Dear Parishioners,
As we continue our Lenten season, you may notice that I am bringing back Latin Masses for three Fridays in Lent (March 2nd, 9th and 16th). I am doing this because the Masses in Advent and especially the High Mass on the Feast of the Holy Innocents went very well. Afterward, people kept asking me when was the next time I would have a Latin Mass and whether or not I would make it part of the Sunday schedule. The only main complaint I received is that some felt the Masses were too late. So, I’m having them at 5 pm this time.
As you know, I have a strong devotion to the Latin Mass. I find it particularly peaceful, meaningful and solemn. If it were just up to me, I would immediately take on the burden of an additional Mass early on Sundays even if it were just once a month or special occasions. There is one major limiting factor to this happening though: I don’t have servers willing to serve this form of the Mass. For the previous Latin Masses, I have borrowed servers from another parish and they have to travel a distance in order to be here. I have asked around a little bit to see if anyone is interested in serving the Latin Mass. But so far, no takers. So, if you know of any young man that may enjoy this form of the Mass, feel free to invite them to come to some of these Friday Masses. We could use some extra help.
Still, I’m glad that so many people have responded well to having the Latin Mass. If you have never seen one before, you owe yourself a chance to see this great treasure of Christianity.
God bless!
Fr. Carter
STEWARDSHIP REFLECTION: YOU ARE GIFTED
We are used to hearing the term “gifted” applied to people of exceptional ability or talent. Yet each of us is gifted. Through God’s grace, each of us has strengths, gifts, talents, and abilities without which the Body of Christ, the Church, is incomplete. This key dimension of stewardship — the use of our gifts in service to others — is the one many Catholics have the most trouble with. We can see ourselves, with prayer and sacrifice, giving more of our time and our treasure. But talent? That’s for those other people, the “gifted” ones, we think. The term “talent” for a gift with which we have been entrusted by God comes from Jesus’ Parable of the Talents, where it originally meant a valuable coin. Like the stewards in the parable, entrusted with valuable commodities by our Master, will we hide them away in fear, or invest them for great return? Spend some time this week thinking about the gifts that you alone can share with our parish community and the wider world — and then make a plan to share them. “As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10)