One of my favorite new singers/songwriters is Noah Kahan. I’m a little biased because, like me, he is originally from Vermont. In a fine song entitled “Stick Season,” he sings of his hope to “cancel out the darkness I inherited from dad.” This lyric articulates his painful recognition of a dark spiritual “inheritance” from his father, and his hope to be free of it. We all inherit some degree of evil from our earthly forebears. It’s easy to feel doomed to repeat their darknesses.
But we’re not so doomed, thank God. This week’s Gospel proclaims this. Whatever good or bad we received from our parents, we have a more definitive and perfect inheritance in God. Jesus commands us, “Be merciful just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). We have a perfect Father in heaven and are destined to inherit and reflect that perfect and merciful love. We have an inheritance of light, not darkness, and thus a whole new possibility of magnanimous love. Like any inheritance, this is a free gift to us.
What are we destined to repeat? Not the darkness of our earthly parents. We are destined to be a reflection of God’s life. Jesus liberates us from the inevitability of repeating whatever evils and imperfections are in our familial or cultural upbringings. It’s time to claim that perfect inheritance. — Father John Muir ©LPi
General Mass Notes
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Welcome
Welcome to our Eucharistic Celebration on this Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.
The intentions of this Mass are for all those in our special intention basket and...
Please stand for our procession.
Mass Intentions
Saturday, February 22
5:00 PM
David Wallin • †
Conception Velasquez • †
Guadalupe Ortega • Birthday
Sunday, February 23
6:00 AM
Pilar Maldonado • †
10:45 AM
Antonio Diaz Solis • †
Anthony & Michael Ramos • †
Joaquin Navarro • †
Carolyn Huddleston • †
12:30 PM
Melida De Mejia • †
Edilberto Capangpangan • †
Mario Alberto Mena • †
Universal Prayer (Petitions)
A. For the worldwide Church, that we may be a model of mercy and understanding by reaching out to those who have criticized or opposed its teachings or its leaders, let us pray to the Lord.
B. That nations in conflict may reconcile their differences, finding a way to overcome their current divisions and envision a future in which their peoples can coexist alongside each other, let us pray to the Lord.
C. That generals, soldiers, and all members of the military may conduct themselves in accordance with international humanitarian law, using aggression only when absolutely necessary and taking care to avoid the loss of innocent lives, let us pray to the Lord.
D. That we may have the courage to embrace the countercultural actions of loving our enemies, turning the other cheek, lending without expecting repayment, and giving to anyone who asks, let us pray to the Lord.
Announcements
1. We thank Tanners Sewing company for sponsoring our bulletin; their information can be found on the last page of our bulletin. If you have a business and would like to sponsor our weekly bulletin, you can call the phone number at the bottom of the last page.
