<TW>Weekend of 13 and 14 March 2010
- From: "Fr. Pat Umberger" <frpat@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Fr. Pat Umberger" <frpat@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2010 12:39:56 -0600
.=: T H I S W E E K E N D :=.
from Father Pat Umberger
__________________________________________________
I R E L A N D 2 0 1 0
Our Ireland Pilgrimage is on for 18-28 October 2010!, 799 from Chicago (ORD)
and $2859 from LSE (La Crosse). The brochure is now at my Web Site and
copies are available in the back of Church. I hope you can join us on this
wonderful Pilgrimage! We'll stay in 4 Star Hotels and better. Links to
Hotels are at the Web Site as well. All admissions, breakfasts and dinners
are included this time. And it will be possible to leave from La Crosse. 25
La Crosse seats are available. We'll visit Galway, St. Patrick's Mountain,
the Dingle Peninsula, Killarney, the Ring of Kerry, Blarney, the Cliffs of
Moher, Bunratty Castle (where we'll stay overnight), Cork, Wicklow, the Rock
of Cashel, Dublin, and much more. In Dublin we'll stay at the venerable
Gresham Hotel, Bishop Treacy's favorite hotel in Dublin. Of course we'll
have Mass every day while we're in Ireland. If you're interested visit my
Web Site to download the Brochure and sign up for informational e-mails.
www.frpat.com If you'd like me to mail you a brochure, just send me an
e-mail: frpat@xxxxxxxxx
P A R I S H M I S S I O N
Our Parish Mission begins the weekend of 13-14 March and continues through
the 17th. There's a page at the Parish Web Site: www.stpatz.com, or become
a fan of St. Patz Lenten Mission on Facebook.
.=: V O L U M E 2 0 1 0 , Number 03-14 :=.
.=: T H I S W E E K E N D ' S S C R I P T U R E S :=.
Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year C.
Weekend of 13 and 14 March 2010
.=: R E F L E C T I O N Q U E S T I O N S :-.
The Scriptures for this weekend are found here:
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
"Taste and see the goodness of the Lord." How can we "taste" and "see" the
Lord's goodness? When are we apt to experience it the most intensely? The
least? Is the Lord's goodness not there when we find it hard to experience?
"Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush
with shame." What can help us look to the Lord with joy rather than with
shame?
"Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come. And all this is from God, who has reconciled
us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation ...
" What are the "old things" that have passed away? How can reconciliation
make all things new? How can we experience that reconciliation this Season
of Lent? "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." Why is this "good
news" to us?
"A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, 'Father give me
the share of your estate that should come to me.'" Try to imagine how
hurtful this would be. How hard would it be to forgive such a son?
"The younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant
country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When
he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he
found himself in dire need." When have we experienced something similar?
When we are in dire need where can we turn? Where do we turn?
"So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way
off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran
to his son, embraced him and kissed him." Wouldn't you expect the father to
make the son grovel a little before forgiving him? Why didn't he? How could
the father's love be that strong? What does this say about God's love for
us?
"He (the other brother) became angry, and when he refused to enter the
house, his father came out and pleaded with him." Why was the other brother
so angry? Why did the brother that had truly sinned receive better
treatment? When have we been diligent in doing what was right and then see a
"slacker" being treated as well or better than we? Why does this happen?
"Now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has
come to life again; he was lost and has been found." What is God's love
like?
How are these Scriptures comforting? Challenging?
.=: S P I R I T U A L R E F L E C T I O N :=.
Sometimes we behave badly. We can become greedy and self-centered, bitter
and judgmental, cruel and unfeeling. We can be surprised when someone makes
the nightly news by doing something grievously wrong. We can usually find a
family member or friend who is willing to forgive and try to understand.
Although the deed is almost universally condemned the person still finds
compassion and love.
If we, as human persons, can summon such great love for those who have hurt
others so deeply, how much more will God be compassionate toward us? This
weekend's Gospel says it all. It would be hard to imagine a hurt any deeper
than having a son who thought so little of us that he asked for his
inheritance even before we died. He didn't seem to have any feelings at all
about his father. He just wanted the money.
We're familiar with the rest of the story, about how he went through all the
money and had to get a job feeding the pigs. He decided to "crawl" home and
ask his father for a job, so at least he would have something to eat. We
might imagine ourselves in the position of the father. How good it might
feel to hear the son grovel and beg. After we were sure he'd learned his
lesson, we might gradually open our heart to him again ... when we were sure
he'd learned his lesson.
The father in the Gospel was not that way at all. He saw his son coming from
a distance. Filled with compassion he ran out to embrace and kiss his son.
Then the celebration of his homecoming began. Imagine the talk of his
servants and friends. Even the other son could not call him a brother any
more. But the father's love was always there!
And so with us! No matter how badly we behave, God continues to love us as
always. We can imagine God's compassion as he sees us trying to do things
our own way, or hurt others in order to get what we want. God patiently
waits for our return. When we decide to come back, God waits for us with
open arms. After all, God gave us his only Son who died and rose that we
might have forgiveness and new life. That's the important truth we reflect
upon this Holy Season of Lent.
We too, can become ready to return. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is
available to us this Season. Check your bulletin for special Reconciliation
times and places. May we have the courage of the son who came to the end of
his rope. May we know that God loves us just as always, and awaits our
return. May we forgive those who have harmed us as well. Have a good week!
(c)MMX Fr. Pat Umberger. This Spiritual Reflection is found each week at
the Web Site www.frpat.com. Feel free to link to this page or reproduce them
for parish use as long as this credit remains.
__________________________________________________
<TW>This Weekend is free, and comes from:
Father Pat Umberger, a priest of the Diocese of La Crosse
in Wisconsin U.S.A.
Web Site: www.frpat.com
Evangelization (reaching out): www.cmonback.com
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