Fr. Bob's Corner

Last week Parish Alive (second reading of Sunday Mass) reminded us that we are all God’s temple throgh the sacrificial death and Resurrection of Jesus. As we journey through life as Christians we are literally ‘sacredness’ in the midst of the world. Just as, physcally speaking, the temple of old was in Jerusalem, or our beautiful churches are today. Indeed, we are light to the world. What an awesome, yet humbling thought! Of course, we need to accept this invitation of faith, and do our best to be faithful christians.

Dear Parishioners,

One of the most positive actions we can do for Lent is to go to confession.
Confession or the Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the most precious gifts
God gives us. One of the articles I read stated that we should focus on the real point of confession and Father Bernard Haring has the following story to illustrate that fact. In his church, he asked, “What is the most important thing about confession?” A parishioner responded, “Telling your sins to the priest. That is why we call it confession.”
Father responded, “Confessing is very important, but not the most important thing.” Some one else shouted: “Contrition! Being sorry for your sins. The whole thing doesn’t work without contrition.” Father replied, “True, it doesn’t work’ without contrition, but I don’t think contrition is the most important thing.” Another person spoke up. “It’s the examination of conscience. Unless you examine your conscience, you don’t know what you have to be sorry for and what to confess.” Father still was not satisfied.
An uneasy silence fell over the church. Then a little girl said, “Father, I know what is most important. It is what Jesus does!” It is what Jesus does! That’s the most important thing. The examination of conscience, sorrow for sin, telling our sins to the priest-these are all important. However, we need to focus on what Jesus does.
In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Jesus announces to us-through the Church and its priests-that our sins are forgiven- that we are loved by God. We hear the voice of Jesus:
“Go in peace, your sins are forgiven.” This is what Jesus does. This is His gift to you and me.

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From Passover to Eucharist: God’s Liberating Love – Catholic Update March?2006

Cover story — Survey of U.S. Catholics: American Catholics from John Paul II to Benedict XVI

The Catholic Register :: Canada’s Catholic news source (News)

Pope Celebrates Mass With 15 New Cardinals – CBS News

There are literally hundreds of sites with meditations on the Stations of the Cross. Click HERE for a few of them, or do a google search yourself.

I have been a little under the weather in the last few weeks, and have not posted very much. This weekend we will be celebrating the First Sunday of Lent and the Second Sunday of Parish Alive. Our Ash Wenesday celebration was very well attended, and most of the Parishioners at both Parishes are participating in the Diocesan Parish Alive Project. Very gratifying and inspiring – I hope and pray for an abundant harvest – so many seeds being planted! We owe a word of thanks to our Bishop, the Pastors, the Diocesan team, and our PLT’s across the Diocese for all their hard work in initiating and organizing this project. And , a special word of thanks to all the parishioners of St. Mary’s and St. William’s who have committed themselves to this faith venture. May the Lord bless us now, and in the years to come, with a renewed, committed, and strengthened Faith.

Last Sunday, as we began Parish Alive, we were reminded that our faith is a ‘treasure of Love’. As I prepared to preach on this theme, I had visions of old Pope John Paul II. standing before millions of young people around the world procaliming and demonstrating this Love with his wonderful smile and the words: “The Pope Loves You — Christ Loves You!” And in response the young people would respond in a jubilant noisy joy, as they basked in the Good News of our Christian Gospel.

This Sunday our theme is ‘Accepting the Treasure’. When Pope John Paul’s succesor, Benedict 16th, issued his first encyclical so many were surpised by its title: God is Love. Following in the footsteps of his good friend and predecessor, John Paul II., Benedict defined in words the significance of John Paul’s visual embodiment of God’s Love. God does indeed love all of us, and God calls all of us into the service of love exemplified by Jesus’ life and death.

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