Dear Parishioners,
Last weekend Daylight Savings Time began as we set our clocks forward one hour. We also had several days of spring-like weather. This weekend, we celebrate the actual arrival of Spring and hope the warming trend continues. We also hope the increasing availability of vaccines will drive down the Covid-19 virus even farther, resulting in its eventual elimination and a return to normalcy.
We passed the half-way point of Lent last week, and this weekend we begin Passiontide, the last 2 weeks of Lent. With the death of winter and new life starting to show in the flowers, shrubs, and trees, our spirits are beginning to rise. However, death is in the air. Next Sunday will be Passion Sunday, and we will revisit that terrible ordeal of our Lord. But today’s gospel puts it in a different light (Jn 11:1-45). Jesus says about his passion and crucifixion, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” In other words, it’s not a shameful humiliating defeat; it’s a time of triumph and glory, for Satan will be defeated and mankind saved. It’s also an opportunity for us to see our pains, sorrows, disappointments, and sufferings as sharing in the cross of Christ. And of course doing so willingly brings us closer to Jesus in our earthly relationships and eventually to our heavenly relationships.
God Bless,
Fr. Carl
