Pastor’s Pen
THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
A word from—Fr. Bob
Dear Church Family,
It is the third week of Lent already. Next week we will celebrate Gaudete Sunday which is “REJOICE” Sunday that Lent is half over. So, keep working on your special efforts. I heard the Word of God strongly in the gospel about repenting—turning it around. You have been given many blessings so make sure that you are abundantly using them and don’t be afraid—just do it! That is a good message for us to always have—Just Do It! There is a kind of message here about the God of Second Chances that if you mess up the first time, you get to do it again. The gardener, like the Lord Himself, will hoe around it and fertilize it and give it plenty of water and sunlight and then if the fig tree doesn’t do anything, that’s okay, because God is always merciful toward us.
All of this attitude can be enjoyed at one of the favorite images I have in my own personal spiritual life, the image of the Burning Bush. The Burning Bush is on holy ground. Somewhere there is holy ground that we can go to and maybe it’s good to find holy ground because sometimes holy ground is your own prayer space, your altar at home. Maybe your holy ground is someplace where you like to go, like the cemetery where your loved ones are buried. But for me, holy ground at lot of times is going down to Pevely, Mo where there’s this place to retreat and pray. I considered that much to be holy ground. So, find your holy ground and stay in it and maybe that will all the more bring you alive in your Lenten resolutions. Keep it up and God bless your efforts and pray for my efforts to be blessed, too. Again. Praise God.
P.S. This afternoon I will attend and enjoy another St. Charles Lwanga Center Dinner and Awards Program. I will certainly enjoy our dear Mother of the Church, Mrs. Pauline Humphrey being honored and I will enjoy young Ryan King also being honored for what they do in just living. If Ryan or I could sit at the footstool of Pauline and just listen to her spiritual ways, maybe she will share them with us, and maybe we can learn so much more. I first got to know Pauline some years back when she would really speak up and fight for SLACO (St. Louis Association of Community Organizations) and things would happen. So that was beautiful to be willing and able to speak up for the good of others. So, I thank the Lord very much for that. Sometimes even the mayor would be at the meetings as they got his attention as one of the most prominent organizations in the North and South City. The mayor had to listen to us because we had something to say. So, all of this was done and our own Pauline was one of the major spokespersons for the organization. We wish Ryan too to speak up loud and clear in his classes as we challenge all students to speak up and enjoy and show interest in other people, show interest in your school work, your lessons and find always a question to ask to help you understand the situation a little bit better. So, God bless you, too, Ryan, as you continue that way and may you really be a light to others by boldly speaking up and that will be one of your strong growth patterns. Alleluia! Amen.
Love, Fr. Bob
No comments yet.