Consider someone whom we really don’t like, perhaps someone who has wronged us or someone who is socially unacceptable. What can we do to give them a second chance?

And what about ourselves? The death and resurrection of Christ assures us that God never gives up on us, even if we give up on ourselves. Perhaps we need to give ourselves a second chance and allow around us, particularly those who love us, to help us start anew. All kinds of assistance can be given, but it is up to us to be responsive to the care is given.

Women’s Day in Poland

Valentine’s Day (Walentynki) has been observed in Poland since the collapse of the Eastern European Bloc and the opening of Poland’s borders. Poles were quick to adopt Valentine’s Day and nowadays it’s as popular in Poland as anywhere else. But a holdover from Soviet Union rule — Dzień Kobiet or Women’s Day – also is celebrated on March 8.

The holiday was created in 1948, in part, to replace the Roman Catholic feast day of Blessed Wincenty Kadłubek, a 12th-century monk, but also to glorify the ideals of women as hard-working contributors to the economy – sort of a women’s equality day. Although initially this feast was enforced by the government, it became accepted and part of Polish culture. And, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it is still celebrated.

While Valentine’s Day is more privately celebrated between lovers in Poland, Women’s Day is celebrated more as a national holiday for all women, regardless of age. They receive special attention, usually flowers, sweets and small gifts, not only privately, but at work and schools. The Western trend of giving greeting cards is creeping into this holiday.

Women’s Day is now an official holiday in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, and other Eastern European countries.

Maybe we have experienced such a moment in our lives: perhaps when we fell in love for the first time, or when our first child was born, or when we found ourselves surrounded by stunning countryside. These moments of awe and wonder are the consolation experiences that, though momentary, stay with us and help us when life gets tough. At our baptism we were given the light of Christ to share with the world, a world that really needs that light. Perhaps this Lent is a time for us to reflect on our own inner beauty and to ask God to heal those areas that overshadow us and might prevent us from reflecting our light and Christ’s light to the world.

If in Christ we have been tempted, in him we overcome the devil. Do you think only of Christ’s temptations and fail to think of his victory? See yourself as tempted in him, and see yourself as victorious in him. He could have kept the devil from himself; but if we were not tempted he could not teach you how to triumph over temptation.

At the beginning of Lent we may groan at the thought of following Jesus into the desert – and for 40 days! It seems so barren and we find it hard to give up some of the consumer goods on which we are so dependent. The Church sees Lent as a time of grace when we learn to recognize anew the ways in which we have become enslaved to the various idols in our society. It may be material goods; it may be seeking status and power or anything that blocks God’s call to a deeper freedom. This is an opportunity to listen to God speaking to us in prayer. In the desert of Lent we can make a greater effort to read the scriptures and to be fed by God’s life-giving word. We can worship God not only by going to Mass more often but by sharing our material possessions with those who are in need. But most of all Lent is the time to recognize our great dignity as human beings: that we have been created by God not for slavery but for freedom.

HOLY TUESDAY, March 30th
10:00AM – Clergy Conference of the Central Diocese in Scranton, PA and Holy Mass of Chrism (4:00pm)

MAUNDY THURSDAY, April 1st
6:00PM – Holy Thursday Mass in Shenandoah.
7:30PM – Holy Thursday Mass in Frackville.

GOOD FRIDAY, April 2nd
2:00PM – The Liturgy of the Good Friday with Adoration of the Cross and Holy Communion
Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament will be held until 6:00PM.

HOLY SATURDAY, April 3rd
11:00AM – Liturgy of the Blessing of Fire, Water and Paschal Candle in Frackville
After the Liturgy – blessing of Easter food (basket)

EASTER SUNDAY, April 4th – RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD
9:00AM – Easter Procession
After Procession – Holy Mass – intention: for All Parishioners

Please continue to pray for the Parishes, people, and priests of our Seniorate.

We tend to be material people. In contemporary culture, we attach great importance to the good things in life, so much so that wealth can become an idol that we worship and build our lives around. Jesus says this is wrong choice because the path of putting worldly prosperity before God does not lead to lasting happiness. We may be surprised to discover how often warnings about wealth appear in the Gospels. When Jesus speaks of those who are rich and those who are poor, which do we think we are?

Isaiah encountered the holiness of God in the liturgy. He was given a vision of God enthroned above, surrounded by the heavenly court who cried out. He was called from the liturgy to preach the message of a holy God to an unjust society.

Paul was called by the Christ whom he had persecuted in the Church. This learned, zealous Pharisee came to acknowledge as Messiah and Son of God the crucified Jesus whom he had despised. He was aware of the failings of his past; but this did not deter him, for he was convinced that he had been called by the powerful presence of the risen Christ to be His apostle to the Gentiles.

Simon Peter was neither prophet nor learned scholar but a rough fisherman whom God called when Jesus found him with his brothers at work among his boats and nets. He had the concrete evidence of his eyes and hands, that after a security of what he knew from his everyday experience and putting out into the deep. The abundant catch of fish which almost burst the disciples’ nets was for Peter the sign of a divine presence and he was afraid: “Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man.” Peter, his fears allayed, is convinced by his experience of the divine presence in Jesus and leaves everything and follows the one who calls.

“Let us not grow weary of doing good; if we do not relax our efforts, in due time we shall reap our harvest. While we have the opportunity, let us do good to all men – but especially those of the household of the faith.” (Galatians 6:9-10)