ALL SET FOR SUNDAY
The readings for this Sunday can be found here.
This Sunday marks the last regular week of Lent. We finish with the scrutinies, or examinations, of those seeking Baptism as we hear Jesus speaking about dying like a grain of wheat that will bring new life. This necessary death will bring us freedom and new life--we simply are invited to trust in Him.
This Sunday also concludes our series on the Story of the Good News. We have spent the weeks of Lent looking at why God's story matters in our life. We know that God created us out of Love and for Love. We heard that Satan is jealous of God's Love for us and so he deceived us into believing that we don't need God. In falling for this deception, our race placed itself under Satan's control. Through the crucifixion of Jesus, a man and God conquered sin, freeing all of us from being bound by sin. Yet, we still choose to sin. This weekend we will ask the question, how are we going to respond to God's love for us? What difference does this make?
NEWS FROM THE PEWS
It's been Spring Break for most of the community, and it has been quiet on campus. The normal level of energy from our school and faith formation students has been absent. A group of our teens spent their Spring Break in service to others--whether on a mission trip or spending the day packing food for the hungry around the world. It has been a great week to see them engaged in ministry.
Our Pastoral and Finance Councils met this week to look to the next ten years and to work on priorities. They recommended that we make sure we do our due diligence and, if it seems like it makes sense, we remove the houses at 3656, 3660 and 3664 66th Street. We will now need to start planning for an appropriate residence for our priests as well as determining the best way to remove the houses as we start planning for how the property could be utilized. My take away is that for us to best steward the resources entrusted to us, we won't be spending money on the houses. This is a first step in many more conversations for our future.
The next few weeks are filled with opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. On Sunday at 4:00 PM we have twelve additional priests coming to hear confessions. Please make every effort to take advantage of this opportunity. Father Palmer will be here as normal on Friday morning after Mass, Father Daniel and I will hear confessions on Saturday morning, and then a last chance opportunity on Monday, March 25 at 6:00 PM. We will not have confessions available on Good Friday or Holy Saturday.
Last week I spent time on retreat at New Melleray Abbey outside of Dubuque. It was a great week of silence, prayer and reading. It was good to recharge my own spiritual batteries in preparation for the coming weeks. The week served to reconnect me with the rhythm of the monastery while reaffirming my choice to return home. Overall it was a wonderful retreat.