I am always ready to respond when a person of another faith tradition questions me about why Catholics have the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  I am surpirsed, though, when I hear from a Catholic who wonders why they can't just bring their sins directly to God.  My answer is that we can and should have some kind of daily examination of conscience and then ask for God's forgiveness through an act of contrition.  And, we ought to also know that it is important to receive the forgiveness of the entire community of faith through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  The fact is that our sins and sinfulness does indeed affect the health of the Body of Christ, the community of believers, and we need the grace of God gives us in the Sacrament to heal us and make the community more healthy and whole.  The priest, in reconciling us represents both the Lord and the community of believers as he does when he visits the sick or baptizes a child or adult.  Of course, there are other benefits and blessings poured out on those who participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  The old saying, "confession is good for the soul" is so very true as it brings us peace as we "let it out" and leave it, or really them (my sins), behind us.  It helps, as well , to know that the priest is there not as "judge" but as "compassionate caregiver" to those who come to the Lord and His Church contrite, humble and hopefully eager to grow in virtue through the counsel of the priest and God's powerful grace.

Please plan to join your fellow parishioners in a celebration of Reconciliation this coming Thursday, at 6:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church.  I hope to have at least six priests present and eager to make us individually, and as a community, healthier in spirit and better prepared for the upcoming Paschal Triduum.

Lent is a special time in which many people (hopefully many of us) seek to grow in our relationship with the Lord through prayer, fasting and charitable works.  When talking about or reflecting on prayer, we might tend to focus on time and places when and where we pray.  Most of us immediately think of churches or chapels or a special room in our house as places of prayer, which is understandable and good when we approach such places to connect with the Lord.  There is, however, a wider perspective on prayer that I recently read in our "Breakfast Food For the Soul" that I and many of our "Adorers" receive by e-mail, which I want to share with all of you.  I hope you consider what it says, save it, and find yourself at prayer more often than you are or you think you are.

BREAKFAST FOOD FOR THE SOUL

I need to remember this, Lord:  just to sit in your presence, in silence, is a prayer.

To find a quiet place, to remember you are near; this is a prayer.

To sit in the stillness, to ponder the mystery:  this is a prayer.

To take a deep breath, to inhale your peace:  this is a prayer.

To hear my heart beat, the pulse of your presence:  this is a prayer.

To close my eyes to the world around, to open my heart to you within, this is a prayer.

To open my hands let go my worry and wait to be filled:  this is a prayer.

Though my heart find no words, you hear my silent prayer, in the stillness, close by your side.

When I struggle to find even one word to say you know before I, what my soul wants to pray.

When my prayer spills out all jumbled, you know precisely what my heart intends.

When I can't hear your voice I trust that your silence begins to answer my prayer.

You read my mind and all of my thoughts; you search my heart, its sorrows and joys; you know my plea before I pray.

I need to remember this, Lord: Just to sit in your presence, in silence, is a prayer.


                                                                                                                               - A Concord Pastor

                                                                                               

Many of us, I hope, have favorite charities that we like to give to every year, and sometimes more than once during the year.  I don't mind sharing with you that one of these charities for me is Catholic Relief Services (CRS) which is active in over 100 countries in the world, seeking to help the poorest of the poor with food and other items and sponsoring projects and programs that seek to lift the poor out of their state of poverty.  CRS also comes to the aid of people when natural disasters happen all over the world.

Since next weekend we will have the annual collection for CRS at all our Masses, and some of you are saving up money during Lent to contribute to Catholic Relief Services' Operation Rice Bowl, I want to share with you just one of their projects so you will appreciate better what they do and inspire generosity to CRS this Lenten season and perhaps beyond.

Evelina, who lives in Zambia, used to survive (as many in Zambia do) by eating meals made from corn flour, usually a porridge called "nshima."  Unfortunately, nshima has very little nutrition for Evelina, her family and so many others.  So, CRS is teaching women like Evelina how to prepare healthier meals and grow new, vitamin-rich crops like peanuts, pumpkins, and sugar cane.  And, what people like Evelina learn, they share with their community, especially expectant mothers.

Please give generously to Catholic Relief Services.  It's efforts are broad and far-reaching for those who are poor and/or suffering due to the effects of natural disasters.