March 11-12

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We are well aware that Lent provides us with an important time to evaluate our life in the light of Christ and His teachings, but it also makes us focus on what  He has done for us personally. First, we are fashioned in His and the Father’s image and likeness thus giving  us life. Secondly, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we  become a new creation through the waters of Baptism in the womb of Mother Church. Did you realize  that the Baptismal Font symbolizes both a tomb and  a womb. It is where we “die” to this world and rise  with Christ to the promise of eternal life. Whenever you are in Church contemplate the Baptismal Font.  There God has fulfilled His promise to you, that He  would send a Savior to free you from sin and prepare  a place for you in His eternal kingdom. 

When we prepare our children for the Sacrament of their First Confession the Font plays a primary role in their understanding of their journey in the Faith.  Baptism, of course, happens only once, but because God in His mercy continues to offer us salvation and freedom from sin, we are able through the Sacrament of Confession/Reconciliation to once again enjoy the innocence attained at our Baptism. Oh how great and merciful is the Lord! 

In both the account of Exodus and the Gospel of today there is thirst for water. Surely, there is the need for the element that sustains life. That is, the natural and physical yearning. However, there is another thirst and that is for the mercy of God. We cannot live without either one. That which sustains us for the earthly journey also symbolizes the thirsting for unity with Him Who made us. Christ brings us the waters of life. 

As we examine our consciences during this holy season ask yourself, what are you thirsting for? Does the burden of sin keep you dry and lifeless? Where are the refreshing waters to be found? Where is the joy of life to be restored? It is in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

With Blessings, 

Father  Langan

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Sometimes we forget and sometimes we forget big time. That is how I see it when it comes to the “forgetfulness” of Peter, James and John post-Trans figuration. Our Blessed Lord, in order to lessen the trauma of His Passion upon the disciples, gave them a glimpse of the glory that is to come with His Resurrection from the dead. In the chaos that began with the arrest in Gethsemane, it seemed that there was a blacking-out on the part of the disciples who were privileged to encounter the divinity of Jesus on Tabor.  How could something as glorious as the Transfiguration slip their minds? Perhaps on a lesser scale, the same thing happens to us.  

In the midst of trials and difficulties, we too forget the glorious manifestations of God’s goodness. May be we have become too screen-occupied and fail to appreciate the real beauty of human beings and the natural world we live in. How strange it is that we have allowed the artificial world to consume our time and attention. Lent provides a great opportunity for us to re-direct and re-focus our hearts and minds.  The method for achieving this is prayer and meditation. Having recently climbed Mt. Tabor with my fellow pilgrims, I can assure you that there was plenty of time for meditation and appreciation of the natural world. Jesus very specifically chose that setting to remind us that it is His world, which He has offered to us. Certainly, that is quite contrary to the deceiver’s, i.e., Satan’s, audacity in “attempting” to offer the world to Our Lord in last Sunday’s account of the temptation in the desert. Satan tries to pull the same stunt on us in trying to make us forget the wonders of God’s love and mercy, the two things that transfigure us and the world. A solid and well-disciplined prayer life helps us to avoid the scoundrel’s attack on the serenity of our souls. Unlike the three disciples chosen to encounter the Transfigured Lord, let us happily recall the glorious moments that He has allot ted us even when things seem bleak. Why? Because Christ was victorious, and we shall be as well. 

With Blessings, 

Father Langan

Catholic Daughters, Court St. Martin #418 will be holding a Manhattan Clam Chowder Pre-Order Sale on March 10 at the garage at St. Mary’s Parking Lot from 11:00 A.M to 2:00 PM.  Please place your order by contacting Rosaria Vlacich at 570-470-8438 .  Quantities are limited.

Ash Wednesday

7:25 AM St. Mary Magdalen

12:05 PM St. Mary Magdalen

4:00 PM St. Mary Magdalen (Distribution of Ashes Only)

5:00 PM St. Joseph, Rileyville

6:00 PM St. Bernard, Beach Lake*

Stations of the Cross (Fridays)

11:30 AM St. Mary Magdalen

5:00 PM St. Joseph, Rileyville

6:00 PM St. Bernard, Beach Lake*

7:00 PM St. Mary Magdalen

*Please note changes to Beach Lake Schedule

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

 Since the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, we have been hearing and contemplating the Sermon on the Mount.  Our Lord has outlined for us the manner and challenge of how we are to live our Christian life.  In today's Scripture, we hear particularly about "forgiveness”.  Starting with the passages from the Book of Leviticus and then St. Paul's reprimand of the Corinthians and then the continuation of the Sermon, we are made ever more aware of the necessity to forgive if we are to enter Eternal Life.  A big challenge indeed. 

 When we are hurt physically or spiritually what is our initial reaction? Immediately the person or persons who have done us harm are thought less of and perhaps we readily dismiss them.  One might say this is only a human reaction and so it may be.  But when we recall that our human nature is broken by original and actual sin we realize that forgiveness is reliant upon the grace of God working in us to repair and restore our own brokenness and thus prepare us to restore the rift.

St. Paul gives us the beautiful imagery that we are the temples of God and that the Holy Spirit dwells within us.  When we consider this we have to access what that "temple" looks like.  Does it glow with the glory of God's presence or is it shabby and unfit for the Lord?  Only a good examination of conscience can tell. 

These essential readings are a perfect springboard for us as we enter this coming Wednesday into the disciple of Lent.  With the imposition of ashes we begin the effort of restoring the beauty of the "temple" that God has made.  And a great part of the restoration happens when we implement the devotional practices of Lent beginning with the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  In order to be people of forgiveness we start with our receiving forgiveness from God in this most comforting of Sacraments.  You will find in today's bulletin the many opportunities to journey through Lent and come closer to the Lord.  May we embrace these disciples that assist us in being disciples of forgiveness.

With Blessings,
Father Langan

February 11-12

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

When I was an altar boy, very many years ago, I listened attentively to the proclamation of the Gospel, first announced in Latin and then by the priest in English. Two words which remained in Hebrew always caught my attention: “yot” and “tittle”, Since then, these mysterious terms have been translated into English and rendered in today’s Gospel as “…not the smallest letter of the law, not the smallest part of the letter of the law shall be done away with…”. The meaning to is obvious. The “yot” is our equivalent to a period and the “tittle”, an apostrophe. Such little marks in the Hebrew language can and does effect the meaning and interpretation of the Word of God. What seems to be insignificant is of absolute importance.

I am not trying to get into an etymological discourse here, but rather appreciating the beauty of the Word of God as it teaches us how to observe the world and wonders around us, most especially as we relate to and perceive one another. No one and no thing is insignificant in the eyes of God. All has emanated from the infinite mind which we will never comprehend. We do, however, understand that God has indeed made all for good and it is our privilege to revere and respect that which is considered unimportant in the eyes of the world. This is the wisdom we hear spoken of in today’s lesson from Corinthians: to see the world as God sees it and to see each and every person as a reflection of the wonders of God’s creation no matter how broken they may be by sin or unexpected circumstances. Jesus Christ came to redeem us all, to restore the beauty of Creation. We continue His mission by the way we deal with the “yots and tittles” of life.

In ten days time we shall be entering the Holy Season of Lent. Now is the time to make plans as to how you will enter into this season of penance and preparation for the great and glorious season of Easter. Your parish will be offering many opportunities to enrich your spiritual growth. In next week’s bulletin we shall list those devotions that will help you make a fruitful Lent.

With Blessings,
Father Langan

We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name.

With You alone to guide us, make Yourself at home in our hearts;

Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it.

We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder.

Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path

nor partiality influence our actions.

Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life

and not stray from the way of truth and what is right.

All this we ask of You, who are at work in every place and time,

in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever.

Amen.

December 4-5

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Pope Francis has recently called for a Church-wide Synod in order to address serious issues that are presently affecting the Church.  During this Synod process he desires to hear from Catholics throughout the world.  Everyone’s participation is encouraged and the information received over the next year and a half will be collated and presented to the Holy See prior to the Bishops’ Synod with the Holy Father in 2023.  In the meantime, both on the diocesan and parish level, discussions will be taking place to address the questions and concerns presented.

One of the foundations of the Catholic Faith is belief that God is present in each and every person.  The Church values the art of listening and has used the concept of Synodality as a means of listening to the voice of Christ alive in believers.  Synod is a gathering of members of the Church who invoke the power of the Holy Spirit to enlighten and guide both individuals and the collective body to arrive at healthy and peaceful solutions.  As a parish we will have our first of several listening sessions on Wednesday evening December 15th at 7 pm in Holy Family Hall (St. John’s).  In preparation for the gathering I ask those who will be in attendance to go to the Diocese of Scranton website and peruse the information regarding the Synod.  There are several surveys to review. Please be sure to answer and be prepared to bring your response to the meeting.  Let us remember that our participation is always to be carried out in the utmost charity and concern for one another.

On behalf of our parishioners and myself I extend our thanks to Hessling Funeral home for the beautiful calendars for 2022.  As always, they reflect the best in Catholic Art and are truly inspirational.  And our thanks to the anonymous donor of the two angel wreaths on the doors of St. Mary Magdalen.   Mysteriously they appear every year and I don’t know who to personally thank but they certainly are a sign of someone’s love for their parish.

Advent Blessings to All, 

Father Langan

November 27-28

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ, 

Often in life things happen quickly and we find ourselves unprepared.  So it seems with Advent. Who hasn’t asked themselves,”… you mean it’s here already? Indeed it is! Happily this year we have nearly four full weeks of this season of preparation before  we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus  Christ. How then shall we use this time? Let us look  to what mothers do when they anticipate the birth  of their child. A nursery is generally cleaned, painted,  decorated and made into a welcoming place for the  newborn. There is extraordinary excitement even in  the midst of calm and meditative waiting. These very  common responses of an expectant mother are also  a profound lesson for how we can prepare our souls  for the birth of Christ. 

Of course, Our Lord has already been born, but spiritually He desires to be, in a sense, born again in our  hearts and souls. Thus we must prepare ourselves  for that rebirth. We ask, “Have I prepared my soul to  welcome the King?” Has our soul become cluttered  and dusty with sin? Is it a fitting place to welcome a  new-born? God in His mercy and graciousness has  given us the means to prepare the nursery of our  souls—Confession, the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  During Advent, amid the hustle and bustle of the  season, our first priority should be to make a good  Confession. As you know, your priests are available  daily, before and after Mass to hear confessions. We  also have, at St Mary Magdalen, Confessions from  10:30 to 12 noon every Saturday. In case of a funeral  we will hear confessions at St John’s. 

May God bestow wondrous graces upon you during  this Holy Season as we prepare for the Coming of the  Lord. 

In His Peace, 

Father Langan