St. Joseph the Worker

Parishioners of St. Joseph the Worker:

Welcome to the 5^th Sunday and 5^th week of Lent.  Our season of reform, renewal, sacrifice, and change is quickly passing by.  What have we done with the previous days?  We still have time to do some reforming, renewing, sacrificing, and changing. 

If we REFORM something, we remake what something is.  Where have we needed to be remade since Ash Wednesday? 

At times, things can get stale, even us.  That is when a RENEWAL is needed.  What remains to be renewed in your life this very day?

Our society these days doesn’t preach SACRIFICE at all.  We are to get everything we can for ourselves.  But, Jesus showed us that when we sacrifice, we truly gain.  How has true sacrifice been enacted through our lives each Lenten day?

We have heard the adage that change is inevitable and change is hard.  Have we been willing to CHANGE from sin when the call to do so has been hard?

Each year we are given 40 days to make our Catholic faith deeper and stronger.  Let’s not waste one day or one hour or one minute.  The Lord of the Passion, the Lord who called people to a better way of life, the Lord of our Salvation, is calling us to rise from the ashes of Feb. 14^th and be a new creation come Easter weekend, March 30/31.

Let us pray —

ALMIGHTY GOD, LORD OF ALL, WE COME BEFORE YOU AS YOUR FAITHFUL PEOPLE IN CHATHAM, IL.  WE AT ST. JOSEPH THE WORKER CHURCH PLEDGE TO BECOME THE DISCIPLES YOU HAVE CALLED US TO BE.  CONTINUE TO ACCOMPANY US ON OUR LENTEN JOURNEY.  MAY OUR HOLY WEEK AND EASTER SEASON, SOON TO BE UPON US, BRING US CLOSER TO YOU AND TO YOUR SON, THE ONE WHO SUFFERED, DIED, AND ROSE SO THAT WE COULD ONE DAY REST FOREVER IN YOUR PRESENCE. AMEN.

Your Lenten Pastor, Father Joe

P.S.  This Tuesday is the Feast of St. Joseph, a Solemnity we celebrate during Lent.  Please join us for the 8:30am Mass that morning to give honor to the foster father of Jesus.