Hi Friends,
Breaking with tradition, this is not coming to from the pastor but from the parochial vicar! Many skilled hands and hearts are looking after Fr Labak and as a parish we raise our voices and prayer for him as well. Together we have been praying a particularly favorite prayer of mine for the return to health of Fr Labak. The Memorare speaks so eloquently of the Mary as the Mother of the Word Incarnate and of our confidence in her intercessions. I commend the Memorare to you my brothers and sisters so that we may continue to pray for Fr Labak as we have confidence that Mary intercedes for the priests of the Church.
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known
that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought
thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence,
I fly to thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come;
before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.
As we journey through Lent we enter into the 3rd week and find ourselves centered on spiritual thirst and foretelling of the Resurrection. My favorite passage of this Gospel comes as the disciples watch Jesus drive from the temple those who were defiling it as they recall the words of scripture, “zeal for your house will consume me.” This notes a consuming passion and intense love being on display that is well ordered to ensure that the place of worship and of contact with the divine remains preserved from the contagion of greed and profanation. This poses to you and I the question of faith. Am I able to be ‘consumed with zeal’ in the eager pursuit of God? On paper and without context we might answer quickly but in action of our lives we can see very easily that there are stumbling blocks to our pursuit.
We rejoice that though we may stumble on our way, God loves us so much that He constantly invites us to form a new relationship, to begin anew. This 3rd week of Lent offers for our contemplation our own zeal for the house of the Lord and lays out the invitation to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Here at Sacred Heart we will be hosting a Communal Penance Service, with individual confessions at 7pm on Monday March 5th in the Church. God calls us to be filled with zeal for His house.
Thank you to all who attended our parish mission with Julie Carrick who led us all in such a profound faith filled encounter with our Eucharistic Lord. May God continue to bless you all this Lenten season!
Pax et Bonum,
Fr Joe (the other one)
