​In this e-weekly:
- The Rosary for World Peace (Catholic Website of the Week)
- International Women's Day-10 Inspirational Female Saints
 (Diocesan News and BEYOND)
- Helpful Hints Submitted by Wives--Husbands Please Read  (Helpful Hints for Life)

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
 
         The three tools to truly change this Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  And, if there is one thing we can never do enough of, it is pray.
 
         Prayer needs not be only time in church, on our knees, or at specific times.  Prayer needs to become a way of life.  We must strive to be constantly united to Jesus Christ in our way of living, that we “pray always.”  How wonderful it would be if praying became as natural as breathing.
 
         I was at a profession of a dear friend of mine some years ago, when she united herself formally to a Carmelite convent.  She pointed out to me that some of the nuns that ‘never break prayer.’  Even if they talk to you or do some task they keep themselves fully united to their Lord in constant prayer, with heart and mind raised to Him.  I soon experienced what she was pointing out to me as I spoke with one of the Carmelites.
 
         While the average Catholic is not called to this specifically, you and I are called to strive to pray constantly by uniting whatever we think, say, or do to Jesus Christ, the REAL person who loves us more than others do and more than we love ourselves.  That is the challenge and joy of the Good News!
 
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
 
Father Robert

​Readings and reflections at end of e-mail.

Catholic Term of the Week
 
prayer (from Latin precaria, “obtain by pleading or earnestly requesting”)
- the elevation of the mind and heart to God (in praise of his glory; a petition made to God for some desired good, or in thanksgiving for a good received, or in intercession for others before God)

On March 8, International Women’s Day is celebrated around the world. It is a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women as well as advocate for continued equality.
The Catholic Church is filled with female saints who accomplished incredible feats for the Church and serve as role models for women around the world.

Here is a list of inspiring quotes from 10 female saints:
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein): “The world doesn’t need what women have, it needs what women are.”
St. Teresa of Ávila: “We always find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials.”

St. Faustina: “In whatever state a soul may be, it ought to pray. A soul that is pure and beautiful must pray, or else it will lose its beauty; a soul that is striving after this purity must pray, or else it will never attain it; a soul that is newly converted must pray, or else it will fall again; a sinful soul, plunged in sins, must pray so that it might rise again. There is no soul that is not bound to pray, for every single grace comes to the soul through prayer.”

St. Kateri Tekakwitha: “Look at this cross. Oh, how beautiful it is! It has been my whole happiness during my life, and I advise you also to make it yours.”
​
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: “We know certainly that our God calls us to a holy life. We know that he gives us every grace, every abundant grace; and though we are so weak of ourselves, this grace is able to carry us through every obstacle and difficulty.”

St. Teresa of Calcutta: “It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home, for this is where our love for each other must start.”
St. Joan of Arc: “I have a good master, that is God; it is to him I look in everything and to none other.”
St. Rose of Lima: “The gifts of grace increase as the struggles increase.”
St. Josephine Bakhita: “If I were to meet the slave-traders who kidnapped me and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands, for if that did not happen, I would not be a Christian and religious today.”
StSSt. Catherine of Siena: “You are rewarded not according to time or work but according to the measure of your love.”

Throughout Lent, many people deepen their prayer life with spiritual practices and devotions.
Some choose to pray the rosary daily. Others pray the Stations of the Cross. Some might even sing the Stabat Mater along the way.
Mary is an excellent companion during the Lenten season, especially her messages and apparitions.
Prayer, penance, and almsgiving are the three pillars of the Lenten season. In Our Lady’s approved apparitions, she directs us to these pillars and encourages us to live them.
In the village of Beauraing in Belgium, Our Lady appeared to five children. She told the children to “pray, pray very much, pray always.”
In other apparitions, Our Lady told the seers for what or who they should pray.
In Fatima, she requested they pray the rosary for peace in the world. In Champion, Wisconsin, she requested they offer their holy communion for the conversion of sinners.
Not only did Our Lady tell us who or what to pray for, she requested different methods of prayer. Mary encourages us to become more prayerful, as well as intercessors for others.
Our Lenten observance also emphasizes penance. Our Lady also requested this in her apparitions.To St. Bernadette in Lourdes she said, “penance, penance, penance.”
At Fatima, she told the three children to offer their small sacrifices out of love for God and the Immaculate in reparation for sin and the conversion of sinners.
We fast and make acts of self-denial throughout Lent. Be sure to offer these sacrifices to God as a prayer. As you do so, Mary will accompany you on your Lenten journey, for she encouraged us to do penances.
The third element of Lent is almsgiving in our care and support for the poor.In Mary’s Magnificat, she prays that God “casts down the mighty from their thrones and lifts up the lowly.” Mary has a special place in her prayer and heart for the poor.
The visionaries in Our Lady’s apparitions came from poor families. St. Bernadette’s family was incredibly poor. In Lourdes, the sick and those poor in health come and pray for healing.
In 1933 when Mary appeared to Mariette Beco in Banneux, Belgium, she told the child she was the “Virgin of the Poor.”
During this season of almsgiving, we journey with a woman who identifies with the poor, and allow those who are poor financially, physically, spiritually, or emotionally, to turn to her motherly intercession.
Throughout your Lenten journey, consider doing so in prayer with the Blessed Virgin. And if you’d like, listen to Mary’s words from her approved apparitions and allow them to guide your life, not only during Lent, but for the rest of your life.

He Used to Spit on Those Going to Mass – Now He's a PriestBy Blanca RuizMadrid, Spain, Mar 6 (EWTN News/CNA) -After an anti-clerical childhood and adolescence, filled with hatred for the Church, Fr. Juan José Martínez says he discovered “that God exists and wants me as his priest.”

“Sunday mornings I would peer out of the balcony of my house, and when the people were going by on their way to Mass, I would spit on them. I told them that the Church was a sect that wanted their money,” explained the priest, who ministers in the Diocese of Almeria, Spain.


Fr. Juan José's parents were not believers, and he had received no religious formation, but he said they did not raise him to be intolerant. In fact, he says he does not know where he got all those ideas, because the perception he had of the Church and God was that of a “multinational corporation with branches in every neighborhood to extract money, like a sect.”


“I was absolutely anticlerical, I was the first student in my school and the town of Carboneras, Almeria Province, to never be taught Religion because when I was 8 or 9, I chose the alternative course which was Ethics. In the following years, I went on convincing my friends to quit Religion classes and to take Ethics with me. In the end, my whole class ended up being taught Ethics and none of them Religion.”


But what he never imagined is that the end of his journey would be to help his friends to come back to the Church. Fr. Juan José remembers quite well that the first day he went into a Catholic church, “I went to make fun of those who had invited me.”


“It was in January 1995, some friends from class invited me to a Catholic Charismatic Renewal prayer group at the parish. Obviously I told them I wasn't planning on going because I didn't want them to brainwash me. For a whole month they persisted. I finally gave in – it was a Thursday in February 1995 when I went into a Catholic church for the first time.”




A golden box


A lot of his friends were there, and he was surprised because “they were all looking at a golden box at the back of the church. I didn't know what it was, but I thought it was where the parish priest kept the money.”


That golden box was the Tabernacle.


Fr. Juan José says that he came to make fun of them because “I thought they were crazy. Inside, I was laughing at them a lot, but I was polite and concealed it.  But I decided to come back the following Thursday to laugh at them some more.”


And so one Thursday after another, Fr. Juan José was letting go of his prejudices against the Church and religion.


“The pastor seemed to me to be a very wise man who was helping the people,” he told CNA. And little by little, the love of God was penetrating his heart: “I was 15 years old and I started to sing at Mass, which meant I would attend Mass on Saturdays. I liked being in front of the tabernacle and little by little, I realized that God existed and loved me. I felt the love of God. The Charismatic Renewal group, which I had come to make fun of, helped me a lot.”
“My eyes were being opened and I saw that God was not a legend or story for the weak, but that he existed and that he was supporting and guiding me. I experienced that he loved me so much that he wanted me for himself and was calling me,” he recalled.




“I am yours for whatever you need”


Fr. Juan José had been baptized and made his First Communion because of his grandparents' wishes, but he did not have a relationship with God after that. “I made my Confirmation as I was right in the midst of the process of conversion, and it was a genuine gift. That day I told the Lord, 'I am yours for whatever you need.' My mother came but my father did not. It was a unique moment in my life to receive the Holy Spirit and to put my trust in the Lord.”
For months, the young Juan José was resisting the call to the priesthood. “I told the Lord that I didn't want any hassles and to quit talking to me. Until I had to make a decision and it was to follow him, becoming a priest.”


One Saturday afternoon when he was 17, Fr. Juan José told his father he wanted to go to the seminary. His father beat him and said that “he would be a priest over his dead body.”
“They did not understand that I would want to be a priest. In fact, my father offered to pay for me to go to college in the United States but (he told me) he would never pay for the seminary.”


In such a difficult moment, Fr.  Juan José recalled that all he could think of was the prayer of Saint Teresa of Avila: “Let nothing disturb you, nothing frighten you. All you need is God” and when his father stopped rebuking him, the young man gave him a hug and said to him, “I knew you were going to react like that, but I also knew that one day you'd understand.”


“Welcome”
In fact, his father went so far as to threaten to report the pastor to the police if kept helping his son discern his vocation. “My father was trying everything, but the Lord is stronger,” he said.


To obey his father, Fr. Juan José could not start the seminary, and so he began to study teaching at the University of Almeria. For years he was patient, and continued to be faithful to his vocation to the priesthood. Until one day in May 1999, as he recalled, his mother told him that she had spoken to his father and that finally he would let him enter the seminary. “I began to cry and cry. I remember when I told the pastor about it he said “welcome” and gave me a great big hug.”


In September 2000, he finally entered the seminary.


In 2006, Fr.Juan José was ordained in the Almeria cathedral and his father even attended the ceremony. “In no way did he want me to become a priest, but he saw that I was happy and even though he was totally anticlerical, he decided that the happiness of his son came before his ideology and if I was happy, even though he didn't understand it, he would have to accept it. “


In fact, he recalled that two years ago, “before dying, my father received the Anointing of the Sick. And it was I who administered it to him.”


“When somebody tells me he doesn't believe in God, I always tell him that neither did I believe in Him, but I was mistaken, because I have discovered the genuine happiness that Jesus has given to me. If you're not completely happy, ask the Lord to help you, because only He will give you the happiness that your heart needs.”

​

Unexpected Friendships Bloom as Vatican Rolls out Haircuts for Homeless

By Ann Schneible

​(Vatican City, Feb 17 (EWTN News/CNA) - As homeless men and women line up under the massive arms of Saint Peter's colonnade waiting to take advantage of the Vatican's newly-christened showers and barbershop, volunteers who assist them say they are deeply moved by their encounter with a population often rejected by society.

“Initially when they offered me this (job) I thought I would find myself confronted with grouchy, perhaps mean people,” said volunteer barber Danielle Mancuso.

“Instead, I discovered a truly tremendous humanity.”

“You see these poor people out in the middle of the street, discarded. Then, you speak to them, and they're human,” he said, recounting his first day.

Officially inaugurated on Feb. 16, the facilities provide the opportunity for homeless individuals to have their hair cut each Monday – a day when barber shops in Italy are traditionally closed – by volunteer barbers. Meanwhile, the shower services will be offered daily, with the exception of Wednesday due to the large crowds which attend the weekly general audience.

“I cut my hair, took a shower, beard, everything. It's wonderful!” 51-year-old Gregorio from Poland, who's been living in Rome for 13 years, told EWTN News.

Construction began in November on new showers and bathrooms under the colonnades of St. Peter’s Square.

Many barbers have volunteered with enthusiasm, including two barbers from the national Italian organization that transports the sick to Lourdes, France and other international shrines (UNITALSI). Other volunteers are finishing their final year in barber school.

“It's been a great lesson for me,” said Andrea Valeriano, an UNITALSI volunteer. “Everyone has waited (their turn) calmly. And I've seen a lot solidarity among them.”

Papal almoner Archbishop Konrad Krajewski spearheaded the reconstruction of St. Peter's square bathrooms to include the shower and barbershop facilities, which have witnessed a substantial response since their opening.

The Polish bishop is charged with the dual responsibility of carrying out acts of charity for the poor and raising the money to fund them. When the archbishop was appointed, Pope Francis urged him not to stay at his desk but rather to be an active worker for the benefit of the poor.

Vatican Insider reported that Archbishop Krajewski received his inspiration for the showers after taking a homeless man to dinner in order to celebrate his birthday. The man, who turned 50, told the archbishop that finding food in the city is easy, but staying clean was not.


“Prayer to Jesus is answered by him already during his ministry, through signs that anticipate the power of his death and Resurrection: Jesus hears the prayer of faith, expressed in words (the leper, Jairus, the Canaanite woman, the good thief) or in silence (the bearers of the paralytic, the woman with a hemorrhage who touches his clothes, the tears and ointment of the sinful woman). The urgent request of the blind men, "Have mercy on us, Son of David" or "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" has-been renewed in the traditional prayer to Jesus known as the Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!" Healing infirmities or forgiving sins, Jesus always responds to a prayer offered in faith: "Your faith has made you well; go in peace."
St. Augustine wonderfully summarizes the three dimensions of Jesus' prayer: "He prays for us as our priest, prays in us as our Head, and is prayed to by us as our God. Therefore let us acknowledge our voice in him and his in us."Catechism of the Catholic Church #2616

​

​A bit of humor…
​
 -I saw an ad for burial plots, and thought to myself this is the last thing I need.  
-Just burned 2,000 calories. That's the last time I leave brownies in the oven while I nap.  
-I'm great at multitasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at once. 
3
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
After a church service on Sunday morning, a young boy suddenly announced to his mother,
"Mom, I've decided to become a minister when I grow up."
"That's okay with us, but what made you decide that?"
"Well," said the little boy, "I have to go to church on Sunday anyway,
And I figure it will be more fun to stand up and yell, than to sit and listen."
 
The Sunday School Teacher asks,
"Now, Johnny, tell me frankly do you say prayers before eating?"
"No ma'am," little Johnny replies, I don't have to.
My mom is a good cook."

The Morning Offering
 
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my relatives and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen.
 


 
“In the battle of prayer, we must face in ourselves and around us erroneous notions of prayer.  Some people view prayer as a simple psychological activity, others as an effort of concentration to reach a mental void.  Still others reduce prayer to ritual words and postures.  Many Christians unconsciously regard prayer as an occupation that is incompatible with all the other things they have to do: they "don't have the time."  Those who seek God by prayer are quickly discouraged because they do not know that prayer comes also from the Holy Spirit and not from themselves alone.”               
​ -Catechism of the Catholic Church #2726

+JMJ+
SUNDAY BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
First Sunday of Lent – Sunday, March 9th, 2025

The First Reading- Deuteronomy 26: 4-10
Moses spoke to the people, saying: "The priest shall receive the basket from you and shall set it in front of the altar of the LORD, your God. Then you shall declare before the Lord, your God,  'My father was a wandering Aramean who went down to Egypt with a small household and lived there as an alien. But there he became a nation great, strong, and numerous. When the Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us, imposing hard labor upon us, we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and he heard our cry and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. He brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand and outstretched arm, with terrifying power, with signs and wonders; and bringing us into this country, he gave us this land flowing with milk and honey. Therefore, I have now brought you the first-fruits of the products of the soil which you, O LORD, have given me.' And having set them before the Lord, your God, you shall bow down in his presence."
Reflection
Moses reminds his people in today’s First Reading: “We cried to the LORD . . . and He heard.” But each of us is tempted, as Israel was, to forget the great deeds He works in our lives, to neglect our birthright as His beloved sons and daughters. Like the litany of remembrance Moses prescribes for Israel, we should see in the Mass a memorial of our salvation, and “bow down in His presence,” in thanksgiving for all He has given us.
Adults -What reminds you of God in your everyday life?
Teens - Did you know that Israel’s story is our story? Our faith descended from theirs and we face many temptations in our lives that they faced then. They were tempted to worship the golden calf instead of God. What are the “golden calves” in today’s world (i.e. money, fame, excessive comfort?)
Kids - What are you doing to observe Lent this year?

Responsorial- Psalm 91: 1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
say to the LORD, "My refuge and fortress,
my God in whom I trust."
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
No evil shall befall you,
nor shall affliction come near your tent,
For to his angels he has given command about you,
that they guard you in all your ways.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
Upon their hands they shall bear you up,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the asp and the viper;
you shall trample down the lion and the dragon.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
Because he clings to me, I will deliver him;
I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in distress;
I will deliver him and glorify him.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
Reflection
-What is something that is troubling you that you need to bring to the Lord?

The Second Reading- Romans 10: 8-13
Brothers and sisters: What does Scripture say? 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. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. For the Scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him. For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Reflection
Saint Paul assures us that anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. He was reminding the people of his time that salvation was made available to all, whether Jew or Gentile, through Jesus Christ. He came as Savior to the whole world. He also reminds us the importance of our own relationship with Jesus - and that we must believe in our hearts what we profess with our mouths, and live it out in our lives.
How do you find encouragement when things get difficult?

The Holy Gospel according to Luke 4: 1-13
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." Jesus answered him, "It is written, One does not live on bread alone." Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, "I shall give to you all this power and glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me." Jesus said to him in reply, "It is written: You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve." Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you, and: With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone." Jesus said to him in reply, "It also says, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test." When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.

Reflection - In today’s epic Gospel scene, Jesus relives in His flesh the history of Israel. We’ve already seen that, like Israel, Jesus has passed through water and been called God’s beloved Son (see Luke 3:22; Exodus 4:22). Now, as Israel was tested for forty years in the wilderness, Jesus is led into the desert to be tested for forty days and nights (see Exodus 15:25). He faces the temptations put to Israel: Hungry, a temptation to grumble against God for food (see Exodus 16:1–13). As Israel quarreled at Massah, He faces temptation to doubt God’s care (see Exodus 17:1–6). When the Devil asks for His worship, it’s a temptation to do what Israel did in creating the golden calf (see Exodus 32). Jesus fights the Devil with the Word of God, three times quoting from Moses’ lecture about the lessons Israel was supposed to learn from its wilderness wanderings (see Deuteronomy 8:3; 6:16; 6:12–15). Jesus overcame all of these temptations and used his time in the desert to show that whatever he was called to do would not be clouded with fear for his needs not being met, a hunger for authority, or a lack of trust in God’s care.

Adults -What are your Lenten observations this year? How can you be more intentional about observing them?
Teens  - How is your prayer life? Do you pause to remember that you are talking to the Creator of the universe who loves you with a perfect love? Do you intentionally listen for responses to prayer in your life?
Kids - How can you add in a few minutes of silence with Jesus every day?

LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! –‘There are few, if any, amongst us who can honestly say: "I am free from all inclinations or temptations."  The vast majority of us can and should beat our breasts and say with the publican: "O God, be merciful to me a sinner." And merciful he will be if we turn to him with true humility. He may not remove all our temptations, all our wrong inclinations, but he will give us the grace to overcome them if we sincerely seek his aid.’  —-Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

Lenten Regulations, Ash Wednesday explanation, Pope Francis's Lenten Message and a Lenten Meditation,

​QandA on Lent are found below in this order.


  
Catholic Good News
​
Receiving the Gospel, Serving God and Neighbor

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
      Will this Lent be like any other, or will it be the Lent when everything changes?  Lent doesn’t have to be earth-shattering, momentous, or singular, but LENT HAS TO BE FOR HIM!  Why?  Because He prayed for YOU! He fasted for YOU! He was tempted for YOU! He suffered for YOU! He bled for YOU! He died, giving the alms of His very flesh and life for YOU!


“Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured…he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins,
Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed.”  Isaiah 53:4a,5


​
Daily Lenten Reflections on the Daily Readings of Lent with Dr. Tim Gray 
https://formed.org/lent


Do you want the "Best Lent Ever"? Daily quotes or videos sign up here:
http://dynamiccatholic.com/bestlentever/
Our lives change when our habits change!
-Matthew Kelly, Dynamic Catholic


Sign up for Pray 40 in the Hallow app today!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZMv3FmreOY


Sign up for 40 Lenten Lessons on the Holy Mass
https://relevantradio.com/father-rockys-40-lenten-lessons-mass/

​

Will you and I give ourselves FOR HIM by laying them down for one another, especially the poor and downtrodden?!?  Will you and I carry our cross with Him this Lent to be raised up that many enter heaven?!?


Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert

P.S. Lenten Regulations, Ash Wednesday explanation, Today’s Readings, Pope Francis's Lenten Message, and a Lenten Meditation are found below.

P.S.S.  ASH WEDNESDAY IS A DAY OF FASTING AND ABSTINENCE (see Lenten Regulations).
THIS COMING FRIDAY IS A DAY OF ABSTINENCE.
 
P.S.S.S.  Lenten Workshop Website
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/seasons/lent/
 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASH WEDNESDAY MASS and Distribution of Ashes near you:
www.MassTimes.org 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
“By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert.”   
-Catechism of the Catholic Church #540

+JMJ+

GO DEEPER INTO LENT WITH DAILY REFLECTIONS FROM  
BISHOP ROBERT BARRON

 Join Bishop Robert Barron, (host of the video series, Catholicism, which aired on PBS) and 70,000 others as we journey through this season together. 
 Just click below and enter your e-mail address:

http://www.LentReflections.com/

Lent - The Christian faithful are to do penance through prayer, fasting, abstinence and by exercising works of piety and charity.   All Fridays through the year, and especially during Lent, are penitential days. (“Piety” is the moral virtue by which a person is disposed to render to God the worship and service He deserves.)

Abstinence from meat:  All who 14 years of age or older are to abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday, on all Fridays during Lent and on Good Friday.  (On other Fridays of the years, Catholics may substitute a work of penance or charity (i.e. extra prayers said for those in need; visiting or assisting the sick, poor, or needy; etc.) or abstain from meat.

Fasting:  All those who are 18 years of age and older, until their 59th birthday, are to fast on Ash Wednesday (Mar. 5) and Good Friday (Apr. 18).   Only one full meatless meal is allowed on days of fast.   Light sustenance on two other occasions, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to one's needs.   But together, these two occasions are not to equal a full meal.   Eating between meals is not permitted, but liquids, including milk and fruit juices, are allowed.

The obligation does not apply to those whose health or ability to work would be seriously affected (those pregnant/nursing, chronic ill such as with diabetes, hypoglycemic, those prone to passing out, etc.).   People in doubt about fast or abstinence should consult a parish priest.   The obligation does not apply to military personnel in deployed or hostile environments in which they have no control over meals.

Lent is a time when we concretely seek the Lord by changing our practices to more closely align with Jesus’s self-giving sacrifice.  We should do what we can to follow Him with our whole heart through the practices of Lent.

CONFESSION/PENANCE/RECONCILIATION:
Catholics are bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year (Canon 989).  Lent is an appropriate time to fulfill this obligation.

EASTER DUTY:
After having received their First Holy Communion, all the faithful (all Catholics) are bound by the obligation of receiving Holy Communion at least once a year.  This precept must be fulfilled during the Easter season, unless for a good reason it is fulfilled at another time during the year. This obligation may be fulfilled between Mar. 9 (First Sunday in Lent) and June 15 (Most Holy Trinity Sunday).

Other Items:
No alleluia. The Alleluia is not sung or said during the Lenten liturgies.  No Gloria, except on particular solemnities. The Gloria is not sung or said during Lent except on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph (March 19) and the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord (Mar. 25).

Color. Violet is the color of the season. Rose may be used on the Fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday). No Decorations. In order to help emphasize the penitential character of the Lenten season (with the exception of Laetare Sunday), the altar and sanctuary should not be decorated with flowers.
​
No Instrumental Music. Musical instruments should only be used to support the assembly’s singing, except on Laetare Sunday (fourth Sunday of Lent), Solemnities, and Feasts.
​

Ash Wednesday Explanation
​
 "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return."
 
 (picture not loaded)
Bishop administering ashes on Ash Wednesday

 
 Ash Wednesday Explanation
 "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return."
 
 
Bishop administering ashes on Ash Wednesday
 
Distribution of Ashes:
The distribution of Ashes should take place in a sacred place such as a church or a chapel.  The Order for the Distribution of Ashes provides that ashes should be distributed:
·  1. During Mass following the homily
·  2. At a (Catholic) Service of the Word
The Minister for Distribution of Blessed Ashes is a priest, a deacon, or a Catholic lay person.
 
Why Ashes?
On this day the Church invites us to receive a cross of ashes on our foreheads as a sign that during the coming days of Lent we will make a sincere effort to cleanse our lives of sin and to discipline ourselves through prayer and fasting.  Ashes are used because it is an outward sign of repentance and mourning.  Repenting and mourning in ashes is found in the Holy Bible in 2 Samuel 13:19; Esther 4:1; Job 2:8; Daniel 9:3; and Matthew 11:21.  Ashes are also reminiscent of dust, of which God speaks in the Holy Bible speaks, “for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19)  Thus, ashes also are a reminder of our mortality, that we will all one day die.
 
Who May Receive Ashes?
Baptized individuals who have reached the age of reason.   Babies and young children who have not yet received the Sacrament of Penance should not be presented to receive ashes since ashes are generally intended for those who are capable of personal sin.   The observance of Ash Wednesday is intended to lead the baptized members of the Church to repentance and renewal of baptismal promises at Easter. 
 
"Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel."

Reading 1
Jl 2:12-18
Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God.  For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment.  Perhaps he will again relent and leave behind him a blessing, Offerings and libations for the LORD, your God.
 
Blow the trumpet in Zion! proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the people, notify the congregation; Assemble the elders, gather the children and the infants at the breast; Let the bridegroom quit his room and the bride her chamber.
 
Between the porch and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep, And say, “Spare, O LORD, your people, and make not your heritage a reproach, with the nations ruling over them!  Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'” Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land and took pity on his people.
 

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17

R. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.



Reading II
2 Cor 5:20—6:2

Brothers and sisters:
We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us.  We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.  Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.  For he says:  In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.  Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
 
Gospel
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
 
“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
 
“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
 
 ​

​Message of the Holy Father
Let us journey together in hope
Dear brothers and sisters,
We begin our annual pilgrimage of Lent in faith and hope with the penitential rite of the imposition of ashes. The Church, our mother and teacher, invites us to open our hearts to God’s grace, so that we can celebrate with great joy the paschal victory of Christ the Lord over sin and death, which led Saint Paul to exclaim: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” ( 1 Cor 15:54-55). Indeed, Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, is the heart of our faith and the pledge of our hope in the Father’s great promise, already fulfilled in his beloved Son: life eternal (cf. Jn 10:28; 17:3). [1]
This Lent, as we share in the grace of the Jubilee Year, I would like to propose a few reflections on what it means to journey together in hope, and on the summons to conversion that God in his mercy addresses to all of us, as individuals and as a community.
First of all, to journey. The Jubilee motto, “Pilgrims of Hope”, evokes the lengthy journey of the people of Israel to the Promised Land, as recounted in the Book of Exodus. This arduous path from slavery to freedom was willed and guided by the Lord, who loves his people and remains ever faithful to them. It is hard to think of the biblical exodus without also thinking of those of our brothers and sisters who in our own day are fleeing situations of misery and violence in search of a better life for themselves and their loved ones. A first call to conversion thus comes from the realization that all of us are pilgrims in this life; each of us is invited to stop and ask how our lives reflect this fact. Am I really on a journey, or am I standing still, not moving, either immobilized by fear and hopelessness or reluctant to move out of my comfort zone? Am I seeking ways to leave behind the occasions of sin and situations that degrade my dignity? It would be a good Lenten exercise for us to compare our daily life with that of some migrant or foreigner, to learn how to sympathize with their experiences and in this way discover what God is asking of us so that we can better advance on our journey to the house of the Father. This would be a good “examination of conscience” for all of us wayfarers.
Second, to journey together. The Church is called to walk together, to be synodal. [2]  Christians are called to walk at the side of others, and never as lone travellers. The Holy Spirit impels us not to remain self-absorbed, but to leave ourselves behind and keep walking towards God and our brothers and sisters. [3] Journeying together means consolidating the unity grounded in our common dignity as children of God (cf. Gal 3:26-28). It means walking side-by-side, without shoving or stepping on others, without envy or hypocrisy, without letting anyone be left behind or excluded. Let us all walk in the same direction, tending towards the same goal, attentive to one another in love and patience.
This Lent, God is asking us to examine whether in our lives, in our families, in the places where we work and spend our time, we are capable of walking together with others, listening to them, resisting the temptation to become self-absorbed and to think only of our own needs. Let us ask ourselves in the presence of the Lord whether, as bishops, priests, consecrated persons and laity in the service of the Kingdom of God, we cooperate with others. Whether we show ourselves welcoming, with concrete gestures, to those both near and far. Whether we make others feel a part of the community or keep them at a distance. [4] This, then, is a second call to conversion: a summons to synodality.
Third, let us journey together in hope, for we have been given a promise. May the hope that does not disappoint (cf. Rom 5:5), the central message of the Jubilee, [5] be the focus of our Lenten journey towards the victory of Easter. As Pope Benedict XVI taught us in the Encyclical Spe Salvi, “the human being needs unconditional love.  He needs the certainty which makes him say: ‘neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord’ ( Rom 8:38-39)”. [6] Christ, my hope, has risen! [7]  He lives and reigns in glory. Death has been transformed into triumph, and the faith and great hope of Christians rests in this: the resurrection of Christ!
This, then, is the third call to conversion: a call to hope, to trust in God and his great promise of eternal life. Let us ask ourselves: Am I convinced that the Lord forgives my sins? Or do I act as if I can save myself? Do I long for salvation and call upon God’s help to attain it? Do I concretely experience the hope that enables me to interpret the events of history and inspires in me a commitment to justice and fraternity, to care for our common home and in such a way that no one feels excluded?
Sisters and brothers, thanks to God’s love in Jesus Christ, we are sustained in the hope that does not disappoint (cf. Rom 5:5). Hope is the “sure and steadfast anchor of the soul”. [8] It moves the Church to pray for “everyone to be saved” ( 1 Tim 2:4) and to look forward to her being united with Christ, her bridegroom, in the glory of heaven. This was the prayer of Saint Teresa of Avila: “Hope, O my soul, hope. You know neither the day nor the hour. Watch carefully, for everything passes quickly, even though your impatience makes doubtful what is certain, and turns a very short time into a long one” ( The Exclamations of the Soul to God, 15:3). [9]
May the Virgin Mary, Mother of Hope, intercede for us and accompany us on our Lenten journey. 

​FRANCIS
 

[1] Cf. Encyclical Letter Dilexit Nos (24 October 2024), 220 .
[2] Cf. Homily for the Mass and Canonization of Giovanni Battista Scalabrini and Artemide Zatti, 9 October 2022.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
 [5] Cf. Bull Spes Non Confundit , 1.
 [6] Encyclical Letter Spe Salvi (30 November 2007), 26.
[7] Cf. Easter Sequence.
 [8] Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church , 1820.
 [9] Ibid, 1821.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent when the Catholic Church charges us to put on the mantle of penitence for forty days and forty nights through the Passion and Death of Jesus in preparation for his glorious Resurrection. We receive ashes to remind us of the temporary vessels that we are.

According to tradition, after Jesus died, Mary used to visit those places where her Son shed his blood (the Way of the Cross or Via Dolorosa which means road of suffering). She meditated on Christ's suffering by following in his footsteps. Later, other faithful followers of Jesus did the same. For centuries people would go in pilgrimage to visit the holy places, making all the stops or stations on the Way of the Cross.

The Passion and Death of Jesus was the greatest expression of his love for us, since it is by his suffering and death that he saved us from the slavery of sin, and by his resurrection that he confirmed the promise of our own resurrection.
 ​

Q: What is Lent?
A: Historically, Lent is the forty day period of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving before Easter, excluding Sundays; it began on Ash Wednesday and ended on Holy Saturday (the day before Easter Sunday). In recent years, this has been modified so that it now ends with evening Mass on Holy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter Sunday), to prepare the way for Triduum (the three final days leading up to and including Easter Sunday.


Q: Why are the forty days called Lent?
A: They are called Lent because that is the Old English word for spring, the season of the year during which they fall. This is something unique to English. In almost all other languages its name is a derivative of the Latin term Quadragesima, or "the forty days."


Q: Why is Lent forty days long?
A: Because forty days is a traditional number of discipline, devotion, and preparation in the Bible. Thus Moses stayed on the Mountain of God forty days (Exodus 24:18 and 34:28), the spies were in the land for forty days (Numbers 13:25), Elijah traveled forty days before he reached the cave where he had his vision (1 Kings 19:8), Nineveh was given forty days to repent (Jonah 3:4), and most importantly, prior to undertaking his ministry, Jesus spent forty days in wilderness praying and fasting (Matthew 4:2).
Since Lent is a period of prayer and fasting, it is fitting for Christians to imitate their Lord with a forty day period. Christ used a forty day period of prayer and fasting to prepare for his ministry, which culminated in his death and resurrection, and thus it is fitting for Christians to imitate him with a forty day period of prayer and fasting to prepare for the celebration of his ministry's climax, Good Friday (the day of the crucifixion) and Easter Sunday (the day of the resurrection).
Thus the Catechism of the Catholic Church (a book explaining her teachings) states:
"'For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sinning' [Heb 4:15]. By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert." (CCC 540).
In the 7th century, the Church added Ash Wednesday and the following three days to make it 40 days of fasting with Sundays being exempt from Lenten practices, though the entire time is the season of Lent.


Q: Why are Sundays excluded from the reckoning of the forty days?
A: Because Sunday is the day on which Christ rose from the dead, making it an inappropriate day to fast and mourn our sins. On Sunday we must celebrate Christ's resurrection for our salvation. It is Friday on which we commemorate his death for our sins. The Sundays of the year are days of celebration and the Fridays of the year are days of penance.


Q: When does Lent begin?
A: Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which is the day on which the faithful have their foreheads signed with ashes in the form of a Cross (see piece on Ash Wednesday). It is also a day of fast (eating less than usual) and abstinence (eating no meat).  [The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday is sometimes called Mardi Gras, ‘Fat Tuesday,’ because some have made it a tradition to finish up excess food and treats since they will not be able to partake of such celebration until Lent ends.


Q: What is Ash Wednesday, and why is it different each year?
Ash Wednesday is the first day and beginning of Lent.  It is called “Ash” Wednesday, because the minister will lightly rub ashes in the sign of a cross onto the forehead of those who gather and come forward.  [In many European countries, ashes are sprinkled on the head.]  Ashes are used because it is an outward sign of repentance and mourning.  Repenting and mourning in ashes is found in the Holy Bible in 2 Samuel 13:19; Esther 4:1; Job 2:8; Daniel 9:3; and Matthew 11:21.  Ashes are also reminiscent of dust, of which God speaks in the Holy Bible speaks, “for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19)  Ash Wednesday is also a day of fast and abstinence (no meat) for Catholics.
The date of Ash Wednesday depends on the date of Easter.  The date of Easter is calculated as being the Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox.  Since ecclesiastical (Church) calculators always consider March 21 the date of the equinox, the earliest Easter can be is March 22 and the latest is April 25.  If Easter occurs on March 22, Ash Wednesday is on February 4 (as it last was in 1818 and will again be in 2285).  If Easter occurs on April 25, Ash Wednesday is on March 10 (as it last was in 1943 and will again be in 2038).


Q: Aside from Ash Wednesday, which begins Lent, what are its principal events?
A: There are a variety of saints' days which fall during Lent, and some of these change from year to year since the dates of Lent itself change based on when Easter falls. However, the Sundays during the Lenten season commemorate special events in the life of Our Lord, such as his Transfiguration and his Triumphal Entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, which begins Holy Week. Holy week climaxes with Holy Thursday, on which Christ celebrated the first Mass, Good Friday, on which he was Crucified, and Holy Saturday -- the last day of Lent -- during which Our Lord lay in the Tomb before his Resurrection on Easter Sunday, the first day after Lent.


Q: What is a day of fast and abstinence?
A: Under current Church law in the Western Rite of the Church, a day of fast is one on which Catholics who are eighteen to sixty years old are required to keep a limited fast. In this country, one may eat a single, normal meal and have two snacks if necessary, so long as these snacks do not add up to a second meal. Children are not required to fast, but their parents are to ensure they are properly educated in the spiritual practice of fasting. Those with medical conditions requiring a greater or more regular food intake can easily be dispensed from the requirement of fasting by their pastor.
A day of abstinence is a day on which Catholics fourteen years or older are required to abstain from eating meat (under the current discipline in America, fish, eggs, milk products, and condiments or foods made using animal fat are permitted in the Western Rite of the Church, though not in the Eastern Rites.) Again, persons with special dietary needs can easily be dispensed by their pastor.


Q: Is there a biblical basis for abstaining from meat as a sign of repentance?
A: Yes. The book of Daniel states:
"In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia . . . 'I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.'" (Daniel 10:1-3)


Q: Isn't abstaining from meat one of the "doctrines of demons" Paul warned about in 1 Timothy 4:1-5?
A: Short answer: Not unless Daniel was practicing a doctrine of demons.
Long answer: When Paul warned of those who "forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods" he has in mind people with the Manichean belief that marital relations is wrong and certain foods, like meat, are intrinsically immoral. (Thus, the spiritual ideal for many modern New Agers is a celibate vegetarian, as in the Eastern religions.)
We know that Paul has in mind those who teach marital relations and certain foods are intrinsically immoral because he tells us that these are "foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer" (1 Tim. 4:3b-5).
Marital relations and all kinds of food are good things (which is why the Catholic Church has Marriage for a sacrament and heartily recommends the practice of eating to its members), and this is precisely why it is fitting for them to be given up as part of a spiritual discipline. Thus Daniel gave up meat (as well as wine, another symbol of rejoicing) and Paul endorses the practice of temporary celibacy to engage in a special spiritual discipline of increased prayer (1 Corinthians 7:5). By giving up good things and denying them to ourselves we encourage an attitude of humility, free ourselves from dependence on them, cultivate the spiritual discipline of being willing to make personal sacrifices, and remind ourselves of the importance of spiritual goods over earthly goods.
In fact, if there was an important enough purpose, Paul recommended permanently giving up marriage and meat. Thus, he himself was celibate (1 Corinthians 7:8), he recommended the same for ministers (2 Timothy 2:3-4), and he recommended it for the unmarried so they can devote themselves more fully to the Lord (1 Corinthians 7:32-34) unless doing so would subject them to great temptations (1 Cointhians 7:9). Similarly, he recommended giving up meat permanently if it would prevent others from sinning (1 Corinthians 8:13).
Thus Paul certainly had nothing against celibacy or giving up meat -- even on a permanent basis -- so long as one wasn't saying that these things are intrinsically evil, which is what he was condemning the "doctrines of demons" passage.
Since the Catholic Church only requires abstinence from meat on a temporary basis, it clearly does not regard meat as immoral. Instead, it regards it as the giving up of a good thing (which in less economically developed regions -- including the whole world until very recently -- was expensive and thus eaten at festive occasions, making it a sign of rejoicing) to attain a spiritual goal.


Q: On what basis does the Church have the authority to establish days of fast and abstinence?
A: On the authority of Jesus Christ.
Jesus told the leaders of his Church, "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:19, 18:18). The language of binding and loosing (in part) was a rabinnic way of referring to the ability to establish binding halakah or rules of conduct for the faith community. It is thus especially appropriate that the references to binding and loosing occur in Matthew, the "Jewish Gospel." Thus the Jewish Encyclopedia states:
"BINDING AND LOOSING (Hebrew, asar ve-hittir) . . . Rabinnical term for 'forbidding and permitting.' . . .
"The power of binding and loosing as always claimed by the Pharisees. Under Queen Alexandra the Pharisees, says Josephus (Wars of the Jews 1:5:2), 'became the administrators of all public affairs so as to be empowered to banish and readmit whom they pleased, as well as to loose and to bind.' . . . The various schools had the power 'to bind and to loose'; that is, to forbid and to permit (Talmud: Chagigah 3b); and they could also bind any day by declaring it a fast-day ( . . . Talmud: Ta'anit 12a . . . ). This power and authority, vested in the rabbinical body of each age of the Sanhedrin, received its ratification and final sanction from the celestial court of justice (Sifra, Emor, 9; Talmud: Makkot 23b).
"In this sense Jesus, when appointing his apostles to be his successors, used the familiar formula (Matt. 16:19, 18:18). By these words he virtually invested them with the same authority as that which he found belonging to the scribes and Pharisees who 'bind heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but will not move them with one of their fingers'; that is 'loose them,' as they have the power to do (Matt. 23:2-4). In the same sense the second epistle of Clement to James II ('Clementine Homilies,' Introduction [A.D. 221]), Peter is represented as having appointed Clement as his successor, saying: 'I communicate to him the power of binding and loosing so that, with respect to everything which he shall ordain in the earth, it shall be decreed in the heavens; for he shall bind what ought to be bound and loose what ought to be loosed as knowing the rule of the Church.'" (Jewish Encyclopedia 3:215).
Thus Jesus invested the leaders of this Church with the power of making halakah for the Christian community. This includes the setting of fast days (like Ash Wednesday).
To approach the issue from another angle, every family has the authority to establish particular family devotions for its members. Thus if the parents decide that the family will engage in a particular devotion at a particular time (say, Bible reading after supper), it is a sin for the children to disobey and skip the devotion for no good reason. In the same way, the Church as the family of God has the authority to establish its own family devotion, and it is a sin for the members of the Church to disobey and skip the devotions for no good reason (though of course if the person has a good reason, the Church dispenses him immediately).


Q: In addition to Ash Wednesday, are any other days during Lent days of fast or abstinence?
A: Yes. All Fridays during Lent are days of abstinence (no meat).  Also, Good Friday, the day on which Christ was crucified, is another day of both fast and abstinence.
All days in Lent are appropriate for fasting or abstaining, but canon law does not require fasting on those days. Such fasting or abstinence is voluntary, like a freewill offering.


Q: Why are Fridays during Lent days of abstinence (no meat)?
A: This is because Jesus died for our sins on Friday, making it an especially appropriate day of mourning our sins (just as Sunday, the day on which he rose for our salvation is an especially appropriate day to rejoice) by denying ourselves something we enjoy. During the rest of the year Catholics in this country are permitted to use a different act of penance on Friday in place of abstinence, though all Fridays are days of penance on which we are required to do something expressing sorrow for our sins, just as Sundays are holy days on which we are required to worship and celebrate God's great gift of salvation.


Q: Why do we ‘abstain’ from meat on Fridays?  And why can we eat fish?
Some reasoning is that since the Flesh of Christ died on the Cross, we mourn this reality by refraining from meat.  Also, meat is traditionally considered feasting, so it is not eaten during a time of penance.  We do this on Fridays, since Jesus died on a Friday.
Fish is eaten because it is not a beast of the field and does not ‘chew its cud,’ thus separating it from regular meat associations.


Q: Why do we ‘fast’ on certain days in Lent and encouraged to do so throughout the year?
Many persons and peoples in the Bible would fast in preparation and purification for special moments, even for war.  Jesus himself fasted.  He also said, “some evil spirits can only be driven out with prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:29)  Denying ourselves food, the most primal and powerful drive within us, opens us up to God and others and strengthens us to do the difficult things of life.


Q: Are acts of repentance appropriate on other days during Lent?
A: Yes. Thus the Code of Canon Law (Church Law) states:
"All Fridays through the year and the time of Lent are penitential days and time throughout the universal Church" (CIC 1250).


Q: Why are acts of repentance appropriate at this time of year?
A: Because it is the time leading up to the commemoration of Our Lord's death for our sins and the commemoration of his resurrection for our salvation.  It is thus especially appropriate to mourn the sins for which he died.  Humans have an innate psychological need to mourn tragedies, and our sins are tragedies of the greatest sort.  Due to our fallen nature (original sin from Adam and Eve), humans also have a need to have set times in which to engage in behavior (which is why we have Sundays as a set time to rest and worship, since we would otherwise be likely to forget to devote sufficient time to rest and worship), it is appropriate to have set times of repentance.  Lent is one of those set times.


Q: What are some appropriate things to do during Lent?
Giving up something we enjoy for Lent, doing of physical or spiritual acts of mercy for others, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, abstinence (no meat), confessing our sins, and other acts expressing repentance in general.


Q: Is the custom of giving up something for Lent mandatory?
A: No. However, it is a salutary (beneficial, healthy) custom, and parents or caretakers may choose to require it of their children to encourage their spiritual training, which is their prime responsibility in the raising of their children.


Q: Since Sundays are not counted in the forty days of Lent, does the custom of giving up something apply to them?
A: Customarily, no.  However, since the giving up of something is voluntary to begin with, there is no official rule concerning this aspect of it.  Nevertheless, since Sundays are days of celebration, it is appropriate to suspend the Lenten self-denial on them that, in a spiritual and non-excessive way, we may celebrate the day of Our Lord's resurrection so that that day and that event may be contrasted with the rest of the days of Lent and the rest of the events of history.  This heightened contrast deepens the spiritual lessons taught by the rest of Lent.


Q: Why is giving up something for Lent such a salutary custom?
A: By denying ourselves something we enjoy, we discipline our wills so that we are not slaves to our pleasures.  Just as indulging the pleasure of eating leads to physical flabbiness and, if this is great enough, an inability to perform in physically demanding situations, indulging in pleasure in general leads to spiritual flabbiness and, if this is great enough, an inability to perform in spiritual demanding situations, when the demands of morality require us to sacrifice something pleasurable (such as marital relations before marriage or not within the confines of marriage) or endure hardship (such as being scorned or persecuted for the faith).  By disciplining the will to refuse pleasures when they are not sinful, a habit is developed which allows the will to refuse pleasures when they are sinful.  There are few better ways to keep one's priorities straight than by periodically denying ourselves things of lesser priority to show us that they are not necessary and so to focus our attention on what is necessary.
 
 
Q: Is the denying of pleasure an end in itself?
A: No. It is only a means to an end.  By training ourselves to resist temptations when they are not sinful, we train ourselves to reject temptations when they are sinful.  We also express our sorrow over having failed to resist sinful temptations in the past.


Q: Is there such a thing as denying ourselves too many pleasures?
A: Most definitely. First, God made human life contingent on certain goods, such as food, and to refuse to enjoy enough of them has harmful consequences. For example, if we do not eat enough food it can cause physical damage or (in the extreme, even death). Just as there is a balance between eating too much food and not eating enough food, there is a balance involved in other goods.
Second, if we do not strike the right balance and deny ourselves goods God meant us to have then it can generate resentment toward God, which is a spiritual sin just as much as those of engaging in excesses of good things. Thus, one can be led into sin either by excess or by defect in the enjoyment of good things.
Third, it can decrease our effectiveness in ministering to others.
Fourth, it can deprive us of the goods God gave us in order that we might praise Him.
Fifth, it constitutes the sin of ingratitude by refusing to enjoy the things God wanted us to have because He loves us.  If a child refused every gift his parent gave him, it would displease the parent, and if we refuse gifts God has given us, it displeases God because he loves us and wants us to have them.


Q: Is that balance the same for all people?
A: No.  For example, with the good of food, people who are by nature physically larger need more food than people who are physically smaller.  Similarly, people who have higher metabolisms or who do manual labor for a living need more food than people with slower metabolisms or who have less active lifestyles.  The same is true with regard to other goods than food.  St. Paul speaks of this in regard to the good of married life:
"I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own special gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is well for them to remain single as I do. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion" (1 Corinthians 7:7-9).
Thus, some are given the gift of being able to live without the good of married life in order that they may pursue greater devotion to God (1 Cor. 7:32-34) or to pursue greater ministry for others (2 Timothy 2:3-4), as with priests, monks, and nuns. God gives these people special graces to live the life which they have embraced, just as he gives special graces to the married to live the life they have embraced.


OFFICE FOR THE LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF Presents
THE WAY OF THE CROSS
In the Christian West few pious practices are as loved as the Way of the Cross, a devotion which recalls with mindful affection the last stage of the journey that Jesus walked in his earthly life: from when he and his disciples, « after psalms had been sung, left for the Mount of Olives» (Mk 14, 26), until the Lord was taken to the « place called Golgotha, The Skull » (Mk 15, 22), to be crucified and then buried in a garden nearby, in a new tomb hewn out of the rock.


A way traced by the Spirit
The life of Jesus is a journey traced by the Spirit: at the beginning of the mission the Spirit leads him into the desert (cf. Lk 4, 1); and then, as a divine fire burning in his breast, drives him to walk the way to Calvary (cf. Lk 12, 49-50).
The last stage of the journey is unspeakably hard and painful. The evangelists lingered, although with moderation, over the description of the Way of the Cross which the Son of God and Son of man walked out of love for the Father and for humanity. Each step of Jesus is one step closer to the accomplishment of the plan of salvation: to the hour of universal forgiveness (cf. Lk 23, 34), the pierced Heart – the opening of an inextinguishable fountain of grace - (cf. Jn 19, 34), the immolation of the true Paschal Lamb, of whom not one bone will be broken (cf. Jn 19, 36), the gift of the Mother (cf. Jn 19, 26-27) and of the Spirit (cf. Mt 27, 50). Every new suffering of Jesus is a seed of future joy for humanity, every jeer, a premise of glory. Along that way of suffering Jesus' every meeting - with friends, with enemies, with the indifferent - is a chance for one final lesson, one last look, one supreme offer of reconciliation and peace.


A Way loved by the Church
The Church has always kept alive the memory of the words and the events of the last days of her Spouse and Lord, a loving although painful memory of the path Jesus walked from the Mount of Olives to the Mount of Calvary. The Church knows in fact that in every episode which happened on that Way lies hidden a mystery of grace, a gesture of his love for her. The Church is aware that in the Eucharist her Lord left her the objective, sacramental memory of the Body broken and the Blood shed on the hill of Golgotha. However she also loves the historical memory of the places where Christ suffered, the streets and the stones bathed in his sweat and in his blood.
The Church in Jerusalem showed her love for the « holy places » very early on. Archaeological findings prove the existence of expressions of Christian worship in the burial grounds where the tomb used for Christ had been hewn out of the rock, as early as the second century. At the end of the fourth century a pilgrim woman named Aetheria tells us of three holy buildings on the hill of Golgotha: the Anastasis, the little church ad Crucem, and the great church – the Martyrium (cf. Peregrinatio Etheriae 30). And she describes a procession from the Anastasis to the Martyrium which took place on certain days. This was certainly not a Way of the Cross or a Via Dolorosa, nor was the via sacra, a sort of walking tour of the shrines in Jerusalem, alluded to in various chronicles written by pilgrims of the fifth and sixth centuries. However that procession, with its chanting of psalms and close connection with the places of the Passion, is considered by some scholars an embryonic form of the future Way of the Cross.
Jerusalem is the city of the historical Way of the Cross. It is the only city with this great, tragic privilege. In the Middle Ages the attraction of the « holy places » gave rise to a desire to reproduce them locally: some pilgrims on returning from Jerusalem reproduced them in their own city. The Seven Churches of the Santo Stefano complex in Bologna are considered the most remarkable example of these « reproductions ».


A medieval devotion
The Way of the Cross, as we understand the term today, dates to the late Middle Ages. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (+ 1153), Saint Francis of Assisi (+ 1226) and Saint Bonaventure of Bagnoregio (+ 1274), with their loving, contemplative devotion, prepared the ground on which the devout practice was to develop.
To a spirit of compassionate devotion for the mystery of the Passion we must add the enthusiasm aroused by the Crusades launched to regain possession of the Holy Sepulchre, a new flourishing of pilgrimages from the twelfth century onwards, and, from 1233, the stable presence of the Franciscan Friars minor in the Holy Places.
Towards the end of the thirteenth century we find mention of the Stations of the Cross, not yet as a pious practice, but as the path which Jesus walked on his way up to Mount Calvary marked by a series of « stations ».
Around 1294 the Dominican friar Rinaldo de Monte Crucis, in his Liber peregrinationis, tells how he went up to the Holy Sepulchre «per viam, per quam ascendit Christus, baiulans sibi crucem », describing the different stations: Herod's Palace, the Lithostratos, where Jesus was condemned to death, the place where Jesus met the women of Jerusalem, the place where Simon of Cyrene shouldered the Lord's cross, and so forth.
Against the a background of devotion to the Passion of Christ, and recalling the path Jesus walked on his ascent to Mount Calvary, The Stations of the Cross as a pious practice was born directly from a sort of fusion of three devotions which spread mainly in Germany and in the Netherlands from the fifteenth century onwards:
- devotion to «Christ's falls » beneath the cross; as many as seven were numbered;
- devotion to « Christ's way of sorrow», which involved making a procession from one church to the next in memory of the way of sorrow - seven, nine and even more -, which Christ walked during his passion: from Gethsemane to the house of Annas (cf. Jn 18, 13), from the latter to the house of Caiaphas (cf. Jn 18, 24; Mt 26, 56), then on to the Praetorium of Pilate (cf. Jn 18, 28; Mt 27, 2), to the palace of King Herod (cf. Lk 23, 7) ...;
- devotion to the «the stations of Christ», to the moments when Jesus stops on his journey to the hill of Calvary either because he is forced to do so by his executioners or because he is exhausted from fatigue, or because, moved by love, he is still anxious to establish a dialogue with the men and the women who participate in his passion; often « sorrowful ways » and « stations » correspond in number and subject (each « way » concludes with a « station ») and the latter are marked with a column or a cross on which the scene, the subject of meditation, is at times depicted.


Variety of the Stations
In the long formation process of The Way of the Cross two elements should be noted: the fluctuation of the « First Station » and the variety of Stations.
With regard to the earliest Stations of the Cross, historians record at least four episodes chosen as the «First Station »:
- Jesus takes leave of his Mother; this « First Station » would appear to have been less popular, probably due to its difficult biblical grounding;
- The Washing of the Feet; this « First Station », set in the event of the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist, is found in some Stations of the Cross of the second half of the seventeenth century, which were very popular;
- The Agony in Gethsemane, the Garden of Olives, where in last loving obedience to the Father Jesus chooses to drink the chalice of his Passion to the last drop, was the initial Station of a brief seventeenth century set of Stations of the Cross - consisting of only seven -, noteworthy for its biblical rigour, and popularised principally by members of the Society of Jesus;
- The condemnation of Jesus in the Praetorium of Pilate, a rather early « First Station » which effectively marks the beginning of the final stage of Jesus' sorrowful way: from the Praetorium to the Hill of Calvary.
The subject of the stations also varied. In the fifteenth century great diversity in the choice, number and order of stations still prevailed. Some schemas of Way of the Cross include stations such as the capture of Jesus, Peter's denial, the scourging at the pillar, the defamatory accusations at the house of Caiaphas, the mockery of the white robe at Herod's palace, none of which are found in what was to become the textus receptus of the pious practice.


The traditional form
The Way of the Cross or Via Crucis, in its present form, with the same fourteen stations placed in the same order, is recorded in Spain in the first half of the seventeenth century especially in Franciscan communities. From the Iberian peninsula it spread first to Sardinia, at that time under the dominion of the Spanish crown and then to Italy. Here it found a convinced and effective apostle in Saint Leonard of Port Maurice (+ 1751), a friar minor and a tireless missionary; he personally erected more than 572 Via Crucis, including the famous one erected inside the Colosseum at the request of Benedict XIV on 27 December 1750 to commemorate the Holy Year.


The biblical form
Every year on the evening of Good Friday, the Holy Father goes to the Colosseum for the pious practice of the Way of the Cross, joined by thousands of pilgrims from all over the world.
Compared with the traditional text, the biblical Way of the Cross celebrated by the Holy Father at the Colosseum for the first time in 1991 presented certain variants in the «subjects» of the stations. In the light of history, these variants, rather than new, are - if anything - simply rediscovered.
The biblical Way of the Cross omits stations which lack precise biblical reference such as the Lord's three falls (III, V, VII), Jesus' encounter with his Mother (IV) and with Veronica (VI). Instead we have stations such as Jesus' agony in the Garden of Olives (I), the unjust sentence passed by Pilate (V), the promise of paradise to the Good Thief (XI), the presence of the Mother and the Disciple at the foot of the Cross (XIII). Clearly these episodes are of great salvific import and theological significance for the drama of Christ's passion: an ever-present drama in which every man and woman, knowingly or unknowingly, plays a part.
The proposal is not entirely new. Pilgrims arriving in Rome for the Jubilee of 1975 received a small handbook, Libro del pellegrino, prepared by the Central Committee for the Holy Year, which included an alternative version of the Stations of the Cross, with which in part, the 1991 biblical Via Crucis takes up.
Likewise, the Congregation for Divine Worship on various occasions in recent years authorised the use of formulas alternative to the traditional text of the Way of the Cross.
With the biblical Way of the Cross the intention was not to change the traditional text, which remains fully valid, but quite simply to highlight a few «important stations» which in the textus receptus are either absent or in the background. And indeed this only emphasises the extraordinary richness of the Way of the Cross which no schema can ever fully express.
The biblical Way of the Cross sheds light on the tragic role of the various characters involved, and the struggle between light and darkness, between truth and falsehood, which they embody. They all participate in the mystery of the Passion, taking a stance for or against Jesus, the «sign of contradiction» (Lk 2, 34), and thus revealing their hidden thoughts with regard to Christ.
Making the Way of the Cross, we, the followers of Jesus, must declare once more our discipleship: weeping like Peter for sins committed; opening our hearts to faith in Jesus the suffering Messiah, like the Good Thief; remaining there at the foot of the Cross of Christ like the Mother and the Disciple, and there with them receiving the Word which redeems, the Blood which purifies, the Spirit which gives life.
PIERO MARINI, Titular Archbishop of Martirano
Master of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
            Most of you probably know how to pray the Holy Rosary.  (If not, please check under the website section.)  But maybe you do not know of its great power and its great aid to people and to the world.  From the great naval victory at Lepanto in 1571 to the peace of heart and peace in the world, the holy Rosary is a gift beyond imagination.
 
       St. Dominic and the Dominicans are and have been great preachers of the Rosary for around 800 years.  Popes have endorsed it with Pope Leo XIII writing 12 Rosary encyclicals and 5 apostolic letters from 1883 to 1898, the most of any pope.  The blessed Mother herself telling the children at Fatima, “You must recite the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace for the world…”


       The Rosary is the Prayer of the Gospel, and it unites us and our lives to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph the ordinary and extraordinary events of their lives helping us to understand our own.  The Rosary gives us and others grace and help at every moment of our lives.  It prepares one for heaven, and helps one to truly love.  (Be sure to read the promises of Our Lady below.)


       The Rosary is not meant to be only vocal prayers recited, but MENTAL PRAYER, an engaging of the mind and heart to the events that save us.  On the 10 Hail Marys ask WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and WHY about each Mystery you meditate upon.  Then the true gift and benefit of the Holy Rosary will be made known to you and the world.
 
 Now that is Catholic GOOD NEWS!


Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert
 
P.S.  In 2004, Pope John Paul II in the Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (The Rosary of the Virgin Mary) added five more mysteries to the Holy Rosary referring to the life of Jesus and Mary, check them out under Helpful Hints for Life.
 
P.S.S.  This coming Sunday is the 8rd Sunday of Ordinary Time.  The readings can be found at: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030225.cfm
​

“Helpful Hints of Life”

MYSTERIES OF LIGHT - LUMINOUS MYSTERIES
1.      The Baptism of Our Lord by John the Baptist 
2.      The First Miracle of Jesus at the Wedding of Cana
3.      The Proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven (and Call to Repentance)
4.      The Transfiguration
5.      The Institution of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
 
The promises of Mary from God to those who pray the Holy Rosary:
1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all who shall recite the Rosary.
3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful in reciting the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
9. I shall deliver from purgatory, those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12. All those who propagate the holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from My Divine Son, that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors, the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the Rosary are my sons, and brothers of My only son Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion to My Rosary is a great sign of pre-destination.
 
Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20021016_rosarium-virginis-mariae_en.html
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1184&context=marian_studies

 
 
"All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs. . . . This very special devotion . . . differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration." The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary. 
-Catechism of the Catholic Church #971

​

Diocesan News AND BEYOND

What Catholic Schools Can Learn From an Innovative Collaboration
The superintendent of K-12 schools in the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan, spearheads strong educational mission with the priority on collaboration — and faith.

Consider an alliance of Catholic schools.
And biannual school summits for school leaders and a solid faculty faith-formation program, with a focus on such topics as Church teaching on the Eucharist and the theology of the body. Also, alliances made between the various parochial school boards.

This is the “Catholic Schools: Bridging Faith and Future” plan spearheaded by David Faber, Catholic K-12 schools in the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

The results: increasing enrollment and efficiency, plus two new schools and three others “reimagined” with new names and mission. 

For his efforts, Faber was recognized with the Dr. Karen M. Ristau Innovations Award, “presented annually to an individual, school or program that has furthered the mission of Catholic education through an innovative program or approach,” by the  National Catholic Educational Association, a professional membership organization of 140,000 educators that provides leadership and professional training of supervisors, principals, teachers and pastors. It collaborates with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and private and Catholic associations to lobby Congress and state governments on issues such as nonprofit status, school choice and internet safety.

“I attribute any success to what Mother Teresa would say is ‘faithfulness,’” Faber told the Register, and “I thank the Lord for his grace and goodness in my life. God gave me a vision many years ago for Catholic schools which developed over time. It was something that came from my experiences leading an elementary school.” 

Faber began working for the diocese in 1993, serving as principal at an elementary school for the next 17 years. In 2010, he became school superintendent. This year, Faber will retire from the position. 
​
And he is leaving the schools in a better place, anchored on “growth with a focus on bringing in young people and families to know the Lord and encounter him every day,” as Faber told the Register, “growing or expanding education, and thinking about the ways to do that. Expansion is all about evangelization and how to engage more and more young people and families in this beautiful Catholic culture and the opportunity to encounter Christ on a daily basis.” 

Educator-Approved

His fellow educators applaud his efforts.

“I worked at NCEA for two years, and while I was there I realized how much of an impact Dave was having in Grand Rapids,” Jill Wierzbicki Annable, president/CEO of West Catholic High School in Grand Rapids told the Register. She said that Faber was able to resolve the relative isolation of the various diocesan schools by bringing together an effective alliance. One of the fruits of this, she said, was the founding of two new Catholic schools in parishes that did not have them before. She added that Faber and Bishop David Walkowiak ensured that home-schoolers also benefit. “Dave was very invitational and taught us how to allow home-school families to see us as a community,” recalled the leader, who served with Faber as assistant superintendent. This meant allowing home-school students to participate in Catholic-school sports and to take enrichment classes. 

Amy Zakrajsek, who teaches fourth and fifth grade at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School in Grand Rapids, has known Faber since 2008, when she interviewed for her teaching position. He was looking not only for teaching credentials, but a faith journey that matched the school’s Catholic identity, Zakrajsek told the Register. “To me, that was very telling about who Dave Faber was as a principal and the type of person he was looking for for St. Thomas.” 
​
Faber also gives credit to Bishop Walkowiak, who was appointed to the diocese by Pope Francis in 2013. “It’s been a journey, and in our strategic planning, we were blessed when Bishop Walkowiak came to the diocese with a bold vision for Catholic schools and he was willing to support that vision and put into place his Catholic schools’ initiative. We nearly tripled the number of scholarships we could offer to our schools and families. We increased affordability through the bishop’s initiative in 2014-15,” Faber recalled. Approximately 11% of the student body is non-Catholic, which he said is a tribute to the attractiveness of Catholic education. However, rural schools may have student bodies of 30% non-Catholics.

​David Faber and Bishop David Walkowiak(Photo: Courtesy of the Diocese of Grand Rapids)

​Sustained Investment
With diocesan investment and implementing Faber’s “Bridging Faith and Future” plan, that investment could be sustained. Scholarships improved affordability, schools’ efficiency and effectiveness increased through shared services, and planning for future vitality commenced. This characterized the initial five-year phase of the plan, in which the diocese is now in the second phase. Faber said collaboration and training for all levels of leadership improved. 

Parish school boards meet biannually with the Diocesan Catholic School Board to share resources, experiences and best practices to improve educational outcomes and control costs. “We get all levels of leadership together in order to better serve the community,” he said.

“Prior to the alliance, the parishes and schools were siloed, working on their own and competing,” Faber said, adding, “It just felt wrong.” 

“Rising tides raise all ships,” he said about collaboration. Schools share data and strategic planning, leading to improvement. For example, there has been record enrollment for kindergarten and pre-K students. 

The diocese serves more than 6,400 students, of which more than 4,000 are enrolled in 26 elementary schools and more than 1,300 in five high schools. The average ratio of students to teachers is 18 to 1. The high schools boast a 99% graduation rate.

Rural parishes, where there are fewer Catholic children, are growing by reaching out to non-Catholics, Faber said. During the COVID-19 outbreak, diocesan schools had in-person sessions when possible and remotely when necessary. “A lot of folks were attracted to that. The wider culture is not supportive of our values. Many families who once thought public schools are good enough are finding out it’s not. They are looking for the truth. They are looking for reality. They are looking for traditional family values. They are looking for virtue to be taught. Our schools have become attractive for a number of reasons,” Faber said.

Family income is taken into account in charging for enrollment, he said, which means that many children attend at significantly reduced tuition rates. In parishes where the cost of education is a challenge to families, the variable tuition rate is supplemented by fundraising.

Encountering Christ
Faber said the diocese offered scholarships for five years to families whose children were new to Catholic schools. 
The outgoing superintendent also described the T.I.P strategy of Timely-Invitations-Phone-calls. This involved collecting parish records of the sacraments of initiation, primarily baptism. The diocese collects data from 53 of 79 parishes, which is entered into customer information management software. The diocese regularly sends Christmas cards, updates and invitations to families, resulting in growth in seven of the last 10 years. 

Faber, 58, has five married daughters and 15 grandchildren. In retirement, Faber and wife Sarah plan to help their daughters raise their growing families. One daughter recently became a widow in her 20s, which he said offers an opportunity to help support her four young children. “Her faith is beautiful, and it has taught us many lessons and brought us all together in a new way as a family,” Faber said.
​
The Fabers will establish Seek First Catholic Leadership Consulting in tribute to Matthew 6:33: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” The nonprofit will assist clergy, parishes, diocesan officials and laity working in evangelization and education, while using the skills and insights from his time as a school superintendent and principal. 
As to the difference a Catholic education can make, Faber underscored, “Catholic schools offer an encounter with Christ every day. It’s an integrated curriculum that truly addresses the whole child: mind, body, and spirit. That’s not possible in a public school. In a Catholic school there is no secular subject. God has created all that is. So everything He has ordered and created for our good and the common good. So, everything we teach is within the context of that fully integrated education founded upon our faith in Jesus Christ. We are preparing children not only for this life, but for heaven.”

In Lincoln, Nebraska, you can tell the seasons by the habits of the School Sisters of Christ the King. 

It’s not really summer until you spot a “CK Sister”, as they are affectionately known, walking around in her lighter blue summer habit. 

But when a CK sister is donning her dark blue habit, that means the months are turning colder. And when the dark blue habits come out, you can find almost every CK sister in a classroom, teaching in one of the 27 Catholic elementary schools in the diocese. 

Religious school sisters are a fairly common sight in the Diocese of Lincoln, which has two diocesan orders of women religious - the Christ the King Sisters as well as the grey-habited Marian sisters, many of whom can also be found teaching in the local Catholic schools. 

In much of the rest of the country, however, religious sisters are something of a rare novelty - thought they used to be a much more common sight in the United States. 

In 1965, there were nearly 180,000 women religious in the United States, many of them school teachers, according to data from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate out of Georgetown University. 

By 2014, there were less than 50,000 religious sisters, the numbers having steadily declined over the past half-century in the post-Vatican II upheaval that was felt in many parts of the Church around the world. 

It was in the midst of this upheaval and decline that Bishop Glennon Patrick Flavin, then of Lincoln, decided to found the Christ the King Sisters as a religious order dedicated specifically to teaching children. 

“He noticed that there were a good number of sisters in our schools in the 50’s and 60’s, but by the 70’s the sisters were starting to pull out of our classrooms,” Sr. Mary Cecilia, a Christ the King Sister, told CNA. 

Bishop Flavin had difficulty finding already-established religious orders that were able to come to the Diocese of Lincoln, and eventually felt called to found a diocesan order dedicated specifically to teaching, Sr. Mary Cecilia said. 

“He knew that our seminaries were growing and increasing in number, and he thought if the Lord was calling this many young men to serve as priest then he was probably calling young women to serve as sisters also,” she said. 

Sr. Mary Cecilia, who now serves as principal of St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Lincoln, said that Bishop Flavin founded the order with the idea that a good religious education would strengthen the faith of much of the laity in the diocese. 

“He wanted to extend Christ’s reign in whatever place possible...and he realized what was so important to make that happen was Catholic education. Because if we can reach the young people in the diocese, we not only reach the young people but we also reach their parents and families,” she said. 

“He realized that one of the best ways to really nurture their faith in the lives of these children is through the consecrated life, through having sisters present in the schools, the value of the witness of a religious - their life totally dedicated to God, their gift of self-sacrifice, being a spiritual mother to every single student in the school,” she added. 

For herself, Sr. Mary Cecilia said she knew from a young age she wanted to teach.

“I have a brother who’s a priest - he often talks about how I used to play school so everything he knows about teaching came from me when he was little,” she joked. 

In college in the early 1990s, she studied high school math education and dreamed of teaching calculus and algebra to older students. But that’s also when she met the Christ the King Sisters, who only teach at the elementary level. 

“I realized oh they’re joyful, they’re young, vibrant, I like that,” Sr. Mary Cecilia said. 

Even though she was drawn to religious life as a CK Sister, she was still hesitant about teaching at the younger level - “that was something that I had to take to the Lord,” she said. 

Ultimately, though, the spirit of the CK Sisters, their depth of prayer, their warmth, and their dedication to education were what drew Sr. Mary Cecilia to them. 

“We are extending the kingdom of God in Catholic schools, and Catholic schools are so important to me primarily because of my own education in Catholic schools,” she said. 

Sr. Mary Agnes belongs to another religious order, the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Wichita, Kansas, that is also primarily dedicated to the education and formation of young people. 

A veteran teacher of 10 years, Sr. Mary Agnes said she believes that religious sisters bring something unique to the classroom that other teachers cannot, even though at a basic level, they perform the same functions. 

“Our vocation is to be a more radical, vivid sign of the presence of Christ in the world, and then hopefully through that witness draw people to an encounter with Christ,” she told CNA. 

“We do really similar things that other people do who are not sisters,” she said. “So (the value of) religious life is not about doing, it’s about witness and the being of the person. Our vocation is to be a more radical, vivid sign of the presence of Christ in the world, and then hopefully through that witness draw people to an encounter with Christ.” 

Perhaps some of the most well-recognized teaching sisters in the Catholic Church in the U.S. today are the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia based in Nashville, Tennessee and the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

Both orders, primarily dedicated to education, have sisters teaching on Catholic campuses throughout the country. 

“We belong to the Dominican Order and our charism is preaching and teaching. 
Women religious have been an integral part of the history of Catholic education in the United States,” Sr. John Dominic with the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist told CNA.

“As Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, we seek to continue the tradition of educating generations of young people in their faith and most of all, to bring youth into deeper relationship with Christ,” she said. 

Despite the general decline in religious life that has been happening over the past few decades, both Dominican orders have seen a boom in young vocations in recent years. The Dominican Sisters of Mary recently opened a new priory in Texas in order to accommodate all of the young women discerning religious life in their order. 

When asked what is drawing so many young women to their order, Sr. John Dominic responded: “The young people are responding to God’s invitation to ‘come and follow Him’.” 

Sr. John Dominic said the depth of the prayer life of the sisters and the close relationship with the Lord that their way of life allows lets them bring the fruits of their spiritual life to their students. 

“Pope Saint John Paul II once described women religious as being a ‘sign of tenderness’ in the world. From my experience in working with Sisters in schools, this is precisely what many of them bring - tenderness and an intuitive heart,” she said. 

Sr. Mary Agnes said she is always humbled when parents and students recognize the unique gifts and witness that religious sisters bring to the classroom. 

“...that to me is the most striking, when the students come back after they graduate and they’re so excited to express: ‘Thank you what you’ve done for me.’ Many times they don’t recognize it at the time but then they do say thank you I’m glad that you taught me, I’m glad you were there for me, and it’s so humbling,” she said. 

Sr. Mary Cecilia said that she would encourage young women considering religious life not to be afraid, and to encounter sisters up-close before believing some of the misconceptions about religious sisters that exist.  

“When I was younger I thought that all sisters instantly became like 70 once they put that habit on, and that’s not true!” she said. “None of our sisters are 70 yet.” 

On a more serious note, she added, “I think one of the misconceptions out there is that you have to give up everything that you hold dear, that you have dreams of, in order to do this. And in reality you do but its not the giving up that you focus on,” she said. 

“It’s what takes its place - your relationship with the Lord, and being able to be filled with an intense and immense love for him, and therefore an immense love for the people you’re asked to serve.” 
​

Picture Not Loaded: San Miguel School in Northwest Washington, D.C. Credit: John MacArthur.

A bit of humor… 

Some Thoughts  
-I hate people who use big words just to make themselves look perspicacious. 
-Smoking will kill you... Bacon will kill you... But, smoking bacon will cure it.
- With a calendar, your days are numbered.  -If good things come in small packages, then more good things can come in large packages. – We are all time travelers moving at the speed of exactly 60 minutes per hour.  -Thanks for explaining the word "many" to me, it means a lot.  -I ran three miles today. Finally I said, “Lady take your purse.”

Some Thoughts:
- I woke up this morning and forgot which side the sun rises from, then it dawned on me.-
-I recently decided to sell my vacuum cleaner as all it was doing was gathering dust.
-Don't you hate it when someone answers their own questions? I do.
-I don’t like nesting Russian dolls, they’re so full of themselves.
Rare Phone CallMy mother, a master of guilt trips, showed me a photo of herself waiting by a phone that never rings.
"Mom, I call all the time," I said. "If you had voicemail, you’d know." Soon after, my brother installed it for her. 
When I called the next time, I got her message: "If you are a salesperson, press one. If you’re a friend, press two. If you’re my daughter who never calls, press 911 because the shock will probably give me a heart attack." 
​
Hot Horseradish
A minister who was very fond of pure, hot horseradish always kept a bottle of it on his dining room table. Once, at dinner, he offered some to a guest, who took a big spoonful. The guest let out a huge gasp. When he was finally able to speak, he choked out, "I've heard many ministers preach hellfire, but you are the first one I've met who passes out a sample of it."

_________________________
HIGHER POWER
  A Sunday school teacher said to her children, 'We have been learning how powerful kings and queens were in Bible times. But, there is a Higher Power. Can anybody tell me what it is?' One child blurted out, 'Aces!'

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray:
'Take only ONE . God is watching.'
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.
A child had written a note, 'Take all you want. God is watching the apples.'

 ________________________________
BEING THANKFUL
 
A Rabbi said to a precocious six-year-old boy, 'So your mother says your prayers for you each night? That's very commendable.  What does she say?'
 
The little boy replied, 'Thank God he's in bed!'

Hail Holy Queen
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our Life, our Sweetness, and our Hope.
To Thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.
To Thee do we send up our sighs mourning
and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious Advocate,
Thine Eyes of Mercy toward us,
and after this our exile show unto us the
Blessed Fruit of thy Womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us O Holy Mother of God
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

​

+JMJ+
SUNDAY BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
8th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Sunday, March 2nd, 2025

The First Reading- Sirach 27: 4-7
When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear; so do one's faults when one speaks.  As the test of what the potter molds is in the furnace, so in tribulation is the test of the just.  The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had; so too does one's speech disclose the bent of one's mind.  Praise no one before he speaks, for it is then that people are tested.
Reflection
The first reading invites us to reflect on how the words we used make known what is in our heart. The way we respond in difficult situations can tell others about what kind of shape we are in on the inside - in our hearts and minds. Do you speak words and react in a way that shows others that you are a follower of Christ?
Adults -What is one way you can strive to respond better in difficult situations?
Teens - Do you pause and think before you speak, especially in a difficult situation?
Kids - What do you do when it’s hard to speak kindly to others?

Responsorial- Psalm 92: 2-3, 13-14, 15-16
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,
To proclaim your kindness at dawn
and your faithfulness throughout the night.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
The just one shall flourish like the palm tree,
like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow.
They that are planted in the house of the LORD
shall flourish in the courts of our God.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
They shall bear fruit even in old age;
vigorous and sturdy shall they be,
Declaring how just is the LORD,
my rock, in whom there is no wrong.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
Reflection
-Give thanks in an intentional way for something different every day this week.

The Second Reading- 1 Corinthians 15:54-58
Brothers and sisters: When this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, then the word that is written shall come about:  Death is swallowed up in victory.  Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Reflection
Saint Paul reminds us to stay dedicated to the work of the Lord, even when it may seem to be in vain. He is in control, and will guide and assist us in all ways if we simply show up to do His work. He didn’t promise that it would be easy - but He promised us the reward of life eternal, and God always keeps His promises.
How do you find encouragement when things get difficult?

The Holy Gospel according to Luke 6: 39-45
Jesus told his disciples a parable, "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,' when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite!  Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye. "A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks."
Reflection
It’s very easy to see, acknowledge, and even spread the word about what we perceive to be the faults of others. How often do we turn such probing eyes upon ourselves, to look and see where we may need work in our own lives? Jesus has strong words here for those who are quick to judge the actions of others, but who avoid such thorough examinations of their own lives. It is good to remember that we often don’t know the whole story of things we hear, or even things we see, and that God expects us to be be, foremost, loving, merciful, and to help each other to Heaven.
Adults -Can you think of a time you judged someone unjustly? Can you make amends? Sometimes it’s possible and sometimes it isn’t. Talk to God about it in prayer.
Teens  - Have you formed opinions of someone based on the words of others instead of getting facts straight from the source themselves. What can you do to change that?
Kids - How can you show kindness to someone who has been treated poorly?

LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! –“While we ourselves are blind to, or wanting in, many necessary virtues, yet we can spot this lack in our brother Christian and have the audacity to offer to lead him on the right road.  We are often lacking in the basic knowledge of the teachings of our faith and yet we can find a thousand faults in the official doctrine of the teaching Church.  We can all criticize minor defects in our neighbor's Christian behavior whilst our own Christian way of living is giving far greater scandal.
In other words, most if not all of us, are to some degree hypocrites.  We pretend to be what we are not, but should be.  We pretend to be producing good fruit: figs and grapes, whereas we are only thornbushes and brambles which produce nothing but harmful thorns which sting and poison ourselves and our neighbors.  And while I am making these comments I shouldn't be at all surprised if some of my listeners are saying in their hearts: "Mrs. X or John Y is getting it today, I hope they are taking it in," when what we should all be saying is: "How truly our Lord read my heart.  How many times in the past week have I criticized my fellow men without knowing all, or any perhaps, of the true facts.  How seldom have I honestly examined my own conscience to see my own more serious defects and tried to correct them?"
When our Lord spoke these words, his purpose and intention was not to condemn his hearers, the vast majority of whom were guilty of the defects he mentioned, but rather to open their minds and their hearts to their shortcomings so that they would change for the better and learn to live with their neighbor's faults, and do all in their power to correct their own.  It is for the very same purpose the Church has selected this particular lesson for us today.  We are all guilty of rash judgment and unjustified criticism, to a greater or lesser degree.  Let us turn this criticism on ourselves rather, and judge ourselves honestly and sincerely and in a short while we may, with God's grace helping us, notice a change in our Christian conduct.  We shall not become saints in a week or a month but little by little, imperceptibly at first perhaps, we shall find ourselves becoming more Christian and therefore more charitable towards our neighbor and less critical of the faults of others.”  —Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.


259. What is required of one who is to be baptized? a) a profession of faith 
Everyone who is to be baptized is required to make a profession of faith. This is done personally in the case of an adult or by the parents and by the Church in the case of infants. Also the godfather or the godmother and the whole ecclesial community share the responsibility for baptismal preparation (catechumenate) as well as for the development and safeguarding of the faith and grace given at baptism. 


260. Who can baptize? d) all of the above 
The ordinary ministers of Baptism are the bishop and the priest. In the Latin Church the deacon also can baptize. In case of necessity any person can baptize provided he has the intention of doing what the Church does. This is done by pouring water on the head of the candidate while saying the Trinitarian formula for Baptism: “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. 


261. Is Baptism necessary for salvation? d) all of the above 
Baptism is necessary for salvation for all those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament.  Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” -John 3:5 

​

​Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
 
       Once we are able to be in a silent outside, the inside must be recollected, composed.  Why?  So that we can hear Jesus speak to us, so that we can hear the miracles that happen at Mass, so that we can be transformed outside and inside by Jesus Christ who was Himself silent.
 
 Interior silence is very difficult, but we must make the effort.  In silence we will find new energy and true unity. The energy of God will be ours to do all things well.  We will find the true unity of our thoughts with His thoughts, the unity of our prayers with His prayers, the unity of our actions with His actions, and the unity of our life with His life."
-St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta
 
      Silence in the Mass, from the 'calling to mind our sins' to 'Let us pray' to the intimate silence after Holy Communion when it is Jesus and I in the midst of His Family, the Church, silence in the Mass is where you and I must enter into from NOW on.
 
      Go to the upper room of your heart where you can recollect yourself in silence, then enter the silent parts of the Mass and be transformed for earthly service and heaven forever!
 
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert



P.S.  This coming Sunday is 7th Sunday of Ordinary Time.  The readings can be found at: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022325.cfm


P.S.S.  Readings with questions for self or family reflection found at the end of e-weekly.

Listen to God

Visions of God to Akiane Kramarik

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6HLg2XUFOg
​
Akiane on The Katie Couric Show
www.youtube.com
​
Website: https://www.akiane.com/store/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/akianeart/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akianeart/

​"The most important thing in this world is faith, because without faith, you cannot communicate with God.  And it is just so beautiful up there (heaven)."-Akiane
 
This is a spotlight of a 18-year old girl who has been drawing from age 4 and been a self-taught painter since age 6.  Her mother was an atheist and never spoke of God, but Akiane has communicated visions from God and turned them into paintings and even music now.  (5 minutes)
 
Her official website tells more about her life, has her art work and more:
http://www.akiane.com
 
Her Art:
http://www.akiane.com/store/
 
"Entering into contemplative prayer is like entering into the Eucharistic liturgy: we "gather up:" the heart, recollect our whole being under the prompting of the Holy Spirit, abide in the dwelling place of the Lord which we are, awaken our faith in order to enter into the presence of him who awaits us. We let our masks fall and turn our hearts back to the Lord who loves us, so as to hand ourselves over to him as an offering to be purified and transformed." 
-Catechism of the Catholic Church #2711

​http://www.lifeteen.com/
LifeTeen.com for Catholic Youth | Leading Teens Closer to ...
lifeteen.com
​
Camp Hidden Lake. Hidden Lake is home to an incredible Catholic community, gorgeous views, welcoming meeting spaces and so much more. Dedicated to leading teens closer to Christ, we hope you'll be welcomed home to Hidden Lake soon.

Life Teen is a movement within the Catholic Church, Life Teen leads teenagers and their families into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church.

START A MEN'S GROUP (Faith Sharing, Encouragement, Challenge)

Men and fatherhood is under attack today.  Being men of faith and good example to others is critical for ourselves and others.  Bring together a group of men in your parish or church to learn more about Christ, support one another, and help them to be the best version of themselves to their loved ones and one another.

BENEFITS:
Parishes are only as strong as their families and their marriages.  Strengthening one part strengthens all.  And men who know how to follow Christ, love those around them, and are strengthened in faith are tremendous blessings to their homes, parishes, and the world.

HOW?
Ask your Parish Priest for guidance and permission, especially if this will be held on parish grounds.  Gather two or more men once a week or as often as you are able or would like.  You might have food or drink for the gathering which allows fellowship and sharing a meal (have one participant provide it each week, or buy from local restaurant and ask for donations).  And then go to:

http://www.crossingthegoal.com
Crossing the Goal
www.crossingthegoal.com
Crossing the Goal An Introduction Crossing the Goal is a non-profit ministry whose mission is to call, equip and empower Catholic men to become and stay spiritually fit in their faith through the utilization of Spiritual Fitness Workouts.
And let 4 Catholic men who have been in sports and lived their faith to this day share their story in free video or audio format as the basis of the group.  Print off free booklets from under the Resources tab: 'Workout Group Questions'.  Video, audio clips are broken into 5 sections which can lead your group and men present into discussion.  Questions are also in workbooks if you need them.  Witness of the Catholic men in the clips are inspiring, and great jumping off places for men to discuss who gather in the group.  You can do one of their series; take a break for a month or two, and start another series, or go from series to series.  ALL FREE!

GOD AND THE MEN OF YOUR PARISH NEED YOU TO DO THIS TODAY!

Every year on Feb. 22, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, a tradition that dates back more than 1,600 years.

The feast honors not just a physical chair but what it represents: the authority of St. Peter, the first pope, and the unbroken line of his successors.

References to the “Chair of Peter” date back to the early centuries of Christianity. St. Jerome, a biblical scholar of the fourth century, wrote in a letter: “I follow no leader save Christ, so I enter into communion with … the Chair of Peter, for this I know is the rock upon which the Church is built.”

The feast itself has been celebrated on Feb. 22 since at least A.D. 336, according to Monsignor Tiziano Ghirelli, a canon of St. Peter’s Basilica. By the fifth century, its importance had grown, with the imperial family participating in celebrations at the old St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome in 450 and 467.
​
The word “cathedra” refers to the seat of the bishop, which is why the mother church of a diocese is known as a cathedral. The bishop of Rome, as Peter’s successor, holds a unique role in guiding the Church.

The Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica, where Bernini's bronze monument to the Chair of Peter acts as a massive bronze reliquary for the historic wooden chair. Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Benedict XVI explained in a 2006 catechesis that the Chair of Peter “is the symbol of the bishop’s authority and in particular, of his ‘magisterium,’ that is, the evangelical teaching which, as a successor of the apostles, he is called to safeguard and to transmit to the Christian community.”

The phrase “ex cathedra” — Latin for “from the chair” — is still used to describe the pope’s most authoritative teachings.

“Celebrating the ‘chair’ of Peter means attributing a strong spiritual significance to it and recognizing it as a privileged sign of the love of God, the eternal Good Shepherd, who wanted to gather his whole Church and lead her on the path of salvation,” Benedict said.

Yes, there is actually a chair relic kept in St. Peter’s Basilica
In addition to the symbolic meaning, there is also a physical relic known as the Chair of St. Peter housed in St. Peter’s Basilica.

The wooden chair, dating back to the ninth century, was displayed for public veneration last fall amid the restoration efforts underway in the basilica.

Prior to that, the chair was last publicly exhibited in 1867, when Pope Pius IX allowed it to be seen for 12 days to mark the 1,800th anniversary of the martyrdom of Peter and Paul. Before that, the chair had not been seen since 1666 when it was first encased inside Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s monumental bronze sculpture under the stained-glass Dove of the Holy Spirit window at the basilica’s apse.
​
Historical records indicate that the wooden chair was likely a gift from Holy Roman Emperor Charles the Bald to Pope John VIII in 875. It features ivory panels depicting scenes from Greek mythology, including the labors of Hercules.

Pope Francis venerates the chair of St. Peter at the Synod on Synodality closing Mass on Oct. 27, 2024. Credit: Vatican Media

During the Middle Ages, the popes were solemnly enthroned on the chair. Innocent III used the wooden chair for his consecration on Feb. 22, 1198. 
​
(Story continues below)

​“Since the 11th century, the feast of Feb. 22 has been celebrated in Rome, and at the Vatican Basilica, with particular emphasis,” Ghirelli explained.

Bernini’s monument

In the 17th century, Pope Alexander VII commissioned Bernini to create an elaborate reliquary to house the chair. Bernini’s design, completed in 1666, features a gilded bronze throne elevated above the ground crowned by a stained-glass window depicting the Holy Spirit as a dove.

The structure is supported by statues of four doctors of the Church — two from the West, St. Augustine and St. Ambrose, and two from the East, St. John Chrysostom and St. Athanasius — symbolizing the unity of the Church through the ages, bringing together the teachings of both the Latin and Greek Church Fathers.
​
Above the throne, cherubs hold a papal tiara and keys, a reference to the authority given to Peter in the Gospel of Matthew: “You are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my Church.”

A physical relic known as the Chair of St. Peter is housed in St. Peter’s Basilica. The wooden chair, dating back to the ninth century, was displayed for public veneration in the fall of 2024 amid the restoration efforts underway in the basilica. Credit: Matthew Bunson

Though the chair relic is once again enclosed within Bernini’s sculpture, visitors to St. Peter’s Basilica continue to pause before this symbol of the special mission of Peter and his successors to pray for the pope and his intentions.
​
“As we contemplate it with the wonder of faith,” Pope Francis said, “let us remember that this is the chair of love, unity, and mercy, according to Jesus’ command to the Apostle Peter not to lord it over others but to serve them in charity.”

A Few of Our Favorite (Traditional) Things: Lessons From the Von Trapp Family
​
Singing Catholics offer insights in reprinted book.
Clare WalkerThe story of the “Family von Trapp” has enchanted people of all faiths since it was put to music by Rodgers and Hammerstein in the Broadway and Hollywood hit musical The Sound of Music, and although the popular portrayal of Fraulein Maria and all those children has taken on fairy-tale status across the world, it has a solid foundation in reality.
Around the Year With the von Trapp Family — published in 1955 and now reprinted for a new generation of Catholic families — confirms what the musical portrays: Maria really was a postulant at a Benedictine convent in Salzburg, Austria, and she really did become governess in the employ of World War I Navy veteran and widower Georg von Trapp. Maria and Georg really did fall in love, get married, and sing with the family at festivals all over Europe, and they really did flee Austria after the Nazi takeover.
The musical ended there, and the credits rolled — but the real-life story of the von Trapps was far from over. As Maria relates in her memoirs, by 1939, Maria and Georg had had two children of their own and had another on the way. Just as war was breaking out all over the Continent, the von Trapps emigrated to America, where they continued to perform as a family. In 1942 they purchased an old farm in Stowe, Vermont.
For more than 20 years, they delighted audiences all over the world with their music. The old farm in Stowe has been converted into a world-class resort that is still operating to this day, with some of Maria and Georg’s grandchildren at the helm.
Meg Marlett, a home-schooling mother from Livermore, California, had heard of Maria’s second memoir years ago but never found a copy of her own because it was out of print.

However, when the new edition of Around the Year with the von Trapp Family came out, she snapped it up immediately. Even though she and her husband, Mark, are seasoned parents — they have eight children and four grandchildren — Maria’s book provides much-needed inspiration for the “home stretch” of their parenting journey.
“The book is beautifully laid out,” Marlett said.
But what she appreciates most is the theme of family unity that runs like an unbreakable cord through the entire book.
“We segregate by age so much in the world, and even in the Church. Maria’s main point, though, is to integrate the whole family into all the traditions and activities, so that all ages can celebrate the high times and low times together.”
As their youngest children enter their late teens, the Marletts are determined to continue providing the same rich and solidly Catholic upbringing as their older children enjoyed. Mrs. von Trapp offers plenty of inspiration.
The book begins with Advent, Christmas and the winter feasts, including a charming pre-Lenten season called Carnival. Lent, Holy Week and the Easter season follow. The great swath of Ordinary Time that comes after Easter gets its own lovely chapter entitled, “The Green Meadow,” so named for green liturgical vestments and for the single summer feasts that are “like isolated peaks towering above the green meadow.”
With a tone of gentle and joyful nostalgia, full of hope that many of the old traditions will be revived, Maria teaches the reader about Christkindl, the joys of feasting and fasting (“high tide and low tide”), and ways to commemorate important family days (like baptismal anniversaries). She provides handy lists of saints for various occasions, and in the chapter on celebrating the sacraments, she gives one of the best explications of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit (from the prophet Isaiah) that I’ve ever read.

But she also writes with candor and concern about the shocking differences between Austria and America, which serve as stand-ins for the Old World and the New World — or, even more broadly, for Christendom and secularism. A chapter called “The Land Without a Sunday” is particularly timely.
She writes that “the Christian Sunday is threatened more and more both from without and from within — from without, through the systematic efforts of the enemies of Christianity, and from within through the mediocrity and superficiality of the Christians themselves who are making of Sunday merely a day of rest, relaxing from work only by seeking entertainment.”
She then quotes Pope Pius XII’s encyclical Mediator Dei: “The results of the struggle between belief and unbelief will depend to a great extent on the use that each of the opposing fronts will make of Sunday.”


But Maria doesn’t merely lament. She’s practical and positive. To combat a pernicious secular problem, she writes, “There is no use in just talking against it. Something better has to be substituted.”
And for that, Maria’s book is full of ideas. Even though it was published more than a decade before Vatican II, modern Catholic parents will still gain much wisdom and practical help from this book. The new 2018 edition is a keepsake-quality, hardcover book featuring illustrations by Georg and Maria’s daughter Rosemary.
Naturally, a book about the musical von Trapps will include music, and this book is filled with seasonal songs, many with lines for harmonizing with the melody. Some of the songs include piano staves, but it would have been much improved and accessible to more families if all the songs had been arranged for piano and included guitar chords.
Another minor fault of the book is that numerous pre-Vatican II references received no editorial comment to provide context for the benefit of modern readers. Some of the recipes also should have been updated if present-day Catholics are expected to use them.
Nevertheless, with the combination of practical “how-to” advice and inspiring, relevant essays, this book is a welcome addition to every Catholic family library. Parents searching for a way to build a distinctive Catholic family culture that is intentionally different from the culture “out there” will find this book especially helpful. Parish priests would also benefit from this book because they could use it to reinstate worthy traditions and practices from the past, such as having a special service on Candlemas Day and giving every family a blessed candle, or ceremoniously veiling an “Alleluia” plaque at the beginning of Lent. It also makes an excellent wedding present or gift for a young family at their first child’s baptism.
Lent is here, so picking up this book now will give you time to peruse it and make some plans for “The Great Fast.” As Maria exhorts her readers, “Let us not be so soft anymore!”
Maria also writes, “When Hitler’s troops invaded Austria in 1938, my husband and I felt bound by conscience to save our children from yielding to the religion and philosophy of this neo-paganism. … Only the Church throws light onto the gloomy prospects of modern man — Holy Mother Church — for she belongs, herself, to a realm that has its past and present in time, but its future in the World Without End. ... With every passing year, I [realize] more deeply how joyful our religion is. The more one penetrates into what it means to be Catholic, the fuller life becomes.”
Joe and Joannie Kuefler live in suburban Boston with their eight children, ranging in age from 4 to 25.
Joannie advises Catholic parents to study Maria’s book (and books like it) to gain whatever inspiration they can, but “choose what will work for your family and your own family culture.”
“The whole of Western civilization is suffering from Modernism and secularism,” Joannie told the Register, “but books like Maria von Trapp’s help reassure us that a lot of the worldly seasonal practices actually come from Catholicism. It’s a simple matter to add meaning and richness to them by explaining the religious significance to children.”
Clare Walker writes from
Westmont, Illinoi
READ
The book is available online via sophiainstitute.com or by calling (800) 888-9344.
 
 
Fruits of Family Traditions
A little goes a long way in family life, as the von Trapps can attest. When parents deliberately incorporate Catholic traditions and practices into their daily life, even small ones, they often “stick,” staying with our children into their adulthood.

For example, Kat Millard, a 2009 college graduate, vividly remembers her parents’ emphasis on daily prayer. “Every morning the family gathered around the table to pray with Dad before he left for work and before the school day started. Then, in the evening, we read aloud together and then prayed, either the Rosary or the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.” She and her husband, John, now try to make prayer a cornerstone of their day with their four children in their home in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

And Andrew Kelly, an actor from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, remembers family travel, Catholic-style: “Saying a quick prayer for passing emergency vehicles is a fairly ingrained behavior for me,” he said.

Brothers Noah and Josh Billing, both college students in Illinois, have strong memories of many Catholic family traditions growing up, such as going on retreats and to daily Mass as a family, kneeling down and praying at the Christmas crèche before opening presents, and making dinner together a priority. At these family dinners, the conversation often turned to the Catholic faith, which had a big impact on both of them. Their friend Jake Bartley, also an Illinois college student, had a similar experience of dialogue with his parents about the faith and about life: “Open discussion about faith and morals was encouraged and fostered in my family.”
— Clare Walker

​

+JMJ+
SUNDAY BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
7th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Sunday, February 23th, 2025


The First Reading- 1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23
In those days, Saul went down to the desert of Ziph with three thousand picked men of Israel, to search for David in the desert of Ziph. So David and Abishai went among Saul’s soldiers by night and found Saul lying asleep within the barricade, with his spear thrust into the ground at his head and Abner and his men sleeping around him. Abishai whispered to David: “God has delivered your enemy into your grasp this day. Let me nail him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I will not need a second thrust!” But David said to Abishai, “Do not harm him, for who can lay hands on the LORD’s anointed and remain unpunished?” So David took the spear and the water jug from their place at Saul’s head, and they got away without anyone’s seeing or knowing or awakening. All remained asleep, because the LORD had put them into a deep slumber. Going across to an opposite slope, David stood on a remote hilltop at a great distance from Abner, son of Ner, and the troops. He said: “Here is the king’s spear. Let an attendant come over to get it. The LORD will reward each man for his justice and faithfulness. Today, though the LORD delivered you into my grasp, I would not harm the LORD’s anointed.”
Reflection
We often do not have a seventh Sunday of Ordinary time, because normally Lent is starting around this time. This first reading shows us that holding an office given by the Lord certainly does not guarantee personal holiness. This is a good reminder that the man does not make the office. There have been, and are, many sinful leaders in the Church, but this does not mean that the offices that they hold are not from the Lord. They are instituted by the Lord and He is ever trustworthy.
Adults -Why is God more trustworthy than human beings?
Teens - Remember to pray for your deacons, priests, and bishops each day.
Kids - What do you talk to God about?


Responsorial- Psalm 103: 1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R The Lord is kind and merciful.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.
R The Lord is kind and merciful.
Reflection
-Where have you seen the Lord's kindness and mercy in your life? Be sure to say a prayer of thanksgiving for it!


The Second Reading- 1 Corinthians 15:45-49
Brothers and sisters: It is written, The first man, Adam, became a living being, the last Adam a life-giving spirit. But the spiritual was not first; rather the natural and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, earthly; the second man, from heaven. As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly, and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.
Reflection
Saint Paul is reminding us that though we were born into the sin of Adam, the head of the human race, when we are baptized we are baptized into Christ, the new head of the human race. Just like the sin of Adam affected all people because of his role as head, Christ’s righteousness affects all who are in Him because of His role as the new Head.
Consider this week whether you are living your life by the wisdom and Adam or by the wisdom of Christ.


The Holy Gospel according to Luke 6:27-38
Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”
Reflection
Jesus’s teaching here is unique - even great moral teachers normally did not go so far as to teach their listeners to love their enemies. He does not rule our self defense here - that would be a misinterpretation. Jesus is speaking of true love - willing the good of the other. Even if you are unable to have a relationship with someone, you can still pray and sacrifice on their behalf, and ask God for their good. This is easier to do when we are living in the spirit of detachment that Jesus outlines in the rest of this reading.
Adults -As we approach Lent, take some time to look at the unhealthy attachments in your life, and factor the need to detach from them into your Lenten penances.
Teens  - What direction of Jesus above is hardest for you? Why? How can you work on this?
Kids - What does the word “love” mean to you?


LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! – Another consoling point to bear in mind is that the vast majority of our fellowmen have no inclination to injure us in our person or our property and will never do so. If we feel we have a lot of enemies only waiting for the chance to pounce on us, we would do well to examine our own consciences very carefully and then look for the many good points there are in our neighbour's character.  "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, life for life" was the practice amongst the Jews at the time of Christ and for centuries before (Ex. 21 :23-25). Christ sets up the "golden rule" of fraternal charity in place of this Law of Talon. Every man should truly love his neighbor for he is his brother. What is more, Christ's mission on earth has made him a son of God and an heir to heaven. Our chief interest in our neighbor must therefore be a spiritual interest. If he offends us, he offends God which is much more serious. Our charity should help him to seek God's forgiveness. That he should seek ours is of very minor importance in comparison with that.  You would like your neighbour to help you to reach heaven. "You go and do likewise" to your neighbor, and you will both get there.  —Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++