Ash Wednesday and the First Sunday of Lent have already come and gone. The beginning of this Holy Season of Lent preparing us for the great Feast of Easter and the celebration of the mystery of Jesus’ victory over sin and death opens us to new life and renewal of the gift of our Baptism and life in Christ.

Jesus was moved by the Spirit to go into the desert to confront Satan. The world had been infected by Satan’s influence and Jesus came to mankind’s rescue to save and redeem us. Jesus was the one John the Baptist had called ‘One mightier than I’. Jesus came in power to defeat Satan and his grip on humankind. Jesus in his person stood for all mankind and was perfectly obedient to the Father’s will and his plan.

Jesus came out of the desert triumphant overcoming all the Devil’s temptations and making up for all of our mistakes and failures.

Jesus begins his public ministry by calling us all to repent…to undergo a change of mind, heart, and life…and believe in the goodness of God’s love and his covenant… ‘Believe in the Gospel’. Now it is up to us to respond to Jesus’ invitation.

Today we hear the account of the Transfiguration of the Lord. It is a clear sign to us of who Jesus truly is and his true nature…Divine! It is obvious that Jesus wanted to help his disciples to recognize that his was a divine mission. But they had a hard time to see clearly the divinity in his human nature. This event opened them up to realize that he was more than what they had thought…and his mission was more than they might understand at the time.

This is a magnificent moment of hope for all of us who choose to follow Jesus. He calls us and helps us through this event to put our trust in him and remain faithful in following him. When we might be discouraged and ready to give up…now is not the time to quit!

Thank you…goes to all those who responded to the Stewardship effort about ‘Prayer & Study’. So many came forward with their ‘cards’ of how God was/is calling us to a deeper life with him and a greater intimacy. I encourage you to keep track of your progress in actually doing what you know the Lord is calling you to do. So don’t give up…keep trying!

Thank you…also goes to all those who came to the information sessions after Mass and in special groups about our Master Plan and Building Project. We want to be ready for now and future generations with our church and school. It takes planning, prayer, and finances to make it happen.

Thank you for all your input and your generous contributions that help make it all possible. We are getting a timetable ready to present to the Diocese and to the parish. It will be happening…!!!

Thank you…also for all those who participated in the Trivia Night. There was a great crowd of folks and all seemed to have a great time…especially for all the good food everyone brought to their tables!

ABL Dinner & Auction…was a very enjoyable afternoon…and so was the dinner & especially the deserts! But the effort to gain attention for life and reinforce our conviction to help support efforts for life was great…so were the stories and music that set the tone for the day. Keep up the good work!

RCIA…is the process of preparing folks for initiation into the life of Christ and the Church. Last week we sent 5 people to be recognized by Bishop Paprocki for their readiness to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church and to complete their initiation through Confirmation & Holy Eucharist. Keep them in your prayers.

Preparation and enrichment meeting for the 1^st Communion Candidates and their parents on Saturday, March 7 in Morris Hall, Church and Cafeteria.