The Gospels of this weekend and next are powerful stories of forgiveness: the prodigal son and the woman caught in adultery. In each, one a parable and the other an event in the life of Christ, we are presented with a cast of characters who deal with sin and forgiveness. And we can find ourselves in the place of any one of them at a particular moment in time. Sometimes we are the accuser, sometimes the sinner, sometimes the one who offers forgiveness. In the complexity of our lives, it is likely that we are all three at one and the same time. In today’s parable, Jesus invites us to see the relationship that binds people together, despite the fracturing caused by sin. It is tough to forgive; just ask the elder son. We’re happy when God forgives us. Are we willing to be an occasion of such happiness for others?

Our Father II: The Our Father is a dangerous prayer. If we listen carefully to what we say, it truly challenges us. We pray for God’s kingdom to come. Jesus personified the kingdom of God in his perfect obedience. This is a scary thing to pray for. We pray that God’s will be done. If we say that honestly, we are letting go of our own will in favor of God’s will. Jesus did this in the Garden of Gethsemene. Again, this is a scary thing to pray for. Copyright © 2008 Resource Publications, Inc. All rights reserved

Some important dates to remember: Stations of the Cross on every Friday in Lent at 7:00 PM; Fish Fry on every Friday of March from 5:00 to 7:00 PM; School Gala – March 20; Parish Penance Service on Monday, March 22 at 7:00 PM; Prayer Group on March 25 at 7:00 PM in Chapel; Passover Supper on Sunday, March 28 at 6:00 PM. THANK YOU TO DOLORES TAYLOR: Dolores has been opening the church in the morning for over 13 years. She has also prepared the altar for Mass every morning. Dolores has decided to retire from this position. One of her plans is to walk on the beach and watch the sun rise before she comes to Mass. We thank her for the many years of service to our Parish. She has truly made the celebration of the liturgy easier for the Priest and other ministers. She has been very dedicated to the Parish and she will be missed. Dolores, thank you again and enjoy the sunrise.

We are coming to the end of the selling period for our parish raffle. We still have tickets available. If you have not purchased one, please do so as soon as possible. 1) I am out of town can I be a winner? Yes, put your address on the ticket and we will mail you your check. You can put both your winter and summer addresses. 2) Can a few of us get together and buy a ticket or two? Yes, we will send the check to the name on the ticket. 3) I don’t check the lottery, how will I know that I won? We have the part of the ticket with your name and when you win, we will mail your check. We are doing this raffle to help raise funds for the church. Last year we had about a $40,000.00 deficit in our budget. This year for the period ending in February, we are about $32,000.00 under our budget. We are hoping that this raffle and some other events will decrease the deficit. Thank you for helping us. Wouldn’t it be great, if in the summer or fall months, you receive a check in the mail with your winnings? Remember, you are in 52 raffles, a new one every week.