Dear St. Philomena Parish Family<\/p>\n
A joy-filled 4th<\/sup> Sunday of Lent be with you all! As we will mention at our Masses, the Rose vestment this weekend carries a note of joy. According to the Order of Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours and Celebration of the Eucharist<\/em>, \u201cThe Fourth Sunday of Lent is traditionally known as Laetare<\/em> Sunday, so-called from the first word of the antiphon at the Introit. \u00a0Laetare<\/em> (\u201cRejoice\u201d), taken from the Latin translation of Is 66:10-11, sets a tone of joyful anticipation of the Easter mystery, as does the permitted use of rose-colored vestments\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n I have been feeling especially joyful this Lent\u2026perhaps because the weather has started to feel more spring-like\u2026perhaps because of the many wonderful fruits of our life here at St. Philomena! Continuing our series on Reconciliation, we have more to feel joyful about this weekend, including the gift of the Lord\u2019s mercy for us in this great Sacrament. This week, we have a few more questions about the Sacrament of Forgiveness to help grow our understanding:<\/p>\n What are the two main parts of the Sacrament?<\/strong><\/p>\n What are the effects of the Sacrament? That is, what will it do for me?<\/strong><\/p>\n What is the Sacramental Seal? <\/strong>What is said in the Sacrament is sealed there; no priest can ever reveal what is said. There are no exceptions and there are very severe penalties for breaking the seal. Contrary to what you may have seen on television or in the movies, even in a court case there are no exceptions!<\/p>\n What are the Acts of the Penitent? What should you bring to the Sacrament?<\/strong><\/p>\n What is the penance all about?<\/strong><\/p>\n When Catholics perform penances, it doesn\u2019t mean that we believe that we must pay some price for God\u2019s mercy. God\u2019s mercy is a gift that cannot be earned (Eph 2:8-10). The only \u201cprice\u201d we have to pay is a repentant heart.<\/p>\n The introduction of the Order of Penance<\/em> says \u201cTrue conversion is achieved by satisfaction (an act of penance) for sins, by amendment of life, and also by the reparation of injury\u201d (#6). So, the act of penance which the priest gives us in the confessional should ideally do two things\u2014help heal us of the sin and, in some way, help us make up for the damage or disorder which our sin has caused.<\/p>\n Commonly, the confessor tries to \u201cfit\u201d the penance, so that it can really help. For example, someone who hasn\u2019t been loving and respectful at home might be asked to pray for his\/her parents or to help around the house without being asked. Praying for people can help us think twice later when we are tempted to sin against them. So, we could say performing the penance is a way to help us build up good and virtuous habits. The true Christian\u2019s hope is that at some point (hopefully soon) these good habits will take over and replace any current sinful habits.<\/p>\n Next time, we\u2019ll look at the Order of Penance and how to make a good confession! Know of my prayers and blessing for you all!<\/p>\n In Christ,\n
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\nFather Luke<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"