Fr. Rick’s Pastoral Messages 2/12/23

Proposed Legislation Threatens Seal of Confessional.

Please read this letter from Bishop Solis and write your Representative.  (For easy access, click on these links from our website).

https://www.dioslc.org/landing-pages/call-to-action

Also, see the related article in the Intermountain Catholic

http://icatholic.org/article/proposed-legislation-threatens-seal-of-confessional-48916851

ASH WEDNESDAY IS FEBRUARY 22ndMass with ashes at 8:00 AM and 6:00PM.  There will also be a short liturgy with ashes at 12:00 noon.

Matrimony and Eucharist: Banquet of Love Weekly Online Marriage Enrichment

These are by far the two most popular sacraments (not including baptism) because they are the ones that most tangibly affect our lives.  Anyone who has ever gotten married can tell you that it has impacted their life drastically.  They can probably also recall how lonely and untenable life was without a spouse.  Eucharist recognizes an even deeper longing, but very much of the same variety as matrimony.  Our deepest desire comes from the soul’s desire to become one with God and everybody else.  This is the deepest human longing and never gets completely satisfied on earth, but the Eucharist, when received worthily, brings us as close as earthly possible.  These two ‘becoming one’ sacraments are key to the renewal of our Church and our world.  Please consider joining in on this Marriage Enrichment journey as part of our three-year Eucharistic revival.  Your grandchildren need this!!

https://www.dioslc.org/offices/marriage-and-family/banquet-of-love

Hospitality:  Remember that we are a ‘Hospitality Parish’ with a major outreach to our many visitors. Please sign up to help host our Sunday morning Coffee and Muffin gathering. It WOULD BE REALLY WONDERFUL TO HAVE AT LEASET ONE MORE TEAM.  Sign up list is in the gathering space.

Knight of Columbus Round Table

We missed our meeting on the last Sunday of January, so we will hold the meeting on February 26th.  Please plan on attending.  We will start off with the Rosary.  If you know any men that are interested in learning what the Knights do, invite them to come. Our primary task is to discuss if we want to host the “Mothers and Ladies Day Breakfast” on May 14th. If you have other agenda topics, pass them on to Noel Poe.

Homily Reflection

The Gospel today is probably among the most unreasonable in the whole New Testament.  OR at least seemingly unreasonable.  It surely doesn’t seem like GOOD news.  Anger at your brother. Mortal Sin.  Lustful thoughts: Mortal Sin.  Do not take a false oath. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,‘ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’  Anything more is from the evil one?  What?!  It sounds so serious.  What does that even mean?

Actually, when read with the proper attitude and intentions, this is very much Good News.  God does not command us to do anything that we are incapable of doing.  Recall in the first reading today from Sirach:  It says right at the beginning, “If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you; if you trust in God, you too shall live; he has set before you fire and water to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand.”

This of course presumes that we know the Commandments.  Also, it’s 3000 years since the 10 commandments were received by Moses and the bar has been raised quite a bit.  The law has been fulfilled in the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We now have more direct access to the Holy Spirit since Pentecost.  It’s a whole new world.

So, the REALLY GOOD NEWS is that we can avoid anger and lust and even swearing.  We don’t have to rely on our own willpower or good intentions.  We have the grace of God!  We have the wisdom and knowledge and understanding and strength OF GOD…whenever we want it.  Again, if we CHOOSE to keep the commandments and live in the SPIRIT we can be saved.  AND the grandchildren can be spared lots of unnecessary chaos and confusion.

The book referenced in today’s homily below:  See complete homily on our website.

Theology of the Body for Beginners: Rediscovering the Meaning of Life, Love, Sex, and Gender, by Christopher West (St. John Paul II on How NOT to be lustful)   https://www.amazon.com/Theology-Body-Beginners-Rediscovering-Meaning/dp/1635820073

Also. Free Sex Talk:  https://tobinstitute.kartra.com/page/YjD233