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March 25, 2022Lenten Adoration and Reconciliation
Monday | March 28th | 5:30pm
Holy Hour in Church
A very basic Catholic practice during Lent is to confess our sins and seek out God’s great mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. There will be exposition of the Blessed Sacrament from 5:30 to 6:30 on Monday, March 28th. I encourage you to be a person who is serious about your faith and focus on Christ for this one hour during which Fr. John Lyons and Msgr. Jim Costigan and I will be hearing Confessions for as long as there are people in line. And since I am expecting long lines, I’d ask you to be patient and to be able to name your sins in a simple straight forward way. Don’t worry about the “how to” of making a good confession, if you can humbly confess those things that you’ve done wrong, the priest will be happy to lead you through the ritual. Out of respect for those nervously waiting in line, I try to be brief in my response to what you confess. I am always happy to make an appointment with you if you have a desire for spiritual direction or pastoral counseling.
Most people have a sense of their sins, but the Ten Commandments offer a good guide for an examination of conscience. And perhaps the following questions will also help you prepare:- Do I pray to God every day? Have I thanked God for His gifts to me?
- Did I take the name of God in vain? Do I curse “like a sailor”?
- Did I miss Mass on Sundays or holy days of obligation through my own fault?
- Did I disobey my parents and lawful superiors in important matters?
- Did I steal or damage another's property? Have I been honest and just in my business?
- Have I been responsive to the needs of the poor and respected the dignity of others? Do my sexual energies give glory to God?
- Did I tell lies? Did I sin by calumny, or detraction of others? Did I judge others rashly in serious matters? Am I envious of what others have? Am I a gossip?
March 27, 2022 | Fourth Sunday of Lent | by the Faithful Disciple
Jos 5:9a, 10-12 | 2 Cor 5:17-21 | Lk 15:1-3, 11-32
GROW: Today we celebrate Laetare (which means “rejoice”) Sunday. As we mark the midpoint of Lent, we allow ourselves to look ahead with joyful anticipation of Jesus’ resurrection, even as we continue our practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Amidst these penitential practices of Lent, this day offers a reminder that we have reason for hope. The parable of the prodigal son shows us what hope looks like. When the father caught sight of his wayward son, he did not see the young man who made bad choices, wasted his inheritance, and disobeyed him. He looked at him with eyes of unconditional love, rejoicing that “he was lost and has been found.” That’s how Jesus viewed the sinners and tax collectors, and how the Father views us, his wayward sons and daughters, when we return to him in contrition and love. So as we continue our Lenten practices, let’s take time to give thanks for the goodness and mercy of God today, knowing that the Lord awaits us with open arms when we acknowledge our sinfulness and rely upon him for all that is good.
GO: Is it me, or are some of the parables hard to figure out? The parable of the prodigal son is one we’ve heard over and over again and resonates across ages and generations. Some of us may relate to the prodigal son and others to the dutiful brother. The parents and grandparents among us may have been in the father’s shoes at some point. What better time than Lent to reflect on what the story means to us at this point in our lives: Are we awaiting the return of a disaffected loved one? Are we in need of repenting for our own actions? The answer will be different for each of us, but we can rejoice in the fact that we are loved unconditionally by God wherever we are on our Lenten and life journeys. Our challenge is to open our hearts to that love; as we do so, we can’t help but be transformed and in turn share that love with others through friendship, service, and generosity. As St. Paul writes, “Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: The old things have passed away.”
ACT: On Laetare Sunday, priests may wear rose-colored vestments as a symbol of joy. Carry this sense of joy into your day by placing roses at the table, bringing flowers to a friend, or calling someone with whom you’ve fallen out of touch.
