Dear St. Gabriel Parishioners:
Please familiar yourself with the “Synodal Process – Journeying Together” with information handouts at the entrances of the Church and sign up to attend a listening session in order to give inputs for Pope Francis.
In the Gospel for the first Sunday of Lent, let us begin with Jesus in the desert.
The temptation of Jesus marks not an isolated experience of Jesus’ early public life, but rather a revelation of God who has come to deliver in his very person, the people whom he loves: “For God so loved the world, that he sent his only Son”.
We may see in the specific temptations which Jesus undergoes a battle with temptations to which every human heart is vulnerable:
- “Turn these stones into bread” – the temptation to live only “on bread alone,” to live as though material things are the only source of life.
- “I shall give you all this power and glory” – the temptation to amass reputation and wealth as false gods in an attempt to escape human vulnerability.
- “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down . . .” – the very subtle temptation for believers: to presume no responsibility for our actions, since “God will take care of everything.”
Our Lenten journey begins, then, with an invitation to bring our hearts and lives before the Lord, especially those places where we are still held captive. We trust that Jesus remains the God who saves, who continues to do battle on our behalf so that Easter might find as slaves who have been set free.
Congratulation to the newly Elects and Candidate for Full Communion in the Catholic Church… These are Catechumens and Candidates who are called and chosen by the head of the local Church to prepare for the Easter Sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist at Easter Vigil). This past Saturday, March 5, Archbishop Paul Itienne, on behalf of the Church called all the Catechumens and Candidates from our Olympic Deanery, including St. Gabriel Parish and Prince of Peace Parish, in a celebration called the “Rite of Election” at Holy Trinity in Bremerton.
With our own journey of “conversion” in this Lenten Season, please remember to pray in a special way for these newly Elects and Candidates in our parishes that they will be more open and readier to prepare for the Easter Sacraments. Their particular path in this Lenten Season will take them through the three “Scrutinies” on the third, Fourth and Fifth Sunday of Lent.
At St. Gabriel:
***Daily Mass is at 11:00 AM (Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday);
***Every Wednesday Mass is at 1:30 PM at Retsil Veteran’s Home.
***Friday: 7:00 PM Station of the Cross with opportunity for individual
Confession after Stations and 6:30 PM Soup ‘to go’
At Prince of Peace:
***Thursday 10:00 AM – Mass
***Friday 3:00 PM – Stations of the Cross (English) and then, follow with soup ‘to go’ at 4:00 PM.
***Friday 6:00 PM – Stations of the Cross (Spanish)
Please see the Lenten Calendar insert in the bulletin last week for other scheduled activities for this Lenten Season. Extra ‘Black Book – Lenten Reflection Book” and Lenten Calendars are available at the entrances of the Church.
Christ’s Peace,
Fr. Phuong Hoang