Next Sunday: Palm Sunday Celebrant : Fr. Williams
Next Sunday is Palm Sunday
Today is the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Next Sunday is Palm Sunday followed by Holy Week. Holy Week Schedules will be available next Sunday at the church doors. For now, please remember that we have the regular schedule of Sunday and Weekday Masses on Palm Sunday as well as Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week. THERE ARE NO MORNING MASSES ON Holy Thursday, Good Friday or Holy Saturday. Mass on Holy Thursday is 5:30 p.m. at St. Ann and 7:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart. Services at Sacred Heart on Good Friday start with Stations at noon, sung passion at 1:00 p.m. Adoration of the Cross at 2:00 p.m. and Communion at 2:30 p.m. The traditional three-part service takes place at St. Ann at 7:00 p.m. Easter Vigil at both St. Ann and Sacred Heart may not begin until 8:45 p.m.
Lenten Devotions
I will have Stations of the Cross and Benediction at St. Ann on the Friday evenings of Lent at 7:00 p.m. (Good Friday of Holy Week is different) and Stations of the Cross during Lent on Sunday Afternoons at Sacred Heart at 3:00 p.m.
Dietary Rules of Lent
During Lent, Catholics are asked to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays during Lent, and fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Abstinence simply means “abstaining from meat.” The flesh of mammals and birds (essentially any animal that is warm blooded) is considered meat. The flesh of reptiles, fish (cold blooded), bird “eggs” and cheese are not considered meat. The chicken itself is warm blooded and thus is considered meat. Anyone fourteen years of age or older who will not be physically harmed by the diet is asked to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays during Lent.
We define fasting for Lenten purposes as meaning eating only one regular meal and two smaller meals or snacks, with no eating between meals. Fasting only applies on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and then only to those between the ages of 18 and 59 who have no medical problem aggravated by the practice.
DO NOT FALL FOR SCAMS!!!!
Remember I NEVER solicit funds, donations, favors, or any request of any kind over the telephone, text, email, carrier pigeon, drone, etc. NEVER! Do not allow yourself to be taken in by scammers. Even if they have my recorded voice, be assured it is computer generated fake! It is not me!!!
Reminder for volunteers who work with or around children
Please be aware that failure to register with and complete the requirements of Safe Parish will result in your inability to continue to work with or around children in any parish and/or school setting. We have been informed by the Archdiocese that there can be NO EXCEPTIONS.
Live Streaming a precept Mass from St. Ann and Sacred Heart each week
Since I live stream both the 4:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart and the 5:15 p.m. at St. Ann; I usually manage to live stream both, but on rare occasions the internet is out at one or the other location. If this happens, be assured that I will make every effort to correct the malfunction before the next weekend.
Please remember to access the Sacred Heart / St. Ann Pastoral Region You Tube site by clicking on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVLLqbEY5hKWinwz069MVcg
Reflection on Scripture:
The gospel this Sunday tells the story of the woman caught in adultery. The story depicts Jesus in the role of Solomon. Jesus is in an impossible situation. If he gives in to the wishes of the crowd, he is an accessory to murder under Roman Law. If, on the other hand, he denies the traditional punishment in Jewish Law, he is shows he is rebellious of the Mosaic Law and cannot be trusted as a valid Rabbi. Once again Jesus has been drawn into a no-win situation by the treacherous actions of the Pharisees and scholars of the Law. Jesus ignores their trap and begins to draw in the dirt. They think they have Jesus “stumped” but on the contrary, Jesus is drawing them into a logical conundrum. Jesus makes his judgment which is to let him who is without sin cast the first stone. You see, the Pharisees had forgotten that Jesus is the essence of mercy and forgiveness. Human logical traps will never outsmart God! Mercy is the only option of the Son of God; for scripture always reminds us that God is mercy beyond human understanding.
In mathematics, the area of a circle is pi timers radius squared. But this makes sense only if you understand that “pi” is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. It is an abstract concept. Similarly, until we understand that God’s mercy is infinite, and disclosed only by Jesus Christ the Son of God; that we can analogously comprehend what it means for Jesus Christ to be the Savior of the World. Human logic is finite. God’s logic (mercy) is infinite. God is mystery. Mystery reveals what humanity cannot conceive.
NEXT WEEK (The Palm Sunday)
Is 50:4-7
Phil 2:6-11
Lk 22:14-23:56
Theme: The Passion of our Lord according to Luke