Fr. Lara's Lines
5th Sunday of Lent
We are coming into the last two weeks of the Lenten
season. These forty days of Lent have allowed us to
reflect, pray, and do other spiritual practices. During
these final two weeks of Lent, the Church focuses more
on the sorrowful events of the passion and death of
Jesus. This is an opportunity for us to walk with Jesus
on his way to Calvary. The fifth Sunday of Lent used to
be called “Passion Sunday” because of the proximity
to Holy Week. After this Sunday the liturgy becomes
more somber and sorrowful. In some churches statues
and images will veiled with purple cloths since the focus
is on the passion of the Lord. At St. Catherine’s the color
purple is prominent; in fact, the image of the risen Jesus
behind the altar will be veiled with a purple cloth. The
Church wants the faithful to prepare their hearts during
the last two weeks of Lent. After Vatican II, Passion
Sunday and Palm Sunday became one, which is the
Sunday before the Paschal Triduum. On Palm Sunday
of the Passion of the Lord, the Passion of the Lord is
read, and Holy Week starts.
The Grain of Wheat
In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells his disciples the next
step of his mission, his passion and death: “the hour
has come for the son of man to be glorified.” He knows
that he is about to suffer and die for the sake of the
world. He also encourages his disciples to stay strong
in their faith, because “unless the grain of wheat falls
to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat.”
Jesus had to die to save us from our sins. He, who was
born without sin, took to himself all the dysfunction of
the world to redeem all those who were under the
power of sin. Death is necessary to get to the resurrection.
Many of the saints were martyred for the sake of the
gospel. Their deaths were not in vain for their testimony
has given strength to the Church. The expression, “the
blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church,” echoes
the gospel for this Sunday: “if the grain of wheat dies,
it will produce much fruit.” For all of us in Church, death
could refer to dying to oneself. It means to let go of, to
detach from anything that keeps us from following Jesus.
It is only through letting go and detachment that we
experience a new life. What are some of the things you
need to let go of? What are some of the things you
need to be detached from?
Confirmation
The celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation is a
milestone in the lives of our students. Confirmation is a
moment of grace through which those being confirmed
are empowered to live out their faith in their daily lives.
Through this sacrament, the confirmandi receive the gifts
of the Holy Spirit. They are to embrace their faith as
adult Catholics and be witnesses of God in the world.
Bishop Francis Kane, our former episcopal vicar, will
celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation here at
St. Catherine Labouré this Tuesday March 19. We are
so proud of all our students from the school and religious
education programs (both English and Spanish). They
have worked so hard for this very special day. We
congratulate them on receiving the Sacrament of
Confirmation. They are truly making a difference in
the world.
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17. There
are many stories about St. Patrick; some of them might
be just myths. Whether or not St. Patrick drove the
snakes out of Ireland and explained the Christian Trinity
using the shamrock remains a mystery, but he brought
the Christian faith to many in Ireland. St. Patrick wasn’t
Irish nor the first bishop in Ireland, but he was called to
minister to them. He was a Roman citizen who was
kidnaped and sold as a slave in Ireland. He managed
to escape but after a while, he came back to Ireland
to bring a new way of life to the people who once
enslaved him. St. Patrick’s Day has become a day to
celebrate Irish heritage. Chicago’s Irish heritage enriches
the culture with its art, music, food, and festivities.
St. Patrick’s Day is not only about food, drinks, and fun
but also about remembering how Saint Patrick brought
the faith to many in Ireland. We don’t have to be Irish
to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph’s Day is celebrated on March 19. Saint
Joseph is the patron saint of the universal Church.
St. Joseph is one of the most venerated saints in the
Catholic Church. His humility and quiet devotion to
Jesus and the Holy Family set an example for us to
follow. For Italians, St. Joseph is a major feast day.
Aside from the great food, Italians are well known for
their faith and devotion to St. Joseph. St. Joseph is
honored in many different ways throughout the world,
but Italians know how to celebrate him. There are
special Masses, processions, and the traditional tavola
di San Giuseppe or St. Joseph’s table. We will have a
St. Joseph’s table after morning Mass on March 19.
Happy Feast of St. Joseph!
Saint Joseph, patron of the universal Church, watch over
the Church as carefully as you watched over Jesus, help
protect it and guide it as you did with your adopted
son. Amen
Peace
Fr. Lara
Recognize God in Your Oridinary Moments - By Colleen Jurkiewicz Dorman
Lost in the Crowd
I write my phone number on my kids’ arms when
we go into large crowds, in case we get separated.
If you think this makes me sound like a neurotic
person with an overactive imagination who watches
too many true crime documentaries, you would be
correct. I am all of those things.
However, I am also practical, and I’ve endured
moments of panic after looking up and briefly not
being able to locate a child who has wandered
off or lagged behind. The phone number, scrawled
across their sunscreen-streaked skin, is a safe-
guard, however insignificant. It’s something they
can hold up to show an adult, something they can
point to and say, “This is where I need to be. Help
me get here.”
When I reflect on my own life, it occurs to me that
I was born lost. We all were. It was only in Eden
that a human being ever knew what it was to be
at home. In Eden, I would imagine, the feeling of
safety was so natural that it was only noticed after
it was gone. But original sin came like a noisy
crowd to bear us away from the place we needed
to be, and since that time, our human lives have
played out against a backdrop of insecurity and
unfamiliarity. We are cold and alone and confused.
And God, our heartbroken parent, never stops
seeking us, never stops calling our names.
Baptism, the etching of God’s law onto our heart
and soul, is not a phone number written on our
arms. It’s something far better—it’s a homing signal,
planted deep within. And it will lead us back to
where we need to be.
“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house
of Israel after those days, says the LORD. I will place my
law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be
their God, and they shall be my people.” — Jeremiah
31:33
©LPi
The Holy Father's Intentions for March
For the Martyrs of Our Day, Witnesses to Christ
Let us pray that those who risk their lives for the Gospel in various
parts of the world might imbue the Church with their courage and
missionary drive.
Honor Our Military
Please take time to give thanks for those who have served and
are serving in our military and to pray for the safety of those who
may currently be in harm’s way. In a special way, we thank and
pray for these parishioners and relatives of parishioners.
Dear God,
We pray in gratitude for all of those who have defended
peace, virtue, and justice with honor. We pray especially
for those who have suffered in mind and body from the
ravages of war. May Your peace reign in our hearts
and in our world. Amen.
He Who Sacrificed His Life
†CHRISTOPHER ZIMNY
Those Still Serving
JAY MARTIN, Nephew of Becky and Tom Brennan
JESSICA CAMERON, Niece of the Cameron Family
JOHN PODCZASKI, Grandson of Genevieve Podczaski
STEVEN TUMBARELLO, Son of Sylvia & Vince Tumbarello
CRAIG BEHRENDT, Grand-nephew of Sister Mary Helen
DANIEL BELZER, Nephew of Dave & Bev Belzer
MICHAEL KELLY, Nephew of Kevin and Kathy Kelly
MATTHEW NEUBAUER, Nephew of Dan & Judy Neubauer
EUGENE WALL, Nephew of Suzanne Lessner
NAILL SWIDER, Grand-nephew of Alice Swider
BRYAN DUFF, Son of Julie Duff
RYAN BLOCHBERGER, Nephew of Mae Grady
TIMOTHY DWORKIN, Grandson of Barbara Bouska
ALEXIS GONZALES, Great-niece of Eden & Lyle Gonzales-Nemzin
JACK MAHON, JR., Son of Jack, Sr. & Eileen Mahon
MICHAEL FOLEY
JOHN FOLEY
PETER MULLER
DANIEL FRAYNA
JOSEPH GULLO
SANG HOON LEE
ANTHONY PALMERO
MORRIS COREY MCMAHON, SON OF CHRIS & JULIE MCMAHON
RYAN FONTILLAS
JOHN A. STONIS, GRANDSON OF JOHN & DOROTHY STONIS
MICHAEL T. HEHN, GRANDSON OF JOHN & DOROTHY STONIS
To add or remove someone, please send the person’s name and relationship (optional) to bulletin@stcatherinelaboure.com
Please Pray for Ukraine
For our sisters and brothers involved in or
affected by the war and devastation in Ukraine--
the deceased, the injured, the frightened, the
displaced, the fighters, the protesters, the leaders.
May God give them solace, healing, comfort, and
hearts and minds directed toward peace.
Donations can be made here:
Knights of Columbus: https://www.kofc.org/secure/en/donate/ukraine.html
Caritas: https://www.caritas.org/
Ukrainian Catholic Archdiocese of Philidelphia: https://ukrarcheparchy.us
"May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war" - Pope Francis
Neighbors of other Faiths
The Golden Rule
Excerpted from charterforcompassion.org/the-golden-rule-in-seven-major-religions
We may speak of great differences in
religious beliefs and forms of worship
around the world. Called by an endless
number of names, all, however, recognize and worship a Supreme
Being. And all religions, somewhere in their sacred literature,
expound the fundamental philosophy of the Golden Rule.
Buddhism: Hurt not others with that which pains yourself.
~ Buddha, Undanavarga 5:18
Christianity: Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that all men
should do to you, do ye even so to them.
~ Matthew 7:12
Confucianism: What you do not want done to yourself, do not do
to others.
~ Confucius, Analects 15:23
Hinduism: Good people proceed while considering what is best
for others is best for themselves.
~ Hitopadesa
Islamism: No one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother
what he loves for himself.
~ Mohammed, Traditions
Judaism: And thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
~ Leviticus 19:18
Zoroastrianism: Whatever is disagreeable to yourself do not do
unto others.
~ Shayast-na-Shayast 13:29