This weekend, we will have our first prayer experience which will help us as a parish to understand the beauty of the Holy Eucharist. During this Year of the Holy Eucharist, I hope to give you, our parishioners and especially our young adult parishioners, a better understanding of the privilege of the Holy Eucharist. We know that Holy Communion is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ and as we receive Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, we truly appreciate God. During these past years too, I have been pleased to see our heightened awareness of the Blessed Sacrament and I am proud to see so many people now genuflect as they come in and as they leave. The tabernacle is placed in the center of the sanctuary and as Catholics, we know that the Holy Eucharist is central to everything we are and everything we hope to be. This weekend February 19-20, we will have a short time of adoration at the end of the 5:00 pm, 9:30 am, 11:30 am and 6:00 pm Masses followed by Benediction. It will not take more than seven minutes, but it will give each of us a sense of the Blessed Sacrament and what a precious prayer experience it is to spend time quietly before Jesus.
As we celebrate Presidents’ Day this Monday, we must never take for granted the privilege of living in a democracy. Privilege, of course, has responsibility. We must inform our minds and our conscience when we make a decision to vote, be it on the local or national level. We certainly know that no human being is perfect but in voting for a candidate we should try to ensure through prayer and research that the candidate holds firm to the morals that we hold so dear. Thanks to everybody who signed the Petition for Life several weeks ago. Last weekend, I placed our letter to the Governor on page five in the bulletin. For those of you who did not attend Mass this weekend, read this letter and let us continue to pray that the Governor will change his stance on life.
Lent begins Wednesday, March 2nd. This is a great time through prayer and sacrifice to draw closer to Christ and practice acts of charity. I am delighted to welcome speakers from Several Sources at all our Masses on the weekend of March 5-6. I will write more about Several Sources in the weeks to come. They are a wonderful organization which gives a home to a pregnant woman, gives her a safe space to have her baby and then helps her to get back into the work force while at the same time, caring for her little one. Maureen, Nina, and I look forward to giving presentations to our children, age appropriately from kindergarten through 10th grade.
For your convenience, the Lenten schedule is in this week’s bulletin as an insert. We hold the people of the Ukraine in prayer during these frightening days for them. We hope that through dialogue and prayer, war will be averted.