Greetings from Fr. Dave

Our Week 3 theme for Lent: Raising the Bar on Being Church. You have heard and read my reminders often of the three words we use to describe our purpose here at Holy Trinity: KNOW, GROW, GO. If we as a parish and we as the Catholic Church in our country and beyond are going to be effective in  being the means through which God announces Good News, we have some major conversion and transformation necessary.

Consider these areas:
 

• Worship: When we come together for our weekend Masses we are called to “full, active, conscious participation”. That requires attention from each of us — preparation to give ourselves fully, openness to hear what God wishes to speak to us through his Word in the Scriptures, and placing a priority on joining with the community every week.

• Intercession: As the Body of Christ, you and I are equipped and called to intercede for our world.  As our country and so many parts of the world get further and further away from honoring the 1^st Commandment about putting God first in our lives, we can only devolve into chaos. Our prayers are powerful and needed. 

• Ongoing conversion: Living as a Christian means we will stand out in today’s world. Do we? Do your neighbors experience your kindness, compassion, sacrificial love? Your family? Your coworkers or co-students? Are we making an attractive witness to the presence of Jesus in our lives — or coming across as judgmental, critical, or (equally bad) just as corrupt and negative as many around us?

 
Following Jesus as individuals and as a community requires a lot of us. I love pastoring this parish and am grateful and inspired by the witness so many of you give. May we be everything God wants us to be!
 

A support group for survivors of sexual abuse begins this week on Thursday evening, March 28 ^th, from 6:30-7:45pm in the parish office conference room. If you are interested in participating please call Lisa at 503.341.2694.
 

Last week, funeral services were held for Sandy McPheeters and for Ken Hough. May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace.