Fifth Sunday of Lent

My Dear parishioners,
 
Today we observe the Fifth Sunday of Lent as we gather to celebrate the Lord's Day.  As you notice, the images and crosses in the church are veiled in purple as we enter into the final days of Lent.  According to the Third Edition of the Roman Missal we find, " In the dioceses of the United States , the practice of covering crosses and images throughout the church from the Fifth Sunday of Lent may be observed.  Crosses remain covered until the end of the celebration of the Lord's Passion on Good Friday, but images remain covered until the beginning of the Easter Vigil."  This practice may not be done in all Catholic parishes because the practice is optional.  The covering of images in the church is centuries old and conveys the sorrow of the Lord's upcoming Passion.
 
Sorrow for the suffering the Lord experienced is the theme in today's epistle reading from the Letter to the Hebrews.  This suffering Jesus endured out of obedience to God the Father.  Jesus embraced His suffering knowing that it would bring about redemption and salvation for all who hope in Him.  Love gave Him the strength to go through the horror of the cross, a love which is genuine.
 
As we focus on the Passion of Christ it gives us pause to look within ourselves to see if our love for Christ is genuine and if we are obedient in suffering as was the Lord.  So Many times we show that we are unwilling to sacrifice for our faith.  We look for the easy way out, avoid any commitment, and remain indifferent to the demands of discipleship.  Unlike Christ, obedience is something so many of us lack in our spiritual life.  The only thing we want to be obedient to is our own selfishness and our own desires.
 
The concluding days of this holy season of Lent summon us to reconsider our reluctance for obedience to God.  Our obedience is a sign of love.  With love comes sacrifice, it's unavoidable but it makes love genuine.  Once again, I am inviting YOU to join with me in keeping these Lenten days by praying, fasting and giving alms.  These acts require obedience, they are done with sacrifice and they are the fruits of genuine love.  Next week we commemorate Holy Week, the most solemn week of the year.  Our attendance at the liturgies commemorating the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ will be made possible because of love.  Your love for Christ will be shown in your presence at church.  Will you be obedient to Christ or to the dark forces which exist in the world?
 
God bless You!
Father Zig