Ash Wednesday Mass: Please invite your friends, co-workers, etc. to our Ash Wednesday celebration. You do not have to be Catholic to receive ashes. The Mass will start at 12:15 PM, March 9, 2011.
First Communion and Confirmation: We are trying to schedule the Archbishop to be here Saturday and Sunday of May 28 and May 29. Let us know if this time will not work for you.
Around the Mission: Our Cherokee Warrior II is getting an annual inspection for Tibbett’s Airmotive in King Salmon. It should be done in a couple weeks. I was in Anchorage all week attending training for the New Roman Missal. I returned on Thursday. On Friday I flew with Grant Aviation to Clarks Point where I prayed a rosary with Louise and Betty Gardener and ate lunch at the school with the children. John Bouker picked me up at Clarks and donated the air fare back to Dillingham. John has a crucifix (we at Holy Rosary gave him) hanging on his compass. I then flew to King Salmon and back on Saturday, March 5, with Penair for Mass at Saint Theresa at noon.
After stoping in Manokotak and picking up a family, Bush Pilot John Paul Bouker dropped by Clarks Point and flew me back to Dillingham. John donated the Air Fare to Holy Rosary Catholic Church. Thank you so much John Paul!
The crucifix Holy Rosary gave John Paul Bouker always hangs from his compass.
Gospel: The readings talk about sin and temptation. Please see homily and readings below.
Have a wonderful week and see you Ash Wednesday! Fr. Scott
ASH WEDNESDAY HOMILY AND READINGS
Ash Wed 2011 DLG, Joel 2:12-18;2Cor5:20—6:2;Mt 6:1-6&16-18
During Lent, the Penitential rite and creed are not said on Ash Wed. Throughout Lent, the Gloria is not recited and the Alleluia is not said or sung. The Altar should not be decorated with flowers
Ashes remind us of mortality, repentance, and reform. In other words the ashes remind us that we are fragile, that we die, to be sorry for our sins, and the necessity to change our lives.
Ash Wednesday begins Lent. The season of Lent is to help prepare new members entering the church. We also celebrate it to prepare ourselves for Easter. We do this through Confession, Penance and the renewal of our baptismal vows. I encourage all of you to call me and make an appointment to go to confession.
Ash Wednesday and Fridays of Lent are days of universal abstinence and fasting in the church.
Abstinence means that we do not eat (we abstain) from meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays of Lent. It was a part of the Christian practice for about 40 years. All ages must abstain from meet on Ash Wednesday and Fridays of Lent
Fasting is a bit different. Only those who are 18 years of age through 59 should fast. There are two main reasons to fast and two different types of fasting.
Main reasons. (1) to prepare for a great event, i.e. Easter and (2) and to prepare for penance.
Actually, fasting can be given as a penance. Fasting takes discipline. Only if we are disciplined will God’s grace work within us. Fasting is an offering made for a favor. For example, one might beg for healing then fast for a day.
There is the complete and partial fast.
Complete Fast: Fast for all of Lent or fast every Friday. For example, one might completely cut out coffee, deserts, or fats for all of lent or every Friday.
Partial Fast: We do not have to just stop eating. For example, If you love coffee everyday, drink one less cup per day.
We are asked to do a partial fast. On Friday’s of Lent, eat only one full meal. Smaller quantities of food may be taken at two other meals. We are also asked not to snack.
For Lent, I encourage all of you to give up something destructive in you life or add something good. In the past I have given up (Complete Fast) chewing tobacco, coffee, and cable TV. One lent I added on to my daily prayer reading the gospel in Spanish. This year I plan to pray the rosary all every day for the 40 days of Lent.
In a few minutes you will receive ashes. Ashes remind us just how fragile we are. We can die at any time. God created us and can take us at any time.
Now, I will Bless the ashes. Then you will all come forward to receive the ashes on your forehead (485 Words).
REMEMBER YOU ARE DUST
AND TO DUST YOU WILL RETURN
Joel 2: 12-18;
Yet even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment. Perhaps he will again relent and leave behind him a blessing, Offerings and libations for the LORD, your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion! proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the people, notify the congregation; Assemble the elders, gather the children and the infants at the breast; Let the bridegroom quit his room, and the bride her chamber. Between the porch and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep, And say, "Spare, O LORD, your people, and make not your heritage a reproach, with the nations ruling over them! Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'" Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land and took pity on his people.
2 Corinthians 5: 20—6:2;
So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: "In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you." Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Mt 6:1-6&16-18
"(But) take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.
FIRST SUNDAY LENT HOMILY AND READINGS
1st Lent Sun A DLG 2011, Genesis 2:7-9&3:1-7; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11
Many of you probably do not know that sins can be forgiven right here during Mass. They are forgiven during the Penitential rite. At the beginning of Mass I have three introductions to the Penitential rite, Form A, B, and C. Form A is, “As we Prepare to Celebrate the Mystery of Christ’s of Christ’s Love, let us call to mind our Sins.” Form B is, “Coming together as God’s Family with confidence let us ask the Father’s forgiveness, for he is full of gentleness and compassion.” Form C is, “My brothers and sisters, to prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries, let us call to mind our sins.”
So, after we here this introduction to the penitential rite, or similar words, there should be a silence. During that silence, we call to mind our venial sins. Then the remainder of the penitential rite absolves us of those venial sins.
So, how do we distinguish between a venial sin that can be forgiven during the penitential rite, and mortal sins that we have to confess? Well believe it our not our Catechism is not clear-cut. The Church is concerned with how GRAVE a sin is? For example, if I got up in the morning and told my self I was going to lie to my boss at lunchtime, then that would be a premeditated lie…I planned to lie to my boss. That is not a venial sin.
On the other hand, if you happened to be talking to your boss, and accidentally told a lie, that could be a venial sin.
So, as you can see, any sin could be a mortal sin that needs to be confesses. However, things like accidentally telling white lies, catching yourself gossiping and stopping, and swearing without meaning to are probably considered venial sins. Also, ask yourself, and be honest, is this a grave problem? Is the sin really bothering me?
Our catechism says, “Venial sin allows charity and love to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it. Mortal sin destroys charity and love in the heart of people by a grave violation of God’s law. It turns Man away from God by preferring an inferior good to him” (CCC 1855).
For a sin to be mortal:
1. It must be of a grave matter, i.e. and offense against the 10 commandments
2. It is committed with full knowledge, i.e. one understands how grave it is
3. It is done with deliberate consent, i.e., you know it’s wrong but still do it.
Every sin can be traced back to a focus on ourselves…what satisfies me, my needs, my wants, what makes me feel good. Sin is not always something major like killing, stealing, or adultery.
Sin can be when you think only of yourself and your needs. Sin is when you hardly ever think about what God wants or other people want.
The Gospel gives us a great lesson about sin. When we start focusing on ourselves, then the devil starts to win. Focusing on ourselves seems natural. The devil knows this. The devil temps Jesus several times. Every temptation tries to get Jesus to think only of himself. “Turn stones to bread so YOU won’t starve.” All of these Kingdoms can be YOURS.” Jesus refused to put himself first and thus he was able to hear his calling from God and fulfill it.
Here is our slogan for Lent: Say no to self and yes to God (575 Words).
Genesis 2:7-9&3:1-7
The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being. Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and he placed there the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow that were delightful to look at and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and bad. Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the LORD God had made. The serpent asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?" The woman answered the serpent: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, 'You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.'" But the serpent said to the woman: "You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad." The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
Romans 5:12-19
Therefore, just as through one person sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned -- for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come. But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by that one person's transgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one person Jesus Christ overflow for the many. And the gift is not like the result of the one person's sinning. For after one sin there was the judgment that brought condemnation; but the gift, after many transgressions, brought acquittal. For if, by the transgression of one person, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one person Jesus Christ.
In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all. For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous.
Matthew 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread." He said in reply, "It is written: 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you and 'with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.'" Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me." At this, Jesus said to him, "Get away, Satan! It is written: 'The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.'" Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.
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