The season of Lent is almost here. It begins this Wednesday, March 5, with Masses at 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. with the imposition of ashes.
I hope you picked up a "Little Black Book" and a Rice Bowl (with its Lenten calendar) to use this Lent to grow in God's grace, love and peace. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the sponsor and beneficiary of "Operation Rice Bowl". Their website gives a good explanation of this program. It invites Catholics to live in solidarity with our poorest and most vulnerable brothers and sisters through the three pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
Since 1975 Catholics have used CRS Rice Bowl to meditate on the love Christ demonstrates through His passion and resurrection and to imitate Jesus' love for the world through concrete, sacrificial giving to our brothers and sisters in need throughout the world. Our own bishop recently returned from a CRS-sponsored trip to El Salvador to assist the efforts of Catholic Relief Services in caring for the poor in that part of the world. PLEASE get a rice bowl and Lenten calendar and use them throughout the Lenten season.
I hope you picked up a "Little Black Book" and a Rice Bowl (with its Lenten calendar) to use this Lent to grow in God's grace, love and peace. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the sponsor and beneficiary of "Operation Rice Bowl". Their website gives a good explanation of this program. It invites Catholics to live in solidarity with our poorest and most vulnerable brothers and sisters through the three pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
Since 1975 Catholics have used CRS Rice Bowl to meditate on the love Christ demonstrates through His passion and resurrection and to imitate Jesus' love for the world through concrete, sacrificial giving to our brothers and sisters in need throughout the world. Our own bishop recently returned from a CRS-sponsored trip to El Salvador to assist the efforts of Catholic Relief Services in caring for the poor in that part of the world. PLEASE get a rice bowl and Lenten calendar and use them throughout the Lenten season.
My favorite course of study during my seminary days was one that covered exclusively the most important section of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Passion and Resurrection narratives as presented by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Each Holy Week, all worshiping Catholics are blessed to hear either Matthew, Mark or Luke's passion narrative on Passion/Palm Sunday, and then the passion narrative of John's Gospel every Good Friday. It was insightful for me to go deeper than just the words of these narratives themselves, to appreciate the differences and similarities of the narratives and what they offer - not only to the Scripture scholar, but to any and all believers.
During the Lenten and Easter seasons (for five weeks of Lent and one week of the Easter season), we will offer for your growth in the Lord, a Little Rock Scripture Study course on the Passion and Resurrection narratives. We hope there is enough interest to offer this special study on three different days (Mondays with Deacon Larry, Wednesdays with karen Ruebush, and Thursdays with me). I pray you will consider giving the time for the sessions each week and in doing some work outside of class. The time and effort, I believe, will make your Holy Week and Easter experiences unique and special.
Sign ups will take place in the narthex for the next few wekends, and the sessions will start the first full week of Lent (March 10, 12, 13).
FOOTNOTE: After completing this column I immediately read Bob Brandt's "yep" for the day which speaks, I believe, of this scripture study. It says: "The real voyage of discovery consists not of seeking new lands, but in seeing with new eyes." (Marcel Proust). Come and see the Passion and Resurrection narratives with new eyes!
During the Lenten and Easter seasons (for five weeks of Lent and one week of the Easter season), we will offer for your growth in the Lord, a Little Rock Scripture Study course on the Passion and Resurrection narratives. We hope there is enough interest to offer this special study on three different days (Mondays with Deacon Larry, Wednesdays with karen Ruebush, and Thursdays with me). I pray you will consider giving the time for the sessions each week and in doing some work outside of class. The time and effort, I believe, will make your Holy Week and Easter experiences unique and special.
Sign ups will take place in the narthex for the next few wekends, and the sessions will start the first full week of Lent (March 10, 12, 13).
FOOTNOTE: After completing this column I immediately read Bob Brandt's "yep" for the day which speaks, I believe, of this scripture study. It says: "The real voyage of discovery consists not of seeking new lands, but in seeing with new eyes." (Marcel Proust). Come and see the Passion and Resurrection narratives with new eyes!
I'm excited to offer an opportunity for you to join me for a pilgrimage to Italy from October 7-16, 2014 through Regina Tours with our Tour Planner/Director Fran Boudreaux of Sacred Heart Church. Fran has put together a varied experience of sites adventures that takes us from Cicily to Rome. We will visit holy places like the tombs of Saint Rosalia, San Bernardo de Corlene and St. Nicholas. We will go to the seaside town of San Stefano and ride alongside the Adriatic Sea. We will explore the Ancient Rock Caves and the Cave of St. Michael the Archangel. We will pray at the tomb of St. Padre Pio and view his exhumed body. We will celebrate Mass every day of the pilgrimage at a number of holy sites. I don't have room here to list everything that is included in this trip, so please get a brochure and plan to join Fran and myself for an informational meeting on Sunday, March 2, at 2:00 p.m. in the Lower Hall. An interest in this trip is all you need to come to this meeting. I hope to see you there, and I prayerfully hope that we can get an enthusiastic group of people who want to experience this wonderful Catholic Pilgrimage.