From the Pastor’s Desk: March 10, 2019

     The First Sunday of Lent welcomes us with a significant reminder about the power of the Word of God, “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart —that is, the word of faith that we preach— for if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
 
     At the beginning of the Holy Season of Lent, during the liturgy of Ash Wednesday, we were invited to a new way to experience this holy season, “Turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel.” This Lenten journey offers us just another opportunity to respond to the grace of God in more authentic and truthful ways. In our own practices during Lent, we often tend to “give things up”, e.g. sweets, wine, smoking, etc. This year, as in years before, I would like to offer a challenge to all of us not so much to “give up” but rather “standing beside our brothers and sisters in need, sharing our spiritual and material goods with them. The Lent of the Son of God was an entry into the desert of creation to make it become again that garden of communion with God that it was before original sin. Today we are invited to embody the paschal mystery more deeply and concretely in our personal, family and social lives, above all by fasting, prayer and almsgiving. Fasting, means turning away from the temptation to ‘devour’ everything to satisfy our voracity; Prayer teaches us to abandon idolatry and the self-sufficiency of our ego; Almsgiving, whereby we escape from the insanity of hoarding everything for ourselves in the illusory belief that we can secure a future that does not belong to us. If we follow this journey, it is possible to rediscover the joy of God’s plan for creation and for each of us, which is to love him, our brothers and sisters, and the entire world, and to find in this love our true happiness.” -Pope Francis
 
     To increase the power of the Word of God in our lives I would like for us to have more time dedicated to prayer, to come to Mass regularly on Sundays, to offer time in meditation and reflection on the Holy Scriptures, to sacrifice your own for the sake of embracing stewardship as the way of life and consider to participate in the Stations of the Cross and our Lenten Parish Mission. With these challenges come sacrifice- it will require some adjustments in your everyday life. But this is what Lent offers- to unite our sacrifices and offerings to the one of Jesus, so He can transform them for His glory and our lives of holiness and discipleship. Are you up to take on my challenge?
 
     I want to express words of profound gratitude to everyone who responded to support the Bishop’s Annual Stewardship Appeal last week. Your witness of sacrificial giving is helping to ensure priests for the future, a helping hand up for all who seek support through Catholic Charities, a Catholic education for many children regardless of economic background, special educational needs or region, and the resources to evangelize to bring all Catholics, youth and young adults, faithful and fallen away into a closer relationship with Christ our Lord. If you have not made a pledge to the Appeal, please prayerfully consider your support either by the pledge envelope or online at www.dosafl.com/bishopsappeal today.  Your participation makes a difference! 
 
     I also want to thank in a special way members of our Stewardship Committee and their helpers who executed the success of the appeal in our parish.  Thank you!
 
     This Sunday in the life of RCIA we celebrate the Rite of Election. On Sunday afternoon the group of our candidates and catechumens will enter into the final phase of their preparation for full communion with the Catholic Church. The celebration of the Rite of Election is a moment when the Church celebrates the direct action of the Holy Spirit in our midst as the bishop declares that those who stand before him have been elected by God and are so recognized by the Church.
 
My dear Catechumens and Candidates, please know that although you have experienced true conversion of heart, mind and soul, your example of faith and dedication to the process, has been a conversion experience for all of us who has traveled this road with you. Each of us has been truly blessed and touched by the Spirit of God this past year. We have grown in our personal faith experience with you, and we have each encountered Jesus within this group assembled in His name. He has moved us to a new level of perception in His Spirit.
 
     I pray for each one of you to grow closer in your relationship with Jesus this Lent! I wish you a blessed First Week of Lent! 

With prayers,
Fr. Andy