Third Sunday of Lent, March 3, 2024

SJE Admin • March 2, 2024

Dear Friends,

Let me start by introducing you to Fr. Patrick Hannon, C.S.C. who is taking time from his very busy schedule to be with us. He is here to offer our three-day Lenten Mission on the theme: Searching, Discovering, Celebrating the God Who Loves Us: A Lenten Journey. Fr. Pat will anchor his presentations in the parable of the Prodigal Son. During his presentations, he will share with us His deep, personal experience of God in Christ Jesus.

Fr. Pat has been a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross for 35 years. During these many years, he has been a parish priest, middle school teacher, high school teacher, high school principal, and college writing professor. He also has authored six books. Please join me in extending a hearty welcome to Fr. Pat!

Allow me also to introduce to you our new part-time receptionist, Mary Poku, who began working here on 26 February 2024. Mary and her very dedicated husband, Alfred, have three lovely children who are active in our Children’s Liturgy. As I welcome her wholeheartedly, I want to thank our recently formed Reception Ministry, who have done a most wonderful job of covering the reception desk over the last four months. The ministry will continue to help us in the afternoon hours and also will fill in for Mary whenever needed. How blessed we are with such willing and dedicated people here at St. John’s!

I take this occasion to congratulate Brian, Jennifer, Julia, and Lily Nufer, and Jen’s mom Denise McNabb, on receiving the February Family of the Month award. I thank the family for their whole-hearted service to the Baptism Ministry. What a blessing they are to us!

We now step into the 3rd Week of Lent. Our readings for this Sunday invite us to keep our focus on the commandments of the Lord (Exodus 20: 1-17) and on the Cross of Christ. St. Paul vividly points to the power of the Cross when he says “We proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1: 22-25). In the Gospel of John, we see Jesus consumed with zeal for God’s house. His actions model for us what to do about those things that get in the way of keeping the first three Commandments. Jesus does something that would have been unthinkable in those days: he drives out of the Temple those people (the money changes and sellers) and things (animals for sacrifice) that were an obstacle to those who truly desired to worship God there.

As we enter into the core of Lent, let us pause, pray, and ask ourselves some serious questions. What are the obstacles that we place in the way of our being with our gracious God in spirit and in truth? that prevent us from remaining in and conscious of His presence? Is it our self-love? Our hard-heartedness? Our tendency to make a priority of things other than God? Our endless desire for being recognized, for being in control, to overly indulge in good things? Do we cling to one or more deadly vices, as such as pride, wrath, greed, envy, lust, gluttony, or sloth? It is not too late! Now is the time to begin driving such obstacles from our lives. Let us work diligently to give Our Lord first place!

Have a Blessed Week! With love,

Fr. John

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First Sunday of Lent, March 9, 2025

March 9, 2025

Dear friends, The holy season of Lent has begun with a glorious Ash Wednesday. It was heartwarming to see our children at the 7 a.m. Mass that day. They wore the cross-shaped ashes on their foreheads to school, proud to show their faith and be silent evangelizers. We are very proud of them! Now that it is Lent, we will offer Stations of the Cross at the Grotto each day of the week except Sunday, including the traditional Stations on Fridays. I urge you to look at the bulletin for all the details about special Masses and other spiritual activities that have been created to support you on your lenten journey. I ask that you take the Lenten Schedule on page 8 and post it where you will remember to look at it. In particular, note the information about the Lenten Mission on March 16-18, the special programing for the Tuesdays of Lent, and the many spiritual activities on Fridays. We can approach Lent as the opportunity to do a spiritual “spring cleaning.” As one good priest reminded me: “Lent is a time to re-read the ‘owner’s manual,’ to tune our ‘engines,’ and to refurbish our ‘vehicles’ – not only for the journey of 40 days but also for the journey of life, the right life–and the right eternity.” God has given us an inexhaustible capacity for the transformation needed for becoming holy. Lent is also that special time of year when we walk with our catechumens and candidates as they prepare to become full members of the Catholic faith during the Easter Vigil. We are called to support them through our prayers and examples of faith. Remember to pray for their sponsors and their families as well. During the Vigil Mass on 8 March, the St. John’s family will join with our catechumens in celebration of the ritual called the Rite of Sending. In this rite, they will be recognized for the progress they have made in their spiritual formation. Then we will send them on to the Rite of Election which will be celebrated by Bishop Noonan the next day, 9 March, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe. We are very proud of the perseverance and dedication of our sisters and brothers . In this Jubilee Year 2025 themed, “Pilgrims of Hope,” it is good to reflect on the words of St. Teresa of Avila about hope and what it accomplishes: “Hope, O my soul, hope. You know neither the day nor the hour. Watch carefully, for everything passes quickly, even though your impatience makes doubtful what is certain, and turns a very short time into a long one. Dream that the more you struggle, the more you prove the love that you bear your God, and the more you will rejoice one day with your Beloved, in a happiness and rapture that can never end.” On the First Sunday of Lent, we always revisit the scene of the temptation of Jesus in the desert where he spent 40 days fasting and praying. We also recall our ancestors in faith, the ancient Israelites, who for 40 years trudged their way through the desert to the promised land. Jesus, through his patient acceptance of suffering and his rejection of the allurements of the devil, models the correct response in times of adversity and testing. This is in contrast with the ancient Israelites who murmured and complained bitterly about their ordeal. Jesus never swerved from being obedient to his Father; he completely and utterly depended on Him. Let us, too, place complete confidence in the Father during our times of trial, of which there will be many. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, continues to need our prayers. Let us continue to pray for his healing: “O God, shepherd and ruler of all the faithful, look favorably on your servant Francis, whom you have set at the head of your Church as her shepherd; grant, we pray, that by word and example he may be of service to those over whom he presides so that, together with the flock entrusted to his care, he may come to everlasting life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” I take this opportunity to announce that Beth Lowry has joined our parish staff as the new Business Manager. She held the position of bookkeeper in our office some years ago. Beth is well known to many at St. John’s. She and her devoted husband Steve have long been involved in many of our ministries. Beth brings a rich variety of work experience and abilities to her new position, and we wish her a positive and pleasant experience as she takes on this leadership role at St. John’s. Welcome, Beth! Have an inspiring and enriching LENT! With love, Fr. John