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Dear friends in Christ,
I think this week’s Gospel from Saint Luke chapter 15 is one of my absolute favorites! It is often called the Parable of the Prodigal Son. I have also heard it called the Parable of the Merciful Father. You might also be able to call it the Parable of the Righteous Brother. The three main characters of this story are all very interesting. There is the sinner who goes astray, a loving and merciful father who shows unconditional love, and the dutiful and righteousness older brother who feels entitled. I think we can all identify with each of these roles in the Gospel at times. I remember a while back when I preached about how to pray with Scripture. We talked about the steps of Lectio Divina (Read, Reflect, Respond, Rest) and what they mean. We also talked about an exciting way to pray with Sacred Scripture called the Ignatian Contemplation made famous by Saint Ignatius of Loyola. If you remember, this method of prayer asks us to engage our imagination and senses. We ask the Holy Spirit to make the Bible story come alive for us personally by entering the scene and trusting that God will reveal things and speak to us in our prayer through taking part in the drama of Scripture. I humbly suggest that this passage (Lk 15: 11-32) is a perfect one to practice Ignatian Contemplation. In fact, I think you could pray three separate times this week with the very same passage.
The first time you pray with this passage, imagine yourself in the role of the “prodigal son.” Reflect on our sinfulness and where it has or will lead us. What does it feel like to know our merciful God will always welcome us back as His precious son or daughter? You might want to take advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation this Lent, which makes real the experience of the Our Heavenly Father’s embrace of forgiveness. The second time, imagine yourself as the “merciful father or mother.” How hard is it for you to embrace and forgive one who has gone astray? Finally, the third time take on the role of the “righteous sibling.” What do you feel about not getting special treatment? There will be a lot of other things I am sure the Lord might want to ask you or talk with you about in each of these prayer experiences. I hope you are having a very blessed Lent and please know of my prayers for you!
God love you,
Fr. Matt
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Spring clean-up day – volunteers needed!
WHO: Cheerful, willing volunteers.
WHAT: Debris and leaf cleanup of gardens and grounds.
WHEN: Saturday, April 9th, from 8:30 to 11:30 AM.
Spring has sprung! Bring your work gloves; tools will be provided. Any amount of time you can give is appreciated.
To volunteer, contact Patty at [email protected] or Barbara at [email protected]
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Meeting this Sunday, March 27th, at 1 PM in the dining room!
All are welcome!
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Click the picture above for our schedule!
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Share a meal at Blessed Sacrament!
Blessed Sacrament will hold an interesting meeting on Wednesday, March 30th, at 5 PM in their church hall about this program. All are welcome!
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Join us in praying the Rosary each Sunday after the 9 AM Mass in the church!
All are welcome!
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Click the picture above for main questions about the Synod!
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Sign up for GiveCentral online giving! It’s easy, free, and safe to use! Click the picture above to get started!
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Online Rosary – Saturdays at 10 AM:
As covid-19 and other challenges to our society continue to be with us, our prayers and our actions are still needed! Therefore, you are invited to join us for a chat, share what you are experiencing, and share what you would like to pray for as we pray the Rosary together.
For this meeting we ask you to register, just for an added layer of security. To register click this link and follow the directions:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAvcumgqzIrG9NsuLmWWuw8OlW8ivNW9TM8
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about how to join the meeting. You can register up until Saturday morning at 9:30 AM.
Weekly Bible Study with Deacon Paul from Blessed Sacrament – Thursdays from 8 to 9 PM:
This Bible Study is conducted by phone conference and the conversation concerns the Readings for the coming Sunday. Anyone is welcome to call in and participate or simply listen.
The number to call is: 425-436-6356
When asked for the code dial: 698937
You can also join the call by ZOOM!
Join Zoom meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86893786919
Meeting ID: 868 9378 6919
By phone with no video: 1-301-715-8592
The Readings for each week’s Bible Study can be found on the USCCB website at the following link:
https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar
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You can watch one weekend Mass LIVE on Facebook and on YouTube every Sunday! See the schedule above for Mass online. Visit our Facebook page or YouTube channel to watch recorded Masses from previous weeks.