Class will be held today. Please drive with care. If you feel that your roadways are not safe, please don’t travel and contact your children’s teacher for makeup work. 4th Grade Class mass will be held at St. John.

April 2-3

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ, 

Today there is a subtle but significant shift in our Lenten journey.  Presently, we have been responding to Our Lord’s call, “to repent and believe the Good News”. We have taken seriously the need for repentance and making a change in our lives if they have not been in conformity with the Gospel. Now, we focus on the very act of God in the Passion of Jesus Christ, which has made that repentance and renewal of life possible. In this season of Passiontide, ever more intently, we consider the price of our salvation. The words of the prophet Isaiah in today’s First Reading echo the voice of God: “…see I am doing something new!”…  The “new” is the re-creation of humanity through the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. Though mankind did not comprehend the mystery of this New Creation, and many still do not today; this merciful act of God has expiated our sins and restored our relationship with our Heavenly Father. 

Every act and deed of our Lord was a preparation and focus on what He would do on Calvary. Think of the adulterous women in today’s Gospel. Why was there no punishment for her on the part of Jesus? That is because He would take the punishment upon Himself.  Whereas the women, and we ourselves, should pay the price for our sins, He took our place. There on the cross began “something new;” there began the new creation.  

Mindful of what our Savior has done for us we must make every effort to recall these days by our participation in all of the forthcoming celebrations of Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum (three days). You will find enclosed in today’s bulletin a schedule of all that will be offered. Please keep it in a prominent place in your home as you make your preparations for participating in these most important days of our salvation. 

With Blessings, 

Father Langan

March 26-27

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On this Laetare Sunday we rejoice in having passed our halfway mark of Lent and set our hearts and minds on the joy of celebrating soon the glorious days of the Sacred Triduum. Before Easter is upon us we need to make plans now for a worthy celebration of the Paschal Mysteries.  WHen my brothers and sister were children my dear mother made a “game” out of our annual spring cleaning.  Just about every nook and corner of the house was exposed and like an army of ants we attacked those places where the dust bunnies found a home.  They were dealt a mortal blow.  And a victorious mom would remind us how fresh and clean everything smelled.  Of course one of the main objectives of the spring cleaning was our getting to Confession.  Though always a regular practice it carried a special weight around the latter days of Lent in preparation of Easter.  Just as we banged-out the dust from the carpets as they hung on the clothesline( are there such any more?) with the wire carpet banger ( what a way to get out your frustrations) so we should bang out our sins in the confessional and get a fresh new start in our lives.

     St. Paul stresses the newness of life in Christ through the ministry of reconciliation which is exactly what Confession is. How perfectly this is portrayed in today’s parable of the Prodigal Son.  We are all prodigals and all in need of the Father’s mercy and forgiveness which comes to us through the death and Resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.  The prodigal was transformed by the father’s love.  He felt once again at home, loved and restored. Experience the same as you make a heartfelt confession in the days ahead.

With Blessings,

Father Langan

There will be an altar server training tomorrow (3/19) for all current prospective altar servers in St. Mary Magdalen Church at 2:00 P.M.

March 19-20

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In the Gospel today Our Lord addresses the very question most of us ask: “why do the innocent suffer?”  Our daily, if not hourly, following of the tragic and immoral conflict in Ukraine magnifies this consternation all the more.   Those posing the question to Our Lord suspected that those who lost their lives were wicked and thus deserved punishment.  Our Lord corrects their erroneous thinking but at the same time warns them not to sink into a sinful life.  So often we want answers from God to the questions that perplex us and when we do not receive the anticipated outcome we rebel or reject what has been revealed.  We are dealing with the mystery of suffering, the consequence of what has afflicted humanity since the fall of our first parents. That is the reality we have to face.

            The antidote to this is faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  Until the end of time we will be faced with the evil man perpetrates against man.  It does not mean that we just throw up our hands in despair but instead embrace the power of prayer and forgiveness as Jesus taught us.  Easy?  No!  But with the Lord all things are possible.  And so we start with ourselves, coming before Him who is kind and merciful.  When we get our own house in order through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we are better equipped to deal with the uncertainties and miseries of life.   Being reconciled with God and neighbor we are more able to sympathize with those who suffer needlessly and become empathetic with them.   May our prayer and sacrifice with and for the Ukrainian people and for the conversion of those inflicting such violence bring an end to the hostilities and eventual peace.  May the souls lost in the violence of war now behold the face of God.

God Bless,

Father Langan

Faith Formation classes will be cancelled March 13th due to weather conditions. Be safe! The 4th Grade Class Mass will be postponed to April 3rd, 10:30 Mass.

March 12-13

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

     Sometimes we have to take a step back and ask the Lord, “Do you really mean that?”   This is not meant to be an impertinent question, but rather an attempt at serious introspection for the good of our soul.  We are the sinners and yet God in His unfathomable mercy comes to us to make a covenant, an agreement to be with us and watch over us intimately.   Thus begins that all important covenant with Abraham, our father in faith.  Though the particulars of the covenant may be strange to us the bottom line is that God will always be faithful even if we are not and that He longs for us to be with Him for all eternity. The covenant that He makes with Abraham begins the longed-for re-union with our Creator.  

     This covenant culminates in the personal covenant we believers have as a result of our Baptism.  The Father comes to seek us out, the Son dies for us that we may have life; the Spirit inflames us with the love of God.  Where there is fire there is warmth and light.  The Fire of the Holy Spirit purifies and ignites an energy to follow the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, wherever He asks us to go. In this our Heavenly Father takes great delight in each one of us personally and we take comfort and joy in knowing that we are children of God.

    During Lent, we indeed, meditate on and take great joy in our Baptism, our personal covenant with God and though the brilliance of that covenant sometimes becomes obscured by sin, God again steps forward to give us a “good wash” in the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession.  This is the acceptable time to restore the glow of our covenant, to rid ourselves of the dross of sin by coming to the Lord, through His priests, and receive the assurance of His mercy.  Yes, indeed, how odd of God to keep coming to us and renewing the covenant.  Such is the love the Lord has for us.

     Pray ceaselessly for the people of Ukraine and the conversion of Russia.  Our Lady of Fatima pray for us.

With Blessings,

Father Langan

The Sunday 10:30 Mass will be held in St. Mary Magdalen Church.

The 4:00 Vespers Services will also be held in St. Mary Magdalen Church.

Class will be held today. Please drive with care. If you feel that your roadways are not safe, please don’t travel and contact your children’s teacher for makeup work.