A special word of thanks to Mike Iarocci, Chairperson of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, for completing the unenviable task of putting in order the rectory garage! And, many thanks to Jan Wolowski and Steve Babin for replacing light bulbs to brighten the worship space in the church!
Category: From the Pastor’s Desk (Page 27 of 76)
Dear Parishioners and Visitors:
The prayers of the liturgy refer to Lent as “this joyful season.” Though the character of the 40-day period is penitential, the intent of Lent is to prepare us spiritually for the greatest feast of the Church year, the always-jubilant Easter Season.
So where did Lent come from? Let’s start by saying that Christianity embraces one key belief: the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This central article of faith shapes everything we do as Christians, how we live, how we die, and certainly how we express our faith in worship. Easter is, therefore, the primary day of rejoicing, and every Sunday is considered a “little Easter,” a commemoration of how Jesus triumphed over sin and death.
In the early Church, Christians prepared for the Easter sacraments by fasting for up to a week, but by the 4th century, a full 40-day period of preparation was observed, imitating the 40-day fast of Jesus in the desert before undertaking his great mission. Almsgiving was added to the practices of Lent as it, too, was a traditional way of making sacrifice to God in the wake of sinfulness.
Easter, the Christian Passover, was fixed by the Council of Nicaea in 325 to coincide with the first full moon after the vernal equinox. That makes Lent the annual “springtime” of faith, quite literally, as the word Lent means “spring.”
Let us pray together, as a community of faith, that this Lenten Season will be a time of faith development and growth in the Spirit for us, for all who gather here, and especially for those who have lost their way in faith.
With prayerful best wishes,
Fr. John Mahoney
Ash Wednesday (February 14th) and Good Friday (March 29th) are days of universal fast, observed by all who are 18 to 58 years of age, inclusive, permitting one full meal and two much lighter meals, with nothing to eat in between meals other than water, milk, and juices. In addition, both of these holy days are days of full abstinence from meat (unless excused for reasons of health) as are all Fridays of Lent — binding all who are 14 years of age and older.
Dear Parishioners and Visitors,
For centuries, the Memorial of Saint Blaise has been celebrated with crossed candles held under the throat of the Christian faithful and the invocation pronounced, “Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Saint Blaise’s life is known primarily through legend written some 400 years after his death, yet the tradition of seeking his intercession and blessing throats lives on in countless parishes today. It is a good time to remember that when you come to God or seek the prayers of a saint or a blessing of some kind, you are not practicing magic or being superstitious: You are acting out your faith in God’s love and care. See in the story of Saint Blaise an occasion to commit yourself again into God’s hands.
With prayerful best wishes,
Fr. John Mahoney
January 18-25, 2024
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is a worldwide movement among Christians to pray together to promote dialogue among Christian communities. The theme for 2024 is “You shall love the Lord your God…and your neighbor as yourself” Luke 10:27. This theme reflects the connection between love of God and love of neighbor with a particular concern for challenging the boundaries of who is considered “neighbor”. In this pericope, Jesus is questioned as to the path to eternal life. His answer is not to only observe the commandments, but to also imitate the love of God in the giving of self for another. It is a call for charity, mercy, justice, and unity in inter-communal relations.