Dear Fellow Parishioners, If you are feeling overwhelmed or out of sorts with everything happening in our world, which we have no control over; join the club. It is Lent and this is a season of prayer, fasting and acts of charity. As part of our acts of charity, we will be holding a special collection for our brothers and sisters in the Ukraine this weekend and next. There will be a rectangular basket in the middle aisle for that purpose; or you can mark an envelope with Ukraine on it and it will be tallied. All parishes in our Diocese will be pooling their resources for this purpose. At the same time, I am focusing my rosary each day for the people of Ukraine. I am praying the mysteries of War, to remind me of the atrocities that people are experiencing, so that I raise them up in prayer. I then am praying the Mysteries of Peace, for an end of the war. If you care to join me here are the mysteries:
Mysteries of War +Destruction of homes, villages, cities, crops, and land +Separation of Families +Imprisonment of dissenters +Contamination of water and the degradation of the natural environment +Torture, wounding, and killing of the living Mysteries of Peace +Reconciliation of Enemies +Regrowth and reconstruction of homes, villages, farms, and the natural environment +Abundance and harmony +The absence of war and the presence of justice +The civilization of Life and Love
Please consider joining us for the Peace Stations of the Cross as we pray for peace in the Ukraine, our country, our world, and our hearts. We gather at 11:30 A.M. on Tuesdays during Lent. Feeling overwhelmed or out of sorts with everything that is happening stems from our care for those whom we consider our brother and sisters. May we walk and pray in solidarity with them.