Dear friends,
It’s good to be back. Thank you for your prayers while I was in India. Thanks to Fr. Vincent for holding the fort in my absence. I had to cut short my vacation just to be back in time to celebrate Our Catholic Appeal weekend. I want to thank you for your generosity and joyful participation in the ministries of the diocese from which we too get to benefit directly from Our Catholic Appeal. I am sure you had a great time watching the super bowl this past Sunday. Regardless of who won, it was a fierce competition between two stellar teams.
Because we are blessed with such abundance, we must not forget to pray for those who lost their lives and homes in the two massive earthquakes that devastated Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023. The count of those who died is climbing steadily – it is now more than 41,000.
Please be aware that there are scamsters who can be so heartless. They have tried to use my name to get you to give them money. Just when you think they cannot sink any lower, criminal internet scamsters are now exploiting the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria. I request you to be on the alert. They try to trick you into clicking on a variety of links about blood drives, charitable donations, or "exclusive" videos. Don't let them shock you into clicking on anything or opening possibly dangerous attachments you did not ask for! Anything you receive about this recent earthquake, be very suspicious. With this topic, think three times before you click. Please use legitimate sources to help the victims. You can always give through St. John’s and we will route your donation through Catholic Charities for this purpose.
We are celebrating the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time, and the scriptures make it unambiguously clear that the basic tenets of Christianity are to love God and love our neighbor. Please make a special effort this week to read Chapter 5 of Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus, through his Sermon on the Mount, challenges us to live the Christian life to perfection.
You won’t believe it but: It is already time for Lent. As always, we will begin the Sacred Season of Lent with Ash Wednesday, which falls on the 22nd of February this year. Please see our Lenten Schedule for all the liturgical celebrations during the season of Lent.
The key focus of the Lenten Season is on helping help us be profoundly aware of our need for salvation. The Scripture readings during Lent are designed to trouble us, to confront our illusions about ourselves. That is why we begin Lent with Ash Wednesday, when ashes are smeared on our forehead with these words: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.”
Lent is also a time when we accompany our catechumens very closely as we together make our ascent to the holy mountain of Easter to celebrate the Paschal mystery. It is a time to reflect on the twofold theme of repentance and baptism. We will have the occasion of journeying together as a parish with a video reflection from Formed.org on the theme, Forgiven, as we prepare to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. More details will be forthcoming. As the Catechumens are led to the sacraments of initiation by means of the Rite of Election, the Scrutinies, and catechesis, let us keep them in our prayers.
Fasting, almsgiving, and prayer are the three traditional disciplines of Lent. The faithful and Catechumens are invited to undertake these practices seriously, in a spirit of penance, as we prepare for baptism or renewal of baptism at Easter.
Ash Wednesday, February 22, 2023 and Good Friday, April 7, 2023 are days of fast and abstinence. All the Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence.
Have a JOYFUL LENT!
With love,
Fr. John