A Letter from Fr. Paul - Sunday, February 14th

Our total for the Salvatorian Sunday collection is now at $4,752. I thank you for your generosity.

This week Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. A generous parishioner has donated the Little Black Book for Lent, as well as a Little Purple Lent activities book for children. They are available, starting today, in the back of church and in the parish office. After Ash Wednesday, they will be available on a table outside the main door of the church, for those who wish to drive by and pick up their copies. Please use these excellent resources to enter into the season of Lent.

On Tuesday, February 23rd, we will hold our Lenten Reflection and Benediction from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Please join us in the church for a short presentation and quiet time with the Lord.

The Wauwatosa Common Council has unanimously approved Cardinal Capital’s plans for senior housing on our parking lot. Now they will work with city officials to make sure everything is meeting codes, but it is almost certain the project will move forward. I thank our Director of Operations and Finance, Dean Weyer, for his tireless efforts over the years to bring this to fruition.

Our Gospel this weekend is about the cure of a leper who approaches Jesus and says, “If you wish, you can cure me.” There are a number of points we can reflect on. First, notice the faith of the man. He believes that Jesus can heal him and he asks. He approaches Jesus, he takes the initiative.

We are told that Jesus was “moved with pity.” How often do we hear of his compassion? And what does Jesus do? He reaches out and TOUCHES the unclean man with two possible negative consequences: Jesus instantly became ritually unclean and he could have become contaminated himself. What a model for us of compassion and love!

How does the man react? Even though Jesus told him not to say anything, the man could not contain his joy. We hear, The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad…

That, my friends, is evangelization: spreading the Good News. The man knew what Jesus had done for him and could not avoid sharing the news with others.

This helps me realize how important it is for me to make myself consciously aware of all the ways the Lord blesses me, all the good things the Lord has done for me. With that realization, I will hopefully react as did the leper, sharing the Good News with others.

That, I think, is the wisdom behind the spiritual practice of listing blessings on a regular basis and thanking God for them. Perhaps it is a good Lenten practice: before going to bed, take a few moments to reflect on the good things you have experienced that day and thank God for His generosity. Hopefully, that realization will help us to joyfully share with others “all that the Lord has done for us.”

​My prayer is that this Lenten season may be a period of spiritual renewal for each one of us. Please enter into it wholeheartedly. God bless.