Lent and Loving God

02-26-2020Letter from the PastorFr. Don Kline, V.F.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The season of Lent gives us a chance to strengthen our relationship with Our Lord. Through daily prayer, intentional fasting, and selfless almsgiving, our relationship with God and others can help us to grow in love. God is love and the two greatest commandments emphasize the love we are called to have as a disciple of Our Lord Jesus. These two commandments are: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31}

READ MORE

The Altar or Communion Rail (Part II of III)

02-23-2020Letter from the PastorFr. Don Kline, V.F.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The celebration of Holy Mass harkens back to the Jewish worship described in the Old Testament. It is good to remember that Christianity has its roots in the Jewish traditions. Christ, as a Jew, even said: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). The Catholic Church, in her Sacred Liturgy, reaches back into the traditions of the past with great awareness of all that God has revealed throughout history. We don’t have to make up our own Mass, rather we are blessed to draw from the history of worshipping God as revealed in Sacred Scripture in connection with our Jewish brothers and sisters.

READ MORE

The Altar or Communion Rail (Part I of III)

02-16-2020Letter from the PastorFr. Don Kline, V.F.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In his book, "Nothing Superfluous" Fr. James W. Jackson, FSSP, takes a deep dive into everything that has to do with the Holy Mass. This book is for those who want to know the meaning, depth, and beauty of Sacred Liturgy. If you ever wondered why a church building has stained glass windows, high ceilings, or a tabernacle, Fr. Jackson does a great job of answering these questions and many more. I highly recommend this book.

For the next few issues of my pastor's notes, I want to focus on the function and purpose of a Communion rail. As you know, our beautiful church was built with a traditional Communion rail. The Communion rail (also called the altar rail) separates the sanctuary area from the rest of the church area. This rail is called the Communion rail because this is the place where faithful are able to kneel or stand while receiving Holy Communion.

READ MORE

World Day of the Sick – Feburary 11

02-09-2020Letter from the PastorFr. Don Kline, V.F.

This Tuesday the Church observes the World Day of the Sick. We invite those who are suffering with any sickness, their caregivers and any medical workers to attend the 8:30am mass which will include special prayers and the celebration of the Anointing of the Sick.

Pope John Paul II initiated this day of prayer in 1993 to encourage people to pray for those who suffer from chronic illness/disease, for their caregivers and for medical personnel who assist the sick. If you are old enough to recall it, the Pope himself had been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease a year before and many believe that it was his own experience of chronic illness that led him to inaugurate this day of prayer.

READ MORE

The Presentation of the Lord

02-02-2020Letter from the PastorFr. Don Kline, V.F.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This Sunday we celebrate a special feast day called the "Presentation of the Lord". The presentation took place 40 days after Our Lord's birth which is February 2nd. This special feast day is also the day the Church blesses candles that are to be used in your home throughout the coming year. Also recognized as Candlemas, this event invites us to reflect on the recent celebration of Christmas and the birth of Christ. We should also turn our minds to the approaching season of Easter. The feast of Candlemas, which we celebrate today, can be traced to the year 543 where we first hear of the "Feast of the Lighted Candles."

READ MORE