A Letter from Fr. Paul - March 12, 2017

The International Baccalaureate word for March at our school, Wauwatosa Catholic, is Courageous/Risk-Taker. IB Learners think about new things and then bravely try them out. They stand up for what they believe.

Archbishop Listecki has written a letter for Lent that contains links to good Lenten resources. You can also find some copies in the back of church (you will see the familiar synod logo on the top of the page).

In the bulletin two weeks ago and in the March Invitation, there was a nomination form for parish leadership. I urge you to read and pray over the form, nominating yourself and/or other parish members to leadership service in our community. In today’s bulletin is the latest issue of the Salvatorian Hope newsletter. It has a reflection by Fr. Al Wagner, chaplain at St. Ann’s. Fr. Al Celebrated the 10:15 Mass in January when I was in Racine. If you would like to support the formation program of the Salvatorians, there are envelopes on the table in the vestibule.

Hopefully, the first week of our One Percent Challenge has gone well for you. As I look back on the scripture passages for the past week, I am struck by how often the focus was on the identity of Jesus (Monday Jesus asked the disciples who they thought he was and Peter said, You are the Messiah; Tuesday the Voice from heaven identified Jesus as You are my beloved Son; Wednesday Jesus said to the Samaritan woman I am He; Friday the unclean spirit identified Jesus; Saturday and Sunday the question was Who is this person who can forgive sins?). Gradually, Jesus’ identity becomes clearer.

Our Gospel this second Sunday of Lent picks up the same theme: at the Transfiguration, the Voice of the Father clearly identifies Jesus: This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased. The Father then tells us WHY He sent His Son: Listen to Him. Through Jesus’ words, and even more so through His actions, we learn how it is that we are to show our love of God by the way we love others.

This gradual revelation of the identity of Jesus is reflected in my life. Who Jesus is to me was one thing when I was in eighth grade, another thing when I was in college, yet another thing on the day of my ordination, and much different today after decades of ministry both in the United States and other countries of the world. As we grow in other aspects of our lives, we also grow in our understanding of who Jesus is. Regular reflection on the scriptures helps us grow in our understanding of who Jesus is and how we are to live our lives!

Let’s see what this coming week brings!
-- Paul James Portland, SDS