Septuagesima

Daily Sermons
February 10 – Fr. Lehtoranta – St. Soteris & Family in Christ
February 11 – Fr. Lehtoranta – Priest’s Confidence in Christ
February 12 – Bp. Dolan – The Work: Mary & Her Saints
February 13 – Fr. Lehtoranta – St. Martinianus, Lone Soldier of Christ
February 14 – Bp. Dolan – Patron Saints (St. Valentine)

zelusdomustuae
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
It’s remarkable what one can get used to. Last month at “little Christmas,” the great feast of Epiphany, the zero and below weather stopped us in our tracks, stressing and stunning us with its severity. It now seems to be just a fact of life, this Winter, along with ice and snow, and life goes on.

“The coldest Winter since 1885 (or thereabouts),” they say. How did they manage? They did. And what about “global warming?” There wasn’t any. The wonderful words of the 17th Century Jesuit Fr. Saint-Jure (published usually under the equally wonderful title “Trustful Surrender to the Divine Providence”) provide, providentially, a precious insight into God’s ways, a peaceful program we are meant to embrace as well. “Surrender,” the saints say. All resistance is useless. “Thy will be done.”

I was very edified in Milwaukee to see so many Communions of Reparation for First Friday. Through the snow, in spite of sub-zero, they came, about one-third of the faithful. Imagine if we ever had over a hundred for First Friday!

Congratulations to Keith Lawrence on his retirement from the Air Force. Fr. McKenna and I joined Keith, Karla and family (and some of his church friends) for his retirement ceremony and celebration this past Thursday at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. We wish him well in this new chapter of his life.

Although this week’s string of ferial days may belie it, February turns out to be quite a busy month, doesn’t it? While we wait for Spring, Winter doesn’t stop us from keeping Candlemas (and putting away Christmas) and All Night Adoration, Solemn Mass for Our Lady of Lourdes and Fr. McKenna’s second anniversary, St. Valentine’s Day, concurrent Novenas, and summer camp planning, and Septuagesima, which marks us as 70 days out from Easter, and sends us in to the vineyard to labor. “Come, labor on.” Well, we are!

Start planning your Lent, and your Lent with us. This year’s Lent has as its theme the adoration of the one true God (the Novus Ordo tried to abolish it 50 years ago, and Bergoglio would like to bury it) and as its patron saint, the Blessed Peter Julian Eymard, the great saint of Eucharistic adoration. We’ll look at some of the many competing current day false “religions,” which are not even religions, but are. Stay tuned.

Some of you may have a holiday tomorrow. Enjoy it, as well as the last days of this beautiful, harsh Winter the good God sends us.

“May the most just, most high, most adorable Will of God be done in all things, be praised and magnified forever.” (Indulgence of 500 days.)

– Bishop Dolan