Happy Easter and Congratulations to our youth who received their First Holy Communion this weekend! This Sunday is the eighth day of the Octave of Easter, so it is still considered Easter Day itself. So keep celebrating. This Sunday is also known as Divine Mercy Sunday.
Happy Easter! Christ is risen…He is risen indeed! Easter is a day for great rejoicing. So to get us in a joyful mood, why not share some light-hearted jokes?
Why are Easter bunnies more tired when Easter's in April? —Because they’ve just finished a long March.
Why did the Easter egg hide?—He was a little chicken!
What do rabbits say before they eat?—“Lettuce pray.”
Why did Jesus appear to women first after the resurrection?—He wanted to be sure the news spread quickly.
This Sunday is Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week! Here are 3 things to know about today!
1. What is this day called?
The day is called both “Palm Sunday” and “Passion Sunday.” The first name comes from the fact that it commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when the crowd had palm branches. The second name comes from the fact that the narrative of the Passion is read on this Sunday (it otherwise wouldn't be read on a Sunday, since the next Sunday is about the Resurrection).
I’m finishing my scrutiny series examining the seven deadly sins: “PEWSAGL”, Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Avarice, Gluttony, and Lust. I covered the first five in the last couple weeks and will finish the last two here. I’m using a definition for each from Michael Downey’s The New Dictionary of Catholic Spirituality, Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2000. I like these definitions and think they give a concise, good explanation of each sin well worth pondering.
Gluttony
I’m continuing my scrutiny series examining the seven deadly sins: “PEWSAGL”, Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Avarice, Gluttony, and Lust. I covered the first two last week, will cover the next three today, and finish the last two next week. I’m using a definition for each from Michael Downey’s The New Dictionary of Catholic Spirituality, Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2000. I like these definitions and think they give a concise, good explanation of each sin well worth pondering.
Wrath
These next three weeks of Lent are a great time to scrutinize ourselves and make a good confession. Therefore, I’m going to do a three-week series on the seven deadly sins. I like the word “scrutiny” for several reasons. The definition of the word (Webster) is “a searching study, inquiry, or inspection : examination”. How often and how well do we do this on ourselves—to look carefully at our own souls, our actions, our interior life to then ask God for forgiveness and grace to change?
First, thank you all so much for the prayers, well-wishes, and sympathy cards for my family. My father, Leo, died on February 11th, 2024, Our Lady of Lourdes (also Super Bowl Sunday). I had the funeral on Thursday, February 15th. My dad was 83 years old and had a good, faith-filled life. He suffered from a few different illnesses and had a good share of suffering these past years, but we were really blessed the last week as a family to all be able to be with my dad, and I really felt God’s grace in it all. So again, thank you for all the outreach and support.
In Lent, the question commonly asked is “so what did you give up?” Oftentimes we tend towards giving up ice cream, chocolate, or deserts all together. What many people do not realize is that the Church actually invites us to do 3 things during Lent: to pray, to fast, and to give alms. Many of us tend towards just the one: fasting.
The reason that the Church asks us to do all 3 things is because it tackles all the areas that we tend to make god’s of in our lives.
By April Bailey, Director of Faith Formation
This weekend we welcome Fr. Dan Morris, the vocation director for our Archdiocese, at our Masses at Prince of Peace. We have invited him to represent the Archbishop’s Call To Share (ACTS) annual appeal which helps support all our vocation efforts and in the formation of seminarians. Please be generous to the ACTS appeal. We have envelopes in the pews if you haven’t already given or received material at home.