My childhood best friend was Xander Price. He was the fastest runner in school, an excellent baseball player and Jewish. Though his family wasn’t intensely religious, I felt totally at home with them despite our religious differences. Everything about their Judaism seemed to undergird and strengthen my own experience of being a Catholic. I knew they didn’t believe in Jesus like my family did, but I intuited somehow that Jesus was “hiding” in their religion. Like a cat moving under a blanket, ready to emerge at any moment, the Lord was hidden there in a special way.
In the Gospel for this third Sunday of Lent, Jesus says, “For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, for he wrote of me” (John 5:46). Stunning words, those. Moses wrote about Jesus. The way therefore that we come to know and believe in Jesus is to discover him lurking in Moses’ writings. The Hebrew Scripture is the wonderful womb in which Jesus gestates within a host of images: Adam, Isaac, David, Melchizedek, the Temple, sacrificed lambs, prophets and so on. Right now, in your parish’s OCIA program, soon-to-be baptized people are carefully studying where Jesus is in the writings of Moses, so that they may believe in him. This works for all of us, too, who wish to deepen our knowledge and love of Jesus.
Lenten challenge: Take some time to prayerfully study one of the images of Jesus listed above in the Old Testament. Identify which one you find compelling and consider why this is so. If you don’t know where to start, begin with the prophet Jeremiah as an image of Jesus. — Father John Muir ©LPi
General Mass Notes
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Welcome
Welcome to our Eucharistic Celebration on this Third Sunday of Lent.
The intentions of this Mass are for all those in our special intention basket and...
Please stand for our procession.
Mass Intentions
Saturday, March 22
5:00 PM
David Wallin • †
Conception Velasquez • †
Sandie Ketelhut• †
Juan Miguel Sanchez • †
Wilbert Arias • Health
Sunday, March 23
6:00 AM
Pilar Maldonado • †
10:45 AM
Delma Jacobo • †
Alfonso Jacobo • †
Juan Marques • †
Feliz Marques • †
Stephan Sandor • Health
12:30 PM
Jorge Paez • †
Universal Prayer (Petitions)
A. For the Church, that we may bear fruit in the future in ways that we have failed to do in the past, let us pray to the Lord.
B. For world leaders, that they may recognize the humanity in the refugee, the alien, and the immigrant and never allow them to be mistreated as the Israelites were in Moses’ day, let us pray to the Lord.
C. For victims of human trafficking, and for all those without any power to leave or change a desperate situation, that they may not lose hope as they long to be freed from their captivity, let us pray to the Lord.
D. For those who mourn loved ones who have died, especially those who died suddenly and unexpectedly, that they may be comforted, let us pray to the Lord.
Announcements
1. Due to our first reconciliation of our religious education students, no confessions will occur on Mondays in March.
2. Once again, people are asking for money outside the church doors, claiming to have just arrived in the country. These people are part of an organization that takes advantage of people's generosity. We ask that you please not give money to these people. If you see someone in need, please re-direct them to the parish office, and the team will connect them with St. Margaret Center resources.
3. We invite you to our immigration information night on Thursday, March 27 at 7pm in Redahan Hall. The session will be sponsored by Catholic Charities and cover pathways to Citizenship and an overview on your rights.
4. We thank ADT Home Security 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.
