Jesus reveals the heart of the Father, who is love. Although we turn away from Him, God does not choose to condemn or turn away from us. As we enter the Fifth week of Lent, today’s Gospel continues to offer lessons about God’s mercy and forgiveness. Last Sunday we heard the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Today the scribes and Pharisees test Jesus by bringing a woman who had been caught in adultery. Jesus tells them that the one without sin can cast the first stone.

We are at the mid point of our Lenten journey. As we enter the Fourth Week of Lent, today is traditionally know as Laetare Sunday. Laetare is a Latin word meaning “rejoice.” Today’s Gospel describes the reason for our joy. God’s great love for us has been revealed in Jesus. Through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection, Christ has reconciled us with God and one another. The Gospel today, Luke 15: 1-3,11-32, is one of the most familiar Gospel passages in our faith tradition. It is commonly referred to as the Gospel of the Prodigal Son. It is great comfort to know that, even when we feel lost in sin, God is waiting to embrace us and forgive us when we return with repentant hearts.

Our God is a merciful God. If the rescue of the Chosen People from captivity did not make that apparent, sending the Son to suffer and die for the sins of humanity proved the unprecedented extent of that mercy. In the Responsorial Psalm we prayed, The Lord is kind and merciful. The Lord abounds in kindness and is slow to anger. May we continue to experience the mercy and kindness of our loving God.

Today on our journey through this penitential season we are reminded of the promise the Lord makes to us. God asked Abraham to look up to the heavens and witness the uncountable stars in the sky. In the Gospel of Luke, Peter, James, and John were able to see Jesus in glory with Moses and Elijah, dazzling on the mountaintop. As they witness the Transfiguration of Jesus, a cloud came over them and a voice said, “This is my beloved Son—listen to Him.” The season of Lent offers us opportunities to sharpen our listening skills, especially listening to the voice of the Lord.

Lent is a season when we focus on the real struggles that accompany the living of the Christian life. Today’s Gospel give us an indication of the kinds of struggles we can anticipate. Saying “yes” to God and “no” to evil is sometimes not the easiest thing to do. During times of struggle and conflict, we turn to God, trusting that He will accompany us during our moment of need. Our faith in God enables us to face these times of stress, to look to the Lord for strength to handle trauma, to resist temptation, and to hope in eternal life. As we begin this holy season of Lent, we enter the desert with Jesus to confront the Evil One and resist false and empty promises.

Mass with Ashes, 6:30 am & 7:00 pm Liturgy of the Word with Ashes, 12:10 pm Monthly Adoration, 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm Benediction, 6:00 pm

With Mardi Gras Day on Tuesday, we know that the following day is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten Season. Lent is a forty (40) day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It is a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; we serve by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ’s will more faithfully. We recall the waters of baptism in which we were baptized into Christ’s death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ.

Today’s Gospel is again from the Sermon on the Plains where Jesus continues to call people to discipleship and instructs them on what is required and expected of His followers. Love your enemies, Jesus tells us, challenging society’s values and even common sense. Why should we love those who have hurt us? Well, one of the greatest gifts we can give is our mercy. We may feel that our enemy doesn’t deserve our mercy, but it may help to realize that it is God’s mercy that we extend—that it is God’s mercy that counts. As Jesus tells us in the Gospel, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Today’s Gospel is very familiar to us. It is taken from Saint Luke’s account of the “Sermon on the Plain.” While it is similar to Saint Matthew’s, “Sermon on the Mount,” there are obvious differences. Jesus had gone to a mountain to pray, which Luke tells us He does before important moments in His life. After Jesus prays, He choses the 12 Apostles. Then He comes down from the mountain with the 12 to level ground, where there is a large crowd of His disciples and other people waiting for Him. In Saint Luke’s version of the Beatitudes, Jesus, in St. Luke’s Gospel, is very straightforward and focused on what is important and what is not. We might reflect on, “where do I see Blessings or woes in my life? If I am experiencing “woes,” how can it be changed?

CONGRATULATIONS to St. Peter School on receiving accreditation from Cognia, formerly AdvanceEd. At this time, I would especially like to thank Mrs. Marie Comeaux, principal of St. Peter School, the faculty, staff, students, and parents for all the hard work that was done to accomplish this major task.

This week is designated as Catholic Schools Week. The theme this year is: “Catholic Schools: Faith, Excellence, and Service”—focuses on the core of Catholic education. For ninetytwo (92) years, St. Peter Catholic School has provided quality Catholic education to students of the River Parish area. We may be small, but our students succeed successfully in high school and beyond.

The Knights of Columbus CYLA Scholarship is open to all Catholic graduating High School Seniors. Local winners will receive a scholarship and compete at the State level for up to a $5,000 1st place prize. Application deadline is January 25th, 2022. The application is located on the Louisiana KC website, http://louisianakc.org/programs/ cyla. Once completed, signatures must be obtained and the completed application turned in to Council #2436 in Reserve. Contact Robert Beadle or Joel Ocmand for additional details.

Today, on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is known as Sunday of the Word of God. This is an annual observance aimed at helping us grow in a deeper appreciation of the Sacred Scriptures. The General Instructions of the Roman Missal states, “When the Sacred Scriptures are read in Church, God Himself speaks to His people, and Christ, present in His word, proclaims the Gospel” (GIRM, # 29). The words of Sacred Scripture are unlike any other texts we will ever hear—for they not only give us information, but also, they are the vehicle God uses to reveal Himself to us, the means by which we come to know the depth of God’s love for us, and the responsibilities entailed by being Christ’s followers, members of His Body. I urge you to take time to prayerfully read the Greatest Love Story of all time—the Sacred Word of God as found in the Bible.

As I mentioned last week, we are in the Ordinary Time of the Church year. It will last from now until Mardi Gras day (March 1, 2022). The Mardi Gras season is long this year, giving us more time to eat “King Cake.” Today’s readings from Sacred Scripture reveal the transformative effect God has upon the world. Isaiah prophesies that God will transform the Israelites and their land from “forsaken” to “espoused,” as a suitor rejoices in his bride. Saint Paul extols the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which transforms each person differently, but all to serve the same Lord. In the Gospel, Jesus transforms water into wine at a wedding in Cana, revealing His glory and inspiring His disciples to believe in Him. As we listen to God’s Word, let us reflect on how God will transform us and our world.

The ChristmasEpiphany season officially comes to a close with today the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Ordinary Time resumes tomorrow (Monday, January 10 th ) and goes until Tuesday, March 1st (Mardi Gras). Today’s feast celebrates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan by John the Baptist. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove and a voice from the heavens rang out, “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.” No dove was seen, or voice heard when we were baptized, yet the Holy Spirit did descend upon us in baptism and we were welcomed into this holy family, initiated into the body of Christ.

By now many have undecorated the Christmas trees and their homes and have returned to “normal” events in life; however, the Church is still within the Christmas-Epiphany Season. Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany. Aware of the significance of the blessed star and drawn by its distinctive light, the magi traveled from distant lands to reach Bethlehem. They are the first people outside the immediate area to come and greet the newborn king. Today’s liturgy celebrates the manifestation of God to the whole world, not only to Jerusalem.

Yesterday, we gathered as a faith community to celebrate the greatest gift of all time—the birth of Jesus, Emmanuel: God-with-us. Today, we continue to celebrate the Christmas season with the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. In the opening Collect (Opening Prayer) the Church prays, “O God, who were pleased to give us the shining example of the Holy Family, graciously grant that we may imitate them in practicing the virtues of family life and in the bonds of charity…” Families come in all shapes and sizes, but we are all part of a family. The Church, too, is a family of believers, who comes together to support one another in our journey of faith.