On Wednesday, we begin the holy season of Lent. Ashes will be blessed and distributed during all the Masses on that day (7 AM, 9:30 AM, and 7 PM). Ash Wednesday is also a day of fast and abstinence for Catholics. This means we do not eat meat on Ash Wednesday nor on the Fridays of Lent. Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 must also fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday which means we eat three times a day, two smaller meals and one larger meal at our main meal of the day. It is important that we begin this holy season by making a sacrifice. All our sacrifices help us to grow in holiness. By making certain sacrifices on Ash Wednesday and throughout the holy season, we can come to a deeper realization of what is truly important in our lives. When we give up or go without certain things that we like or find comforting, we can become more aware of our need for God. We need God more than we realize, but this need for God is often distorted and confused by the distractions of the things of this world. We have so many possessions and so many choices that the universal need for God is often clouded. It is good and necessary that we make some time to move away from these distractions by going without them for a while.
BEST LENT EVER: The Holy Season of Lent is almost here and as in the past you can make it the best lent ever. Dynamic Catholic is again offering to help us in making this Lenten Season a time of growth in our relationship with Jesus. When you sign up you will receive emails with a variety of spiritual reflections to help you use this holy season as a time for you to get to know Jesus better and yourself at the same time. Just go to the web site and sign up. It’s FREE. dynamiccatholic.com/lent.html#form-signup
The holy season of Lent is a time to grow closer to God by giving alms, praying, and fasting. By focusing on these activities in a special way during Lent, we can gain a deeper understanding of who we are in relationship to God and the community of faith. There are many opportunities for us to participate in these righteous deeds. We can make an effort to attend Mass during the week, attend Stations of the Cross and Benediction on Friday afternoons (check the bulletin for times) or Friday evenings (7:00PM), we can attend the parish mission during on March 2 and 3, we can make frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament in our Chapel of Divine Mercy, and we can make more time for prayer with our families at home. A deeper prayer life can lead us to a greater desire to fast and give alms to the poor.
Thank you church cleaners! In case you are not aware our church is cleaned every week by volunteers. The cleaners are made up of 4 groups that clean every Friday, usually after the 8 AM Mass. The cleaners were organized and directed by Helen Klaas, but now Brad and Nancy Brigeman direct it. I am deeply grateful for Helen’s many years of service and the great work our cleaners do in keeping God’s House looking so beautiful. If anyone is interested in joining a group to clean, please contact the parish office. Also, I am very grateful for wonderful work our sacristan, Margaret Connor, is doing in keeping up the cleaning and care of the sanctuary and sacristies. Please keep up the good work and God bless all of you for your work and devotion for our parish community.
The 17th Annual Iron Chef Fundraiser benefitting our St Vincent de Paul Society was again, a success by all measures. We filled the gym with 300 generous and hungry friends which was again a sellout crowd. A new Iron Chef was crowned. Denise and Ken Leipold cooked their way to 1st place for both the Judges’ and the popular vote with their Slovak chicken paprikash. Mike and Joanne Gahan were 2nd and Shannon and Lucas Vanmetter were 3rd in the voting. All of our chefs’ dishes were amazing including Dolce’s gelato. Our silent, oral, and ticketed raffle winners took home some amazing gifts thanks to the generous donations of many parishioners and local businesses. Some amazing sponsors helped add to the nearly $70,000 raised to help our neighbors in need. Thanks to everyone involved.
I am sure that everyone knows that yesterday was St. Valentine’s Day. Valentine was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius the Goth [Claudius II]. Since he was caught marrying Christian couples and aiding any Christians who were being persecuted under Emperor Claudius in Rome [when helping them was considered a crime], Valentine was arrested and imprisoned. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner — until Valentine made a strategic error: he tried to convert the Emperor — whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that didn’t do it, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate [circa 269].
So, St. Valentine became the patron saint of married couples and engaged couples. His memory was greatly enhanced and romanticized even to this day. The Church takes this opportunity to help us reflect on the Sacrament of Marriage and how important the sacrament is to all of us and to our world community. Marriage is basic to our society because family is based on marriage and the family is the heart of our community. This is what God has designed because He knows that this is what is best for us. It is pure arrogance to think otherwise.
