Picture Rome, circa 1545 AD. A woman kneels at the Confessional box as she has done many times before. She prepared her usual list of sins and is just waiting for the priest to open the little shutter that indicates he’s ready, so she can receive absolution and be on her way. But, this time things don’t go as usual. There’s a new priest in the box, and when she finishes her confession with “I gossip,” he tells her: “Here is what I want you to do for your penance. Take a down pillow to St. Peter’s square on a windy day. Rip the pillow open and let the wind blow all the feathers away.” She thought: “That’s an easy one!” Then the priest continues: “I want you to go back the next day and pick up every single one of those feathers.” The poor woman protests: “But Father, how can I possibly do that? There won’t be a single feather left, it’s impossible.” To which the priest answered: “I know. And just as it is impossible to gather up feathers carried away by the wind, so it is impossible for you to retract the words that you scattered by your gossip.” Today, we know that wise priest as St. Philip Neri.
“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me”. (Luke 15:11-12) Why does he ask for his inheritance? Serving his father seemed to be such dull slavery compared to the glittering promise that the world held out to him. In leaving the father, he thinks that he is walking into freedom, a wide world that holds endless promise of happiness, excitement and self-fulfillment. So the son leaves the father finely dressed, with high hopes, lots of money in his pocket and with a spring in his step.
The son wastes his inheritance and ends up in horrible trouble. His terrible hunger finally brings him to his senses. He returns months or years later after he has wasted all the money that he received from his father. He is a walking skeleton, literally starving to death. He’s dressed in rags and filthy dirty from living with pigs. He comes back to the father thoroughly beaten up by the world. He thought the world would give him freedom, and instead he is reduced to slavery. All the while the father with the greatest love waits for his son’s return. How wonderful is the father’s compassion; when his son returns he is given a warm greeting, he’s restored as a member of the family, and given a wonderful feast in thanksgiving.
Registration Underway for New Families
Registrations for new families for the 2010-2011 school year is now underway. Some classes are full or nearly full so the time to register is now. Holy Trinity is close to capacity and serving Holy Trinity parish families is our priority. You can pick up registration forms from the school office or ask to have them mailed to you. If you would like a tour of the school contact the office to schedule an appointment.
Classes average about 24 students and the curriculum includes religion, language arts, reading, math, science, social studies, Spanish, art, music, physical education, and computer technology.
This is the 15th year that I’ve helped with the R.C.I.A. program, and all except one, with Fr. Hilton. Looking back over time, I can see the changes and the sameness.
The sameness: the Holy Spirit continues to call, thanks be to God, and there’s no point in trying to guess who will come forward to learn more about the Catholic Faith. The two most unusual were women, well, at least one of them was; the other was a seven-year old girl who announced to her parents that she wanted to know more about the Catholic Church. Thank God, the parents were open, and brought her to the R.C.I.C. classes (for children from 7 to 16). But… the parents did not want to leave her alone, so they took turns staying with her. You guessed it, the one who was not Catholic joined the R.C.I.A. the following year, and the entire family began seriously practicing their Faith (“and a child shall lead them”).
Coordinators of Bell Ringers
Gerry Gerk, coordinator and Ken Lovato, coord. assistant, have agreed to organize the ringing of the bells which will happen every weekend before all of the Masses. I want to thank both of them for their generosity! Towards the end of this month, Gerry and Ken will begin to sign up bell ringers and then schedule an organizational meeting in April. Keep an eye on the bulletin for more information.
Coordinator of Sound Engineer
Our newly renovated church will have a sound engineer’s booth in the choir loft that will allow us to constantly adjust sound levels and music mixing during the Holy Mass. This will result in a dramatic increase in the sound quality of our music during Mass and help everyone present to hear clearly the priest and lectors. The sound booth will require a trained sound engineer to be present for each of the Masses of Saturday evening and Sunday. It will be the job of our new Coordinator of Sound Engineers to recruit and train sound engineers for each of the weekend Masses and to make up a monthly schedule. This volunteer position is perfect for someone who knows and loves sound equipment, likes working with people and is well organized. If you’re interested, please call Fr. Hilton.
Our school is now registering children for next year and although we are already quite full, there are some spaces still available, especially in the upper grades. Catholic education is a wonderful gift that you can give to your children that will reap a rich reward throughout their lives. For more information, call the school at 303-427-5632.
We have almost 100 Candidates for Confirmation on retreat this weekend, so please keep them in your prayers that God grant them a deep love and fidelity for Him and their Holy Catholic Faith!
Registration Begins for New Families
Registrations for new families for the 2010-2011 school year is now underway. Some classes are full or nearly full so the time to register is now. Holy Trinity is close to capacity and serving Holy Trinity parish families is our priority. You can pick up registration forms from the school office or ask to have them mailed to you. If you would like a tour of the school contact the office at 303-427-5632 to schedule an appointment.
Classes average about 24 students and the curriculum includes religion, language arts, reading, math, science, social studies, Spanish, art, music, physical education, and computer technology.
When we talk of “The Media” we usually mean TV, radio and newspapers. But the media includes books, magazines, billboards, the internet, anything and everything that is used to communicate with a large audience. So, Catholic Media has been around for millennia. From the first letters written by the Apostles to the Encyclicals promulgated by the popes, to EWTN and Catholic blog sites, all a Catholic has to do to know what the Church believes and proclaims is to look for it, it’s everywhere.
But, although Catholic Media is everywhere, it’s not as loud or intrusive as the rest of the stuff that’s out there. We have to be selective, because there is a lot of misinformation about the Catholic Church. For instance, I was once looking for saints on the Internet, and I ran across dozens of sites that were misleading at best, and blasphemous at worst. Now I have a few organizations that I trust, and stick to them.
Stations of the Cross and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament continue on each of the Fridays of Lent and will be in the church at 6:30 pm (English) and 7:30 pm (Spanish). Come and join in this beautiful prayer where we walk beside our Lord Jesus as He carries His saving cross for us!
Jesus instituted the beautiful Sacrament of Confession for the health and salvation of our souls and when we go to Confession, we actually hear the comforting words of Jesus: “Go in peace, your sins are forgiven!” In addition to our regularly scheduled times for Confessions, there is a special afternoon opportunity next week for you to receive the Sacrament of our Lord’s forgiveness:
- Friday, March 12, from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
