February 21- Bulletin

Saint John the Baptist prayer for Vocations in the year of the Priest
You will find in this bulletin a copy of a specially written Prayer for Vocations for out parish. We will be using this prayer at each prayer gathering in the Lenten Season and beyond.

The copy provided in the bulletin is written to be used in your homes and individually. Please keep it with you and use it frequently as we pray for our church and for ourselves that God may work in us and develop leaders for His Church.

The movement of the prayer first calls us to give thanks to God “now and forever” (the God of all ages). We ask God to send the Holy Spirit among us – to give us strength to live in the example of Christ.

Next, we ask God to bless our homes, our family and our children- (it is from our families that vocations will come). We ask God , not simply to give us leaders from some outside source- but to call leaders from our own community and families.

In the final movement of the prayer we ask for courage to respond to God’s call and that God may open our hearts to respond to him ( where ever that may lead us).

We close out our prayer Imploring Mary to pray for us.

The form we will use in church is developed as a call and respond. This prayer style allows us to reflect on the words being prayed.

It is hoped that this prayer for vocations will inspire us to grow as a community of faith in the image and likeness of Christ and to help us all strive to more fully discern God’s will for our individual lives.


Sacrament of Reconciliation-

This Wednesday evening we will gather with second graders and their parents to prepare them to receive the sacrament of reconciliation for the first time. The main focus of our time will be discussion of God’s loving nature and His capacity to forgive.

In the Gospel this weekend we here of the temptations of Christ. These temptations- food-power- and putting God to the test - are representative of a whole array of temptations that can lead us away from God’s will in our lives.
In this Holy Season of Lent, each of us is called to a greater understanding of our need for God’s mercy. We are called to reflect on the areas of our life that need change so that we can live more fully in God’s love. We are called to evaluate the temptations that distract us from lives of faith. We are called to take actions in our lives that will move us away from habits that separate us from God.

The sacrament of reconciliation is available each Saturday afternoon at 4 PM. The sacrament is also available by appointment.

Wednesday March 17 has been set aside for individual reconciliation at 6:30 PM. Several priests will be available for individual celebration of the sacrament. Saturday March 20, at 10 AM we will have Mass with the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. This sacrament for healing and for the forgiveness of sin is available to any who seek it.