Quinquagesima
Recent Daily Sermons
Fr. Lehtoranta: St. Ignatius and St. Bridget
Fr. McGuire: The Tears of a Candle
Fr. McGuire: From Wolf to Lamb
Fr. Lehtoranta: First Friday and St. Agatha
Fr. McGuire: First Saturday and Simeon
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
It’s a staying snow which snuck up on us this Shrovetide; liked what it saw, and decided to stay. Maybe it’s simply to convey the message: “If your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.” Oops, I guess that’s racist, and if King David were corporate and current, he’d have to be convoked to one of those Maoist self-criticism sessions to hear all about his crimes, and do a public confession.
We’re thinking sins, of course, this Sunday. Shrovetide means Confession time, as we purify our souls of sin and prepare to do penance for them. This year we are especially aware of what the moderns would call the “social aspect” of sin. Our sins, Heaven says, have brought both Church and country into its present miserable state.
What must be done? Reparation must be made to the offended majesty of God. This is the message of Fatima, of the Holy Face devotion. This inspires our Lenten theme again this year. Reparation, but with this end in mind, the salvation of our country, the restoration of our Church.
Please read along and practice with us the excellent “Reparation Notes” we send home with you every Sunday. The hour is late, the time is short. Each day, each Mass, each prayer, is a gift. Make it count. Heaven will hear! Confidence!
I was in Milwaukee last weekend, and it was just too cold, hovering always at 0°. I tried a Rosary walk Sunday afternoon, but the wind whipped down Lincoln Avenue towards the lake and drove me back to our charming cozy chapel and convenient rectory, perfect for some quiet time of prayer.
But these are busy days, snow or no snow, at St. Gertrude the Great. A big thanks to all who turned out to help put away our Christmas. Tuesday morning’s surprise snow was plowed away in time to welcome a record Tea Party turnout that evening. Interesting and informative, as usual, and an excellent place to “network.”
Thursday evening our fashionable ladies and young ladies turned out, about 40 to 50 of them, for a fine social and informative evening about “modesty +.” You can be fashionable, and still follow the guidelines of modesty and common sense. Visit Helfta Hall after Mass to see the displays, and pick up some literature. Thank you, Colleen Eldracher!
Our multiple novenas continue, for ’tis the season. Let’s pray for good weather for the ashes on Wednesday, and Friday’s first Evening of Recollection. As usual, we do offer a lot…because we love it all, we love Lent, and we love you. Happy St. Valentine’s Day. We’d love to see you back at church this week, just for the sake of love. If you’ve got it, show it. If you’ve lost it, find it. Enough love of the right kind will defeat the diabolic hate which is destroying this land, and will bring us, as Our Lady once promised, “a period of peace.”
May Love reign in your heart, your home and in our land.
–Bp. Dolan
P.S. This year we have as our goal to get the Blessed Ashes to as many missions as possible. Be grateful for the abundance of services here, and take advantage of them.