Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The Lord is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! The tomb is empty for the Lord has risen as he said! The Lord never fails at His promises. He forgives.; He raises up those who repent. By His wounds we are healed and with His Resurrection we have access to divine life by grace. Today is why we have joy; today is why we are Christians! Without today all our penances would be for naught.

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Palm Sunday and Holy Week Be ready for the Blessing of Palms and the reading of the Passion at all Masses this weekend. Note that, at the 10:30 Mass we will have the full palm procession, thus everyone at the 10:30 Mass is invited to begin in the PAC. The other Masses will have palms, but not the full procession. We enter into Jerusalem with the Lord. As we have walked with Him this whole season, we continue to walk toward the Cross that we might embrace it with Him.

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Welcome to Passiontide After last week’s “half-time pep-talk” of encouragement from Laetare Sunday, we now enter into what is traditionally known as “Passiontide.” our penance is now getting more intense. Liturgically we even fast from images like statues and crosses in the church, thus we use the option of covering our statues (I’d cover the crucifix but it’s too hard to get up there.) This week leads us into next with Palm Sunday and Holy Week.

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Blessed Laetare Sunday! and Adoration this Weekend! Similar to “Gaudete Sunday” in Advent, Lent has its halfway point, a little oasis. On this day we wear rose vestments at Mass and there is more allowance for the organ to be played as we rejoice - a little - in anticipation of the Easter festivities. We are reminded of the goal and purpose of our penance, which is redemption and resurrection. In honor of this day, we are making an adjustment to our adoration schedule. Rather than wait until the first week of April, we will have adoration time after Masses this weekend. What better way to rejoice than to spend a few extra moments in prayerful adoration?

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Don’t Wait! St. Expeditus, Pray for Us! There is a story of an early saint who was a roman soldier. He desires to become a Christian but kept putting off his baptism again and again. This was especially dangerous because of his profession where his life could end without much warning. Thankfully, he finally responded fully to the Lord’s grace and was baptized and lived the remainder of his life with heroic virtue.

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Faith Formation on Sunday March 16 @ 9:15-10:15 Flourishing in the Desert: Lenten Discipline, Apophatic Worship, and the Bishop’s Letter This month’s Faith Formation will review excerpts of the Bishop’s Apostolic Letter in relation to the Lenten Season. We will discuss the importance of Liturgical participation as well as private devotion. We will share practical tips in navigating this wonderful penitential season that we may grow in grace and charity. Having read part one of the bishop’s letter (See below) is helpful but not necessary.

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Lent is Underway! “What are you giving up?” is often the question we hear at this time of year. This is well and good, but I invite us to ask another question, “what are you doing for Lent?” I grant that giving up something is a “doing” of sorts in that it takes effort, but we must not forget there are three ways of penance in Lent - we give up stuff as we are fasting, yes, but there is also the doing of almsgiving, and especially prayer.

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Bishop’s Pastoral Letter Everyone should have received in the mail Bishop Malesic’s Pastoral letter: A Flourishing Apostolic Church. His expectation is that this letter be at the forefront of conversation for parishes. The bishop is our diocesan pastor and our spiritual father, so we owe him the respect to take his letter seriously and implement his vision as best we can. We will take his opening recommendation to heart by praying with his letter in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Thank you! Last weekend was the annual Diocesan Catholic Charities Appeal. Thank you for your continued generosity. If you still have a pledge card, please fill it out and simply place it in the collection basket at Mass or drop it off at the rectory. If you are still discerning how you would like to give, please check out this website to learn more: https://www.dioceseofcleveland.org/offices/catholic-charities

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Catholic Charities Appeal This weekend is the annual Diocesan Catholic Charities Appeal at all the Masses. We will hear the Bishop’s message and conduct the in-pew appeal. Please discern how you can show your generosity to those in need. Please check out this website to learn more: https://www.dioceseofcleveland.org/offices/catholic-charities

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Old Chapel Door Panels Since the old chapel doors have been replaced a generous parishioner has been restoring the old ones. We can no longer use them as functional doors, so I propose the following: - The restored panels of the old doors will be separated and configured to echo the journey of St. Paul (as that is what the panels depict). - They will be hung in the church on the back NE diagonal wall. - This will require moving the metal depiction of Paul’s journey to the PAC (it’s original home I believe), where it will be hung above the interior entrance doors.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Blessed Candlemas! Candlemas Day falls on a Sunday this year. Liturgically this is the Presentation of the Lord (or historically known as the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary). But it is a day that the Church wants us to focus on light, since Christ is proclaimed as a light to the nations. This day is also the unofficial end of the Christmas season, so if you’ve kept up some Christmas decorations this long, that’s fine! Hence our church sanctuary still has some remnants of Christmas decor.

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Happy Feast Day St. Paul’s!!! Even in these cold days of January we rejoice for what the Lord has done through our patron, our parish, and each of our parishioners. This particular feast of the year is unique in that it does not mark the birth or death of a saint, but his conversion. St. Paul’s dramatic conversion inspires us to respond with continual and deepening conversion. The light of Christ blinded Paul in order to - paradoxically - show him the truth. This truth purified him calling him out of sin. This same light then healed him so he could see again and finally Christ’s light shown through his holiness and evangelical zeal.

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Christmas Generosity During the Christmas season, so many groups and causes request donations. Here at St. Paul, we have requested support too, in the form of items donated to our Giving Tree for our hospitalized, homebound and nursing home parishioners. Through your generous donations, we filled and delivered 36 gift bags to our parishioners. Many have called to express their gratitude and thanks for such an uplifting gift. We also asked for donations and volunteers for the Peter Maurin Center dinner that we sponsor bi-monthly. With your donations, 110 clients were served a Lasagna dinner on Sunday, December 22nd. They also served 30 clients of the Daughters of Divine Charity and some of the homeless in various areas. I would like to say “Thank You” to everyone who helped in any way to make life a little brighter for our fellow parishioners and our fellow man!

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Merry Christmas and Happy Feast of the Epiphany! Blessed be God who is born unto us! Don’t be afraid to continue celebrating the Christmas Season and saying, Merry Christmas,” and “Happy Epiphany!” Leave the tree up and prepare for the coming of the Magi. Speaking of the wise men, our wise men in the narthex arrive at the manger this weekend!

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Merry Christmas and Happy Feast of the Holy Family! Blessed be God who is born unto us! Don’t be afraid to continue celebrating the Christmas Season and saying, “Merry Christmas” to our brothers and sisters at least through this coming week until we can start saying, “Happy Epiphany!” Leave the tree up and keep giving gifts to prepare for the coming of the Magi. Speaking of the wise men, our wise men in the narthex will be arriving at the manger next weekend! Do you have any special family traditions in order to celebrate the Octave of Christmas? Or maybe this is the year to start some?

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Completing Advent This weekend the final advent candle is lit. I hope this season for you has been one of peace and joy as we look forward to the coming of Christ. I pray that God bring the expectant joy of advent to fulfillment in your Christmas celebrations. Remember Christmas is not just a day, but a season which is about to begin. In a special way we want to remember those who struggle through this season due to loneliness, hardship, loss, or family strife. May the birth of Christ bring us all the deeper peace of heart that this world cannot give.

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Merry Christmas and Happy Feast of the Epiphany! Blessed be God who is born unto us! Don’t be afraid to continue celebrating the Christmas Season and saying, Merry Christmas,” and “Happy Epiphany!” Leave the tree up and prepare for the coming of the Magi. Speaking of the wise men, our wise men in the narthex arrive at the manger this weekend!

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Happy Gaudete Sunday! Faith Formation - Sunday, December 15 @ 9:15-10:15 in PAC This month’s topic is entitled: It’s not Pink! It’s Rose!: Gaudete Sunday and the Joy of the Christian Life. So often our world either suppresses joy, or offers a counterfeit that does not satisfy. Join us as we examine the true Christian gift that is JOY!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, COME, LORD JESUS, COME! - Maranatha! This Year Dec. 9 is a Holy Day of Obligation You may have heard rumblings and conflicting or at least confusing reports about the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. If you want to go down the rabbit hole of why it’s an issue, be my guest. But as it is, this feast is a holy day of obligation, but December 8 falls on Sunday this year, so the feast is bumped to the next day December 9th. Also bumped with it is its obligatory status. So, this year December 9th IS a Holy Day of obligation.