Greetings from Fr. Dave

Here comes Lent 2019. Ash Wednesday is this Wednesday, March 6 ^th, and Masses will be at 8:15am, 2:15pm, and 7:00pm. Our Lent Homily Series begins at these Masses and will continue through Palm Sunday on April 14 ^th. Our overall theme is: 7 Ways to Raise the Bar.
 
As our world gets more secularized, we as followers of Jesus need to be more intentional about living our faith strongly and attractively. We simply need to get more serious about living our lives as Christians. Lent provides us an opportunity to intensify that effort — and to call upon the Holy Spirit to do his work powerfully in us and through us.
 
Here are the weekly topics we will be exploring:
 

• Essential Tools for saying YES to God

• Decluttering our lives in a chaotic world

• Radiation therapy for sin

• Raising the bar on being Church

• A new kind of Christian politics

• Rooting our lives in the Bible

• Wrestling with the cross

 

Fr. Hans announced last weekend at all Masses the formation of Small Faith Groups for the 6 weeks of Lent. Sign-up sheets are available once again at the Information Desk in the narthex and also on our website at www.h-t.org/small-faith-groups.

Groups will be using the Magnificat Lenten Companion booklet, which are available this weekend — in both an adult and a child-friendly version (MagnifiKid!). The booklets provide reflection materials on the daily and weekend Mass readings and can be fruitfully used individually, in families, or in the Small Faith Groups.
 

Thanks to all who have already participated in the Archdiocesan Catholic Appeal. As I mentioned last weekend, our parish is asked to raise $130,000 to help support the ministries that are beyond the scope of our own parish: training seminarians, retirement for clergy, outreach to prisons and campuses. Our success each year has been the broad level of participation we have had. Additional pledge envelopes are available in the narthex and parish office. Your prompt response is appreciated.
 

One last request for used but not-being-used band instruments: we have a parishioner whose home parish in the Philippines has a very active band
program for children and is in desperate need of instruments. If you have one buried in the closet and can part with it, please bring it with you to church or to the parish office. Thanks!
 


Congratulations to Haomin He and Kevin Cao, who were married here on February 23 ^rd. Blessings to you both, and to all of our married and engaged couples!
 

Congratulations and blessings to Michael Chibueze, Finley Holaday, Lylah Landeros, Ruben Landeros, Isaac Moss, Zailey Phan, and Mikayla Somadi, who were baptized last week!
 

This weekend, funeral services were held for Shirley Fedr. May her soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace.