Dear friends,
What a blessing it was to have had such a wonderful Lenten Mission. I take this opportunity to thank Fr. Jeff Cooper, C.S.C., for his fabulous reflection on the theme “Out of Egypt: A Lenten Pilgrimage,” through which he helped us reflect on the most fundamental of questions: 1) Where are you? 2) Why are you here? 3) Who are you?
I thank those who attended in person to both listen to and benefit from this thoughtful reflection. For those who were not able to attend, please visit our website and enjoy the presentations.
I am overwhelmed by your generosity in helping the people of Ukraine. Last weekend alone, we collected $ 21,333. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Please continue to pray for Ukraine, for those who fled, for those who stayed behind, and for those defending their homeland. What a tragedy!
Please reserve every Tuesday of Lent for a variety of spiritual enrichment offerings. We will have an additional Mass every Wednesday of Lent at 6 p.m. Fridays of Lent bring with them ample opportunities to pray in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by evening prayer at 5:30 p.m. and Stations of the Cross at 7 p.m.
Thank you to those who have already responded to the call to support the numerous ministries of the Diocese of Orlando through Our Catholic Appeal 2022. OCA not only benefits the various parishes and missions supported by our diocese but also our schools and faith formation programs, vocations, building projects, thousands of people in need, and so much more. I urge those of you who have not yet participated to please do so, as every gift is a great blessing and a way of showing our love for our parish.
I am very happy to announce our new Parochial Vicar, Fr. Vincent Nguyen, C.S.C., who was ordained less than two years ago. He will report to St. John’s on 1 April 2022, and we will formally welcome him during the weekend of 2/3 April. I will share a bit more about him in the next bulletin.
On this Second Sunday of Lent, the Scripture readings invite us to reflect on our ultimate destiny. Paul tells us in his letter to the Philippians that “Our citizenship is in heaven.” Jesus confirms this in the event of his transfiguration when his appearance completely changes, and this awaits each one of us. Our citizenship is truly in heaven! Let us took to it with immense hope and trust in the power of the one who can save us.
This Sunday is designated as Safe Haven Sunday to combat one of the most vicious evils in our world: pornography. We believe with all our hearts that family is the foundational building block of our Church and our humanity. Pornography has become the number one enemy of insidious deception that profoundly wounds and destroys the fabric of our society: marriages, families, singles, priests, religious, and even children.
In November of 2016, the USCCB released a pastoral response to pornography called Create in Me a Clean Heart. The intention of writing this document was to:
- offer healing and hope to those who have been wounded by pornography;
- articulate the Catholic Church’s response to the pastoral crisis brought about by the production and use of pornography; and
- raise awareness of its pervasiveness and
From this Sunday forward, let us vigorously fight this evil of our society as we reflect on the theme “Equipping the Family, Safeguarding Children.” Let us do everything possible to ensure ensure our homes are safe havens for all.
Have a blessed week!
With love,
Fr. John