To observe this annual day, I will celebrate the Sacrament of the Sick with anyone who needs God’s healing presence during the 8am Mass on Thursday.  All are welcome to join us.

In his message for the 29th World Day of the Sick this coming Thursday, the Feast of our Lady of Lourdes, Pope Francis urges a path of healing grounded in a trusting relationship between the sick and those who care for them.  “A society is all the more human to the degree that it cares effectively for its most frail and suffering members, in a spirit of fraternal love.”

Pope Francis says that the annual day “is an opportunity to devote special attention to the sick and to those who provide them with assistance and care both in healthcare institutions and within families and communities.”  He expresses his spiritual closeness and the Church’s loving concern for those suffering the coronavirus pandemic, especially the poor and the marginalized.

Sickness, the Pope notes, makes us realize our own vulnerability and our innate need of others. It raises the question of life’s meaning, which we bring before God in faith, in order to seek a new and deeper direction in our lives.  In this regard, the Pope holds out the biblical figure of Job as a model. Abandoned by his wife and friends in his misfortune, he says, Job feels forlorn and misunderstood. Yet, he chooses the path of honesty towards God and others.  He is depressingly honest about his despair.

Ultimately, the Lord hears Job's cries and confirms that his suffering is not a punishment or a state of separation from God, much less a sign of God’s indifference.  The psalmist today reminds us that God has the power to heal the brokenhearted as well as the will to do so.  And the simple story of the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law in today’s Gospel shows us that Jesus wants to lift us up out of any despair that has set in.  He heals the brokenhearted!!

World Marriage Day 2021 - Feb 14, 2021

Invest in your marriage by
participating in an
at-home retreat sponsored
by the USCCB.

To participate go to:
diosav.org/family-life/home

Some people ask the secret of our long marriage. We take time to go to a restaurant two times a week. A little candlelight, dinner, soft music, and dancing. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays." — Henny Youngman, English-American comedian and musician

"The most important four words for a successful marriage: 'I'll do the dishes.'"
Thank you to those who have made their gift to the Annual Catholic Appeal.  Next week is Commitment Weekend.  Deacon Kevin Knight will be preaching at all the Masses.  If you have not yet made your pledge, we will have envelopes at Mass next weekend.

Taking the Gospel Home: “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35) Prayer was foundational to Jesus’ ministry and life.  Can you say the same?  Lent begins in 10 days, what might be the next step you could take in Lent to improve your prayer life?