Lent III

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Bp. Dolan preaches a meditative sermon on the Holy Face, visible in the right of this photo. (Click photo to enlarge).
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Daily Sermons
February 22 – Fr. Lehtoranta – Scary Words: I Go
February 23 – Fr. Lehtoranta – The Torch of the Catholic Faith
February 24 – Bp. Dolan – Can You Drink the Chalice?
February 25 – Fr. Lehtoranta – St. Matthias and Penance
February 26 – Bp. Dolan – A Meditation on the Holy Face
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zelusdomustuae
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
Winter gave us another scare last week, but Holy Spring, Lent, proceeds apace, and puts a spring in our step today. Tomorrow February gets its extra day, thanks to Pope Gregory XII. Be proud to be a Catholic. We’re the ones that fixed up the calendar.

How is your calendar looking as we head into March? Busy, no doubt. Tuesday brings us St. Joseph’s month and St. David’s Day. He’s a patron for skin problems, and the very model of Lenten abstinence and fasting. Cook some leeks in his honor. Lent is half over on Thursday, but the Church saves her half time celebration for Sunday, so as not unduly to interrupt our holy forty day fast. Do some penance for Superbowl sins, though, why don’t you? Halftime shows from hell. St. David and his monks faced something similar (believe it or not!) from pagan neighbors, but overcame the temptations by fasting. Not for nothing is he called “the waterman.”

We had all sorts of wind and rain on Wednesday, but also a most excellent Day of Recollection with some 54 children of all ages and descriptions. Thank you to the parents who transported, the children who were very well behaved, the priests who spoke and led devotions and most of all to Mark Lotarski who outdid himself with four excellent booklets on the theme of Recollection for children of different ages. They are really keepsakes, and appropriate for adults as well. Excellent Lenten or anytime reading. Oh, and he also did a great lunch with hot dogs and macaroni and cheese on offer. The children seemed to have a good time, and the Fathers are already looking forward to next year.

Meanwhile, Fr. Cekada was working on his next video, his production considerably enhanced by a modern upgrade in microphones and lighting. St. Vincent Palloti, who was one to preach the Gospel using up to date means, would bless this work. Sad to say people don’t read any more. (Well, they still do read some, don’t they? Who would miss the Bishop’s Corner?) So, the era of popular presentation through publication is fading, but there are still ways to inform the public of Catholic truth in the face of tired old propaganda. Support sggresources.org.

Fr. Cekada heads off to the seminary today for his March teaching week, early because of an early Easter and Holy Week. I’m in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas today, administering Confirmation to Fr. Mardones’ two congregations in a quick visit. Everybody survived Bergoglio’s border visit. Far fewer people showed up to see him than predicted. I’m not expecting big crowds myself, and security procedures will be minimal. Still, your prayers are always appreciated.

How are your prayers, anyway? Does the little Reparation Thoughts daily devotional help? This week brings us our “firsts,” and with them the monthly call to reparation surely becomes more urgent this Lent. Come to promote peace by making reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary. Come to make up for the first half of your Lent, and consecrate the second.

I was so happy to see an uptick in married couples making their holy hour together last First Friday. How wonderful it would be if Lent saw a new slew of First Saturday souls, five times in a row, starting in March. Oh, how this is the path to peace! If only you knew…

Fr. Cekada is always concerned when I light a devotional candle or two during prayers in the rectory. It seems he heard snoring coming from my room the other morning, and he very understandably presumed I was snoozing over my devotions, candles untended, and roundly chastised me over my carelessness. But lo and behold! the culprit was Caravaggio, contentedly sleeping away his meditation period. I have spoken to him about this before, but this cat is a recidivist, I fear. He could fairly point out the Little Flower was known to snooze a little, too.

Katie is not sleeping too well of late, with dreams of mountains of linens in the sacristy awaiting sorting, mending, washing and ironing in preparation for Holy Week, as we look for what we need for the different ceremonies. I wonder if anyone would have the charity to come by a few days over the next few weeks so she would not be alone with the mountain? After all, mountain climbing is what we do in Lent.

Well, God bless your Lent, dear reader, a little or a lot, low or elevated, and lead you where He wants you to be!

Yours in St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin, patron of handguns and handy seminarians; and great love for Our Lady,

— Bishop Dolan

P.S. Speaking of seminarians, our dear Abraham is no longer pursuing studies for the priesthood. Pray for him as he seeks God’s Holy Will. Thank you for your contributions for his Burse. A new and promising young man, Trypho, has been with Father since Summer, and hopes to enter the Seminary in Fall. Your contributions to Fr. Nkamuke’s mission mean very much to him and his faithful. God reward you!

P.P.S. Our two postulant sisters are happily persevering, and we are rejoicing to have sisters again after so long. Won’t you participate in our Sisters’ Sunday next Sunday, March 6th? Read all about it in today’s bulletin.