Rich: On this Laetare Sunday we hear St. Paul tell us that “God is rich in mercy.” Jesus tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”
Pope Francis puts it daringly: “When everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved.” God is hard at work to save us – from evil and failure and ruin and darkness. God’s plan is to bring us into eternal life. God’s love is certain; our response is the great drama in life. We have free will; how do we respond to this amazing love?
Who is blind? The Church today also celebrates the 2nd scrutiny with those who will receive the Sacraments at the Easter Vigil for the first time. The Gospel is the healing by Jesus of a man blind from birth. Jesus gets into an intense discussion with the Pharisees, who continue to question Him. Jesus is trying to show us that those who think they can see are really the ones that are blind.
Welcome: Our parish is gearing up for the Welcome (formerly CRHP) retreats for men and women of our parish. The men’s retreat is scheduled for April 14-15, while the women’s retreat is set for April 28-29. The women’s retreat is almost full. We need more men to attend. I really encourage you to pray and consider attending.
The best: Once again our beloved Knights of Columbus are putting on a breakfast for our parish from 9 am – Noon this Sunday in the Fr. Bush Parish Center. It’s a great breakfast! If you haven’t given it a try, please do so. Besides the wonderful breakfast, please know that all the monies earned by the Knights goes to help others.
School Auction: Mark your calendars! Our school auction is set for May 19 at the Genesys Conference and Banquet Center. This is a really fun event, and anyone can attend. Please contact Ann Tabereaux (810.694.9072) for more information—especially if you would like to attend the event and/or be a sponsor. Speaking of our school, we congratulate our students who will be inducted into the National Junior Honor Society this Thursday.
Powers: I will be at Powers a couple times this week—the first for a board meeting on Wednesday, March 14, and then on the weekend to watch the play, “Into the Woods.” I’ve always enjoyed attending the plays that Powers puts on.
March 13: I was in St. Peter’s Square when Pope Francis was chosen as the successor to the chair of St. Peter on March 13, 2013. It was one of the most exciting times in my life. When he addressed the crowd at St. Peter’s, he asked everyone to pray for him. As he celebrates his five year anniversary this Tuesday, please say a little prayer for him.
St. Patrick’s: I will be heading to St. Michael’s Parish on Saturday to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by attending Mass at 12:02 pm. Bishop Boyea and many other priests will be in attendance.
Pray and Eat: Hope you can make the ‘living stations’ by our 8th graders this Friday evening, March 16, at 6 pm (immediately following the 5:30 pm Mass). While you are here, please attend our fish fry in the Fr. Bush Parish Center anytime from 4 – 7 pm.
Building: This past week I attended a meeting at the Grand Blanc City Offices to discuss the Planned Unit Development (PUD) that we are undertaking for our parish grounds. It was a very cordial and informative meeting. More details to follow after the agreement is finalized.
Giving: Speaking of our building campaign, Bishop Boyea informed us that for the Witness to Hope campaign 106 priests pledged a total of 1.28 million dollars. Not bad!
May we continue to walk with Jesus all the way to Jerusalem!
With love and prayers,
Msgr. Jerry
Some quotes from St. Patrick:
“I am Patrick, a sinner, most uncultivated and least of all the faithful and despised in the eyes of many.”
“I only seek in my old age to perfect that which I had not before thoroughly learned in my youth, because my sins were a hindrance to me.”
“The Lord is greater than all: I have said enough.”