News - Notes from the Pastor RSS Feed

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity — our belief that there are three Divine Persons in One God — the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As the fundamental mystery of our faith, the Most Holy Trinity permeates our identity and prayer. At the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on Sundays, we invoke the Trinity in several ways: from the initial Sign of the Cross at the beginning of Mass to the Gloria, to the Opening Prayer, which is addressed to the Father but offered through the Son, Jesus Christ, “in the unity of the Holy Spirit… one God,  forever and ever.”  In the Creed (Profession of Faith) we  declare what we believe about the oneness of God, and yet a God of three Divine Persons. And, of course, in the central act of the Mass, we ask the Father to send the Spirit so that our offerings of bread and wine may become for us the Body and Blood of Christ, the Son. The Mass concludes with the Final Blessing and another Sign of the Cross. Our faith is truly Trinitarian and this is reflected in how we worship!  

In the Scripture Readings for today’s Mass, we hear two accounts of the Pentecost. The more dramatic of the two   occurs in our First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1-11) where the Holy Spirit descends upon the  Apostles, empowering them to speak in different tongues so that the Jews from different lands who had gathered in Jerusalem could hear the message of Jesus proclaimed in their own language. The second, and perhaps less dramatic account is found in today’s Gospel (John 20:19-23) where the Risen Jesus, himself, appears to the Apostles on Easter Sunday, breathes the Holy Spirit upon them, empowers them to forgive sins in his name, and commissions them to go forth and continue the mission of announcing the coming of the Kingdom of God.      

With hindsight and the benefit of the Bible, as well as 2000 years of Church teaching, we are able to understand the progression from Resurrection to Ascension to Pentecost. This understanding was not so easy for the early disciples of Jesus as they experienced these events.    

Today’s Second Reading, from the First Letter of Peter  (1 Peter 3:15-18), tells us to sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts, but what does that mean? In our relationship with God, how do we accomplish this? “If you love me, you will keep my commandments,” Jesus says in today’s Gospel (John 14:15-21). That is how he will know that we love him. What he asks of us is not always easy, but Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to help us.

Running through all of the Scripture Readings in today’s Mass, is a strong sense of action, of movement by the Church and within the Church. The First Reading (Acts 6:1-7) tells of how certain widows were not being taken care of “in the daily distribution.” What was the “daily distribution”?

Today is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. While we pray for the encouragement of all vocations – including those of married life and single life, this day is particularly set aside to pray for those whom God calls to religious life – as priests and deacons, religious sisters and brothers – to serve God’s people.

Our First Reading today (Acts 2:14, 22-33) is a presentation of the “kerygma,” this being the preaching that St. Peter gave to the pilgrims who were in Jerusalem for the Jewish feast of Pentecost. Remember that Pentecost was a Jewish feast celebrated 50 days after Passover before it became a Christian feast celebrated 50 days after Easter and marking the coming of the Holy Spirit. Many of the important themes of the writings of Saint Luke are contained in this reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

Today the Church observes Divine Mercy Sunday. The central focus is our celebration of the Resurrection of Christ and the floodgates of God’s mercy being opened upon us, and is based both on Scripture and the revelations made to Saint Faustina Kowalska.  

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Indeed He has Risen! Alleluia! This proclamation, spoken since the first Easter, reminds us of what this day—the Feast of the Resurrection—is truly all about. In our modern world, Easter is often seen as a one-day event of bunnies, candy, pastel colored eggs, and a sumptuous family meal. But these things alone really miss the significance that this day truly holds. 

How quickly things can change! The Mass for Palm Sunday (also known as "Passion Sunday”) begins with the Processional Gospel (Matthew 21:1-11) that recalls the joyous arrival of Jesus in the holy city of Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey with crowds of people waving palm branches and shouting: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” The Scripture Readings for Mass later end with a reading of the Passion of the Lord, as Jesus is   betrayed and tortured, denied, mocked and crucified. The very crowds who had welcomed him to shouts of “Hosanna!” later shouted “Crucify him! Crucify him!” as our Lord stood before Pontius Pilate.    

Our Readings at Mass today go straight to the heart of our Catholic faith. They speak of death, and new life in Christ. In the First Reading, from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37:12-14), we heard: “Thus says the Lord God: O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel.” In the Gospel (John 11:1-45), the stone has been rolled back from the tomb of Jesus’ friend, Lazarus. Jesus commanded that he come forth from the tomb and be released from all the wrappings that bound him up, and then set him free.  

This coming Saturday, March 25th, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord –nine months to the day of his birth in Bethlehem. The Gospel for that day is Luke 1:26-38, and it describes the event of the Annunciation, and encourages us to follow the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary by placing our trust in God.

In our Second Reading today (Romans 5:1-2, 5-8) what does Saint Paul mean when he writes: “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”? It helps to remember and understand that faith and  salvation are not something we can achieve on our own, because they are God’s freely given gift. This does not mean that we are merely puppets in a cosmic salvation show, or passive recipients of God’s actions. The truth is, that with free will, our actions and choices – our commitment to Gospel living  – does matter before God.  

Lent is a season of change; a season of transforming our spiritual lives. There seems a natural correlation since the very word “Lent” is rooted in a word that meant “spring” and we are all familiar with the changes that take place in springtime as the earth bursts forth with new life that has been dormant during the winter season. Unfortunately, while nature seems quite incapable of resisting the changes common to springtime, we human beings seem all too capable and willing to resist changes in our lives. Transformation requires energetic effort. It challenges and disturbs our comfortable patterns of behavior, even when those patterns may be harmful to us, either physically or spiritually.

Although fasting is only required on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, many people use fasting as a spiritual exercise on additional days during the Lenten season. The Scriptures are filled with examples of fasting where the rewards sought and attained were spiritual. Jesus fasted forty days in the  desert before beginning his public ministry; Moses fasted before receiving the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai; Elijah fasted before meeting the Lord on Mt. Horeb (also known as Mt. Sinai); St. Paul’s ministry began after a period of prayer and fasting that followed his being blinded on the road to Damascus; and the disciples were encouraged by the Lord to fast when he was no longer with them.

Wednesday of this week is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. There are some people who seem to have a mistaken understanding of the reception of ashes and assign more importance to receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday than they do to attending Sunday Mass. Do not be misled. The ashes are NOT a Sacrament. They are what is called a “sacramental” and are no different than blessing yourself with Holy Water when you enter or leave the church. What is exceptional about the reception of ashes is that it normally occurs only one day a year (on Ash Wednesday), and that it is an outward sign  a public declaration, if you will  that one is a sinner and is in need  of God’s mercy and forgiveness. If we receive the ashes and then do not follow it up with a Sacramental Confession at some point during Lent, we have done nothing but condemn ourselves as hypocrites.

Today’s First Reading comes from the Book of Sirach in the Old Testament (Sirach 15:15-20), and it offers the Jewish people advice on how to live their lives in a manner worthy of God, and make the choice between good and evil. This same principal would later be stated multiple times by Saint Paul when he would encourage the early Christian communities to live in a manner worthy of the call (Baptism) they have received.

 Next weekend is the beginning of our Annual Catholic Appeal campaign for 2023 and we will have the opportunity to complete pledge cards. The theme for this year’s campaign is “A Future of Hope and Healing” If they have not already, Parishioners should soon receive a letter, pamphlet, and pledge card from Archbishop John Wester regarding the importance of the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA).

Schools as communities of faith, knowledge, and service. Within our own parish, Our Lady of Fatima School has been fulfilling this role for 73 years. Thousands of students have benefited from the  education and spiritual formation they received at Our Lady of Fatima School over the years, and today’s students continue to do so.  

Zebulun and Naphtali, mentioned in both our First Reading (Isaiah 8:23 -9:3) and the Gospel (Matthew 4:12- 23) today, were sons of Jacob and the leaders of two of the twelve tribes of Israel. The lands settled by their descendants were in the most northern part of Israel. Of all the Israelites, they were the furthest from the summer sun, giving rise to Isaiah’s description of the people there as those “who walked in darkness” and “in the land of gloom.” Their darkness wasn’t just a matter of geography, however. These were also the first lands to be invaded by the Assyrians, and the Israelites were oppressed by their pagan conquerors who practiced false worship of many gods. Isaiah prophesies of a time when a great light will shine upon these people, freeing them from darkness and bringing them “abundant joy” and “great rejoicing.” He prophesies what we know to be the coming of the Christ, who will free them from the yokes that burden them.