ASH WEDNESDAY

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. 

Blessed Ashes will be imposed during Mass after the homily at 7:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon.
Blessed Ashes will be imposed at the end of Services at 9:15 a.m., 3:30 p.m., 4:45 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.

Remember - Ash Wednesday is a Day of Fasting and Abstinence from Meat.

Join us for Stations of the Cross on Friday at 7:00 p.m.

25th Anniversary Mass POSTPONED!!!

Cardinal Dolan has asked us to postpone the 25th Anniversary Mass scheduled for March 4. His mother, Shirley, recently had a fall. He needs to be in St. Louis next weekend. When he returns, we hope that we can set a new date. In the meantime, please pray for Shirley Dolan.

Do Not Worry!

A man used to worry a great deal. One day his friends noticed – he seemed not to have a care in the world

Well, I decided all this worry was unwise and unhealthy.

So I decided to hire someone to do my worrying for me.

How much?  Oh about $1,000 per week.

How can you afford to pay this man?   That’s his worry!

Wish it was this easy!   Safe to say we all have worries!

Recent study:

2% of worrying time is spent on things that can actually be helped by worrying

40% on things that never happen

35% on things that cannot be changed

15% on things that turn out better than expected

8 % on useless, petty worries

Listen to Jesus   three times-don’t worry    your Father knows what you need -  after all I know you, I love you, I care about you!!

1)     Yesterday is History  -   with it’s cares,  pains, and mistakes – is gone. It was mine, not it is God’s

2)     Tomorrow is a Mystery – with its fears, possibilities, burdens, promises and failures. But it is not mine, yet – it is God’s

3)     Today is a gift  -  that is why we call it “the present.”   One day at a time

Today is the gift.

1)      Live in the present

2)     Always try to do the right thing – nothing like a clean conscience

3)     Let go of the rest  - Hand it over to God

Holding up a glass – how heavy is it?   10oz   16oz

Weight doesn’t matter – it depends on how long you try to hold it.

Hold minute – no problem     hour – arm aching    Day – call an ambulance

Put it down

.

Next to bed

“Before you go to bed, give your troubles to God. He will be up all night anyway.”

Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
the courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

~ Reinhold Niebuhr

President's Day

Monday, February 20 is President's Day. It is a National Holiday. Mass will be offered at 8:00 a.m. All parish offices will be closed. The Adoration Chapel will be closed. Have a good holiday!

An Eye For An Eye . . .

In the Louvre Museum in Paris there stands a seven-foot-long stone on which is inscribed the Code of Hammurabi – who ruled ancient Babylon over 3500 years ago. It is among the oldest written laws in the world.   It gives great insight into the laws of the time. It also contains the great Law of Talion – Lex Talionis – an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. It may seem to be a very cruel law, but historically it was a great move forward. It limited vengeance.  Because of this, the Torah of Moses embraced the Law of Talion. And yet, someone like Gandhi would say – if all of us were to practice the “eye for eye” the whole world would be blind and toothless.

Some might say that there are basically two responses to oppression or injustice: Fight or flight.

Fight – we oppose evil on its own terms. They want to fight you – you fight them. The answer is violence – and it can only get worse. 

Flight – run away. Do nothing.

Jesus proposes a third way

-          Turn the other cheek – see, I will not lower myself to your level.

-          Take your cloak, give your shirt

-          Roman soldier could force you to carry his things 1 mile – like Simon of Cyrene – no, go 2 miles. (Now he will get in trouble!)

Lincoln once let a southern prisoner go – received a letter criticizing him – you should destroy the enemy. Lincoln wrote back – If I make him a friend, don’t I destroy an enemy?!

Example: Day after the Inauguration – Woman’s March in Washington. Not all women, of course. Woman part of Respect Life Groups were told they were not welcome.  Anyway, it turned out that there were many women and not enough rest rooms.  Some Dominican Friars noticed and kindly let a few in to use their rest rooms. Before they knew it, hundreds of people lined up.

Now, this became a source of great anxiety for the Dominicans. First, a large crowd had descended. But also, many had disagreeable signs, shirts and hats. Some messages were anti-Catholic, pro-abortion, vulgar and even pornographic. Realizing where they were – the people had the courtesy to cover them up.  The Dominicans spent time in conversation with the women and realized that they had many reasons for being at the March. Some were very anti Catholic and Anti Life, but others believed in the dignity of women, or laborers, of the poor and the importance of the environment. They wanted their daughters to grow up in a world that would not mistreat them.

Amazingly, some marchers started to take up a collection for the Friars. Some were fascinated by the Dominican Habit with their Rosaries (you know the chant) and why they would give their lives to God.  This very strange and uncomfortable experience reminded the Friars of today’s teaching – to love you enemies – to will the good of all!  How to be rid of an enemy – make them your friend.  Remember: if all of us were to practice the “eye for eye” the whole world would be blind and toothless.

Funeral Mass - Peter Keenan

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered for the repose of the soul of Peter Keenan on Saturday, February 18 at 10:00 a.m. Please pray for him and for his family.

Funeral Mass - Timothy Zammiello

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered for the repose of the soul of Timothy Zammiello on Monday, February 13 at 10:00 a.m. Please pray for him and for his family. 

You Have Heard The Commandments . . .

I am sometimes asked – how late can you come to Mass and it will still count?

Our older priests would have told you – back in the day, the priest would take the veil off the chalice – the bell would ring – and that would be the cut off.

I was taught – you had to make the Gospel – after that, you were out of luck.

Now – it is in your hands!  Do your best to arrive and leave on time. And remember, there’s a difference between being caught in traffic & checking my email. Difference between getting to Marios 1^st after Mass and the baby getting sick all over you!

Do I do the minimum, the least amount that I have to do  -  or do I give my best?

Gospel is calling us to more.

1)     You have heard  it said – thou shalt not kill. But – whomever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment. There is such thing as righteous anger – In Hidden Figures, Dorothy Johnson, a human computer at NASA is asked – why do you go missing at times – there is no bathroom – no bathroom? – no colored bathroom, have to walk ½ mile. She is angry and rightfully so.  Danger when anger turns to hate, that destroys us and others.

2)     You have heard it said- thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  That woman is someone’s daughter, sister, even mother. There are made in the image and likeness of God. This lust turns them into an object for my possession. Pornography is an awful thing.  Ruins lives and destroys marriages.  Do everything you can to be faithful!

3)       You have heard it said – do not take a false oath. But – do not swear at all.  Judge Judy with dad.  Take oaths – and half would lie anyway.   Let your Yes mean yes & no mean no.  Person of honesty and integrity.

Can rightly say – too hard – how can anyone live up to all these.

Who said living the Catholic Faith was easy?!

Bishop Barron – extreme standards – after all, the church wants to raise up saints.

but extreme mercy.

How to do it?    Brother had dog – Yogi – my favorite dog – yellow lab.  Beautiful.

Yogi loved to eat – eat anything.    Tom taught him obedience.

Would put food in bowl and say NO

Yogi, of course, was dying to eat – but tried to obey. He never looked at the food.

Like – if he did, the temptation would be too much.

He always looked at Tom’s face    What a great lesson – keep our eyes on Master’s face!