This Palm Sunday, we begin Mass with a procession with palms and a Gospel reading regarding Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem as He is hailed as the Son of King David. The tone shifts quickly with the Scripture readings during Mass as the plot unfolds to arrest and condemn Jesus to death. The same crowd that hailed "Hosannah to the Son of David!" would days later shout "Crucify Him!" Even the Apostles who testify adamantly that they would never betray or deny Him find their faith shaken and abandon Him during His Passion.

One of the great themes in these Scrutiny Gospels for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of Lent, as well as for the Passion Narrative next Sunday is the theme of substitution. Jesus takes the place of the sinner (the woman at the well), the outcast (the man born blind), and the one who is dead (Lazarus). In the Passion Narrative, Jesus is condemned to die although He is innocent. Barabbas, who is guilty and whose name means "son of the father", is freed while Jesus, who is innocent and who is the Son of the Father, is condemned to die in his place.

"What do you see?" The question of perception is paramount in our Scriptures this Fourth Sunday of Lent. I find it interesting how people can perceive the same reality in different ways. Like a Rorschach inkblot test, or the interpretation we give to a work of art, our minds capture an image and likeness that corresponds to some aspect of reality that reveals itself to us. Sometimes our perceptions grasp a deeper spiritual reality than what appears on the surface, while other times our perceptions miss the deeper meaning.

We hear today about the Israelites grumbling against Moses in the desert because of their thirst for water. Now, this would not be the first nor the last time Moses had to deal with the people's grumbling! They grumble for food and God gives manna. They grow tired of manna and grumble for meat, so God gives quail. They get sick from greedily hoarding the quail and complain about their misery to the Lord!

Jesus' Transfiguration in today's Gospel drives home the purpose of our Christian journey to be totally transfigured into the image and likeness of Christ. St. Paul reminds his brother bishop, St. Timothy, to bear his share of hardship for the sake of the Gospel. Transfiguration can be a kind of fruitful hardship since it means letting go of our own ways of understanding and living and letting God direct our minds and hearts after the mind and heart of Christ.

We began our Lenten journey this past Wednesday by having ashes traced on our foreheads in the sign of the cross. This ritual gesture came with the words, "Repent and believe in the Gospel," or "Remember that you are dust and unto dust you shall return." Putting all of these symbols together, we can see that we are journeying with Jesus and sharing in His Cross knowing that, while we are unworthy to follow Him, He nevertheless continues to call us to Himself.

Lent is right around the corner with Ash Wednesday this February 18. Our Mass times are 7:30 am, 9:30 am (with the School), 12:00 pm, and 7:00 pm at St. Mary's, and 7:00 pm at St. Patrick's. Remember that you must have a Mass Pass to attend the 9:30 am Mass with the School, so stop by the parish or school office this week to get your pass to avoid delays. I look forward to beginning this sacred time with you!

Jesus tells His disciples in today's Gospel that they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. In the midst of this dark and cold winter, I imagine we want to experience less salt and more sunlight in the weeks ahead! Turning to Jesus' message for us, think about the effects of salt and light and how He asks His disciples to become the salt and light of the world.

On this 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we reflect on the Beatitudes which Jesus preaches at the beginning of His Sermon on the Mount. The thread tying all the Beatitudes together is humility. Humility is an attitude and stance that requires great courage and compassion on our part with a heartfelt tenderness and affection for others. Humility is the virtue par excellence of heaven. No one is more humble than God! With the Beatitudes, Jesus calls us to robe ourselves in this Godly attitude of humility.

The Scripture readings at the beginning of Ordinary Time always focus on the call of God for Christ and for His Church. On this Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, we hear about the first call of Jesus to His disciples. John the Baptist has been arrested, and Jesus settles in the sea town of Capernaum in Galilee taking up John's mantra, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus also begins calling His first Apostles, Simon and Andrew, James and John, to travel with Him throughout Galilee teaching and healing.

We've entered back into Ordinary Time after the Christmas season concluded last weekend. It's hard to believe, but we are also gearing up for Lent which begins with Ash Wednesday a month from today (February 18)! The progression of the liturgical seasons helps us to focus on various elements of the Paschal Mystery throughout the year. Ordinary Time situates us especially in hearing and answering the Lord's call in the here and now.

We conclude the Christmas Season this weekend with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan River. Jesus, who is born among us, is revealed as God’s Son in his baptism. We become his daughters and sons in our own baptism. Yes, Christmas tells us that Jesus became like us. We should strive to become like him. In baptism, we are made his own!

Happy New Year! Hope you are having a wonderful Christmas season. Please know that Fr. Scott, Fr. Gary, and I pray for you and your loved ones in this season. This season is a great time to start again, to walk more closely with the Lord, and to let His light guide our journey.

Today's celebration of the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph reveals both the blessings and challenges of family life. One might assume that having a husband and wife who are saints and a Child who is the Son of God would clear the way of all trials and tribulations. Not so! Mary and Joseph both had to wrestle with all the complex situations surrounding the conception, birth, and upbringing of Jesus. Just put yourself in their shoes in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke to see what I mean! However, through these challenges and their trust in God, they grew in wisdom and grace together as a family.

This week we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Advent (Dec 20-21) as well as Christmas. Remember that Christmas is not just a day, but a whole liturgical season. Maybe you didn't get all your gifts purchased or cards written in time for Christmas Day. No worries! We still have about two and a half weeks to celebrate Christmas with many great feasts in the season, including Feast of the Holy Family (Dec 28), the Solemnity of Mary the Holy Mother of God (Jan 1), Epiphany (Jan 4), and the Baptism of the Lord (Jan 11). Keep up your Christmas decorations for the season and continue to listen to Christmas tunes to really enjoy the grace of this holy season!

We celebrate Gaudete Sunday this weekend! Gaudete is the Latin word for "rejoice". As we move through our Advent season it is right that we find every reason to rejoice in the Incarnation of our Lord this Christmas.

Our season of Advent is a sacred time of repentance. Repentance means both to turn away from falsehood, evil, and injustice and to turn toward the truth, goodness, and justice of our Lord. St. John the Baptist makes this call clear in the Gospel: "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!"

Happy New Year! I know, it’s not January 1st yet. But in the Church, we begin the new liturgical year on this first week of Advent. In today's readings and the gospel, we find a common theme. Did you catch it? "Stay awake!" This is a good reminder as we begin the new liturgical year. It's time to get up, shake off the spiritual sleepiness, and embrace a fresh start.

Happy Thanksgiving week! Remember to give thanks to God this Thanksgiving Day for all the blessings in your life. Gratitude and thanksgiving are remedies for sadness and hopelessness. They keep us grounded firmly in the truth of God's love for us and His grace abiding with us through all life's circumstances. As I like to say, you can't grumble if you're grateful! So be grateful and give thanks to God at all times.

As we come to the second-to-last Sunday of the Church’s liturgical year, our readings take on a more serious, reflective tone. Next Sunday, we will celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, which closes the liturgical year and leads us into a new beginning with Advent, the season of waiting and hope for the coming of Christ.