Dear Family!

As we come to the close of the first part of the Season of the Ordinary Time after the 8th Sunday (next weekend) and begin the Season of Lent on Ash Wednesday (March 5th) the Gospel especially continues to focus on ‘Discipline of a Christian’ in the Sermon on the Plain (Luke’s Gospel). This Sunday the emphasis is on ‘speech’. The Christian Discipline requires that our speech be one of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness as opposed to divisive and judgmental.

Dear Family!

The Gospel writer Matthew drew parallels between Jesus and Moses. The Gospel is organized around five discourses just as the Torah is organized into five scrolls. The Sermon on the Mount could be compared to Moses' experience on Mount Sinai. Luke's theology and theme focuses on the universality of Jesus. Jesus' concern for the gentiles and social outcastes is the main focus in the Gospel of Luke.

Dear Family!

The word for fish in Greek is Ichthus which is a symbolic word used by the early Christians. It can be read as an ACROSTIC, a word formed from the 1st letters of many words. Ichthus has the meaning of Jesus Christ, Son of God, the Savior. They could not openly practice their religion as the persecutions were on. Ichthus was their secret sacred symbol used to recognize another believer. Fish is another word for Jesus.

Dear Family!

This Sunday instead of celebrating the 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time, we commemorate the Solemnity of The Presentation of the Lord. The point of this feast is summarized in the instructions of the Roman Missal, “Today is the blessed day when Jesus was presented in the Temple by Mary and Joseph, outwardly he was fulfilling the Law, but in reality, he was coming to meet his believing people”. This day marks the 40th day after Jesus’ birth.