Dear Parishioners:
- Happy Feast of St. Patrick – Celebrating this on March 17 this year help us to finishing up the Lenten Season with great Joy and Hopefulness; everyone can be “Irish for a day”. Happy Feast of St. Joseph – March 19 (In the Year of St. Joseph) – May the benefit of prayers of the Novena preceded this Feast, help us to ask for intercession from the great St. Joseph to help lead and guide our family, the family of the Church and family of Humankind as he had led and guided the Holy Family.
- I hope that you had a chance to read the insert in the bulletin last week about the work of the Catholic Relief Services. There will be a “second collection” taken at all Masses this weekend. This collection supports 6 Catholic agencies that touch more than 100 million lives around the world in providing - Food to the hungry, welcome and support to displaced refugees and invaluable life skills to those seeking a better life.
- We are celebrating the Fourth Sunday of Lent – is traditionally known as Laetare (Rejoice) Sunday, from the first word of the Antiphon Is 66:10-11, set a tone of joyful anticipation of Easter Mystery.
So, the Gospel reflection is: The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus is one of the most significant dialogues of the New Testament and his coming to Jesus secretly at night suggests the darkness of unbelief. Jesus speaks to Nicodemus of the need to experience the presence of God and offer oneself to him. In speaking about being born again from above, Jesus does not mean that one must re-enter the mother's womb for a second time; but Jesus refers to a rebirth, which the Spirit of God makes possible.
We know nothing more about Nicodemus, except that months afterward, he is able to postpone the inevitable clash between Jesus and the Sanhedrin. Later on, Nicodemus assists Joseph of Arimathea in retrieving the broken body of the dead Jesus.
- Please continue to pray for the Elects and Candidates of our parish and the universal Church. The Church intensifies our Lenten Season for all people and especially, the preparation of the Elects through a period of purification and Enlightenment call the
For this Sunday (March 14), the Elects will be participating in the second of three Scrutinies, for more intense spiritual preparation for their three sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist).
While the Church this year is on Cycle B reading, the church helps us to reflect with our Elects, in the theme of this second Scrutiny through the story of the “The Blind Man Healed” from the Gospel of John (John 9:1-41) – … Jesus smear the man’s eyes with mud mixed with saliva… Jesus told the man: Go, wash in the pool of Siloam ….???.… and he was able to see.
What am I blind to in my life? What do I need to see?
At St. Gabriel:
***Daily Mass is at 11:00 AM (Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday)
***Friday: 12:00 PM - Station of the Cross.
At Prince of Peace:
***Thursday 10:00 AM – Mass
***Friday 3:00 PM – Stations of the Cross in English
and 6:00 PM – Stations of the Cross in Spanish
- A journey through Lent will lead us to the experience of God’s loving presence in His Mercy and Forgiveness. Just as Jesus has reconciled the human race to God in the past, he continues to prepare us in our Lenten journey again; below are opportunities to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation (healing):
At St. Gabriel:
- Confessions available Sundays after 11:00 Mass on March 14, 21, 28
- Confessions available after daily Mass on March 9,10, and 12 (after Stations of the Cross) and
March 16, 17 and 19 (after Stations of the Cross) and
March 23, 24 and 26 (after the Stations of the Cross).
- Confessions Saturdays at 6 PM or by Appointment
May the Grace of this Sacrament of Reconciliation lead us to a fruitful Lenten Season.
- Please take home the Lenten Season Resource – Lenten Black Book, Package of the Year of Eucharist with reflection question for each week until the Feast of Corpus Christi (Body and Blood of Christ) and the Archdiocesan …. as you come into the Church.
- Register at the parish website for this 5-parts Workshop via ZOOM (each session will last about 45 to 60 minutes) by Ron Belisle on Pope Francis’ Encyclical “Fratelli Tutti – On Fraternity and Social Friendship”. This workshop has started on February 24. Don't worry if you miss a session or two, it will be available Online to view for you to get caught up. The next three sessions are on Wednesdays, March 10, 17 and 24 – starting at 4:00 PM.
Christ’s Peace,
Fr. Phuong Hoang