St.Michael the Archangel
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ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL CATHOLIC CHURCH Consecrated to the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary FEBRUARY 7, 2021 • FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME February is the Month Dedicated to the Holy Family Lucia of Fatima wrote to Cardinal Carlo Caffarra who We easily remember that October is the month was commissioned to establish John Paul II’s Pontifical dedicated to the Holy Rosary, May the month Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. In 2008 dedicated to our Blessed Mother, and June to the he revealed the dire warning she gave him in that letter Sacred Heart. Monthly dedications don’t stop there. But which turned out true as proven by the events we have for a number of recent years, we have let slip such seen rapidly unfolding in the world. months as February. The month of February is Lucia wrote, “The final battle between the Lord and the dedicated to the Holy Family. The special devotion kingdom of Satan will be about Marriage and the which proposes the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Family. Don't be afraid…because whoever works for Joseph as the model of virtue of all Christian the sanctity of Marriage and the Family will always be households. fought against and opposed in every way, because this Why do we dedicate the month of February to the Holy is the decisive issue.” She ended saying, Family? “nevertheless, Our Lady has already crushed his head.” The answer comes at the beginning, on February 2nd, when we see the Holy Family go to the temple for the A Prayer Intercession to The Holy Family, for Presentation of Jesus. The family is together. The Holy Protection of One’s Family Family. There’s the answer. February is traditionally O Jesus, our most loving Redeemer! You came to dedicated in the Church to the Holy Family. This month enlighten the world with Your teaching and dedication traces back to the 17th century. example, and to live the greater part of Your life But how much do we remember or hear that today? with Mary and Joseph in their home at Nazareth. Thus, You sanctified the family that was to be an This February we should restore that devotion. It would example to all Christian families. Graciously both honor the Holy Family and at the same time receive our family, which is dedicated and become a reminder to strengthen family life. After all, consecrated to You this day. Protect it; guard it the Church has taught how the Holy Family is the and establish it in holy fear, in peace, and in the model, the example, for all families. So said St. John harmony of Christian charity. By conforming Paul II in a 2001 Angelus, as he called “the family of ourselves to the model of Your family, may we all Nazareth a model for every home.” without exception attain to eternal happiness. These are perfect reasons to start honoring the Holy Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother! By your Family this month. intercession make this, our humble offering, “The Holy Family is the beginning of countless other acceptable to Jesus and obtain for us His grace holy families,” John Paul II said earlier in his Letter to and blessings. O St. Joseph, most holy guardian of Families. He stressed, “The history of mankind, the Jesus and Mary! Assist us by your prayers in all history of salvation, passes by way of the family.” In our spiritual and temporal needs, so that we may fact, the saintly pope made it plain that he was trying be able to praise our Divine Savior, Jesus, together “to show how the family is placed at the center of the with Mary and you for all eternity. Amen. great struggle between good and evil, between life and Have a blessed week! death, between love and all that is opposed to love.” We need to honor and imitate the Holy Family in Stay safe today’s culture and society which attacks families in so Fr. Kishore Babu Battu SAC many ways. We know why, too. Back in 1981, Sister CATHOLIC LIFE EXPLAINED EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP WHY DO WE DO THAT? The Audacity of Holiness Do you know a holy person? I’m not talking about piety N that’s Is it ever okay to leave Mass important, too, in its own way. But right now, I’m speaking of holiness. before it ends? St. Therese of Lisieux called holiness “a disposition of the heart that makes us humble and little in the arms of God, aware of our weakness, This is an interesting question and confident N in the most audacious way N in His Fatherly goodness.” because beneath the surface there The holy person sees a storm on the horizon of life, and rather than give seems to be an assumption that if themselves over to fear and despair (natural and understandable it’s okay, then why do we have to reactions), regards the gathering winds as an opportunity to rely more fully on God. The holy person takes a bad situation and sanctifies it with stay after we receive communion? charity and understanding that defies our fallen human nature. The short answer is “no,” but we Peter’s motherinlaw was still in the throes of a fever when Jesus definitely want to go a bit deeper as grasped her hand. It wasn’t until she took his hand and allowed him to we consider why. help her up that “the fever left her and she waited on them.” Before the fever could leave her, she had to commit to holiness N to put her trust in First, when we think about him in a most audacious way. She had to find it within herself to lift her questions like this, we must weakened hand to grasp his N and as soon as she did, she was consider this in adult terms. If there rewarded. Her bodily health restored, she gave thanks, and attended to is something gravely important that his needs. God’s hand is always outstretched to us. Will we take it, even if the fever we need to do, then we must attend of sin and pride and worldly concerns rages in our souls? Will we muster to that. However, if it is a matter of the strength? Will we be audacious enough to have confidence in His convenience or preference, then Fatherly goodness? we really have to stop and think N Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS again. First, while we always want to recognize the importance of sacramental communion in the Mass, we also need to understand how important the time of thanksgiving and prayer after communion is. This is summarized in the Prayer After Communion offered by the celebrant and then we are also commissioned to “Go forth” during the Dismissal of the Mass, reminding us that we have been entrusted with a gift — the Word of God and the Presence of Christ in the sacrament — and that we are to share that gift with others. If we simply leave after we receive communion, we risk two things. First, there is the possibility that we will turn our reception of communion into a purely personal, individual experience that is separated from our common experience of worship — and communion in the fullest sense — and, second, we lose an opportunity for gratitude and serious reflection if we simply leave after communion. This time of thanksgiving, reflection, and, ultimately, missioning, are important and, in the end, an essential part of the celebration of the Mass. ©LPi FAITH FORMATION GOSPEL MEDITATION Greetings from faith formation! If I only knew then what I know now, how different life As we move into this new year our students are would be. This sentiment, expressed in myriad ways, continuing to prepare for receiving sacraments. Our is found on every human being’s lips at one point or second grade students will be receiving their First another. Life may have brought us to a vulnerable Reconciliation in March. Our 60 confirmandi are place where we see some of the poor choices we continuing to prepare weekly for confirmation in the made and the effects they are having. Perhaps we spring. We ask that you continue to keep all of our fell into some destructive and dysfunctional relation- parish youth in your prayers!! ships or behaviors and are finding how they held us As we enter into this season of Lent, here are some captive. Our zeal and passion for life may have wonderful and practical family resources to help our drifted away and we are waking up to the reasons children celebrate and embrace all this season has to apathy has taken hold. Life can be hard. In fact, offer: some would describe their lives as a drudgery. They walk through each day with an anxious unsettled- CatholicIcing.com ness, wondering when their restlessness will cease. TeachMama.com (Lent for modern Catholic Kids) There is a temptation to believe that what I see is all I will get. Mortality and hopelessness await the dawn. Formed.org If I could only have known what would come in the LooktoHimandBeRadiant.com future, I could have made better choices and avoided all of this misery! Please feel free to reach out to the faith formation office for more details. Really? While we can certainly give into weakness, sin, impulsiveness, and idiosyncrasies that cause us Leslee Smith, Director to stumble over ourselves, life is really a journey. If we don’t make the mistake of wallowing in the mire of selfpity and realize the new life God is calling us to, then there are thrills, adventures, surprises, and soulsearching graces we can surely miss.