Thursday, March 18, 2021 LENTEN CONFESSIONS & STATIONS OF THE CROSS
Wednesday evenings during Lent, Little Flower will have Confessions from 6:30 - 8:00 pm and Stations of the Cross will be at 7 pm.
During Lent we will pray the rosary on Fridays from 10
PASTORAL REFLECTION Sister Madonna Lenikus, IHM
Our Savior and Redeemer gave His all that we might be saved. During Lent, as we draw closer to forty days, the spirit may still be willing but at times the flesh seems fatigued, and we possibly slacken off from our good intentions. This weakness seems to come just at the time when sacrifice, generosity, and prayer mean so much more. Remember Christ's plea to His Apostles, "Can you not watch one hour with me?" Jesus doesn't ask much of us. Even the greatest of sacrifices is meager in comparison to the crucifixion and death of Our Lord, the Son of God.
SEVEN WEEK ST JOSEPH SERIES Tomorrow is the Feast of St Joseph - Happy St Joseph's Day! On December 8, 2020, Pope Francis issued an Apostolic Letter "Patris Corde - With a Father's Heart." It commemorates the 150th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Saint Joseph as the Patron of the Universal Church. He proclaimed 2021 as the Year of Saint Joseph. Beginning with the Feast of St. Joseph on March 19th and concluding on the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1st we will feature one of the seven "Father" qualities of Saint Joseph outlined in the Apostolic Letter. Each of these qualities will include a Message, Reflection and Prayer, which have been adapted for you to ponder in your life of faith in today's world. You are invited to prayerfully reflect on the life and messages of St. Joseph and perhaps share your thoughts with your spouse, children or friends. Sister Ann Parker IHM 1. Beloved Father Friends, when I hear this reference about me, I can't help but think that "Beloved" is how our loving God feels about each one of us. I grew up practicing my Jewish faith and learned a lot about God. I also felt myself growing in my relationship with Him and gradually became aware of my task in life. I desired to be the person he wanted me to be as I matured, developed an occupation, and found myself falling in love with a beautiful woman named Mary. The time eventually came when my faith was put to the test as my Beloved Father revealed His Will to me in a strange and unexpected way. I had some difficult decisions to make and was faced with nothing but trust in His plan to guide me. After challenging and unpredictable events occurred, I eventually settled in my home in Nazareth, caring for my wife and foster child, the Beloved Son of God. I did my best, one day at a time, to fulfill my role as a beloved foster father to Jesus Christ.
Reflection & Sharing In what ways do you feel God considers you "beloved" by how you are living your life? How would you describe your relationship with God? When have you had to make a difficult decision to trust and follow God's Will? How do those entrusted to your care consider you "beloved" and special to them?
Prayers: St. Joseph, help me become more aware of God's loving relationship with me and my family.
Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; with you Christ became man. Blessed Joseph, to us too, show yourself a father and guide us in the path of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen. - Pope Francis
LENTEN PRAYERS FOR VOCATIONS During the Lenten season, we invite parishioners to pray each day for vocations. As a parish community, let us take these forty days to pray especially for those discerning a call to the religious life with the Archdiocese of Washington and the IHM Sisters. Please take a brochure at the back of church so you can follow along each day. You can also find the complete list and prayers to use on our website. This week we pray especially for:
Mar 19 - Brendan Parlett, Maycon Adams da Silva Bonfim Mar 20 - Matthew Ludwig, Caleb Gaeng Mar 22 - Joseph McHenry, Nathaniel Roberts Mar 23 - Taylor Colwell, Ryan Braam Mar 24 - Peter Trossbach, Christopher Feist Mar 25 - John Lado, Joseph Gonzalez
PRAYERS FOR THE DECEASED – Please pray for the repose of the souls of Kathleen Annarella, Michael Bradshaw, Madeleine Brown, Jeremiah Collins, Vincent DeSomma, DDS, Thomas Dimond, Agnes Donahue, William Gildea, Kathleen Kelley, Robert Keyes, Daniel Klug, Beatrice Larson, Christopher Lent, Bonnie Marosy, Deacon John McGinness, Grace Mulvihill, Jean Ostmann, Ed Padelford, Shane Potts, John Sweeney, Joan Wells, J. William Whitty.
FOR THE SICK- Please pray for the sick members of our parish and for all who are in need. Keep these and all the intentions of our parish in your prayers.
GUIDELINES FOR MASS
The Church of the Little Flower is open for Sunday and weekday Masses.
The seriousness of this pandemic, however, dictates that we follow strict guidelines and important safety measures. Please carefully read the guidelines HERE.
Masks are required to be worn at all times when in church.
Dispensation from the Sunday and Holy Day obligation remains in effect. Many options are available for participating in Mass when we cannot be present at the liturgy. View the Archdiocese of Washington list of live-streamed (and recorded) Masses and Prayers.
STEWARDSHIP CORNER
Wednesday the Church celebrates the Feast of the Annunciation. "I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to Thy word." With this short yet profound statement, Mary, the perfect steward, declares her willingness to cooperate with God's will, just as we should as we strive to discern how He wishes us to use our time and talents. Saints as Model Stewards –Tuesday is the memorial of St. Turibius de Mongrovejo (d.1606), who was sent to be the Archbishop of Lima to carry out the mandated reforms of the Council of Trent. This brilliant, energetic and zealous reformer fought the oppression of native Peruvians and abuses among the clergy. (The above was paraphrased with permission from "Steward Saints for Every Day." You can ask to receive saints' biographies regularly by email at saints@catholicstewardship.org) Lenten Reflection –"Indeed, if one thing more than another presents difficulty to the mind and understanding of man, assuredly it is the mystery of the cross, which, beyond all doubt, must be considered the most difficult of all; so much so that only with great difficulty can we grasp the fact that our salvation depends on the cross, and on Him who for us was nailed thereon." (Catechism of the Council of Trent) Job and the saints, we trust in the Lord.(Paraphrased from Human Life International newsletter)
Poor Box Donations – Donations in March will go to the Catholic Charities Healthcare Network, which assists indigents with medical problems. It has more than 3,000 medical appointments a year and refers 3,000 more. Time and Talent - If you are a medical professional and would like to learn more about how you can make your pro-bono services available to the Network, please contact Sister Romana Uzodimma at 202-481-1424 or at romana.uzodimma@cc-dc.org.
ONLINE OFFERTORY We appreciate your continued financial support during Lent. Our preferred method of giving is through our online provider, Faith Direct. The secure enrollment process is simple and takes less than 3 minutes to complete. Please consider enrolling in Faith Direct or increasing your level of giving. You may also make a safe and secure one-time gift online. God bless and many thanks.
NOTE OF THANKS FROM CATHOLIC CHARITIES This year's Christmas toy drive was a huge success despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. Our parishioners stepped up to purchase gift cards online to be distributed to several area community centers. Here is an excerpt of a note from the Catholic Charities Montgomery County Family Center: Because of your kind parishioners, we were able to assist over 1,500 children with Christmas gifts. Without your generosity this wonderful kindness would not have been possible! Thank you!
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