ASHES TO EASTER: A JOURNEY TO SALVATION
Once again we are sent into the desert of Lent to begin our preparations for Holy Week and Easter. Like Jesus in this Sunday’s gospel, Lent is a time when the Spirit drives us out into the desert. And what happened to Jesus in the desert happens to us. We struggle to say yes to God so that we can continue with fidelity and insight of Jesus’ ministry of proclaiming the gospel. In the desert, Jesus grappled with being “tempted by Satan,” and in this He embraced fully the human reality of struggling to be faithful. Jesus’ desert experience was a time of facing His own humanity – in His humanity He could be tempted. He was totally immersed in the human condition. In the desert he experienced what it was like to be faced with choices between good and evil. He knew the struggle to say yes and conform His will to his Father’s. This is our time to say yes to God. This is our own time to measure the extent to which our words and deeds conform to the gospel. Lent is a time for us to assess our baptismal, covenantal relationship with God. It is our time to face evil and choose to live in righteousness. By so doing, we – with Christ – proclaim by our lives that the “Kingdom of God is at hand.” “This is the time of fulfillment.” Let us not squander our opportunities to say yes.
A Prayer for the First
Sunday of Lent
Lord Jesus, your temptation
teaches us so much. Give us
the grace of the Holy Spirit
to know what we must do
and the strength to take the
next good step. Strengthen
us that we may recognize the
works of darkness. Give us
the grace to avoid
participating in evil
unknowingly. Give us the
truth to know what is good,
and do not let us be
overcome by evil.
Amen.
Questions to Ponder this Week:
- How can this Lent be a time to begin anew?
- What concrete steps can you take to stop and ponder the shape of your life?
- What are you hoping to change, renew or redevelop in your spiritual life this Lent?
POPE BENEDICT ON THE DESERT OF LENT
“ The desert is a place of silence, of solitude. It is the absence of the exchanges of daily life, its noise and its superficiality. Great things have had their beginnings in the desert. It is not possible to share in the mission of the Gospel without sharing in the desert experience. Secondly, the desert is also the place of death – it has no water there, the basic element for life. Thirdly, the desert is also the place of temptation, the place where the power of the devil is manifested. Jesus goes into the desert to be tempted, to share in the temptations of His people and of the world, to bear our misery, to conquer the foe and so to open the way for us to the Promised Land.”
NEW BAZAAR VOLUNTEER UPDATES
If you are interested in helping with our Annual Bazaar, please consider serving your parish! We are still in need of a chairperson for Advertising. A few of your brothers and sisters have come forward to chair the positions mentioned in earlier bulletins and I am most grateful to them! If you have any experience with advertising and are interested, please call me at 724-586-7610.
PARISH PILGRIMAGE
Have you ever been on a pilgrimage? If not, consider joining me and your fellow parishioners on a Pilgrimage to the Catholic Shrines of French Canada October 16-22, 2012. We will visit the Shrines of Our Lady of Peace, St. Therese, St. Joseph’s Oratory, Notre Dame du Cap and St. Anne de Beaupre. First class hotels in Niagara Falls, Montreal and Quebec City. Daily Mass, daily breakfast, three dinners, English-speaking guide, private coach buss, round-trip flights from Pittsburgh, airport taxes and fuel surcharges included. Cost is $2195.00 per person based on double occupancy. Our Pilgrimage is being handled by Select International Tours. For more information, please call 724-586-7610.
EMBRACING THE CROSS, ENRICHING LIFE
It may surprise modern Christians to know that the ancient practices Lent encourages have shown to be beneficial to our physical and mental, as well as spiritual, health:
- Meditative prayer has proven to help lower blood pressure and stress levels, contributing to a better heart health and peace of mind.
- Refraining from overconsumption leads to a healthier body, a sharper mind, and a spirit more open to the will of God.
- Giving is good for your health! People who give of their time and treasure have more energy, a stronger immune system, and a sense of overall well-being.
2012 BAZAAR CHAIRPERSONS MEETING
A meeting for all 2012 Bazaar chairpersons will be held on Monday, March 5th, 7:00 p.m. in the School Media Room (located in the cafeteria). All chairpersons are expected to attend.
Sincerely in Christ Jesus, Our Lord,
Fr. John Gizler
jgizler@hotmail.com
