As we enter into the second week of Lent, and as we live in a world that is unforgiving more times than not, the late Pope Francis used to say “God’s mercy is everything. It is in the air we breathe.” He also described God’s mercy as a bridge that connects us to God, “Not one bridge among many, but the bridge between us and God.” We are called to cross that bridge every day receiving God’s mercy and then return over it to offer our mercy to others. How much better would our world—and nation—be if we were a more forgiving people?

In the Matthean account of the Transfiguration, Jesus illustrates His Divinity and the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets proclaiming a call to listen and follow; He prepares us for suffering, and He invites us to be transformed—into Christ’s own disciples.

Lent provides us all with the opportunity to travel with Jesus in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Today, Matthew (4:1-11) presents us with a profound moment in Jesus’ life: His forty days of fasting in the desert and His confrontation with temptation by Satan. Jesus encounters every temptation by Satan with the Word of God: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the month God.” His unwavering faith and obedience to God is meant to serve as a model for our lives, and Lent provides a good opportunity to begin that journey.

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence. For members of the Latin Catholic Church (Rome), the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59.Many know of the tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, but we are also calledto practice self-discipline and fast in other ways throughout the season.

Sirach (15:15-20), which is our first reading today is brief yet powerfully clear and to the point: “If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you; if you trust in God, you too shall live; he has set before you fire and water to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand. Before you are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses will be given him.” We hear in this the great gift of free will, which stems from God’s Divine Love, for nothing forced is love; and all that God asks from us is love

Matthew’s Gospel calls us to consider our mission and identity as Christ’s disciples. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world.” What does He mean that we are to be the salt and light of the world? What spiritual implications are embedded in these phrases? What are their meanings?

I am very happy to introduce and welcome Maria Galeota as St. Catherine of Siena’s new director of youth ministry. Maria comes to us with lots of experience of working with youth—as a teacher in both the Catholic and public school systems, and most recently as an ESL professional in Windsor.

NEW ​TRAINING DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED our parish will host opportunities to train both “Eucharist Ministers” and lectors here at St. Catherine of Siena. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion will be trained from 9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., and lectors will be trained from 11 a.m. until 12 noon. I am extending this opportunity to those who feel a calling to the these lay roles in the Church.

Our sacraments are not just traditions or conveniences — they are sacred moments that shape our faith from beginning to end. A Funeral Mass should honor the faith of the person who has died, not whether their family still practices, and that’s why planning ahead and making your wishes known is an act of love. In the same way, Baptism and the choice of godparents deserve real intention, because we are passing on a living faith, not just a name or a role.

Over the next few weeks I would like to ask our parishioners to consider either being a lector at the Mass or a Eucharistic Minister. Such members of the ministerial team are needed in order that the Mass be celebrate reverently and smoothly. Both a lector and Eucharistic Minister should serve terms, so that new faces and voices are always welcome. This is meant to be a sign to others of welcoming all in service to God.

Epiphany in Greek means “manifestation”. In the West, the visit of the Magi is celebrated as the event through which the Lord was “manifested” to the pagans and, therefore, to the world. In the Eastern Church, the accent for this solemnity is on the Trinitarian “manifestation” during the Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan. While what is central on Christmas is the birth of the Child Jesus, on Epiphany, what is highlighted is that this poor and vulnerable Child is King and Messiah, the Lord of all the earth

On this first Sunday after the Nativity of the Lord, which is called the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the gospel tells of an angel who again appears to Joseph in a dream and warns him to take Mary and the baby Jesus to Egypt to escape from King Herod who ordered the baby Jesus killed. Joseph does as the angel warns him, and he and his wife and child flee to Egypt under the cover of darkness, remaining there until the threat of Herod is over due to his death.

I wish to express my thanks to all the decorators of our Christmas cheer here at St. Catherine of Siena. Under the direction of Ale Palomo, Neil Vayda, Ed Caputo, the Palomo family, and Chris Berg made the church, Russell Hall and our outside looked was filled with the beauty of Christmas and the glory of the Christ Child. Thank you!

Our passage today focuses on Joseph, a righteous man, chosen by God to the earthly father of His Son, Jesus, and Joseph's faithful response to God. Mary is found to be with Child through the Holy Spirit, a situation that could have brought shame and scandal. But, Joseph we are told is a just man, and he chose to act with mercy and compassion.

I pray for joy in our lives, peace in our world and in our families around our dinner tables, as well as on the roadways, and that there is healing in our bodies, minds, spirit and in our words spoken to all. It's a big wish list, but always worth the time and effort.

Gaudete Sunday The third Sunday of Advent, known by the name of Gaudete Sunday, which comes to us from the first word of the introit of the Mass that day, Rejoice!, is a call for all Catholics to celebrate this Sunday with a special kind of Joy or Rejoicing—a supernatural type of Joy—that leads us to understand and live-out the happiness that God desires for all His children.

As Catholics we believe Holy Communion to be the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, this stems from our belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the material elements of bread and wine, which comes about through transubstantiation at Mass. With that in mind, I want to remind us and clarify some of the procedures we as Catholics employ during Holy Communion. For some, when we do something over-and-over again, a ritual or action may lose a little of its “specialness” or in case of the Church, the holiness of an action. Due to our belief in the Real Presence of Christ:

Advent is a profound season of preparation, reflection, and anticipation that enrich es the spiritual journey of Catholics as they prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and look for ward to His return. During this Advent, we may also look to other Catholic traditions to grow our faith— from the Advent calendar filled with chocolates to the Jesse Tree decorated with Old Testament items— all of which draws us deeper into Christ, the breath, depth and fullness of our Catholic faith

Celebrate the Savior with Santa! Saturday, December 13th, 2pm-4pm St. Catherine's families are invited to join Santa Claus as we kick off the Advent and Christmas seasons to celebrate the birth of Jesus! We will have cookies and hot cocoa available to you as you write your letter to Santa, listen to a Christmas story, and enjoy a craft

Our St. Elizabeth House Ministry leader, Leila Bruno, is moving away and will not be able to continue her years and years of service to others in need. We have a great team of volunteers and now we are looking for a few people to step up and become part of the leadership team, which requires scheduling the volunteers to sign-up each month and then coordinate the meal delivery to the shelter.