ABVM PARISH COMMUNITY

  HAVE A BLESSED NEW YEAR! Welcome to 2024!  Have you made New Year’s resolutions?  Catholics are always making resolutions, especially in Advent and Lent, and whenever they go to confession.  Of course, confession is only valid if the penitent is contrite and resolves to the best of his or her ability to avoid sin in the future.  According to the Council of Trent, repeated in the Catechism, contrition is “sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again.”  In fact, usually the first act of the Mass after the celebrant’s greeting is the Penitential Rite, which is a communal confession of sins spoken by everyone in the first person: “I confess to almighty God and to you my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do...”  If the deacon or priest uses the option to speak the penitential tropes everyone responds by saying “Lord, have mercy.”  Tog

A DOUBLE-SHOT WEEKEND   The Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, published in the Roman Missal which every priest uses to celebrate Mass, states that “Holy Church celebrates the saving work of Christ on prescribed days in the course of the year with sacred remembrance.  Each week, on the day called the Lord’s Day, she commemorates the Resurrection of the Lord, which she also celebrates once a year in the great Paschal Solemnity, together with his blessed Passion.  In fact, throughout the course of the year the Church unfolds the entire mystery of Christ and observes the birthdays of the Saints.”    The mysteries of the life of Christ include his Conception, Birth, Baptism, Transfiguration, Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven.  All of these are celebrated as either Solemnities or Feasts.  What the Church calls the “birthday of the Saints” is the date of their passing from this world into heaven; they are born unto eternal life.  The rank

  SPE SALVI FACTI SUMUS – “IN HOPE WE WERE SAVED” (Romans 8:25) Hope must have a sure foundation if it is to give meaning and consolation to our lives.   It cannot be based on whimsical desires or unachievable goals.   It cannot be based on a person since human beings are fickle, prone to self-deception, and mortal.   The hope that will sustain and save us is faith in the living God, who is All-Just, All-Merciful, All-Powerful, and All-Good.   We cannot achieve peace and happiness by placing our hope anywhere else. Saint Paul writes in his epistle to the Romans: “We ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we await for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.   For in this hope we were saved.   Now hope that is seen is not hope.   For who hopes for what he sees?   But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it in patience” (8:23-25).   The ultimate hope of the Christian will be realized in heaven but it sustains us in our life on earth

DAY BY DAY I was recently hit with an unexpected, and unwelcome surprise.  It seemed like my allergies were acting up, which happens with a change in the weather, but the symptoms became worse, and on Monday two weeks ago, after an hour workout in the morning, I suddenly felt very weak and tired.  Wham!  I ended up sleeping the rest of the day and night.  On Tuesday I went for a Covid-19 test and, yes, the result was positive.  Following my doctor’s instructions I quarantined for five days, until last Sunday, by which time the symptoms were gone.  I want to thank everyone who provided soup, over-the-counter medicine and prayers.  I want to especially thank Monsignor Depman, who despite an already busy schedule celebrated the Masses for us which I could not celebrate.     The coronavirus came to me out of nowhere and I have no idea how I contracted it.  It’s surprise, suddenness, and power made me think of the Scriptures that are read this time of the year in the Mass which warn us