously. What will your spiritual growth plan look like during the coming Lenten Season?

To help you respond to the special Graces that God offers all of us during this Holy Season, please make Sunday Mass a non-negotiable and accept God's invitation to come to a daily Mass sometime during the week.

Please receive the Sacrament of God's Divine Mercy and Forgiveness. Confessions are heard every Saturday from 3:30 until 4:45 p.m. and Sundays after all the Masses during the Season of Lent.

Penance can be meaningful when we discipline ourselves and be more open to where God is leading us, rather than what I want and when I want it. Giving up things can be good, but perhaps, choosing to do something that Jesus invites us to can be very good also. Choosing to do something for another out of love is what Jesus shows us throughout the Gospels. "Christianity is a way of life that is only as effective as it is concretely lived out. It is about being doers of the Word of God and not only hearers."

LENTEN OPPORTUNITY

Please take a copy of “The WISDOM of the SAINTS” and use it throughout Lent and beyond for inspiration to come to know, love and serve God like never before. This book provides 365 days of inspirational quotes from the saints to help you through your daily struggles and provide you with beautiful thoughts for meditation to bring you closer to Jesus as you prepare for Easter.

Courage:

“Go forward bravely, Fear nothing. Trust in God; all will be well.”

St. Joan of Arc

God’s Mercy:

“There is no saint without a past, no sinner without a future.”

St. Augustine

Prayer:

“Prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.”

St. Teresa of Avila

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VALENTINE’S DAY: THE SACRAMENT OF GOD’S LOVING FORGIVENESS (part 2)

Jesus teaches through His Church that there is a close link between holiness and the Sacrament of God’s loving forgiveness. Many times because of fear, shame, or influences of the world telling us that we don’t need this Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession), we miss or underrate the importance of this Sacrament that is meant to be a Gift from God and fills us with God’s Mercy. We can so easily forget that the Sacrament of Confession opens the doors to participate in the feast of the Holy Eucharist and leads us into the holiness and grace that God wants to give us.

Some people say, “I don’t feel forgiven when I confess.” There is a theological formula in Latin that sounds complicated, but is really simple: the Sacraments act “ex opere operato.” If you translate it literally, the statement reads: “the Sacraments act with the work being done.” Crystal clear, isn’t it? In other words, if the Sacrament is performed correctly, it doesn’t fail. For the strength of the Sacrament does not derive from the mood or merit of the one doing it (that is, of the priest’s holiness or my own). They rely on God’s grace. Obviously, the better our inner disposition, the more we will be able to open our lives to that grace. Still, if done in good faith, even if you don’t feel it, you can be sure that you have been forgiven.

Other people think, “I am a good person. It’s not like I have committed murder or stolen anything. There is no need to go to confession.” This is often associated with the feeling of self-justification known as pride. If you suffer from this disease, no worries, the antidote is going to confession.

What about those who say, “God isn’t going to forgive me. My sins are too great!” It is true that God will not be able to forgive you if you continue to believe that God can’t. The Mercy of Jesus knocks on the door of our hearts, time after time, but Christ never forces the door open or knocks it down. God is infinitely merciful and wants to embrace every person with forgiveness. The truth is God never ever tires of forgiving us.” The problem is that we ourselves tire—we do not want to ask, we grow weary of asking for forgiveness. God never tires of Forgiving!

Lent is coming.

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VALENTINE’S DAY: THE SACRAMENT OF GOD’S LOVING FORGIVENESS

With the beginning of this month of February, many people are focused on Valentine’s Day—a time to express love, friendship, care, and appreciation for special people in our lives. We may choose to give flowers, a special greeting card, a unique gift, a lovely meal together, a face time call, etc. As with many of you, I have heard people say that everyday should be Valentine’s Day, everyday should be a time to show unconditional love, understanding, patience, compassion, forgiveness, and mercy, especially to members of our own family, friends, and community!

As Catholic Christians, we are reminded that God offers us a spiritual Valentine’s Day each and every day of our lives. The Sacrament of the Risen Body and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion immediately comes to mind. We have all heard the Saints, such as St. Athanasius, proclaim, “Receive the Body of Christ, that you may be the Body of Christ!”

Jesus teaches through His Church that there is a close link between holiness and the Sacrament of God’s loving forgiveness. Many times because of fear, shame, or influences of the world telling us that we don’t need this Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession), we miss or underrate the importance of this Sacrament that is meant to be a Gift from God and fills us with God’s Mercy. We can so easily forget that the Sacrament of Confession opens the doors to participate in the feast of the Holy Eucharist and leads us into the holiness and grace that God wants to give us.

Many times people say, “I confess directly to God.” If you think or say this, please, then go to confession. This Sacrament is the safest way to confess directly to God. If you are not convinced, consider what you mean by “direct” and “indirect.” When I want to speak directly with someone, it is just not enough to have an inner and spiritual dialogue. I like going to see the person and talking with him or her face-to-face. I am more like those Greeks who said to Philip: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” God knows how much we need this concrete and physical certainty.

This is why God the Son became flesh and dwelt among us. For this reason, Jesus instituted the Sacraments as visible, concrete, tangible, mediations. These are the real direct ways to let God connect with us!

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