Our Lady Queen of Peace

transcript

Our Lady Queen of Peace 4696 Notre Dame Lane, House Springs, Mo 63051 636-671-3062

www.olqpparish.org

PASTOR Reverend Dennis C. Schmidt ASSOCIATE Reverend James T. Beighlie, C.M. DEACONS Reverend Dr. Thomas J. Gerling Reverend Mr. Paul J. Turek, Sr. MUSIC DIRECTOR Mr. Bob Ellison GRADE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL Mr. John Boyd PSR COORDINATOR Mrs. Terry Ostlund PRESCHOOL COORDINATOR Mrs. Julie Waggoner YOUTH MINISTER COORDINATOR Mrs. Terry Ostlund PARISH COUNCIL Nikki Adams, Stacy Camden, Christine Camden, Joanne David, Carol England, Jim England, Larry Giovanni, Garrett Heibeck, René Heibeck, Rick Mraz, Debbie O’Donnell, Daniel Ryerson, Marie Tate Parish Office 636-671-3062 School 636-671-0247 Preschool 636-671-3062 Cafeteria 636-375-5335

SCHEDULE OF MASSES Saturday Evening 5:00pm Sunday 7:30, 9:30, 11:30am 1st Saturday 8:00am Holy Days as announced Weekdays 8:00am

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION The Blessed Sacrament is exposed for prayerful Adoration every Wednesday after 8:00am Mass

PERPETUAL HELP DEVOTIONS Tuesday after 8:00am Mass ROSARY Monday through Friday after 8:00am Mass Second Monday of month after 8:00am Mass Led by Knights of Columbus for vocations Before 1st Saturday 8:00am Mass Before all Sunday Masses SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM First and third Sunday of the month after 11:30am Mass. Make arrangements by calling Parish Office. SACRAMENT OF PENANCE Saturday 4:00 - 4:45pm or by appointment SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY Engaged couples should contact one of the Priest as soon as possible after the engagement and at least six months prior to the wedding date. Parish Office parishoffice@olqpparish.org OLQP Web Site www.olqpparish.org For Bulletin Articles olqpbulletin@yahoo.com (articles due 9 days before bulletin date)

Welcome to Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish Registration forms may be found on our website (olqpparish.org/parishregistration.htm),

in the Church lobby or you may stop by or call the Parish Office to fill one out. If you have recently changed your status, married, moved out of your

parents’ home or graduated from high school, you need to register as a separate family. Please help us keep our records accurate.

If you cannot come to Church because of illness, please be sure that we are notified so that we might minister to you either at home, hospital or nursing care facility.

February 11, 2018

Parish Activities ~ February 12 through 18 Mon PSR, 6:15 - 7:35pm Tues Perpetual Help Devo ons a er 8am Mass Quilters, 9am - 3pm, 4:30 - 7:30pm, Parish Office, Quilters Room RCIA, 6:30pm, School Building “D” Wed Eucharis c Adora on, see page 3 for extended hours Thur Choir Prac ce, 7pm, Church Fri Fish Fry, 4-7pm, Cafeteria Sat Mother-Son Valen ne Dance, 6-9pm, Cafeteria Sun Hospitality Sunday hosted by Daughters of Isabella

A Note From Our Pastor… Ash Wednesday... It has arrived!! Lent begins this Wednesday. Masses will be celebrated at 6:15am, 8am, 12 noon and 7pm. Ashes will be distributed at each Mass after the homily. As a parish, Lent is also a time for our Fish Fries. It is a great time to come together as a parish family and with friends, enjoy a great meal, and help those in need. Remember, all proceeds from the Fish Fry go to our general operating expenses. We need help!! Please volunteer to work at the Fish Fry and also to provide a delicious homemade dessert. Lent is a time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. There are many opportunities for almsgiving. You might consider the “Rice Bowl” program. Rice Bowls are available in the vestibule of the Church. Don’t forget - Eucharistic Adoration hours will be extended every Wednesday from 9am until 8am Thursday morning. If you can sign up for an hour with our Lord. Parish Picnic There is a group meeting on Thursday, February 15, at 5:30pm in the Parish Office to discuss the possibility of a Parish Picnic this year. All are welcome to attend. Lenten Letter You should be receiving my Lenten Letter this week. I know that several years ago we had a reregistration to help get the membership accurate and some members may have gotten taken off the parish list. So if you have not been receiving my parish letters over the past year, please let the parish office, 636-671-3062, know. Thank you, it will be a great help to keep our parish list accurate and up to date. Peace,

Our Lady Queen of Peace ~ House Springs, MO 2 Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ February 11, 2018

Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish Mission Statement

With the Spirit at our side, and mindful of the Blessed Mother, we follow God's will and the teachings of Jesus Christ, especially through

Sunday Worship and the care of parishioners for one another and by connecting life

and faith on a regular basis.

Upcoming Events… 2018 February Wed 14 Ash Wednesday Sun 18 First Sunday of Lent Thur 22 Anointing of Sick March Wed 14 Grief Support Group Series begins April Sun 1 Easter Sunday Sun 8 Red Hat Bingo Divine Mercy Sunday Sun 15 First Communion Sat 21 Daughters of Isabella Tailgate Sale May Thurs 10 Confirmation Mon 28 Cemetery Mass (House Springs) July Wed 4 Cemetery Mass (Chapel Hill) Sept Mon 3 Cemetery Mass (Byrnesville)

Welcome...We hope that this hour spent in worship will make a healing, empowering difference in your life. We also hope it will enable you to make a healing, empowering difference in the lives of those about you, as part of your witness to our Lord’s great love. If you are a guest, we are most pleased you have joined us today.

24 HOUR EUCHARISTIC ADORATION DURING LENT

Spend an hour once a week with your

Savior. Fill the hour with prayer, reading, or beautiful silence.

Jesus is Waiting for You in Adoration.

Extended Eucharistic Adoration Hours:

Wednesdays after 8am Mass until 8am Thursday morning.

***Time change for Ash Wednesday:

Adoration will close 30 minutes before Noon and 7:00 pm Masses, and resume

immediately after Masses.

We need your help to make sure adorers are present through the

extended evening and night hours. Any and all night owls, please help!

There will be sign-up sheets in the Church lobby after all Masses.

Questions about Eucharistic Adoration?

Call Mary: 314-210-5098

OLQP Parish Prayer Inten ons for February Please remember the following inten ons during your visit to Eucharis c Adora on:

• For the conversion of hearts of OLQP parish • For love of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament

Students of the month for December/January are… PreK: Benjamin Cook - Ben is described as very helpful, always polite and a great listener.

Grades K-2: Norah Lawson – Norah is described as always prepared, ready to lend a hand and always ready to learn.

Grades 3-5: Christian Leicht – Christian is described as kind and caring.

Grades 6-8: Zak Poulsen - Zak is described as a person that goes out of his way to help others and always strives to improve. All students will be featured on our Facebook page and also enjoy brought in lunch of their choosing.

Registration is now underway! Please get registered as soon as possible. This helps us with planning for next year. If you know someone who is interested in OLQP, please have them call, 636-671-3062, for an appointment and tour.

Ash Wednesday is this Wednesday, February 14th.

Sweetheart Dance is slated for Saturday, February 17th. For more information see information in Church lobby or call Donna at school, 636-671-0247.

Peace, jb

St. Vincent De Paul In the Gospel today Jesus moved with pity touched the leper and healed him. Let us pray today for the grace to be generous with our gifts to help those who are suffering. Your donation to St. Vincent de Paul is indeed your faith put into action as you bring healing to the poor.

We would like to thank Ottiger Tree Service,

parishioners, Nick and Mindy Ottiger, for advertising in our parish bulletin. Because of their generosity we do not

pay for our bulletins to be printed. Please patronize our advertisers and

thank them for supporting our parish.

For Reflection… The greatest thing one can do for His heavenly

Father is to be kind to all of His other children!

Ministry of Consolation For one-on-one grief support, contact Joan Ross, 636-677-3278, and for information regarding our grief support group series, which is held two times a year, contact Linda Weber, 636-671-4281. New Care Books We have new care books in the pamphlet rack in the Church lobby… • Accepting the Realities of Aging With Hope

and Purpose • What’s Really “Normal” When You’re Grieving • The Benefits of Laughter to Overcome Grief • What Grieving Does to the Body • Taking Care of Yourself While Grieving

ARCHDIOCESAN LENTEN REGULATIONS The Church has always helped us fulfill these words of Jesus by prescribing very definite penance for all Catholics, so that we too might have Eternal life. Accordingly, the Pope and the American Bishops have outlined obligatory fast and abstinence as follows: Ash Wednesday (Wednesday February 14, 2018) and Good Friday (March 30, 2018) are days of abstinence for all Catholics over the age of 14. On these two days, fast, as well as abstinence, is also obligatory for those from the ages of 18-59. Abstinence means refraining from meat. Fast means one full meal a day, with two smaller meals and nothing between meals (liquids are permitted). No Catholic will lightly excuse himself or herself from this obligation. All Fridays in Lent are days of abstinence from meat. Here again Catholics will not hold themselves lightly excused, but if there is a serious health problem, this obligation would not apply.

Healing Mass Anointing of the Sick Thursday, February 22 Our Lady Queen of Peace will be holding a Healing Mass with the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick on Thursday, February 22, at 10am in Church. Anyone in need of physical or spiritual healing is welcome to receive the Sacrament. Prior to Mass, a priest will be available for Confession beginning at 9:30am. Anyone who is in need of transportation to Church in order to attend, should call the Parish Office, 636-671-3062 and we will arrange transportation.

We will meet for lunch at Joe Boccardi’s (Eureka) at noon Monday, February 12. Hope all can make it.

Dynamic Catholic Alive! 2018 - Evangelization

4 Signs of a Dynamic Catholic Schedule

2015 —Year of Prayer 2016 — Year of Study 2017– Year of Generosity 2018— Year of Evangelization

“Joy to the World” Discussion Ques ons

Augus ne Ins tute has provided discussion ques ons for the book, “Joy to the World”, which was given as a gi for Christmas. To download the file and print it off, please see our website at olqpparish.org.

Save the Date!

How to Evangelize Saturday, February 24th, 8am to 11:30 am

Seminarian Donald Morris, featured speaker Come an join us for Mass, then a talk by our Seminarian Donald Morris on Evangeliza on. We will be given some ideas to implement during the Year of Evangeliza on and spend some me with our Seminarian! Sign up in the Gathering Area beginning February 3rd or call the Parish Office, 636-671-3062. Hope to see you there!!!

Grow in faith this Lent!

Sign up for daily reflections! This Lent, get daily reflections from Bishop Donald Hying, delivered right to your email, every day. Watch,

Read, and Reflect for just 10 Minutes a Day: • Watch a beautiful, 5-minute video reflection from Bishop Hying's ECHO series • Read an inspiring passage from the Catechism of the Catholic Church • Reflect on how God's truth applies to your daily life

Give FORMED for free to your family and friends for Lent! FORMED is available for FREE during Lent. Share this opportunity with your loved ones, and they can register for the free trial when they sign up for FORMED Lenten Reflections! Go to www.formed.org to sign up. OLQP code 8BZPJ7.

2018 Tenta ve Calendar Year of Evangeliza on

February 24 - Saturday 8-11:30 am “How to Evangelize” starts with 8am Mass followed by a talk by Seminarian Donald Morris of our Parish, cafeteria March 10 - Parish clean up with Facility and Management with a lunch (8am - 2 pm) cafeteria April 21 or 28 - Big River Rehab Center - Music by Luke Webb May 5 - Prayer Service for Mary - Living Rosary, 8am - noon, Church and cafeteria July 22 - Community Dinner - cafeteria August 9 - Social Jus ce 7-9 pm - cafeteria September 12 - October 17 - Book of Judges and Ruth, Fr. Jim Beighlie, 7-9 pm cafeteria mee ng room October 21-23 - Parish Mission by Vincen ans

Watch for details and more informa on!

Simple Ways to Evangelize 2018 Year of Evangelization begins with Advent

When hearing gossip,

change the subject or say “I’m not comfortable talking about…”.

“Show Me Life’ Pro-Life Action Day at State Capitol March 13, 2018

Support legislation to save the lives of unborn children. Join pro-lifers in Jefferson City on Tuesday, March 13th at the State Capitol. The featured speaker will be Carol Tobias, National Right to Life Committee President. Registration begins at 10:00am in the 1st floor rotunda with the noon rally. To register for the bus, call or email your name, address, city, zip, phone, email address and pick-up location to mrl.eastern@yahoo.com or 314-434-4900. Registration deadline for bus transportation is March 5. Donations towards cost of bus will be collected that day. Wear RED for Life! www.missourilife.org.

Bus #1 Pick up Locations Departure Return

Grasso Plaza – Affton 7:30am 6:15pm

St. Paul Church – Fenton 7:50am 6:00pm

Union, MO Commuter Lot/1st Baptist Church 8:50am 5:15pm

Bus #2 Pick up Locations Departure Return

Kohl’s - Creve Coeur, MO 7:30am 5:45pm

Hobby Lobby – Cave Springs 8:00am 5:15pm

Wentzville – Walmart 8:30am 4:45pm

Warrenton – Walmart 8:50am 4:15pm

Catholic Social Response Human Trafficking Presentation Wednesday, February 21, 7:00pm Every 30 seconds another person becomes a victim of human trafficking. Human trafficking is in our own back yard! Few are aware that Human Trafficking, a pernicious form of modern slavery is so prevalent in the St. Louis area...in the top 20% of American cities. Parishioner, Maryann Schuld, will also demonstrate the way she is involved in the effort to end human trafficking and help those caught in this form of modern slavery transition into a life of freedom. Call the Parish Office, 636-671-3062, to reserve a space. Light refreshments will be served.

Dynamic Catholic, Alive! – Sharing our Tes mony Jesus heals the man with leprosy in the Gospel today. Even a er instruc ng the man not to spread the report abroad, the man shares it freely. In our own lives, how difficult it is not to proclaim the wonderful things that God has done for us, both big and small! This is the essence of sharing our personal tes mony: telling others how Jesus has transformed our lives and given us a fullness that we previously lacked. I invite you to consider the many opportuni es you have to learn how to prepare and share your tes mony, which is unique and not quite like that of anyone else. Look into Parish Missionary Disciples, our evangeliza on training for parishes, or contact us to visit your parish. We are happy to help! archstl.org/dynamic

Lenten Fish Frys Start February 16

Serving from 4 to 7pm Visit www.olqpcodsquad.org

for more information.

Seven Days of Inspiration Take one a day…

and feel great all week!

Day 1 Doubt less. Pray more.

Enjoy some inner peace every day!

Your happiness matters too!

Angel wings will give you a lift today!

Let someone touch your heart.

You are remarkable!

Day 7 Starting today replace “I can’t” with “I will”.

Marriage Preparation “Living a Joy Filled Marriage” “Living a Joy Filled Marriage”, a marriage preparation program, fulfills the requirement for those preparing for the Sacrament of Matrimony will be offered starting Sunday, February 11. The program will be held on four consecutive Sunday nights from 6pm to 9pm at the home of Deacon Tom and Margaret Gerling. The cost of the program is $65 which will cover the cost of materials. To register please call Deacon Tom or Margaret, 636-671-0627.

Mark Your Calendar Confession Times During Lent

Ash Wednesday - Feb 14th - Masses at 6:15am, 8:00am, Noon, 7:00pm

Lenten Reconciliation time at OLQP

Saturday, March 24, 9am – 4:45pm Saturdays from 4pm to 4:45pm

Any Time by Appointment, Call 636-671-3062,

to schedule an appointment

Holy Week and Easter - Masses Palm Sunday - March 25

Blessing of Palms at all Masses Saturday, 5:00pm; Sunday, 7:30,

9:30 and 11:30am

The Easter Triduum Holy Thursday, March 29

Mass at 7:00pm Good Friday, March 30

Stations of the Cross at noon, Veneration of the Cross - will be on

Good Friday at 7:00pm Holy Saturday, March 31,

Mass at 8:00pm Easter, April 1 Masses at 7:30,

9:30 and 11:30am

Knights of Columbus “Forty Cans for Lent” The Knights of Columbus Council #6435 will again be collecting non-perishable food items for the local food pantries. This starts on Ash Wednesday, February 14, and will end on Palm Sunday, March 25. You will find the “40 Cans for Lent” blue barrel in the Church lobby. Thank you in advance for your participation. Any questions or for more information please contact Kevin Duff, 314-960-8342.

Stewardship Start With Prayer...

“Brothers and sisters, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 Do a quick check of your priori es. Where does God rank in that list? If He’s not first, you have some work to do. Pu ng God first in everything helps us from pu ng other “gods” (like our pride and ego, money and possessions to name a few) before God. Before making a decision, ask yourself “am I doing this for the glory of God or for the glory of me”?

Absent from the body, present with the Lord. We offer sympathy and the assurance of

our prayers to the family of

Kathie Bielefeld, friend of Pat Andrews

Our Gifts to God and Parish 831 registered members

208 average online, loose and envelopes Special Collections St. Louis Review ............................... $150.00 New Building Fund .................. $781,296.54 Sound System Total ..................$24,020.55 Offertory Sunday Loose ................................... $518.00 Sunday Envelopes ......................... $11,997.00 Candlemas ....................................... $378.00 First Offering ........................................ $5.00 Online Giving ................................ $1,290.00 Parish Enrichment ............................. $357.00 Total Offertory ..........................$14,545.00 Weekly Offertory Goal ...............$13,900.00 Thank you to all of our parishioners who support the parish through your stewardship of treasure. As of February 4, 2017 Contributions Year To Date ..... $393,596.80 Projected Year to Date ............ $444,800.00 On-Line Giving ~ You can be part of On-Line Giving by going to www.olqpparish.org/payment.htm.

Handyman Raffle The cost is only $5.00 per ticket and you can win 8 hours of work from one of our talented parishioners. Take a chance and get that project you have been putting off around the house finally done! Only 49 tickets to sell before drawing If anyone else is interested in donating their time and talent to start up another similar raffle (electrical, plumbing, yard work, etc., etc.) to increase our emergency fund, please contact the Parish Office, 636-671-3062.

General Handyman Raffle Name___________________________ Phone___________________________ The cost is $5.00 per chance and when 100 tickets are sold we will draw a winner.

You’re Invited to Participate In CRS Rice Bowls For Lent Join our faith community, and nearly 14,000 Catholic communities across the United States, in a life-changing Lenten journey of encounter with CRS Rice Bowl. Pick up your family’s CRS Rice Bowl in the Church lobby this weekend. During the 40 days of Lent, as companions on the journey, we will encounter our neighbor. At the end of Lent we will collect your sacrifices saved in the Rice Bowls and send our parish contributions to support the world of Catholic Relief Services worldwide.

Mass Intentions Weekday Masses Feb. 12 8:00am Robert Heibeck Feb. 13 8:00am Robert Heibeck Feb. 14 6:15am Lucas Cravens 8:00am Fr. Don Molitor Intentions Noon Janet Wilkinson 7:00pm Edward Rabbitt Feb. 15 8:00am Alice Wood Feb. 16 8:00am Thomas Moran Saturday - February 17 8:00am - Merle Frohwitter 5:00pm - Lois Haug Sunday - February 18 7:30am - Edward/Dorothy Rudloff 9:30am - People of the Parish 11:30am - Art Ade, Sr.

Liturgical Ministers

Eucharistic Ministers *cleans the vessels

*John Hussman *Jan Hussman Maryann Turek Shirley Tenny

Mary Luebbert

*Mary Bjornstad *Doug Bjornstad

Ken Bohnert Cathy Carley Jo Jahnsen

*Maria Webb *Tim Webb JoAnn Vess

Elizabeth Sommer Dan Stonecypher Hellen Salamone

*Sharon Alderson *Fran Corley Angie Ecker Thom Ecker Sue Wichern

Proclaimers

Bev Gregory Terry Soer

Frieda Siebel-Spath Dave Mills

Debbie O’Donnell Larry Giovanni

John Holmes Michelle Mose

Servers

Megan Robinson Maegan Ryan

Tony Wienstroer

Sabrina Painter Mason Pohlmann Brock Waggoner

Lily Emery Ashley Harris

Arihanna Heitert

Olivia Schwantner Riley Schwantner Savanna Stagner

Ushers

Ken Ganey Ben Slodkowski

Bart Heinzer Jeff Heibeck Dixie Garre

Dave Mills

Lou Bartoloni Janet Mertensmeyer

Doug Bjornstad Steve Morlock Jeff Eschbach

Larry Lammert Jr.

Lore a Pierceall Barb Hoefer Terry Filicsky Sam Pierceall

Jeff Queen Ralph Schultheiss

Kevin Huss Mary Buckey

Cris na Duncan Jennifer Younkins

Fran Davis Gary Freihaut

Please pray for those who are ill (parishioners are in bold)

If you cannot come to Church because of an illness, please be sure to notify the Parish Office, 636-671-3062, so we might minister to you

either at home, in the hospital or nursing care facility. Due to privacy laws hospitals no longer notify us when parishioners are patients.

If you wish a visit from Father please notify the parish office.

Wally Freihaut Myron Sherman Mischelle Leahy Michael Chiodini Ron Grither Carol Freihaut Ed Kelemen Tom Alt Deacon Paul Turek Maryann Turek Christine Dower Cathy Morlock Helen Wendt Phil Gallion, brother of Bruce Gallion Karen Asedo, sister of Bob Ellison Gregg Cluck, friend of Carol Delue Eugene Schmidt, father of Steve Schmidt Mike Alexander, brother of Carol Delue Eva Moses, great granddaughter of Betty Oermann Dominic Cope, relative of Jan Schultheiss Larry Wellman, friend of Maloney family Robert Berry, brother-in-law of Soer family Dorothy Matejka, aunt of Angie Ecker ~those serving in the military, the homebound, shut-ins of the parish and all in nursing homes. To add a name please call the Parish Office, 671-3062. Names will be removed after 3 weeks or as space permits.

Thank You For Cleaning Church

Marie Strayhorn

Debby Maloney-Reeves Denice Bu a Bob De Long Barb Hoefer

Saturday

February 17

5:00pm

Sunday

February 18

7:30am

Sunday

February 18

9:30am

Sunday

February 18

11:30am

First Sunday of Lent Cycle B

THEME: We start again. Year by year we acclaim that we are an Easter People; we are a people of life and hope; we are a forgiven people, a people of joy. Every year we begin the Season of Lent with sorrow and confidence, sorrow for the state of the world and of ourselves that required Jesus Christ to mount the cross and give His life for us, confidence that what Jesus said and did makes a difference, that, with God’s love and care, eternal life and happiness can be ours. And yet, the journey we start this Lent can’t be the same journey we’ve traveled before. Every new beginning we make with our God is exactly that – new. Where will God lead us this Lenten Season? Where will He find us on Easter morning? How will I grow and change in faith and love? FIRST READING: Genesis 9:8-15 Our first reading, from Genesis, is the ending of the story of Noah and the Flood. The first eleven chapters of Genesis are called the Primeval History, the stories of human origins, the stories of God’s will for His creation from the very beginning. What is important to note is that all the stories in the Primeval History are Crime and Punishment stories and, in the Old Testament, these stories always make one simple point:

in the face of human weakness and sin, it is always God’s mercy that prevails. At the end of the Flood story, God hangs his bow in the sky. Bow. Literally, the word in Hebrew refers to archery, to a weapon. God pledges to creation, “You are my people. I don’t want to fight with you. I’m putting my weapons away.” Crime and Punishment stories in the bible do deal with the idea that there are consequences for evil and sinful actions, but those consequences are of our own making. In the end, God’s love and forgiveness holds center state. That is God’s model for the world He has created – that all people experience forgiveness and compassion, that all people are treated with forbearance and patience and compassion. At the end of the crisis of the Flood – at the end of every crisis we experience in life, God holds forth a promise: We can start again. We can move beyond what went wrong. We can live in our world, knowing we are forgiven and loved, with tolerance and compassion and love for our fellow creatures. We can, but will we? Where will God find us at the end of this Lenten Season? Where will God find us when we gather to celebrate the new life He offers? SECOND READING: I Peter 3:18-22 Setting out in new ways is also a theme in the second reading, taken from the First Letter of Peter. The letters of Peter were addressed to the newly baptized to encourage them to hold fast in the face of difficulties and persecution. The waters of the Flood are used as an image of the waters of baptism, waters that make things clean and new, but waters also to be endured. As those deemed righteous suffered the flood waters to make a new beginning with God, so the newly baptized can expect God’s care, can endure, and begin something new in the world with our God. The imagery that surrounds baptism is the imagery of death and resurrection, being immersed with Christ in death to rise with Him to new life, a life of the spirit of God living within us, making all things new. At the beginning of the Lenten Season, then, we are reminded of our baptism, reminded of the cost of being a disciple, being a Christian, with the certain promise that the cost makes a difference, that the cost can make us new.

GOSPEL READING: Mark 1:12-15 The Gospel reading is Mark’s account of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Of all the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ temptation, this is the shortest and least detailed. It is, really, just a summary statement. There is no conversation between Jesus and the tempter, no triple listing of temptations that Jesus overcomes. Jesus has His “wilderness experience” and takes up His ministry. John has been arrested and Jesus returns to normal life announcing that what John had said was true, the Kingdom of God is at hand. It is possible to change, to live in new ways. What all this does, in Mark’s telling of the story of Jesus, is focus our attention of Jesus’ proclamation – “Repent and believe the good news.” We are called to change – change how we live and how we look at people and events in the world around us. We are called to view all things from the perspective of the good news and that good news is simply the fact that God is with us, loves us, cares for us, forgives us and asks us to see ourselves and all others as loved and forgiven, as one. We begin our Lenten journey recalling Jesus’ own forty day season of preparation for His ministry, preparation for Him to change the world. Is our focus on the days of Lent in themselves or on what is possible at the end? Will I be changed? Will I see my brothers and sisters throughout the world as one? Will I be more able to live God’s tolerance and compassion and forgiveness and love? Or will I remain stuck, pretty much where I am right now?

OR REFLECTION: • What do I do for Lent? Why? Do I engage in

Lenten practices because that is what I have been taught to do from a young age? Am I really seeking to live with God in a new way because of my Lenten practices?

• What has been my experience of God's mercy in my life? Does my experience of God's mercy tend to separate me from or join me to my brothers and sisters throughout the world?

• For me, what is the cost of being a Christian? What tendencies in myself to I have to work to overcome for the sake of living Jesus' promise? Does Lent help me overcome these tendencies?

• Is my focus in Lent where I am or where I could be? Is Lent an end in itself or a means to living into deeper resurrection faith? For me, is Lent a season of hanging on or of change?

• Scripture attests that God's will for the world is tolerance, compassion, forgiveness and mercy. Can I live God's model or do I want to draw distinctions between the good and the bad, to label and judge others for their misunderstandings and mistakes? Do I really believe what Paul acclaims: "There, but for the grace of God, go I?"

Our Lady Queen of Peace

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