THOSE UNABLE TO ATTEND MASS MAY MAKE AN ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
An Act of Spiritual Communion - It has long been a Catholic understanding that when circumstances prevent one from receiving Holy Communion, it is possible to make an Act of Spiritual Communion which is a source of grace. Spiritual Communion means uniting ourselves in prayer with Christ’s sacrifice and worshiping Him in the consecrated bread and wine which are His Body and Blood. Always remember that the consecrated bread is the Body and Blood of Christ and the consecrated wine is the Body and Blood of Christ, even if you receive the Eucharist only under one species.  The most common reason for making an Act of Spiritual Communion is when a person cannot attend Mass. An act of Spiritual Communion invites Jesus to come anew spiritually into us, increases our desire to receive sacramental Communion and helps us avoid the sins that would make us unable to receive Holy Communion worthily.  
A Prayer for Spiritual Communion-My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.  I love You above all things and I desire to receive You in my body, my soul, and my whole being.  Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, Come at least spiritually into my heart.  I embrace You as if you were already there And unite myself wholly to You.  Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

 
Readings for:
Monday of Holy Week can be found here:  https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041425.cfm


Tuesday of Holy Week can be found here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041525.cfm


Wednesday of Holy Week can be found here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041625.cfm

Holy Week in Two Minutes
vimeo.com
Want to know why Catholics wave palms on Palm Sunday; wash each other's feet on Holy Thursday; or kiss the cross on Good Friday? Look no further than BustedHalo.com's ...

​A bit of humor…

-Diet Day #1 - I removed all the fattening food from my house. It was delicious.  
-My email password has been hacked. That's the third time I've had to rename the cat.  
-Some people are kind, polite, and sweet-spirited until you try to sit in their pews.
Whom Gave It Away? When my coworker answered his phone, the confused woman on the other end asked, “Who is this?”
“This is Steve. With whom did you wish to speak?”
After a pause: “Did you just say whom?”
“Yes, I did.”
The woman replied, “I have the wrong number,” and hung up.


A Trashy Career“Has your son decided what 
he wants to be when he grows up?” 
I asked my friend.
“He wants to be a garbageman,” 
he replied.
“That’s an unusual ambition to have at such a young age.”
“Not really. He thinks that garbagemen work only on Tuesdays.”



Holding Out
A judge tells the defendant, “You’re charged with hitting your boss with a magazine.”
“What!” yells a voice from
the back of the courtroom.
“You’re also charged with hitting a waiter with a magazine,” 
says the judge.
“WHATTTT!  How dare you!” bellows the same man.
“Sir,” says the judge, “one more outburst, and I’ll charge you with contempt.”
“I’m sorry, Your Honor,” says the man. “But I’ve been this defendant’s neighbor for ten years, and every time I asked to borrow a magazine for reading material, he said he didn’t have one.”

The Three Sisters

Three sisters, ages 92, 94 and 95 years old, were all living together.

The 95 year old went upstairs one evening to bathe. As she was
getting in the tub, she called down to her sisters, "Am I getting in
the tub or out of the tub?"

The 94-year-old decided to go upstairs to help.

She got to the third step and stopped, then called out, "Was I going
up the stairs or down?"

The 92 year old sitting at the kitchen table having tea, listening to
her sisters shook her head and said, "I sure hope I never get as
forgetful as my sisters," and knocked on wood for good measure.

Then she yelled, "I'll come up and help both of you as soon as I see
who's at the door."
 
  
"Pause before the tabernacle by yourself, for no special reason, even without saying a thing, simply remaining in His presence, contemplating the supreme gestures of love contained in the consecrated Bread. Learn to remain with Him, to be able to love like Him"
(Pope St. John Paul II).

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion - Sunday, April 13th, 2025

The First Reading- Isaiah 50:4-7
The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
Reflection This reading from Isaiah is a prophecy of Jesus, and how He will come to save us from our sins.
Adults - Read this reading slowly, meditating on where each of the prophecies come true in the life of Jesus.
Teens - What do you think it means to have a well trained tongue? Why should we work toward this goal?
Kids - Is it hard to always do what you know is right?

Responsorial- Psalm 22: 8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
All who see me scoff at me;
they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads:
"He relied on the LORD; let him deliver him,
let him rescue him, if he loves him."
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Indeed, many dogs surround me,
a pack of evildoers closes in upon me;
They have pierced my hands and my feet;
I can count all my bones.
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
They divide my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.
But you, O LORD, be not far from me;
O my help, hasten to aid me.
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
I will proclaim your name to my brethren;
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you:
"You who fear the LORD, praise him;
all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him;
revere him, all you descendants of Israel!"
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Reflection -In ancient Judaism reciting the first line of a Psalm evoked the whole Psalm. Read the whole of Psalm 22 to learn the true meaning of Jesus’ cry from the cross.

The Second Reading- Philippians 2:6-11
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.  Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Reflection Christ Jesus came as a servant, and calls us to do the same.
Do you find joy in serving others? Do you see how living servanthood glorifies God?

The Holy Gospel according to Luke 22:14-23:56
When the hour came, Jesus took his place at table with the apostles. He said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for, I tell you, I shall not eat it again until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and said, "Take this and share it among yourselves; for I tell you that from this time on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me." And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you. "And yet behold, the hand of the one who is to betray me is with me on the table; for the Son of Man indeed goes as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed." And they began to debate among themselves who among them would do such a deed. Then an argument broke out among them about which of them should be regarded as the greatest. He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them and those in authority over them are addressed as 'Benefactors'; but among you it shall not be so. Rather, let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant. For who is greater: the one seated at table or the one who serves? Is it not the one seated at table? I am among you as the one who serves. It is you who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father has conferred one on me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom; and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. "Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers." He said to him, "Lord, I am prepared to go to prison and to die with you." But he replied, "I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows this day, you will deny three times that you know me."  He said to them, "When I sent you forth without a money bag or a sack or sandals, were you in need of anything?" "No, nothing, " they replied. He said to them, "But now one who has a money bag should take it, and likewise a sack, and one who does not have a sword should sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me, namely, He was counted among the wicked; and indeed what is written about me is coming to fulfillment." Then they said, "Lord, look, there are two swords here."  But he replied, "It is enough!" Then going out, he went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.  When he arrived at the place he said to them, "Pray that you may not undergo the test." After withdrawing about a stone's throw from them and kneeling, he prayed, saying, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done." And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him. He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground. When he rose from prayer and returned to his disciples, he found them sleeping from grief. He said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test." While he was still speaking, a crowd approached and in front was one of the Twelve, a man named Judas. He went up to Jesus to kiss him. Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" His disciples realized what was about to happen, and they asked, "Lord, shall we strike with a sword?" And one of them struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said in reply, "Stop, no more of this!" Then he touched the servant's ear and healed him. And Jesus said to the chief priests and temple guards and elders who had come for him, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? Day after day I was with you in the temple area, and you did not seize me; but this is your hour, the time for the power of darkness." After arresting him they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest; Peter was following at a distance. They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter sat down with them. When a maid saw him seated in the light, she looked intently at him and said, "This man too was with him." But he denied it saying, "Woman, I do not know him." A short while later someone else saw him and said, "You too are one of them"; but Peter answered, "My friend, I am not." About an hour later, still another insisted, "Assuredly, this man too was with him, for he also is a Galilean." But Peter said, "My friend, I do not know what you are talking about." Just as he was saying this, the cock crowed, and the Lord turned and looked at Peter; and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times." He went out and began to weep bitterly. The men who held Jesus in custody were ridiculing and beating him. They blindfolded him and questioned him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is it that struck you?" And they reviled him in saying many other things against him. When day came the council of elders of the people met, both chief priests and scribes, and they brought him before their Sanhedrin. They said, "If you are the Christ, tell us, " but he replied to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I question, you will not respond. But from this time on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God." They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?" He replied to them, "You say that I am." Then they said, "What further need have we for testimony? We have heard it from his own mouth." Then the whole assembly of them arose and brought him before Pilate. They brought charges against him, saying, "We found this man misleading our people; he opposes the payment of taxes to Caesar and maintains that he is the Christ, a king." Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He said to him in reply, "You say so." Pilate then addressed the chief priests and the crowds, "I find this man not guilty." But they were adamant and said, "He is inciting the people with his teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to here." On hearing this Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean; and upon learning that he was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod who was in Jerusalem at that time. Herod was very glad to see Jesus; he had been wanting to see him for a long time, for he had heard about him and had been hoping to see him perform some sign. He questioned him at length, but he gave him no answer. The chief priests and scribes, meanwhile, stood by accusing him harshly. Herod and his soldiers treated him contemptuously and mocked him, and after clothing him in resplendent garb, he sent him back to Pilate. Herod and Pilate became friends that very day, even though they had been enemies formerly. Pilate then summoned the chief priests, the rulers, and the people and said to them, "You brought this man to me and accused him of inciting the people to revolt. I have conducted my investigation in your presence and have not found this man guilty of the charges you have brought against him, nor did Herod, for he sent him back to us. So no capital crime has been committed by him. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him." But all together they shouted out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us." — Now Barabbas had been imprisoned for a rebellion that had taken place in the city and for murder. — Again Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus, but they continued their shouting, "Crucify him!  Crucify him!" Pilate addressed them a third time, "What evil has this man done? I found him guilty of no capital crime. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him." With loud shouts, however, they persisted in calling for his crucifixion, and their voices prevailed. The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should be granted. So he released the man who had been imprisoned for rebellion and murder, for whom they asked, and he handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they wished. As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus. A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.' At that time people will say to the mountains, 'Fall upon us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us!' for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?" Now two others, both criminals, were led away with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." They divided his garments by casting lots. The people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God." Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they called out, "If you are King of the Jews, save yourself." Above him there was an inscription that read, "This is the King of the Jews." Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us." The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon because of an eclipse of the sun. Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.  Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"; and when he had said this he breathed his last. Here all kneel and pause for a short time. The centurion who witnessed what had happened glorified God and said, "This man was innocent beyond doubt." When all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned home beating their breasts; but all his acquaintances stood at a distance, including the women who had followed him from Galilee and saw these events. Now there was a virtuous and righteous man named Joseph who, though he was a member of the council, had not consented to their plan of action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea and was awaiting the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  After he had taken the body down, he wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb in which no one had yet been buried. It was the day of preparation, and the sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come from Galilee with him followed behind, and when they had seen the tomb and the way in which his body was laid in it, they returned and prepared spices and perfumed oils. Then they rested on the sabbath according to the commandment.
Reflection “What is written about Me is coming to fulfillment,” Jesus says in today’s Gospel (see Luke 22:37). Indeed, we have reached the climax of the liturgical year, the highest peak of salvation history, when all that has been anticipated and promised is to be fulfilled.  By the close of today’s long Gospel, the work of our redemption will have been accomplished, the new covenant will be written in the blood of His broken body hanging on the cross at the place called the Skull. In His Passion, Jesus is “counted among the wicked,” as Isaiah had foretold (see Isaiah 53:12). He is revealed definitively as the Suffering Servant the prophet announced, the long-awaited Messiah whose words of obedience and faith ring out in today’s First Reading and Psalm. The taunts and torments we hear in these two readings punctuate the Gospel as Jesus is beaten and mocked (see Luke 22:63–65; 23:10–11, 16), as His hands and feet are pierced (see Luke 23:33), as enemies gamble for His clothes (see Luke 23:34), and as three times they dare Him to prove His divinity by saving Himself from suffering (see Luke 23:35, 37, 39). He remains faithful to God’s will to the end, does not turn back in His trial. He gives Himself freely to His torturers, confident that, as He speaks in today’s First Reading: “The Lord God is My help . . . I shall not be put to shame.” Destined to sin and death as children of Adam’s disobedience, we have been set free for holiness and life by Christ’s perfect obedience to the Father’s will (see Romans 5:12–14, 17–19; Ephesians 2:2; 5:6).  This is why God greatly exalted Him. This is why we have salvation in His Name. Following His example of humble obedience in the trials and crosses of our lives, we know we will never be forsaken, that one day we too will be with Him in Paradise (see Luke 23:42).
Adults - Consider the things that Jesus said when he was on the cross. What do they say about the way that God loves us? What do they say about how we should be living mercy?
Teens  - What was it like for you to shout “Crucify him” and to have all of the “bad guy” lines in the Gospel? Where do you think you would have fallen in that story if you were there? Would you be Peter? One of the apostles that hid?  The women and beloved disciple who stayed by him?
Kids - The palm leaves you get today have been blessed! This means they should not be thrown in the trash - put yours somewhere special in your room to remind you to pray.

+JMJ+
In this e-weekly:
- ‎ Catholic Business Profile: Young Catholic Professionals  (Diocesan News and Beyond)
-You still have time to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) before Easter!
-Information on Confession, How to Go, and an Examination of Conscience (at end of e-mail)

Try Hallow Premium free for three months! 


Go to this link to set up an account on the Hallow website or use the codes below: 
https://hallow.com/share/AR6RCL 


After you have setup your account, download the app by searching for “Hallow Catholic” in the App Store or Google Play, sign in using the account you just created, and start praying!  ​

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
​
       Jesus' Name means 'God saves.'  But how does God save us and from what?  Sin of course.  How does He do this?  By becoming Mercy and seeking us.  Is that all?  No, your right, we must confess our sins.  Why?  Not so God can condemn us, so that God can forgive us.  No sin, No Savior!
 
"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence,
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."  Hebrews 4:16


 
Let us go to Confession/Reconciliation/Penance!  Fear and Shame are not awaiting you, comfort and peace are.  You will not meet a yelling priest, you will meet Jesus Christ, Who will forgive you and let you begin again!
 
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert
 
P.S.  Sunday was the Fifth Sunday of Lent.  The readings can be found at:  https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040625-YearC.cfm
​

-Go for a walk, physical activity such as aerobic exercise like jogging, swimming, or brisk walking, is a great way to perk up a blue mood.  Exercise releases endorphins, a group of proteins produced by the brain that are thought to elevate mood.
-Keep busy by filling up your schedule.  Immerse yourself in a favorite activity, find a new hobby, volunteer, plan a vacation, or take an evening course.
-Don’t isolate yourself from others when you feel blue.  This can make things worse.  Make a date to go out with friends, do some volunteer work, write a letter, or telephone a relative or an old friend.
-Music can have a profound effect on emotions.  Listen to some of your favorite upbeat music.  Sing along at the top of your lungs or dance around the room.  Avoid sad songs or music that reminds you of a loss.
-Express your creativity by painting, sculpting, knitting, embroidery, cooking, or any other art or craft.  Try something new.  This will help you forget your worries.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+JMJ+


HOW CAN I HELP?
1) →Check on family and neighbors to make sure everyone is okay and needs are being taken care of.← (Call if you can. If you drop by, make sure you maintain social distance to the degree possible.)
2) →Donate blood.← (This is much needed now as many blood drives at colleges and churches have had to be cancelled and hospitals will have increased need. Blood donation is very safe and they are taking extra precautions with current illness going around.)
3) →Explore ways to help or volunteer virtually.← (So much can be done over the phone and internet today. Search your local community needs.)
4) →Waste not, want not.← (Use the food in your house. Be careful to stay up on item dates. Freeze food you will not use right away. Buy what you will use.)
5) →Make a donation to those serving others.← (Local, national, and international organization exist to serve and help others. Look up one or ask locally what most needs assistance.)
6) →Be a leader and provide good example.← (Be the first to do the right thing. Explain directions that are hard to understand or follow. Encourage others to look toward their neighbor and fellow human being.)
7) →Take care of yourself.← (As they say, secure your own oxygen mask before assisting others. In other words, self-care is incredibly important at a time like this, and ensuring that you’re making safe and smart choices is a civic duty of the utmost importance. Be patient and kind to all, especially yourself!)


WAYS TO COMBAT OR MITIGATE RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES AT THIS TIME:
1) Wash hands often to remove potential viruses or items that might cause illnesses.
2) Social Distance yourself from another at least 3-6 feet to keep micro-droplets from our mouth or nose (even if we are not sneezing or coughing) from coming into contact with the other person.
3) Stay aware of symptoms and check if you have a fever. If you have symptoms, CALL your doctor’s office or an urgent care to get further instruction of how to proceed. You may also be able to receive care on the phone or be diagnosed through what is called Tele-medicine. (Emergency situations should call 911)
4) Clean surfaces such as door handles, counters, and commonly touched surfaces with a disinfectant often so that viruses or items that cause illness may be wiped away and less likely to infect persons.
5) Get plenty of rest, fluids, eat balanced meals as one is able, and exercise limitedly to stay as healthy as possible.


"Finally, through Mary, the Holy Spirit begins to bring men, the objects of God's merciful love, into communion with Christ. And the humble are always the first to accept him: shepherds, magi, Simeon and Anna, the bride and groom at Cana, and the first disciples."  -Catechism of the Catholic Church #725
​

​Compiled by Tom WehnerFeatures
March 31, 2025

Name: Jennifer Baugh
Company name: Young Catholic Professionals

What does the business do? We offer a generation of young workers in their 20s and 30s a way to go deeper in faith, life and work through various events and programming. Together, we seek authentic friendships, a richer sense of purpose, and both personal and professional excellence. Above all, we’re here to help inspire modern-day saints!
Number of employees: 13 full-time employees, 700-plus volunteers

Website: YoungCatholicProfessionals.org

What is the secret to your success? YCP grew from an idea to a successful, vibrant ministry through courage, perseverance and trust. Courage allowed us to take the risk of starting something new and gave us belief in the mission when others may not have understood our vision. Perseverance was necessary to press on, as there were many challenges during YCP’s growth years. Trust in God’s plan enabled YCP to flourish according to his will. These three virtues were essential and remain the recipe for YCP’s continued growth and impact.

The hardest lesson you had to learn: As a typical first born, I was high-achieving and eager to please at the same time. The combination was challenging because any new venture requires a willingness to go against the tide. There were times I took setbacks personally, like when things didn’t go as planned or when people’s opinions weighed on me. Over time, this Scripture verse began to resonate: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). It was important for me to learn to surrender and also to let go of my need to make sense of everything. I learned to trust God through simple faith and hard work each day.

How faith fits in to your business life: This question speaks to YCP’s main goal to help young Catholic workers live an integrated life. Faith should not fit into our business life. Rather, our business life should fit into our Catholic faith. As a Catholic professional, I pray throughout the day, but I also give my very self to God in the activities and events that unfold. I use my God-given talents in my professional endeavors to do my work well and to witness to those who may need encouragement.

Do you have a patron saint? St. Joseph has become a trusted confidant for me personally and for Young Catholic Professionals. Our mission calls upon the intercession of St. Joseph the Worker, the simple, righteous carpenter who lovingly taught Jesus his own trade and shows us the dignity of work through his quiet example. St. Joseph, who never speaks in Scripture but who nonetheless receives and acts on visions given to him by an angel, also reminds us of the importance of stillness, reflection and prayer.

What advice can you share with aspiring Catholic entrepreneurs?
​
1. You will face uncertainty in the days ahead, but remain courageous so that you may push through moments of doubt. Follow your inspiration and pursue your goal with confidence.

2. You may encounter many challenges as you grow your mission. Remain strong in perseverance so that God can bless your efforts.

3. You may arrive at a time when you need to reappraise your direction and strategy. Prayer that is constant will allow you to trust God and be open to his grace.

​Clockwise from left: A refugee mother and two children from Ukraine arrive at Franciscan University’s Austrian campus on March 27. Mary Krolicki, residence director at Franciscan University’s Austrian campus, helped gather supplies delivered to a refugee center in Poland. This refugee camp near the Poland-Ukraine border is where staff from Franciscan University delivered supplies. (photo: Courtesy of Franciscan University)

Meghan Schultz Blogs

A group of Ukrainian refugee women and 41 children arrived at the doors of Franciscan University’s Austria campus this week. 

The Steubenville, Ohio, university is providing food and shelter for the next two months, according to Austrian Program Director Tom Wolter, who said that many refugees have little to no contact with people or places outside of Ukraine itself and require assistance with more than just travel plans. 

“The need is acute,” Wolter said in a press release, referencing the millions of refugees escaping into Poland and surrounding European countries. 

Franciscan’s Austrian program staff are collaborating with an Austrian organization, Kleine Herzen (Little Hearts), that provides aid to children affected by the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Kleine Herzen organizer Oksana Nazarchuk met and traveled with the refugees from the Ukrainian border to the campus, Kartause Maria Thronus Iesu (Monastery of Our Lady, Throne of Jesus). The children will be able to go to school in a monastery classroom, and the refugees can pray in the Byzantine Catholic chapel.

“The refugees found not only shelter but also the support and love from Franciscan University,” Nazarchuk said. “Most mothers were crying, seeing such support and readiness to help.” 

Wolter and staff recently returned from the Poland-Ukraine border, where they transported fleeing families to welcoming Viennese homes. Austrian program staff have provided assistance since the beginning of the war, including providing food and additional supplies to refugees. 

Fewer Franciscan students enrolled in the Austrian study-abroad program this semester due to concerns related to COVID-19, which resulted in additional space the campus could make available to refugees. The monastery, “a beautifully restored 14th-century Carthusian monastery in the foothills of the Austrian Alps,” usually hosts about 200 Franciscan students each semester.

Franciscan University currently accepts donations to its newly established Ukrainian Relief Fund, which will aid in covering costs of shelter, food and daily living items for refugees housed at the monastery.

If the amount of funds received exceeds what is necessary, additional monetary support will be contributed to “Austrian organizations that are housing or collecting supplies for refugees.” All donations will be tax deductible.
​
Wolter emphasized the need the Franciscan campus is meeting: “The initial wave of refugees who left Ukraine had friends or family in Europe and simply needed assistance in their travels. However, as the conflict continues to increase in both intensity and in scope, further migration has occurred with refugees having no family, friends or contacts outside of their home country.”

​

A bit of humor…

Tried and True Method
Flummoxed by his true-false final exam, a student decides to toss a coin up in the air. Heads means true; tails, false. Thirty minutes later, he’s done, well before the rest of the class. But then the student starts flipping the coin again. And soon he’s murmuring and sweating over each question.
"What’s wrong?" asks the concerned teacher.
"I’m rechecking my answers," says the student.

I Have a Question


During our computer class, the teacher chastised one boy for talking to the girl sitting next to him.
"I was just asking her a question," the boy said.
"If you have a question, ask me," the teacher tersely replied.
"Okay," he answered. "Do you want to go out with me Friday night?"
Grannies on the Road

Sitting on the side of the road waiting to catch speeding drivers, a
state trooper sees a car puttering along at 22 mph. He thinks to
himself, "This driver is as dangerous as a speeder!" So he turns on his
lights and pulls the driver over.

Approaching the car, he notices that there are five elderly ladies - two
in the front seat and three in the back, wide-eyed and white as ghosts.
The driver, obviously confused, says to him, "Officer, I don't
understand. I was going the exact speed limit. What seems to be the
problem?"

The trooper trying to contain a chuckle, explains to her that 22 was the
route number, not the speed limit. A bit embarrassed, the woman grinned
and thanked the officer for pointing out her error.

"But before you go, Ma'am, I have to ask, is everyone in this car OK?
These women seem awfully shaken."

"Oh, they'll be all right in a minute, officer.. We just got off Route 127 
: )
 
 
Love the Irish
Paddy was driving down the street in a sweat because he had an important meeting and couldn't find a parking place.   Looking up to heaven he said, 'Lord take pity on me.   If you find me a parking place I will go to Mass every Sunday for the rest of me life and give up me Irish Whiskey!' 

Miraculously, a parking place appeared.

Paddy looked up again and said, 'Never mind, I found one.'
​

​

+JMJ+


PRAYER DURING TIME OF ILLNESS
Holy Virgin of Guadalupe,
Queen of the Angels and Mother of the Americas.
We fly to you today as your beloved children.
We ask you to intercede for us with your Son, as you did at the wedding in Cana.
Pray for us, loving Mother,
and gain for our nation and world,
and for all our families and loved ones, the protection of your holy angels, that we may be spared the worst of this illness.
For those already afflicted,
we ask you to obtain the grace of healing and deliverance.
Hear the cries of those who are vulnerable and fearful,
wipe away their tears and help them to trust.
In this time of trial and testing,
teach all of us in the Church to love one another and to be patient and kind. Help us to bring the peace of Jesus to our land and to our hearts.
We come to you with confidence,
knowing that you truly are our compassionate mother, health of the sick and cause of our joy.
Shelter us under the mantle of your protection, keep us in the embrace of your arms, help us always to know the love of your Son, Jesus. Amen.
​
 
 
"We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves: "He who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." Our Lord warns us that we shall be separated from him if we fail to meet the serious needs of the poor and the little ones who are his brethren. To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God's merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called "hell.""  -Catechism of the Catholic Church #1033
 
 
 He breathed on them (the Apostles) and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you do not forgive are not forgiven."
–John 20:22-23
 Jesus did not give the Apostles the ability to read people's mind.  The only way the Apostles would know whether to forgive sins or not was if the people confessed their sins to them.  Bishops are successors of the Apostles who receive the same power and Holy Spirit who pass it on to priests.
 
Frequently Asked Questions About Confession
Is this sacrament called confession, penance or reconciliation?
Yes! This sacrament involves all three elements and historically has been called by all three names. Today the Church refers to it as the Sacrament of Penance or the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
 
Why do we need a sacrament of Reconciliation?
"Sin is before all else an offense against God, a rupture of communion with him. At the same time it damages communion with the Church. For this reason conversion entails both God's forgiveness and reconciliation with the Church…" (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC] 1440). Only God forgives sins. Christ has willed that in her prayer and life and action his whole Church should be a sign and instrument of the forgiveness and reconciliation (CCC1442). The priest "is not the master of God's forgiveness, but its servant" (CCC 1466).
 
What happens in the Sacrament of Penance?
"Through the sacrament of penance, we, the faithful, acknowledge the sins we have committed, express our sorrow for them, and, intending to reform our ways, receive God's forgiveness and become reconciled with God and with the Church" (USCCB Committee on Pastoral Practices). "Jesus' call to conversion and penance… does not aim first at outward works… but at the conversion of the heart, interior conversion" (CCC 1430). Conversion is first of all a work of the grace of God who makes our hearts return to him.
 
What sins should be confessed?
The Church teaches that "all serious (mortal) sins of which penitents after a diligent self-examination are conscious must be recounted by them in confession, even if they are most secret… for these sins sometimes wound the soul more grievously and are more dangerous than those which are committed openly" (CCC 1456). At the same time, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) "is strongly recommended… for it helps us to form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies (patterns of weakness that can lead us to sin), let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the Father's mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful" (CCC 1458).
 
What are the effects of this sacrament?
"The forgiven penitent is reconciled with himself in his inmost being… He is reconciled with his brethren whom he has in some way offended and wounded. He is reconciled with the Church. He is reconciled with all creation" (John Paul II). "The whole power of the sacrament of Penance consists in restoring us to God's grace (which was lost by Adam and Eve and confirmed by our personal sins) and joining us with him in an intimate friendship" (CCC 1468), "for those who receive the sacrament with contrite heart and religious disposition, reconciliation is usually followed by peace and serenity of conscience with strong spiritual consolation" (CCC 1551) (i.e. you feel good after going to Confession).Did you know?
• In the early Church, the Sacrament of Penance could be received only once in a lifetime.
The penances assigned were often very long and severe, sometimes lasting several years. During this time penitents usually had special places in church, wore special clothes, and commonly left the Sunday liturgy after the homily, just like the catechumens.
 
• At one time the Church had a two-track system of public Penance and private Penance.
Public sins required public penance and private sins required private penance.
 
• For centuries penitents were required to do their assigned penance and then return to receive absolution. Practical difficulties with this became apparent when the confessor was a wandering missionary and when the penances sometimes took the penitent on a pilgrimage to foreign lands.
 HOW TO GO TO CONFESSION
 
Many people have avoided celebrating the Sacrament of Penance, sometimes for years at a time, because they “don’t know what to do.” But confession doesn’t need to be scary or intimidating! The following brief explanation will help you understand how the Sacrament is celebrated individually.
 
1 Preparation
The celebration of this sacrament begins at home, with the private preparation you make. This preparation is called the examination of conscience. “The penitent compares his or her life with the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the example of Christ and then prays to God for forgiveness.” The examination of conscience should take into account your relationship to God and to others. Usually, we know our sins all too well; the examination of conscience will help us to look at them in the light of the Gospel, and be better able to express them in confession.  Also, we are sometimes unaware of how serious some sins are and the effect they have on our lives.  A thorough examination of conscience will help us identify and remove all that is hindering us in our relationship with God, one another, and ourselves.  A doctor needs help to remove all the illness or cancer from a patient, thus we need help to remove all sin so as to have true health and divine life.  (Please pray over attached Examination of Conscience for Adults.)
 
2 Welcome of the Priest
You have the option of confessing your sins face to face, or of confessing anonymously. This is your choice. The priest welcomes you and then both you and he make the sign of the cross, saying, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Then in his own words the priest urges you to have confidence in God. Then you continue, “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.  It has been (# weeks, months, or years) since my last Confession.”  If you don’t know the priest, you may want to indicate your state of life (i.e. married, single, widowed, divorced), and anything else that may help your confessor.  Be sure to mention how long it has been since your last confession.  The true priest will be glad you are there and not judging you on how long it has been since you lasted came to this Sacrament.
 
3 Confession of Sins
Next the priest invites you to confess your sins. Occasionally, the priest may ask questions to help you in making a full confession. The confession of sins should be as complete as possible. That doesn’t mean it needs to take a long time. The important thing is that the penitent “looks squarely at the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility for them, and thereby opens himself again to God and to the communion of the Church in order to make a new future possible” (Catechism 1455).  Venial sins and faults may be confessed in general, however, all mortal/serious sins must be confessed by their name and the number of times they were committed since the last Confession.  If you need help confessing your sins, let the priest know.  He can ask you questions or help you examine your life in light of God’s law.
 
4 Advice of the Priest
Sacramental confession is not therapy; the priest will not attempt to solve your problems for you.  What he will do, however, is offer some advice to help you in starting a new life. He will give a “penance,” which may take the form of prayer, self-denial, service to one’s neighbor, or works of mercy.
 
5 Act of Contrition, the Prayer of the Penitent
Next the priest invites you to pray an act of contrition. There are many different options for this prayer. There is one on the Examination of Conscience that you may take with you.  It should also be available for you in the Confessional.
 
6 Prayer of Absolution
Now the priest extends his hands over your head and prays the prayer of absolution, making the sign of the cross over you during the final words: “through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” You respond, Amen.  These are generally considered the sweetest words this side of heaven for those who know anything can be forgiven in this life if we confess it with true sorrow.
 
7 Dismissal
Now the priest dismisses you. You respond, “Thanks be to God.” If you are making your confession as part of a communal celebration, remain in the church for the conclusion of the celebration. If not, ‘go in peace to love and serve the Lord’!
 
Based on Celebrating the Sacrament of Penance: Questions and Answers, a publication of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
   
 Guide for Examination of Conscience for Confession of Sins
 6 STEPS FOR A GOOD CONFESSION
1)  Examine your conscience - what sins have you committed since your last good confession.
2)  Be sincerely sorry for your sins.
3)  Confess your sins to the priest.
4)  Make certain that you confess all your mortal sins and the number of them.
5)  After your confession, do the penance the priest gives to you.
6)  Pray daily for the strength to avoid the occasion of sin, especially for those sins you were just absolved from.
 ACT OF CONTRITION
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell, but most of all because they offend You, my God, Who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life.
Amen.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. You shall not have other gods before Me.
___How have I acted toward God?
___ Do I think of God and speak to Him by
praying to Him every day?
___ Have I made a bad confession (purposely
avoiding to confess a mortal sin)?
___ Have I received Jesus in Holy Communion
unworthily (with mortal sin on my soul)?
2. You shall not take the Name of the
Lord your God in vain.
___ Have I used bad words?
___ Have I jokingly or irreverently spoken about
God or holy things?
___ Have I tried hard to keep the promises and
resolutions which I have made to God?
___ Have I spoken God’s Name in anger?
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
___ Do I go to Mass on Sunday?
___ Do I do all I can to make Sunday a day of rest
and joy for my family?
___ Do I take part in the Mass, or do I distract
others by laughing, talking, or playing?
___ Have I deliberately failed to pay attention at
Mass?
___ Am I generous in helping the Church,
contributing some of my allowance or savings
at collection time to help the Church in her
necessities as much as I can?
___ Have I fulfilled my yearly Easter duty of
receiving Holy Communion (and going to
Confession, if necessary)?
4. Honor your father and your mother.
___ Do I pay attention to my parents, priest, and
teachers, especially when they talk to me about
God?
___ Do I obey my parents and teachers quickly and
cheerfully, or must I be reminded many times?
___Do I tell my parents or those in authority over
me that I am sorry and ask them to forgive me
when I have not obeyed them or have not been
respectful toward them?
___ Have I failed to express my love for my
parents?
___ Do I nurse angry feelings or show resentment
when I am corrected by my parents?
___ Do I obey the rules of my home and school?
___ Do I pray every day for the help I need to be a
holy child, and a holy brother or sister?
5. You shall not kill.
___ Have I treated other people badly?
___ Do I help my brothers, sisters, and classmates
when they need my help?
___ Am I kind to everyone?
___ Did I hurt anyone on purpose?
___ Have I fought with my brothers, sisters, or
friends?
___ Am I willing to talk or play with everyone?
___ Have I forgiven all those who have hurt me,
for love of Jesus?
___ Did I make fun of anyone, put anyone down,
or tease anyone to the point of upsetting
them?
___ Have I hated anyone or nursed bad feelings,
resented, or refused pardon toward any
person?
___ Have I sought pardon of those whom I have
offended?
___ Do I do all my class work and my chores at
home well?
___ Do I take care of my health by eating the
right food, getting enough sleep, and doing
other things that I know are good for me?
6. You shall not commit adultery.
___ Have I kept my mind, heart, and body pure,
as the dwelling, or temple, of God?
___ Have I been impure with touches (by myself
or with another person)?
___ Have I been impure with words or thoughts?
___ Have I watched impure movies or television
programs or listened to music that offended
God?
___ Have I engaged in impure conversations?
Did I begin them?
___ Have I neglected to dress modestly or to
otherwise safeguard purity?
___ Have I willfully looked at immodest pictures?
___ Have I displayed immodest looks or glances at
myself or others?
7. You shall not steal.
___ Did I steal or keep things that are not mine?
___ Am I willing to share my things with others?
___ Did I return things I have borrowed or stolen?
___ Have I seriously entertained temptations to
steal?
___ Have I been greedy?
8. You shall not lie.
___ Did I tell the truth?
___ Have I lied?
___ Did I say things about other people that are not
true?
___ Did I cheat in class or in games?
___ Have I gossiped about another person?
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
___ Do I think mostly about myself and what I
want?
___ How often do I think about other people and
what they would like?
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s
goods.
___ Do I thank God for the things that He has
given me?
___ Do I thank my parents and relatives for the
things they have given me?
___ Do I spend more time thinking about things
that I want than I do talking to God?
Steps to a Good Confession:
1. Carefully examine your conscience.
2. Be sincerely sorry for your sins.
3. Make a firm resolution not to sin again and to
avoid the near occasion of sin.
4. Tell your sins to the priest and receive
absolution.
5. Do the penance the priest gives you.
Suggested Dialogue:
Priest: May the Lord be on your heart, on your
mind, and on your lips so that you may know your
sins, and confess them with true repentance and a
firm purpose of amendment.
Penitent: Bless me Father, for I have sinned.
It has been ________ since my last confession.
Here state your sins.
Priest gives counsel and penance.
Penitent makes Act of Contrition:
Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having
offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because
I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell,
but most of all because they have offended Thee,
my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my
love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace,
to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend
my life. Amen.
Receive absolution and then respond “Thanks be to God.”
---------------------------------------------------------------
"Whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily sins against the Body and Blood of the Lord. ... He who eats and drinks without recognizing the Body eats and drinks judgment on himself." (1 Cor 11:27-29)
 
So, to receive Holy Communion while in the state of mortal sin (having committed a mortal sin which has not been confessed and forgiven in the Sacrament of Confession) is itself a mortal sin - a mortal sin of sacrilege.
 
"When he celebrates the sacrament of Penance, the priest is fulfilling the ministry of the Good Shepherd who seeks the lost sheep, of the Good Samaritan who binds up wounds, of the Father who awaits the prodigal son and welcomes him on his return, and of the just and impartial judge whose judgment is both just and merciful. The priest is the sign and the instrument of God's merciful love for the sinner." -Catechism of the Catholic Church #1465

+JMJ+
SUNDAY BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
Fifth Sunday of Lent – Sunday, April 6th, 2025

The First Reading- Isaiah 43:16-21
Thus says the LORD, who opens a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters, who leads out chariots and horsemen, a powerful army, till they lie prostrate together, never to rise, snuffed out and quenched like a wick.  Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new!  Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?  In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers.  Wild beasts honor me, jackals and ostriches, for I put water in the desert and rivers in the wasteland for my chosen people to drink, the people whom I formed for myself, that they might announce my praise.
Reflection
The liturgy this Lent has shown us the God of the Exodus. He is a mighty and gracious God, who out of faithfulness to His covenant has done “great things” for His people, as today’s Psalm puts it. But the “things of long ago,” Isaiah tells us in today’s First Reading, are nothing compared to the “something new” that He will do in the future. Today’s First Reading and Psalm look back to the marvelous deeds of the Exodus. Both see in the Exodus a pattern and prophecy of the future, when God will restore the fortunes of His people fallen in sin. The readings today look forward to a still greater Exodus, when God will gather in the exiled tribes of Israel that had been scattered to the four winds, the ends of the earth.
Adults - Are you holding onto something from the past that you need God’s help to resolve?
Teens - Is God preparing to do something new in your life? How is He “making a way” for you?
Kids - How does God take care of you?

Responsorial- Psalm 126: 1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Reflection
-Look up and reflect on the meaning between joy and happiness.


The Second Reading- Philippians 3: 8-14
Brothers and sisters: I consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.  It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus.  Brothers and sisters, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession.  Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.
Reflection
Saint Paul talks to us of having been “possessed by Christ”; that Jesus lives in his heart and directs him, but it’s not all up to Jesus. Through our baptism, Jesus entered our hearts, too, and it’s up to us to accept direction from him and to take the next steps to living that direction.
Do you ask for guidance from God in all parts of your life?

The Holy Gospel according to John 8:1-11
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.  But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them.  Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle.  They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.  Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.  So what do you say?”  They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him.  Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.  But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.  And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders.  So he was left alone with the woman before him.  Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”  She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”    
Reflection
In the Gospel, a woman is brought to Jesus who was caught being unfaithful to her husband. This is often an image that God uses for the people of Israel being unfaithful to God. The men who brought her in front of him claimed to have the right to kill her for what she did. They ask Jesus because they want to trick him into denying what the Law of God says. His response is simple—whoever among them has never sinned has the right to carry out the punishment. None of them can do it, because all of them have sinned.  They have all been unfaithful to God in one way or another, and the only one fit to punish is the one who has never sinned—Jesus. But, the story doesn’t end there—Jesus asks the woman who has condemned her. No one has. He tells her that he doesn’t either, that she is free to go, and that she should, “not sin any more.” She has more steps to take. She has to choose every day to accept the forgiveness that she has been given, and to choose every day to make avoid sin and do good to become more like Jesus. We are all called to the very same thing in our baptism.
Adults - The barbaric practice of stoning thankfully is not something that is acceptable today. We can, however, stone people in our own ways - with our words, actions, resentments, etc. How can we make sure we aren’t guilty of modern day stoning.
Teens  - How can you reach out to someone who is being treated unfairly?
Kids - Say a special prayer thanking Jesus for His mercy.


LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! –‘See what follows: 'Go and sin no more.' Therefore, the Lord also condemned sin, but not the woman' (St Augustine, In Ioann. Evang., 33, 5-6).  Jesus, who is the just One, does not condemn the woman; whereas these people are sinners, yet they pass sentence of death. God's infinite mercy should move us always to have compassion on those who commit sins, because we ourselves are sinners and in need of God's forgiveness.” —The Navarre Bible—St. John, Year C

+JMJ+
In this e-weekly:
- HALLOW-incredible Catholic app for Prayer, learning, and more (Catholic Website Classic of the Week)
- Inspired by John Paul II, Maternal Health Care Organization Celebrates 30 years  (Diocesan News and BEYOND)
- Living and Loving Others  (Helpful Hints for Life)

The Hallow app offers many ways to deepen your prayer life, such as:  
-Pray with the reading from the daily Gospel each morning in just 5, 10, or 15 minutes (you choose the length) 
-Fall asleep with Bible sleep stories from Fr. Mike Schmitz, Jonathan Roumie, or various Scripture readings by guest readers.  
-Meditate with the daily Rosary or many other prayers on your way to work, with your morning coffee, or as you go about your day 
-Try praying with music, hearing the Bible in a Year podcast, and much, much more!  


Some features include: 
-Listen on the way to work, on a plane, in the morning, or at night with downloadable offline sessions and customized lengths anywhere from 1, 5, 10, 15, 30, or 60 minute options! 
-Personalize your prayer experience. Choose your guide, length, background music like Gregorian chant, set your favorites, journal, and create your own personal prayer plan.  ​

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
      Sometimes in life we have long projects or difficult journeys to complete.  Some view the season of Lent this way.  So the Church helps us and encourages us at such times.
 
        One way the Church does this is by marking the middle of a journey or when it is over half-way completed, and this is the case with Lent.  Generally, Lent is a subdued time with focus and work on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  Music is less during the Masses of Lent, and the organ is recommended not to be used at all.  Longer readings of Sacred Scripture and silence tends to play a big part in the Mass.  Flowers are not used to adorn the altar.  But all this is lessened with Laetare Sunday.
 
            The Thursday before Laetare Sunday (read more below) is actually the middle day of Lent, and it was at one time observed as such, but afterwards the special signs of joy permitted on this day, intended to encourage the faithful in their course through the season of Lent, were transferred to the Sunday following this Thursday. These special signs of joy consist (like those of Gaudete Sunday in Advent [3rd Sunday of Advent]) in the use of flowers on the altar, and of the organ at Mass; rose-colored vestments (NOT pink :o) ) are allowed instead of purple. The contrast between Laetare and the other Sundays of Lent is thus emphasized, and is characteristic of the joys of this life, restrained rejoicing mingled with a certain amount of sadness.  
 
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,

Father Robert
 
P.S.  This Sunday is Laetare Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Lent.  The readings can be found at: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/033025-YearC.cfm
​

“Helpful Hints of Life”

Living and Loving Others
Never take a "You did", "You said", "You always", and "You never" approach to any discussion with someone you know.  Use non-threatening language, and voice tones that bring forth the spirit of cooperation and trust you should have with another especially if you profess to love that person.  "I" statements are much better, because they say where you are coming from, and invite the other to respond. (I get worried when you come back late.  I am hurt when you do not tell me anything. etc.)

 “This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Jesus rose from the dead "on the first day of the week." Because it is the "first day," the day of Christ's Resurrection recalls the first creation. Because it is the "eighth day" following the sabbath, it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ's Resurrection. For Christians it has become the first of all days, the first of all feasts, the Lord's Day (he kuriake hemera, dies dominica) Sunday:

We all gather on the day of the sun, for it is the first day [after the Jewish sabbath, but also the first day] when God, separating matter from darkness, made the world; and on this same day Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the dead.”   
​Catechism of the Catholic Church #2174

​MCI provides emergency obstetric care, remote transportation for rural communities to hospitals, and training for midwives and health care providers. The organization also prioritizes research into maternal health solutions. 

“Since its founding, MCI has worked to provide essential medical services, create sustainable models of maternal care, and advocate for ethical practices in maternal care, all while empowering local health care providers, like midwives and traditional birth attendants, through training and sustainable practices,” Deane said. 

MCI has established branches in Canada, Poland, Australia, and previously in the United States and Ireland. Its Canada branch has developed outreach projects all throughout the world, including in Rwanda, Haiti, Kenya, and Ghana. MCI’s model involves working in partnership with local communities in order to design sustainable models in various developing areas.

The organization operates solely on charitable donations and takes no assistance from government agencies. It also welcomes health care professionals who are faithful to MCI’s mission to join project initiatives as volunteers.
​
Bringing care to underserved rural communities in Uganda
This month, MCI opened a maternity center in Nyabwina, Uganda. A team of MCI Catholic health professionals, working with local Church leaders, launched the St. Claret Maternity Center in the Nyabwina village, which serves the local region in the Sheema/Mbarara District of Uganda.
Archbishop Lambert Bainnomugisha of Mbarara blessed the facility on its opening day, March 6.

​+JMJ+
SUNDAY BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
Laetare (Rejoice) Sunday - Fourth Sunday of Lent
– Sunday, March 30th, 2025 -

The First Reading- Joshua 5: 9A, 10-12
The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.”  While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth of the month.  On the day after the Passover, they ate the produce of the land in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain.  On that same day after the Passover, on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased.  No longer was there manna for the Israelites, who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.
Reflection
In today’s First Reading, God forgives “the reproach” of the generations who grumbled against Him after the Exodus. On the threshold of the promised land, Israel can with a clean heart celebrate the Passover, the feast of God’s firstborn son (see Joshua 5:6–7; Exodus 4:22; 12:12–13). The miraculous manna, having served it’s purpose, ceases when they reach the Promised Land.
Adults - Can you look back and see a time that God has provided for you as He provided for Israel with the manna?
Teens - The Israelites had to trust that day after day God would provide the manna. What do you have to trust God to provide every day?
Kids - How do you think the Israelites felt when they made it to the Promised Land?

Responsorial- Psalm 34: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Reflection
-Share a concrete example of God’s goodness with someone this week.

The Second Reading- 2 Corinthians 5: 17-21
Brothers and sisters: Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.  And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  So 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.
Reflection
In Baptism, we’re given a divine birthright, made “a new creation,” as Paul puts it in today’s Epistle. This gift comes from God who wants us as a part of His family always.
Today’s second reading says that we are meant to be “ambassadors for Christ.” It also says that one of the ways we do that is to help people to be reconciled. What need for reconciliation do you see in the lives of the people you know?

The Holy Gospel according to Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”  So to them Jesus addressed this parable: “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them.  After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.  When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need.  So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.  And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any.  Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger.  I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’  So he got up and went back to his father.  While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.  He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.  His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’  But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’  Then the celebration began.  Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing.  He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.  The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’  He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him.  He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.  But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’  He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours.  But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”
Reflection
When we sin, we’re like the Prodigal Son, quitting our Father’s house, squandering our inheritance in trying to live without Him. Lost in sin, we cut ourselves off from the grace of sonship lavished upon us in Baptism. It is still possible for us to come to our senses, make our way back to the Father, as the prodigal son does.
But only God can remove the reproach and restore the divine sonship we have spurned. Only He can free us from the slavery to sin that causes us—like the Prodigal Son—to see God not as our Father but as our master, One we serve as slaves. God wants not slaves but children. Like the father in today’s Gospel, He longs to call each of us “My son,” to share His life with us, to tell us: “Everything I have is yours.”  The Father’s words of longing and compassion still come to His prodigal children in the Sacrament of Penance. This is part of what Paul today, in the Second Reading, calls “the ministry of reconciliation” entrusted by Jesus to the Apostles and the Church.
Adults - Try and meditate this week on how big God’s love for you is. The faithful and caring father in this reading is human - God is divine. How much bigger must His love be than even this inspiring love?
Teens  - Is compassion easy or hard for you? Do you tend to hold grudges? What steps can you take to be more compassionate?
Kids - The older brother in today’s Gospel was angry that the little brother was welcomed back and refused to go to his party. How would you feel if you were the older brother? How would you feel if you were the younger brother and your older brother wouldn’t forgive you?

LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! –‘Mercy — as Christ has presented it in the parable of the prodigal son — has the interior form of the love that in the New Testament is called agape. This love is able to reach down to every prodigal son, to every human misery, and above all to every form of moral misery, to sin. When this happens, the person who is the object of mercy does not feel humiliated, but rather found again and 'restored to value'. The father first and foremost expresses to him his joy, that he has been 'found again' and that he has 'returned to life'. This joy indicates a good that has remained intact: even if he is a prodigal, a son does not cease to be truly his father's son; it also indicates a good that has been found again, which in the case of the prodigal son was his return to the truth about himself" (Dives in misericordia [Rich in Mercy], 6).

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
       Money.  It is where the rubber meets the road in the Christian Life.  It is perhaps the most true idol today that we might put in the place of God.  We would not say that we have money as an idol, but what do our actions tell?
       We can control and see the effects of prayer and fasting, but we do not have this advantage with almsgiving.  We have no idea what will be done with our alms, or if we will have needed them ourselves, or if we should have given alms at all.  We must TRUST GOD, and that is perhaps the hardest thing to do.  But that is exactly what almsgiving is meant to help us to do.  
 
         “No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and (money) mammon. Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13"  [God has given us all, what do we give back to Him via the Church and the poor?]
         This Lent we have been striving to embrace Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving to bring about true change in our lives.  Add this final member of the triumvirate and let God change your heart and life into something wonderful you never even imaged!
 
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
 
Father Robert
 
P.S.  This coming Sunday is the Third Sunday of Lent.  The readings can be found at:  https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032325-YearC.cfm

​P.S.S.  Outline of homily on Almsgiving is found at the end of this e-weekly.
​

Term Review
 
almsgiving  (from Greek eleEmOn “merciful”)
 
- something given freely in charity to assist those in need and to relieve the poor.
[Almsgiving, together with prayer and fasting, are traditionally recommended to foster the state of interior penance.]

“Helpful Hints of Life”
 Guidance on Charitable Giving from the Bishops of North Dakotaby Bishop Samuel J. Aquila, D.D., Bishop Paul A. Zipfel 
Catholics are compelled by the Gospel to responsibly promote the protection of human life, families, and the common good. We applaud the charitable giving and social justice efforts of our parishes, Catholic schools, and individuals. At the same time, we urge attentiveness to the possibility of endorsing an organization whose mission or affiliation may be morally objectionable or, at least, questionable. We call upon pastors, clergy, and the lay faithful to use guidelines based on the virtue of prudence and justice when making charitable giving decisions.
 
Church teaching: All human life is sacred and must be protected. This is why we should not support or endorse individuals and organizations that provide, promote, or advocate for abortion, contraception, “reproductive rights/ family planning,” or embryonic stem cell research. Marriage, a lifelong partnership between a man and a woman, is the foundation of the family and, therefore, essential to the common good. Accordingly, we should not support individuals and organizations that seek to redefine marriage or whose activities devalue its importance.
 
Guidelines: When evaluating the appropriateness of participating in, publicizing, or otherwise providing support to a fundraising effort, Catholic entities should consider whether the mission and activities of the organization are consistent with Catholic teaching, particularly as it pertains to human life and marriage. Church facilities should not be used to promote, endorse, or fundraise for such organizations if their policies are contrary to Church teaching.
We take this opportunity to mention certain organizations that Catholic entities should not support.
 
American Association of University Women: AAUW's stated mission is to advance “equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research” and often provides local scholarships with money raised through book fairs. AAUW, however, strongly supports abortion rights and same-sex “marriage,” and opposes parental choice in education.
 
Amnesty International: In 2007, Amnesty International abandoned its neutral stance on abortion and adopted a pro-abortion position.
 
Crop Walk/Church World Service: CROP Walk, an annual hunger awareness and fundraising effort that benefits many local food pantries, is sponsored by Church World Service (CWS), an agency of the National Council of Churches. Catholic Relief Services withdrew its name from the list of funding recipients since some of the partners of CWS support the provision of contraceptives in their overseas missions and programs and CRS could not guarantee that donations, particularly Catholic donors who have earmarked their contribution to those efforts consistent with Church teaching, would not be utilized for objectionable services.
 
March of Dimes: The March of Dimes' focus is the prevention of birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. March of Dimes, however, also supports embryonic stem cell research, preimplantation diagnosis for untreatable conditions, and mandatory contraceptive coverage for insurance plans.
 
Susan G. Komen for the Cure: This anti-breast cancer organization is known for its “Race for the Cure” fundraising activities (not to be confused with “Relay for Life.”) Money raised at these events has gone to Planned Parenthood and the organization refuses to acknowledge the link between abortion and breast cancer.
 
UNICEF: The Holy See suspended an annual symbolic contribution in 1996 due to the “shift in UNICEF activities” that were once solely focused on child welfare but now includes contraceptive and abortion services.
 
†Most Rev. Paul A. Zipfel
Bishop of Bismarck
†Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila
Bishop of Fargo
 


  “Many of Jesus' deeds and words constituted a "sign of contradiction", but more so for the religious authorities in Jerusalem, whom the Gospel according to John often calls simply "the Jews", than for the ordinary People of God. To be sure, Christ's relations with the Pharisees were not exclusively polemical. Some Pharisees warn him of the danger he was courting; Jesus praises some of them, like the scribe of Mark 12:34, and dines several times at their homes. Jesus endorses some of the teachings imparted by this religious elite of God's people: the resurrection of the dead, certain forms of piety (almsgiving, fasting and prayer), the custom of addressing God as Father, and the centrality of the commandment to love God and neighbor.”Catechism of the Catholic Church #575

​Michael Wagner and his pregnant wife, Joanne, were traveling to the March for Life in Washington in 1976 when she — and their unborn baby — died unexpectedly, leaving him to raise their 12 other children alone.

Though devastated by the loss, Michael, a quiet man of faith, soldiered on and returned home to Erie, Pennsylvania, to deal with the reality of caring for nine boys and three girls between the ages of 3 and 17. He would work the third shift at a local die-casting shop so that he could be home during the day, cooking meals that often required peeling 20 pounds of potatoes and keeping up with laundry that had to be hung on a line outside absent an automatic drier.

To his youngest daughter, Stephanie (Wagner) Schlueter, who was 5 at the time, it seemed as if her father never slept. Yet, she said, she never remembered him being angry or self-pitying. “He may have had his moments in the quiet, once the door was closed, but he just exemplified true faith and trust in the Lord and lived out the words, ‘Whatever God calls you to, he provides for.’”

Years later, those words have formed the nucleus of Twelve Roses, a book Stephanie’s author husband, Greg Schlueter, has been inspired by Michael’s life to write, to offer hope to others in crisis.

After Greg married Stephanie in 1997, he had only a short time to get to know Michael before his father-in-law’s death in 1998, but it was long enough to create a strong and lasting impression of a man whose Catholic faith had sustained him as he single-handedly managed a dozen children in a house with only four bedrooms and one bathroom. To this day, Greg said, “His voice haunts me in the best sense.”

For all her father had to do and did, Stephanie added, “He was one of the most peaceful men I’ve ever encountered. That only comes from a mature relationship with the Lord. He found out in a very real, baptism-by-fire kind of way that we have no control. Often, our franticness is our need for control. In many ways he was glad he wasn’t in control.”

Both her parents were products of strong Catholic families and had met while working at the Boston Store in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania. Michael was 11 years older than Joanne, but Stephanie said they were always very vague about how their parents regarded the age difference. Married in 1957, they raised their family in a home where, Stephanie recalls, the Catholic faith was both lived and practical. She and her siblings went to Catholic schools, and priests and sisters, including two uncles and an aunt, were frequent visitors at the house. “We did the 40 Hours’ devotion, said prayers before meals, the boys were altar servers, and we went to Mass on Sunday. It was the water we lived in, the air we breathed. It was the language that we spoke.”

Today, every one of the Wagner children is a practicing Catholic who attends Mass faithfully; and, among them, they’ve had more than 50 children.

Their parents’ story has long spoken to Greg, who helped care for Michael in the last year and a half of his life. The Schlueters run the Catholic family apostolate Mass Impact.

Last December, as Greg was reflecting on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and all the people he knew who were struggling with seemingly impossible circumstances, he was inspired by Michael’s life to write Twelve Roses.

By January, he had self-published it as a paperback and eBook. Drawing on the theme of the roses St. Juan Diego gathered into his tilma to present to his bishop, the book tells the story of Anna, whose boyfriend has left her after learning she is pregnant with their child. As Anna, fearful and confused, ponders what she will do, she opens her door on Dec. 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, to find a single rose wrapped in brown paper on her mailbox. A note attached to the rose says, “You are not alone.” On each of the next 11 days, another rose and another note appear, each seemingly from someone who can read her soul.

When Anna realizes on the 13th day that the 12th rose was the last she will receive, she is initially disappointed, but then she considers the significance of the number 12: “Twelve months in a year. Twelve apostles. Twelve Days of Christmas. Twelve, a number of perfection and completion.”

Over the 12 days, the messages have transformed her, and by Christmas, she knows what she will do.
Greg said Anna is a character who is very real to him because, as a student involved in the pro-life movement at Ohio’s Miami University, he knew and had spoken at length with many women in her predicament. Even before that, however, he had seen how his mother, Judy Schlueter, a nurse who founded a post-abortion healing ministry in Dublin, Ohio, understood the plight of such women. “She dove into the realm of the broken heart, the real wound of a woman facing these circumstances,” he said.

Through Anna’s story, Greg hopes to convey to those in difficult or desperate situations that whatever they are facing or need, “God wants to impart these gifts, these words, these roses.”

He said he used roses as the vehicle for Anna’s messages not only because of their tie to Our Lady of Guadalupe, but because he sees them as a means of expression and a language in themselves. Whether they are given by a man to a woman or left at a grave, he said, “They have always had symbolic consequences.” Greg said that, for instance, when he proposed to Stephanie, he gave her 12 roses during a Mass and that they then placed some on her mother’s grave. “Those roses were more than flowers,” he writes in the book, “they were symbols of a love that transcended grief, a grace that carried her family through their darkest hours, and a promise of hope that endures.”

The idea for Twelve Roses came to him almost in a mystical, spiritual way, he said, as he was praying for women in crisis situations like the one Anna faces. “Journeying with our Blessed Mother and mindful of that epicenter where we face such circumstances, in my prayer, I asked, ‘Lord, give me your heart ... for the world.’” Then, early in December, the thought struck him, “What would it be like if Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to each of us? What would she say, knowing our needs and our particular circumstances? What might Our Lady of Guadalupe be saying to me, to others?”

As leader of the Mass Impact family apostolate and a podcaster and radio-show host, Greg said he is connected in prayer to many people who are struggling and in turmoil, adding that, through Anna’s story, he wanted to open them to an awareness that grace is being poured out for them. Regardless of their circumstances, he hopes readers of his book will connect with Anna’s sense of helplessness and that the beautiful truths in the messages she receives will vanquish the lies in their lives, assuring them that they are known and not alone.

Greg said he deliberately left unnamed the identity of the sender of the roses. “I wanted people to have a mystical sense that the Word made flesh is real,” Greg said. “I felt I needed to leave it so that the soul of the person who reads it is opened to the sense of wonder that the Divine knows their situation.”

Although Michael and Joanne do not appear as characters in Twelve Roses, Greg references their story in the preface, explaining how they inspired the book.

“Their lives,” he writes, “testify to a God who meets us in our deepest pain, who whispers through the impossible, ‘You are loved. You are seen. You matter.’ And as he blesses us, he calls us to become bearers of that blessing, passing along the roses of grace, love, and hope to others.”

Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly pours hot soup for internally displaced persons gathered outside the Albertine Brothers’ house in Lviv on Dec. 6, 2022. (photo: Tamino Petelinšek / Knights of Columbus)Joseph Pronechen InterviewsFebruary 24The Knights of Columbus are no strangers to stepping up with abundant aid in desperate situations. The war in Ukraine is no exception. This past year, the fraternal organization has stepped forward boldly with continuing aid in the war-torn country.

Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly shared some of what he observed and how the Knights are bringing aid to Ukraine with Register staff writer Joseph Pronechen in an email interview Feb. 24, marking the one year anniversary since the invasion. 
 
Please share some of your experiences visiting Ukraine and Poland: What particular things have been most moving?
I visited Ukraine and Poland twice in 2022, beginning with a trip during Holy Week.

I saw tremendous suffering, and I saw real strength. Both trips were deeply moving.

The number of refugees and displaced persons, as well as the conditions they faced, were striking. I was watching people walk across the border, mostly women and children, with nothing more than a small suitcase. They would stop at our K of C Mercy Center for warmth, something to eat and to get some rest — both physical and spiritual. Often, there would be a priest or religious sister present. They didn’t know where they would go next, and our volunteers helped connect them with resources. I saw people living in a previously abandoned monastery in Ukraine, again with very little, in terms of material goods and a great deal of uncertainty. I saw separated families, and I heard the stories of lost loved ones.

But I also saw something inspiring and just as moving — the patriotism of one nation in crisis and another nation stepping bravely forward to assist in an hour of need. In Ukraine and Poland, I saw real solidarity, which is remarkable, given the history of the region. So I was saddened and inspired. But, overall, I was even more convinced of the importance of our humanitarian support.
 
Who were some of the others you met with while there?
Throughout both trips, my message was one of solidarity and a commitment of continued support.
In December, I met with government officials, prominent Catholic leaders from both the Latin and Ukrainian Greek Churches, and local Knights. I also spent time with displaced Ukrainians — just hearing their stories. These stories were heart-wrenching, but I was also able to see what a concrete difference our humanitarian aid is making for real people. Lives depend on it.

I met with President Andrzej Duda of Poland. President Duda and I both recognize that while much has been accomplished, the relief work must continue for the long term. I assured President Duda of the Knights’ commitment to ongoing support.

And this support needs to include some more long-term solutions as well as immediate aid. So I was especially proud to visit Our Lady of Częstochowa parish in Radom, Poland, where we opened the Blessed Michael McGivney House, a new long-term resource center for refugees. We will need more of these kinds of resources; and the Knights — in Poland, Ukraine and around the world — are committed to providing them.
 
What are some of the ways Knights have been helping the people in Ukraine — Knights from the U.S., Knights in Poland? How are needs being answered?
Well, first and foremost, by raising money and getting immediate aid to people on the ground. Within 36 hours of the Russian invasion, the Knights of Columbus committed $1.5 million toward humanitarian relief and established the Ukraine Solidarity Fund. To date, the Knights have raised more than $20 million.

Less than a week after the invasion began, we began organizing our K of C Charity Convoys — truckloads of supplies, which our members brought into Ukraine.

The Knights also established Mercy Centers along the Poland-Ukraine border that served more than 300,000 people.
More recently, we began the “Powering Our Parishes” program to provide generators, especially important in the winter, as power plants have been increasingly targeted. We’re sending these generators to parishes in Ukraine, so that they can provide centers for warmth and for community, in addition to keeping the churches themselves running.
​
We’ve also partnered with other organizations to magnify our help, calling upon their particular areas of expertise. With these partners, we’ve provided health care to civilians, and we’re underway with a project to remove mines from fields and waterways, so that people can return to their liberated lands and restore some semblance of normal life. We’ve worked with other groups to build orphanages and provide for the education of Ukrainian children.

​

Since Knights always bring spiritual support into all of their efforts, can you share some thoughts on this aspect from your trips?
I think something that is sometimes overlooked — but that from a Catholic perspective is just as important as our material aid — is our spiritual support. As the Polish people once said to John Paul II in a different time, but also a time of great suffering and trial: “We want God.”
While in Ukraine, I was invited to attend a vespers service with Ukrainian Greek Catholic seminarians and to offer a few words. I told them I thought they were among the most important future leaders of Ukraine because they are to be, principally, witnesses to the faith. It is faith in Jesus Christ that can ground the culture of Ukraine and can carry it through these dark times. But even more than that, it’s a witness to the whole world that the answer to the problems we face is Jesus Christ. Knights around the world are praying regularly for the people of Ukraine and for a just end to the war.
 
Are there Knights in Ukraine?
We have more than 2,000 Knights in Ukraine, and that includes more than 140 who joined our ranks during the war. We also have more than 7,200 Knights across the border in Poland. So we are uniquely suited to help. We’re not an aid agency. But we are part of the affected communities.
Through our Knights in Ukraine, we get real-time information on what is needed at any given moment. This allows us to continually adapt our aid to the changing circumstances.
More importantly, this war impacts our families. And that’s why we’re not going anywhere. That is why I can say with confidence to the Ukrainians, “You’re not alone.” That is why I promised to them that we’ll be there for the long haul.
 
Are the Knights continuing to make this aid a priority?
Knights in Ukraine, Poland and around the world have made our response to the humanitarian needs of those impacted by the invasion a priority since Day One. We continually ask our members to pray for those affected by the war and to support our relief efforts through the Ukraine Solidarity Fund.
We hope to bring renewed attention to the humanitarian crisis in the region through our upcoming documentary In Solidarity With Ukraine, which will air on ABC network affiliates across the United States for six consecutive weekends, beginning Feb. 26. It will give a unique inside view of the situation on the ground in Ukraine, and I hope it will inspire more people to offer material and spiritual aid.
 
What more would you like to see the Knights doing for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people and refugees?
As we enter Lent, it is a time for deepening our prayer, fasting and almsgiving. I ask Knights around the world to pray for those suffering in this conflict, to fast for peace and justice, and to give generously to those in need, especially the women and children, who suffer most.

​

When asked by 6-year-old Prajla from Albania if he liked to dance as a child, the Pope said he liked it “a lot! I liked to be together with other children, playing...dancing our typical dances from Argentina. I had a lot of fun.”

He told Prajla that as a teenager he liked to dance tango, and that for him, to dance “is to experience joy and happiness.”

“When someone is sad they can't dance. Generally kids have a big asset: being happy. And because of this when they are young they dance and express the joy in their heart,” he said, noting that “the people who can't experience joy in their heart are always serious.”

Because of this, the Pope told children to dance, “so that you aren't too serious when you are older!”

This is just one of the answers Pope Francis gave to the 30 children around the world who wrote to him with questions and drawings.

On March 1 Jesuit-run Loyola Press will release the book “Dear Pope Francis: The Pope Answers Letters from Children Around the World,” alongside Jesuit publishing houses in 11 other countries.

Eight children whose letters appear in the book, plus a few siblings, met with Pope Francis in a private audience at the Vatican Feb. 22 to present him with the Italian translation of the book, as well as all 259 letters collected for the project.

The Italian translation, “L'Amore Prima del Mondo,” is already available in bookstores.

A collection of 30 letters and drawings from children around the world aged 6-13, the book contains both questions from the youth, as well as Pope Francis' answers.

Pope Francis gave the project the official thumbs-up last May, when executives from Loyola Press traveled to Rome to pop the question on whether he would ever consider writing a children’s book.

Due to the Pope’s time constraints, he couldn't respond to all 259 letters, but was advised on which ones to select with the help of a special group of parents, grandparents, teachers, Jesuits, writers and children.

Letters included in the book come from across the globe, including countries such as Albania, Russia, China, Nigeria, Kenya, the Philippines and a school for displaced children in Syria.

In the book Pope Francis answers questions simple, fun questions from the youth, as well as heart-wrenching questions from children in warring countries.

When asked by Mohamed, 10, from Syria if the world will ever be beautiful again like it was before, the Pope responded by pointing out how after he died and ascended into heaven, Jesus promised that he would return, and that when he does, “everything will be new: a new heaven, a new earth.”

Because of this, “the world now will not be like it was in the past,” Francis said, and lamented that there are “evil people” who produce and sell arms in order to make war, people who hate, and people who are so attached to money that they will “even sell other people” to get more.

Although “this is terrible,” the Pope stressed that “this suffering is destined to end, you know? It’s not forever. Suffering is lived with hope, despite everything.”

Similarly, when asked by Michael, 9, from Nigeria how to end the world’s conflicts, Francis said that war “is only the fruit of egoism and greed.”

While he acknowledged that he can’t solve all the world’s problems, Pope Francis told the youth that “you and I can try to make this land a better world.”

“You know conflict, I understand. But there is not a magic wand. Everyone must be convinced that the best way of winning a war is not to do it. It’s not easy. But I will try. You try too.”

On a more lighthearted note, the Pope answered questions surrounding his “tall hat” (his miter), miracles, Sunday school, how Jesus walked on water and what he would like to do to make the world a better place.

Ana Maria, 10, from Brazil asked the Pope why children needed to go to catechism classes. In response, Francis said simply: “Go to catechism to know Jesus better!”

“If you have a friend you like to be with them in order to know them better. You like to be with a friend to play together, to get to know their family, their life, where they were born, where they live.”

Catechism, he said, “helps you in this, to know your friend Jesus better and to know his big family which is the Church.”

When William, 7, from the U.S. asked him what miracle he would perform if he could, Pope Francis said he would “heal children,” and that he still hasn’t been able to understand why children suffer.

“I pray about this question: why do children suffer? It’s my heart that asks me the question,” he said, noting how Jesus himself cried, “and in crying he understood our dramas.”

“If I could do a miracle, I would heal all children,” he added, and told William that “I’m not afraid to cry. You shouldn’t be either.”

On a fun note, when Natasha, 8, from Kenya asked him how Jesus walked on water, the Pope jested, saying that Jesus “didn’t fly or do somersaults swimming,” but walked normally like he was on the ground.

Jesus walked “one foot after the other, also seeing the fish under his feet partying and swimming fast,” the Pope explained, adding that since Jesus is God, “he can do everything. He can also walk calmly on water. God doesn’t sink, you know?”
 
“The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church's penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works).Catechism of the Catholic Church #1438

​

A bit of humor…

CommandmentsWhen I asked my friend if she was planning to attend church, she just shook her head. "I haven’t gone in a long time," she said. "Besides, it’s too late for me. I’ve probably already broken all seven commandments."Branch of ServiceOur elementary school was honoring local veterans. The students were a bit intimidated and didn’t know how to approach them.
​
"Start by introducing yourself,"
I said. "Then ask what branch of the military they served in."
One student walked over to a vet and promptly asked, "What tree are you from?"

Reasons Why People Think Catholics Are "Crazy"

- We like to keep Mass interesting. We sit, stand and kneel, in no particular order. Probably just to keep the blood flowing, but definitely to keep one from falling asleep.

- It's not merlot and Ritz they're serving; it's the Flesh and Blood of Jesus. No, really.

- Forget a big meal afterwards, just pick up some of the breakfast tacos, donuts, or baked goods they're always selling after Mass

- Purgatory.
 
- We sometimes slip out an Amen after the Pledge of Allegiance.

-Before entering the row of seats in the movie theater, we are tempted to genuflect.

- We all have 20 cousins. On each side of the family.
 
- Altar servers continue well into their twenties.

- Infant Baptism isn't dumb; it's after-life insurance.

- $5.00 in the collection basket is the epitome of generosity. Anything more than that, someone has hit the lottery.

- A missal is a book, not a weapon. However, it has been known to pull double duty.
 
- There are two very different, irreconcilable factions in every single church in the world. They are known as the Saturday or Sunday Mass bunch.

- The signs we make aren't just a mark of respect, they're a lot of fun to do.
 
- Whenever anyone in Star Wars saga says “May the Force Be With You”, we get the urge to say “And with your spirit”
 
- Mass is nearly unchanged after almost 2000 years. We’re a little stubborn.

- We really like statues.  A lot!
 
- “Offer it up!” = “Quit complaining!” = The Catholic Motto
​

​Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.  Almsgiving. 
Almsgiving is something given freely in charity to assist those in need and to relieve the poor. 
Luke 11:41 But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.
 [Some of the St. Michael School students went to a Library. Carnegie Bldg.]
Why is almsgiving so important?
Prayer and Fasting we can do; We can see and know the results.
But with giving to others, especially with money, it all comes from God.  So almsgiving involves trusting God.  We do not know the results.  Trust of God brought the Israelites from the miraculous manna from heaven to the real food of the Promised Land in the First Reading.
Money is an interesting thing.  It can provide for all our physical needs, the problem is when we think it will take care of all our needs.  We must be careful.
I Timothy 6:9-10 Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains
 
In Matthew and Luke (6:24; 16:13 respectively) 13 No servant can serve two masters. 8 He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and (money) mammon."
 God or Love of Money?
Where do you spend your time?
How much for God?                 How much for pursuit and use of money or what it can bring?
Tithing, Weekly Collection, Do I give to the poor?  Do I give to those in need?  Do I support the needs of the Church?
Luke 12:33 Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.
 
Do we provide treasure for ourselves in heaven, or are we living with this world in mind only?
Matthew 6:4  That your alms may be in secret: and thy Father which sees in secret himself shall reward you openly.I do not know how much individuals give here at St. Michael, and I make it a point not to know.  But I do know that Catholics are traditionally the poorest givers of all Christians.  Roman Catholics who have been given the fullness of God and His Church are often the least to return it.
Do we have less now?  Are things worse now?
Statistics show that Christians gave 3 times more during the depression than they do now.
We should give the first fruits of our labor to God, but sadly some of us take the meal for ourselves and leave God a tip like we would gladly pay for a meal, but leave just a dollar or two to the one who served it.
Some may say, well Father things cost more, we have debt.  Well yes, our parents and grandparents in their day had debt, but they also knew all came from God and they always gave something to Him first.  Even I have debt from college.  But are you and making the changes of trust.  God cannot bless us unless we open our hearts in trust to allow Him to bless us.  We must put faith and trust in Him so that He can multiple good in us.
Here is the simple fact:
We give a little to God, He can only bless us a little.
We give a lot to God, He can bless us a lot.
I want to talk to those 50 years older and younger.  Those older than this generally know everything they have comes from God and thus return to Him a generous portion.  50 and below especially near my generation, we are the ones who give some sort of tip but generally don’t pay the bill.
Concretely, I want you to look at how much you give each week or totally each year.  Is it even 1% of your total income, and Yes before expenses.  Remember St. Paul said to you and me this morning in the Second Reading.  “All comes from God.”  1% is the bare bones minimum in return to God.  The Catholic who is able, and that is most of us, should strive for 3-5%.
Try to add $2-3 dollars more per week.  Or add 1% more than you currently give in a year.  Try to make on a weekly regular basis.  I know with farming and other occupations that you have the seasons and times when money is coming in and going out, but we need to try to keep weekly so that our trust of God is constant even in thin times and thick.
I can testify to this, I used to be a tipper, but as I prayed and prepared to be a priest, I recognized the Lord calling me to trust Him more.  I have been giving 5% to the parish I serve and 5% to the poor.  I have never been in need from the time doing this.
Now be prudent, if you only have money to buy food for tomorrow, seek assistance.  But unless you do not have a penny to your name, all of us can give at least something as the poor widow did whom Jesus praised.
I John 3:17 If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him?
 I Peter 4:8 “charity covers a multitude of sins”
You and I MUST change where we put our money and our trust.  The Bulletin has practical saving techniques.  Then you and I, especially 50 yrs and under, must put God first by changing what you give back to Him starting today, this week, and into the future.
God has given us all as did the father in today’s Gospel.  What do you and I give?
 
“This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore [Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin." From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead:
Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.”                -Catechism of the Catholic Church #1032

+JMJ+
SUNDAY BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
Third Sunday of Lent – Sunday, March 23rd, 2025

The First Reading- Exodus 3: 1-8A, 13-15
Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian.  Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain of God.  There an angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in fire flaming out of a bush.  As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush, though on fire, was not consumed.  So Moses decided, “I must go over to look at this remarkable sight, and see why the bush is not burned.”  When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!”  He answered, “Here I am.” God said, “Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.  I am the God of your fathers,” he continued, “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.”  Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.  But the LORD said, “I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers, so I know well what they are suffering.  Therefore I have come down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.”  Moses said to God, “But when I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?” God replied, “I am who am.”  Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to you.” God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites: The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.  “This is my name forever; thus am I to be remembered through all generations.”
Reflection
In the Church, we are made children of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God who makes known His name and His ways to Moses in today’s First Reading. Mindful of His covenant with Abraham (see Exodus 2:24), God came down to rescue His people from the slave drivers of Egypt. Faithful to that same covenant (see Luke 1:54–55, 72–73), He sent Jesus to redeem all lives from destruction, as today’s Psalm tells us.
Adults - Has God ever asked something of you that makes you uncomfortable?
Teens - Sometimes we feel incapable of doing the things God asks of us, but He will give us the strength and tools we need, just like He did for Moses. What might God be calling you to that challenges you?
Kids - Say a prayer that God will help you do the hard things that come your way this week.

Responsorial- Psalm 103: 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11
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.
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of Israel.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Reflection
-Where do you see reflections of God’s kindness and mercy in the world?

The Second Reading- 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.  All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was the Christ.  Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert.  These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.  Do not grumble as some of them did, and suffered death by the destroyer.  These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come.  Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.
Reflection
Paul says in today’s Epistle that God’s saving deeds in the Exodus were written down for the Church, intended as a prelude and foreshadowing of our own Baptism by water, our liberation from sin, our feeding with spiritual food and drink. Yet the events of the Exodus were also given as a “warning”—that being children of Abraham is no guarantee that we will reach the promised land of our salvation. At any moment, Jesus warns in today’s Gospel, we could perish—not as God’s punishment for being “greater sinners”—but because, like the Israelites in the wilderness, we stumble into evil desires, fall into grumbling, forget all His benefits.
Make an effort to be intentionally thankful for this Lent. Try to focus on the positive things and overlook the negative as best you can.

The Holy Gospel according to Luke 13:1-9
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.  Jesus said to them in reply, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?  By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!  Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them— do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?  By no means!  But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!"  And he told them this parable: "There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, 'For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none.  So cut it down.  Why should it exhaust the soil?'  He said to him in reply, 'Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future.  If not you can cut it down.'"
Reflection
Jesus calls us today to “repentance”—not a one-time change of heart, but an ongoing, daily transformation of our lives. We’re called to live the life we sing about in today’s Psalm—blessing His holy name, giving thanks for His kindness and mercy. The fig tree in His parable is a familiar Old Testament symbol for Israel (see Jeremiah 8:3; 24:1–10). As the fig tree is given one last season to produce fruit before it is cut down, so too Jesus is giving Israel one final opportunity to bear good fruits as evidence of its repentance (see Luke 3:8).  Lent should be for us like the season of reprieve given to the fig tree, a grace period in which we let “the gardener,” Christ, cultivate our hearts, uprooting what chokes the divine life in us, strengthening us to bear fruits that will last into eternity.
Adults - Is it easy for you to continue working on something or with someone when you efforts don’t seem to be bearing any fruit? Ask God to bless your perseverance.
Teens  - True repentance includes a “purpose of amendment” meaning that the person confessing desires to stop the sin they are confessing. Is there a sin in your life that you need the grace of confession to overcome?
Kids - If you need to apologize to someone this week, make sure it’s sincere.

LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! –‘Our Lord stresses that we need to produce plenty of fruit (cf. Lk 8:11-15) in keeping with the graces we have received (cf. Lk 12:48). But he also tells us that God waits patiently for this fruit to appear; he does not want the death of the sinner; he wants him to be converted and to live (Ezek 33:11) and, as St Peter teaches, he is "forebearing towards you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance" (2 Pet 3:9). But God's clemency should not lead us to neglect our duties and become lazy and comfort-seeking, living sterile lives. He is merciful, but he is also just and he will punish failure to respond to his grace.  "There is one case that we should be especially sorry about — that of Christians who could do more and don't; Christians who could live all the consequences of their vocation as children of God, but refuse to do so through lack of generosity. We are partly to blame, for the grace of faith has not been given us to hide but to share with others (cf. Mt 5:151). We cannot forget that the happiness of these people, in this life and in the next, is at stake. The Christian life is a divine wonder with immediate promises of satisfaction and serenity — but on condition that we know how to recognize the gift of God (cf. Jn 4:10) and be generous, not counting the cost" (J. Escriva, Christ is passing by, 147).  —The Navarre Bible, St. Luke