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

Each day of the week I post a reflection on the readings of the day on our website, Facebook, and YouTube (except Sunday, because the reflection is the homily in the Mass).  On average they are between 1½ and 2 minutes long.  My hope is that they will be a help to you for spending a few minutes of quiet time with the Lord each day.  I invite you to try them out, if you haven’t done so.
 
This weekend we begin our discernment process for a trustee and two pastoral council members.  Please click here to learn more and submit a nomination. 
 
This weekend we celebrate Laetare Sunday.  “Laetare” means “rejoice”; we rejoice because we are halfway through Lent and getting closer to celebrating the wonder of God’s mercy and our Salvation.
 
Our readings this weekend tell us how loving, compassionate, and merciful our heavenly Father is. Our first reading lists all the horrible sins the Israelites committed, yet God used a pagan emperor to bring them back from exile to Jerusalem and to rebuild the temple.
 
Listen to the phrases we hear in the second reading from Ephesians: God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us…; and …the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
 
Finally, in the Gospel from John, we have one of the most well-known phrases from the Bible:  For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
 
All of these remind us that God is our Prodigal Father.  He is not out to get us: He is waiting with open arms for us.  He gave His Son so we would be saved and He wants that salvation to happen.  We just have to accept it.
 
Lent is a time to evaluate how we are doing at accepting and responding to God’s offer.  We are at the halfway point in Lent, a perfect time to evaluate how I am doing.  Am I spending quiet time listening to the Lord each day?  Am I working to improve in areas where I am failing to show love of God through love of neighbor?  Am I becoming more generous and compassionate, in short, merciful, as my Father is merciful?
 
The Prodigal Father is waiting; are we on the way back to Him?  Let us pray for each other as we struggle to grow into the best disciples we can be!  God bless.
 
Church sign of the week: God might call you, but not on your cell phone.  Turn it  off during church.