March 22 Mon Lenten Weekday

Dn 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41c-62/Jn 8:1-11 

23 Tue Lenten Weekday [Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo, Bishop] Nm 21:4-9/Jn 8:21-30 

24 Wed Lenten Weekday Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95/Jn 8:31-42 

25 Thu THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD Solemnity

Is 7:10-14; 8:10/Heb 10:4-10/Lk 1:26-38

26 Fri Lenten Weekday  Jer 20:10-13/Jn 10:31-42

27 Sat Lenten Weekday Ez 37:21-28/Jn 11:45-56 

28 SUN PALM SUNDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD

Mk 11:1-10 or Jn 12:12-16  /Is 50:4-7/Phil 2:6-11/Mk 14:1—15:47 or 15:1-39 

John’s Gospel, recalling Jesus’ days in Jerusalem, is read most days this week. Because of their importance in the mission of Jesus, the account of the Man Born Blind (John 9:1-41) and the Raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-45) may be read on any lenten weekday this week. Jesus brings light and life to the world.

The ancient Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord, March 25th, announces who Jesus is and why he came among us. In early times many believed this day was the same day Jesus was crucified and the world its was created. 

Even though the pandemic still prevents celebrating the lenten mysteries in our churches, we can still follow them online. The readings for this week are here. Morning and Evening Prayers for this week, week I, can be found here. Suggestions for praying with children can be found here.

The Passion Narrative for Palm Sunday is from Mark’s Gospel, which is read on most Sundays this year. A commentary on Mark’s Passion Narrative is here.

For this week’s homily please watch the video below.

Fr Rick Frechette is a Passionist, a priest and a physician, who has spent most of his priesthood  in developing countries.

He was born in 1953 in Connecticut, joined he Passionists as a novice in 1974, was ordained in 1979, and received a Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine in 1998.

The movement he started in Haiti to both  improve the lives of the very poor and empower them with leadership, is under the patronage of St Luke, evangelist and physician.

For more information, see StLukeHaiti.org

For this week’s homily please watch the video below.

Fr Rick Frechette is a Passionist, a priest and a physician, who has spent most of his priesthood  in developing countries.

He was born in 1953 in Connecticut, joined he Passionists as a novice in 1974, was ordained in 1979, and received a Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine in 1998.

The movement he started in Haiti to both  improve the lives of the very poor and empower them with leadership, is under the patronage of St Luke, evangelist and physician.

For more information, see StLukeHaiti.org

March 8 Mon Lenten Weekday [Saint John of God, Religious]

2 Kgs 5:1-15ab/Lk 4:24-30 

9 Tue Lenten Weekday [Saint Frances of Rome, Religious]

Dn 3:25, 34-43/Mt 18:21-35 

10 Wed Lenten Weekday

Dt 4:1, 5-9/Mt 5:17-19 

11 Thu Lenten Weekday

Jer 7:23-28/Lk 11:14-23 

12 Fri Lenten Weekday

Hos 14:2-10/Mk 12:28-34 

13 Sat Lenten Weekday

Hos 6:1-6/Lk 18:9-14

14 SUN FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT

2 Chr 36:14-16, 19-23/Eph 2:4-10/Jn 3:14-21

or, for Year A, 1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a/Eph 5:8-14/Jn 9:1-41 or 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38

Last week’s weekday readings ended with the story of the Prodigal Son; this week’s end with the tax collector who prays in the temple and finds mercy. 

Readings from the Book of Hosea occur the last two days of this week; he’s the prophet whose unbroken love for his unfaithful wife reminds us of God’s faithful relationship with humanity. God always wants us back.

Naaman the Syrian (Monday) came to appreciate the saving waters of the Jordan. He reminds us of the mystery of Baptism we celebrate this season.

God is faithful. May we come to see God’s fidelity, who makes us his own.

Naaman’s story follows the story of the Samaritan woman, read on Sunday, week 3. She is also promised life-giving water.

Pope Francis is in Iraq on an historic journey these days seeking peace for that part of the world. He addressed Iraq’s government leaders and the diplomatic corp on March 5th, then visited Christians, closing with a mass in the Chaldean cathedral in Baghdad. Ten years ago 58 people were killed there by ISIS gunmen. 

March 6th, he journeyed around 5:30 AM to Najaf, where he met privately with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, one of the leading figures in Shia Islam.Then he went to Ur, the home of the Abraham, for a meeting with religious leaders. Later, he celebrated the liturgy at the cathedral  in Baghdad.

On March 7th, the pope went to Mosul, a former ISIS stronghold where at 10 AM he will have a prayer service for the victims of war. At 11:30 AM he rededicates the Church of the Immaculate Conception which ISIS occupied and left in ruins. Finally at 4 PM he will celebrate the Eucharist at Erbil, before returning to Rome.

You can see coverage of his trip on VaticanNews.  l

The pope obviously wants to bring peace to one of the most troubled places in our world. His journey reminds us that Lent is more than a personal journey to God, a time to stay home and pray. He wants a world turned to God, where people live in harmony with one another.  

I was moved especially by his trip to Ur, Abraham’s birthplace, where he pleaded with religious leaders, Christian, Moslem and others, to remember our common “father in faith.”

“Father Abraham, who was able to hope against all hope (cf. Rom 4:18), encourages us. Throughout history, we have frequently pursued goals that are overly worldly and journeyed on our own, but with the help of God, we can change for the better. It is up to us, today’s humanity, especially those of us, believers of all religions, to turn instruments of hatred into instruments of peace. 

It is up to us to appeal firmly to the leaders of nations to make the increasing proliferation of arms give way to the distribution of food for all. It is up to us to silence mutual accusations in order to make heard the cry of the oppressed and discarded in our world: all too many people lack food, medicine, education, rights and dignity! It is up to us to shed light on the shady maneuvers that revolve around money and to demand that money not end up always and only reinforcing the unbridled luxury of a few. It is up to us preserve our common home from our predatory aims. It is up to us to remind the world that human life has value for what it is and not for what it has. That the lives of the unborn, the elderly, migrants and men and women, whatever the colour of their skin or their nationality, are always sacred and count as much as the lives of everyone else! It is up to us to have the courage to lift up our eyes and look at the stars, the stars that our father Abraham saw, the stars of the promise.”

Is it possible? Obviously an old man in his late 80s, hobbled by sciatica, believes it is. Blessed are the peacemakers. 

Fr Rick Frechette is a Passionist, a priest and a physician, who has spent most of his priesthood  in developing countries.

He was born in 1953 in Connecticut, joined he Passionists as a novice in 1974, was ordained in 1979, and received a Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine in 1998.

The movement he started in Haiti to both  improve the lives of the very poor and empower them with leadership, is under the patronage of St Luke, evangelist and physician.

For more information, see StLukeHaiti.org

Fr Rick Frechette is a Passionist, a priest and a physician, who has spent most of his priesthood  in developing countries.

He was born in 1953 in Connecticut, joined he Passionists as a novice in 1974, was ordained in 1979, and received a Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine in 1998.

The movement he started in Haiti to both  improve the lives of the very poor and empower them with leadership, is under the patronage of St Luke, evangelist and physician.

For more information, see StLukeHaiti.org