“While he was praying, his face changed in appearance and his cloths became dazzling white” Luke 9:29

 Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see your best friend transformed, or turned into his or her glorified self, right before your eyes? That’s the kind of experience Peter, James, and John have in today’s gospel. While they are up on a mountain with Jesus, they have a splendid vision of him in his glorified body. They see him talking with Moses and Elijah, two long-dead figures from the Old Testament. Moses represents the Law, while Elijah represents the prophets. In Jesus, both find the fulfillment of God’s plan of salvation. / Luke 9:28b-36 

© 2019 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Reflection Question

What moments, places, people, meetings, etc. transform me to become a better person who is closer to God?

Lenten Message of Pope Francis for 2019 

“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God”

Romans 8: 19

Dear brothers and sisters, the “Lenten” period of forty days spent by the Son of God in the desert of creation had the goal of making it once more that garden of communion with God that it was before original sin (cf. Mk 1:12-13; Is 51:3). May our Lent this year be a journey along that same path, bringing the hope of Christ also to creation, so that it may be “set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Rom 8:21). Let us not allow this season of grace to pass in vain! Let us ask God to help us set out on a path of true conversion. Let us leave behind our selfishness and self-absorption, and turn to Jesus’ Pasch. Let us stand beside our brothers and sisters in need, sharing our spiritual and material goods with them. In this way, by concretely welcoming Christ’s victory over sin and death into our lives, we will also radiate its transforming power to all of creation. 

Each year, through Mother Church, God “gives us this joyful season when we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery with mind and heart renewed… as we recall the great events that gave us new life in Christ” (Preface of Lent I). We can thus journey from Easter to Easter towards the fulfilment of the salvation we have already received as a result of Christ’s paschal mystery – “for in hope we were saved” (Rom 8:24). This mystery of salvation, already at work in us during our earthly lives, is a dynamic process that also embraces history and all of creation. As Saint Paul says, “the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God.”

Partly taken from: https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/es/messages/lent/documents/ papa-francesco_20181004_messaggio-quaresima2019.html 

Holy Water

Lent is our spiritual desert. As a reminder there will be no Holy Water in the bowls by the doors of the church. On Easter we will renew our Promise and will be sprinkled with Holy Water once again as a reminder of our Baptism. The holy water will be poured back into the bowls. 

Fasting

Abstinence from meat is on all Fridays of Lent. 

The Stations of the Cross

During Lent, we are called to re-live the Passion and the Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and to reflect on His suffering for the sake of all of us. A great way to do this is through the Stations of the Cross, is a series of meditations and prayers for each stage of Christ’s Passion. Come join us every Friday during Lent at 6:00 pm, except First Friday of April 5, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.