Grace and Peace in the Lord’s Name! My dear parishioners, Lent is a season of grace, a time to grow in the knowledge and love of God. Every Catholic is given the opportunity to approach the Lord of Glory as he passes by. As Catholics, God calls us to echo Moses' words of assent, Here am I Lord! and to peer more perfectly through the window of our hearts and be reconciled to Christ crucified. A Christian, ever thirsting for the “spring of water welling up to eternal life” [Jn 4:14] must drink from the fountain of grace and mercy flowing from the heart of the Lord of Glory. To perceive one's place in the mystery of God is the beginning of spiritual fruitfulness and the multiplication of “many good works from the Father”. [Jn 10:32] Standing before the mystery of God prepares one to cross its threshold. By participating eagerly and fully, one enters into the saving mysteries. He submits to the movement of the Spirit, kneels in repentance of his sins, and cries out, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner!” [Lk 18:13] We should cultivate a willing spirit, a genuine alertness to God’s voice, found not in the tumult of wind and storm or earthquake, but in a whisper heard in the silence of one’s heart. The Spirit of God disdains the world's hauteur, preferring instead to make his home in amenable souls. The Spirit enkindles ordinary souls and burnishes them with the luminous mysteries of God. Through these souls, God makes known his Word and deeds, declaring his solicitous mercy in the midst of his people: “The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows; and let Israel itself know!” [Jos 22:22] Jesus, who knew no sin, withdrew to the desert in solitude. There he was tested by the desert’s severity, fasting and aloneness. There he prayed constantly. There he entered into the fullness of his Father's love. He did not seek obscure geography for its own sake or view the desert as an austere theater for popularizing his ministry. Rather, our Lord retreated to the wilderness to pray differently. Do you fully grasp that you loving heavenly Father knows your every thought? To be granted a hearing before God, should you not be praying often? During the forty days of Lent, are you found in the Church as one would enter a secluded place far from the turmoil of the world? What hinders you from seeking Christ who wills to lead you to his provident Father? If you seek goodness, mercy and graciousness, emulate the worthy example of Christ our Lord. Do this for the salvation of your eternal soul and on “account of the people standing by” [Jn 11:42], the very souls nearest to you, whose happiness and confidence are in need of perfection. Where, if not the Church, is found the fruitful wilderness, the maternal ark, and the resplendent rainbow? Sojourn there! Embark on it! Behold it! Sincerely in the hearts of Jesus and Mary. Your pastor, Rev. Richard Barker
Grace and Peace in the Lord’s Name! My dear parishioners, Lent is a season of grace, a time to grow in the knowledge and love of God. Every Catholic is given the opportunity to approach the Lord of Glory as he passes by.