3/4/22 First Saturdays Reminder; Job Opportunity; Gratitude

First Saturdays Reminder; Job Opportunity; Gratitude

3/4/22

Dear Parish Family,

Greetings in the Lord as we begin the Lenten Fast. This is a time of tremendous grace for our parish. Plainly speaking, our sins are offenses against the God Who created us and made us His children in baptism. He is our Father Who loves us, and by our sinning, we choose something over Him. It’s hard to wrap our minds around it in our secularized world, but when we get right down to it, sin is the worst thing that can happen to us. Only sin can separate us from God for eternity. It’s an offense against the Justice of God. In Lent, our Lord invites us to unite ourselves to His redemptive work. He alone has made the perfect Sacrifice to atone for sins and satisfy the justice of God. As baptized members of Christ’s Body, we are joined to Him. So, our acts of self-denial, also joined to His Perfect Sacrifice, take on inestimable value! We are actually contributing to the redemption of the world!

Sin is the root cause of all the troubles and disruptions on earth. Sin manifests it’s effects in countless ways, including war. In 1917, the Blessed Virgin appeared in Fatima and invited all her children to pray the rosary in penance for sin on five consecutive First Saturdays, making reparation on those Saturdays for five specific offenses:

1. Offenses against her Immaculate Conception – by denial or ridicule
2. Against her Perpetual Virginity
3. Against her Divine Maternity, refusing to accept her as the Mother of all mankind
4. Those who implant in children’s hearts, indifference, contempt and even hate against the Immaculate Mother
5. Insults directed against her sacred images – ridicule and the infliction of damage to them.

In light of the current conflict happening in the world, this would be a perfect time to again carry out a parish-wide response to the request of Our Lady of Fatima.

We will begin this coming Saturday Morning (March 5) at our Saturday 8:30AM Masses at St. John the Baptist, Monaca and St. Titus, Aliquippa. We satisfy her request by:

• Going to Confession
• Receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion
• Saying five decades of the rosary while meditating for 15 minutes on the Mysteries of the Rosary.

All this offered in reparation for the sins of blasphemy and ingratitude committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Together let us make this Lent a true fast, making sacrifices united to that of our Divine Redeemer. In doing this, our hunger for the Feast at Easter will be deep and pure.

ALSO:
We have been advertising to find a maintenance guy for our parish. If you know anyone who is a handyman with gifts for fixing things and knowing how things work, send him to us!

AND:
Special thanks to Famous Ray and his Deli for our Lenten Retreat Day lunches! If you ever need a great hoagie or sandwich with the highest quality meats and cheeses on great fresh bread; outstanding fried (not greasy!) fried chicken strips, fresh homemade macaroni, potato or pasta salad, call on Famous Ray’s in The Quipp Strip Mall by CVS and the Quipp Wine & Spirits store.


In the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Fr. Jean-Luc

 

(For additional information on the practice of the Five First Saturdays,
visit our Adoration & Devotions page.)