Lent – Easter 2012

Dying to self and Living for the Glory of God!

Parish Focus

The liturgy is more simple and silent. This lent, with sober reflection, we ask God for a deeper honesty with ourselves and with him.  We ask him to heal us of any self hatred, blinding us from his glory.  Good questions to  ask ourselves:

• Who am I before God and what does he want of me?
• Do I reject God’s vision for my life, what do I want from him?
• Do I hide from God in shame?
• Do I see my suffering as a unique encounter with the passion of Christ or do resent myself, others or God for my condition?
• Do I choose to go without food, technology and other comforts in order to mortify my physical senses and amplify the powers of my soul?
• Do I choose acts of prayer to unite with God?
• Do give money generously to those who ask?  Especially the poor?

May the following events assist us in our path of conversion:

Lent

Ash Wednesday Masses: Feb. 22

Mission Trip: March 17-23

Palm Sunday Masses: April 1

Confessions (Penance Fair): April 4, 1-8pm

Holy Thursday Morning Prayer Mass:  April 5, 8:30am and 7:00pm

Good Friday Morning Prayer and Service:  April 6, 8:30am and 3:00pm (7:00pm in Spanish)

Holy Saturday Morning Prayer: April 7: 8:30am

Easter

Through the deeper conversion lent offers us, we peer into the eyes of Jesus Christ.  We see the glory of heaven in his eyes.   Jesus is the Man of Heaven who has united with our human nature and suffered all we suffer and more.  He reunited his human body and soul and manifests our destiny in his glorified body.  His glorified body and soul heals our broken bodies and broken souls and through him we have deeper Faith, vibrant hope and heroic love.  The Liturgy is robust, abundant and celebrating what Christ has won.

A special note:  The dedication of our new organ and Icon of Divine Mercy will be physical signs of the above focus  – “Gloria in Excelcis Deo”-  Glory to God in the Highest! Yes! Praise elevates the human person into the resurrection of Jesus who is the Divine Mercy.  He is the sum total of the Father’s glory, in him we receive the gift of self acceptance and recognize the goodness of God placed in us.   This is not mere navel-gazing, it is the profound work of the Messiah who has delivered us from sin, restored our dignity and elevated our part in the Father’s plan of sheer goodness.  The Image of the new icon is based on John 20: 19-23, take some to reflect on the passage and gaze at the theology in art. (when it gets here)

May the following events will lead us into the glorious mystery of God:

Easter:

Eater Vigil: April 7, 8:00pm

Easter Sunday: April 8

Divine Mercy Sunday (Dedication of the new icon and organ)  April 15, 1-5pm

Ascension Sunday

Pentecost

Trinity Sunday

Corpus Christi

Parish Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our lady of Guadeloupe: July 21

The Assumption