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A Reading from the second Book of Chronicles
2 Chr 36:14-23
The Jews in Babylonian exile stand for all who are alienated from God by sin. Only those who are aware of their alienation and are longing for home, salvation, lasting happiness, and peace can be saved. The Responsorial Psalm is a prayer of displaced Jews. "Zion" is the holy mountain in Jerusalem on which the temple was built. Both "Zion" and "Jerusalem" stand for "home." Every sinner is a displaced person. Make this psalm your Lenten prayer!
The Responsorial Psalm is that that we put our trust in Jesus because of his love and kindness and that he has done great things for us, so we should be filled with joy and love for him and thoro be like him.
in your self-giving. He raises up the lowly from the dust; from the dunghill he lifts up the poor. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. The Lord hears the cry of the poor!
A Reading, From the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians
Eph 2:4-10
Paul states that the salvation that the repentant sinner is hoping for is not our own doing. It is God's gift that we should accept in faith. Good works as such do not justify us but should be the consequence of our purification. Grateful for God's abundant love, the justified sinner spontaneously desires to do something in return.
In the Gospel of John
Jn 3:14-21
The Book of Numbers relates a beautiful tradition. In the desert on their way to the promised land, some of the chosen people were bitten by serpents and many of them died. At God's command, Moses made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole. Whenever, those who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, they recovered. The serpent stands for the evil one. All who have been bitten must die, but looking to the Son of Man, lifted up on the cross, will save them.
Looking to Christ means, of course, looking with faith and repentance! Those who love darkness rather than light cannot be saved. Do you have a crucifix in your home and do you ever look at it with faith and repentance?
Newsy Notes
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Deacon Bob Brazier, CRE
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REMEMBER
Rules for Fasting/Abstinence
Fasting: Catholics between the ages of 18-59 are obligated to fast (1 single full meal) on Ash Wednesday & Good Friday.
Abstinence: All Catholics 14 years and older must abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays in Lent.
Every Friday we Have Adoration and then we
begin our Stations of the Cross
It begins at
7:30PM
Hope to see all of you there!
"1st Communion
There will be a 1st Communion
Jesus Day Retreat on March 9th at 9:30am -2:30pm
in the Parish Dining Hall. Hope to see all of you there for this wonderful day of reflection.
Also please bring your Banners with you that you have made.
CONFIRMATION
We will be having our 8th grade confirmation meeting in the Parish Dining Hall at 11:15am March 10th.
We will be going over your questions that you may have about confirmation.
Please bring your Decision Point books with you.
Address future PSR and Sacramental Preparation Questions to:
Deacon Bob Brazier at bbrazier@sttm.org
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