Dear People of God,

I appreciate all the members of St. Lawrence PCCW and K/C for providing delicious breakfast on Last Sunday after the Mass. Now the Lent is upon us. There are a few opportunities being offered at our parishes for communal enrichment. Stations of the Cross will be offered at Immaculate Conception, Fountain City on Fridays at 6:00pm. Confession is available during Stations of the Cross. Also, on Tuesdays there will be an additional Mass at 4:30pm and followed by soup in the Hansen Hall, Fountain city. There will be a Healing Mass and anointing on Sat, Mar 11 at Boniface, Waumandee. This year, the Triduum will be at Boniface, Waumandee.

On this first of Sunday of Lent, the Scriptures contrast two responses to temptation. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, chose their own inclinations to the will of God. Jesus, on the contrary resisted temptation. Let us see how Jesus responded to the temptations.

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Dear People of God,

Good morning to you all. The liturgy of word of God calls us to be holy and to love our enemies. In today’s first reading from Leviticus, we are told to “Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy.” Our God is not God of punishment. He does not rejoice in the destruction of a sinner but longs for repentance. St. Paul, in addressing the disputes and rivalries among the Christians of Corinth in the second reading today, exhorted them that they are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in them.

The Babylonian law is that “an eye for an eye” or tooth for tooth. It seems to be a totally barbaric practice in the first sight. Actually, it was meant to help the people to put some limit towards their defeated enemies. It became known as the Law of Retaliation and puts limits on the level of revenge that could be taken for an injury people. Basing on this law of Retaliation, Jesus provides new instructions in today’s Gospel. When someone strikes you, turn your cheek. If someone goes to law over your tunic, give them your cloak, also. Go two miles when pressed for one. Love you enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

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Dear People of God,

Good morning to you all. On this sixth Sunday of the ordinary time, the readings focus on the law and commandments.

In today’s first reading, God presents us with two options, “life and death.” In other words, He gives us the freedom to choose. God created us out of his love. To guide us in life, he gave us his Law. Also, he gives us the freedom of choice. In order to make decision and choice in life, he also gave us reason to guide us. Hence, God makes it clear that whatever choice we make in life has its consequences. If we choose to obey his laws, we shall be happy. However, if we make the wrong choice, we shall also reap its fruit. In the second reading, Paul refers to the law of Christ as wisdom. In other words, to obey the commands of Christ is the wisest thing to do. Hence, it is a mark of wisdom to live by the Law of Christ.

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Dear people of God,

First of all, sincerely I thank and appreciate St. Boniface’s PCCW Ladies for arranging soup and Card game on last Saturday night after the Mass. There was a lot of fun. Now I am very happy to inform you that there is going to be a Pancake Breakfast in new Rippley’s Social Hall, on Feb 4th from 8:00am to 10:30am at Waumandee. As usually, there is also going to be a Social with Donuts and Coffee at Immaculate conception, Hansen Hall, at Fountain City after this Sunday Mass. You are most welcome for these social events.

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