Sunday, March 6, 2022

Welcome to Lent! With all that is going on in our world, our country and state, and right here in our own parish, it is a blessing to use this holy season of Lent as an opportunity to take stock, to reflect on the things that truly matter and perdure, and to make “course corrections” in our lives. 
 

Right now we can see the demolition of almost all of our parish plant: the school, playground, gym, Paulist Hall, Newman Hall, everything except the church and the garage. Physical objects, ourselves included, do not last forever. Everything physical is temporary.  What lasts are the things of the spirit: joy, peace, friendship, honesty, caring, truth, integrity, faith, hope and of course, love. Lent is a time to focus on the more valuable things, the things that last. Lent calls us to look beyond the transitory to the eternal. That is not easy, but it is salutary to do so. I encourage you to engage in Lent and so profit spiritually by it. You can find several activities for Lent on our parish website at Lent.
 

As I write this, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia continues. Like a fire, this conflict has a natural tendency to spread. The United States and Europe place penalties and sanctions on Russia.  Will Russia retaliate in turn by acts of cyber war? After the horrendous failure of the Texas electric grid last Winter, I am concerned about the security of the Texas electric grid. I assume it is vulnerable to a concerted cyber-attack that would shut it down for some time. The need therefore for negotiations and overtures of peace is urgent. Please continue to pray for wisdom for our leaders and for peace in the world. The world is now very interconnected, and what happens on the opposite side of the globe still affects us greatly. Pray for peace.

And of course, we are still living with the Coronavirus epidemic. Hopefully because of the return of warm weather, the ability to spend more time outside, and because of the number of people who have been fully vaccinated, this terror will ameliorate. May it lessen quickly. Knowing how to appropriately respond, what to restrict and what not to restrict, is a moving target. We respond as fast and as best as we can, both at our school and at our parish. Inevitably there will be some lag behind the latest scientific assessment of our situation and our ability to respond appropriately. We will get there, and your patience and understanding are very much appreciated.

God bless!