Our Lady of Hope Blog

My Dear Friends,

This Sunday we hear about the temptations in the desert. After Jesus was baptized, he went into the desert to be tempted by Satan. Jesus shows us how to combat temptations. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can fight temptations too by using Sacred Scripture. We have also been given grace through the Church's sacraments to also strengthen us against temptation.

My Dear Friends,

We are a couple days away from Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Ashes are a sacramental; sacramentals are supposed to lead us into the sacraments. For this reason, I offer ashes during the celebration of Mass instead of just a liturgy of the word service. Ashes are important, but nothing is more important than worshipping God and receiving his Son in the Holy Eucharist.

My Dear Friends,

On the first week of Advent, we began the chalice for vocations program. We have been asking parishioners to volunteer to bring home a chalice and pray for vocations for the week in your home. Having the chalice at home (on your desk, coffee table, counter, kitchen or dining room table, nightstand, dresser etc.) is a visible reminder of the importance to pray for laborers for the harvest for the harvest is great and laborers are few.

My Dear Friends,

Today's gospel passage from St. Matthew is the beginning of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Jesus begins with the Beatitudes before he gives us the more difficult teachings which we will hear in the next two weeks, leading us into the Lenten season. The Beatitudes are not things we seek to do; rather they are blessings given to us because we live the gospel message (blessed are those who hear the word of God and act on it) And as beautiful as these beatitudes are, there is none more beautiful than the one that we will hear right before Holy Communion.