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First Sunday of Lent- February 22, 2015

2/19/2015

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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,         

We have already begun our Lenten pilgrimage. The Church gives us forty days of Lent so that we may increase our time of prayer, are more vigilant with our acts of charity, and are generous with our offerings to God’s Church. I would like to call your attention on a theme which is very frequent during this time of Lent. It is the forty days emphasized by scripture as a time for spiritual renewal.      

In the Old Testament we read, “For forty days and forty nights heavy rain poured down on the earth” (Gen 7:12) with reference to the great flood. “But Moses passed into the midst of the cloud as he went up on the mountain; and there he stayed for forty days and forty nights” (Ex 24:18), regarding God’s covenant with Israel. In the New Testament we also read of, Jesus’ temptations in the desert: “Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry” (LK 4:1-2).     

The symbols of night and day make us think of darkness and light. Lent is precisely that- a pilgrimage, a transitional moment in our spiritual lives. God invites us, during these forty days of Lent, to pass from darkness to light, from sin to grace, from unmoral habits to the practice of virtue. Do not let the liturgical Season of Lent go by like any other day without making a difference in your spiritual life. Open your life to God’s grace and allow the Holy Spirit to guide your Lenten pilgrimage. God Bless you.        

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Queridos hermanos y hermanas en Cristo:

 Ya empezamos nuestro peregrinar cuaresmal. La Iglesia nos da cuarenta días para que podamos incrementar nuestro tiempo de oración, estar más vigilantes con nuestros actos de caridad y ser generosos con nuestras ofrendas a la iglesia de Dios. Me gustaría llamar su atención con un tema que es muy frecuente durante este tiempo: se trata de los cuarenta días que destaca la Escritura como un tiempo de renovación espiritual.  

En el Antiguo Testamento leemos, “Y una fuerte lluvia cayó sobre la tierra durante cuarenta días y cuarenta noches” (Génesis 7:12) con referencia al gran diluvio. “Y entró Moisés en medio de la nube, y subió al monte; y estuvo Moisés en el monte cuarenta días y cuarenta noches” (Éxodo 24:18) de acuerdo al convenio de Dios con Israel. En el Nuevo Testamento también leemos de las tentaciones de Jesús en el desierto: “Jesús, lleno del Espíritu Santo, volvió del Jordán, y fue llevado por el Espíritu al desierto,  por cuarenta días, y era tentado por el diablo. Y no comió nada en aquellos días, pasados los cuales, tuvo hambre” (Lucas 4:1,2).

Los símbolos de la noche y el día nos hacen pensar en la oscuridad y la luz. La Cuaresma es precisamente ese peregrinaje, un momento de transición en nuestra vida espiritual. Dios nos invita durante estos cuarenta días, a pasar de la oscuridad a la luz; del pecado a la gracia; de los malos hábitos a la práctica de la virtud. No dejes que el tiempo litúrgico de la Cuaresma pase como otro día mas sin hacer una diferencia en tu vida espiritual. Abre tu vida a la gracia de Dios y permite que el Espíritu Santo guíe tu peregrinación cuaresmal. ¡Dios te bendiga! 

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    Rev. Johnson Lopez

    Father Lopez is Pastor of Saint Patrick Catholic Church in Rochelle, IL.

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  • Home
  • About
    • Mission Statement
    • Contact Us
    • Directions
    • Sacraments >
      • Eucharist
      • Baptism
      • Reconciliation
      • Confirmation
      • Marriage
      • Vocations
      • Anointing of the Sick
    • Staff
    • History
    • Registration
    • Stewardship >
      • Why give?
    • Parish Boundaries
    • Cemetery
  • Calendar
    • Parish Calendar
    • Liturgical Roles
    • Religious Education
    • Liturgical Calendar
    • Holy Days of Obligation
  • Ministries
    • Pregnant? Need Help?
    • Religious Education >
      • First Communion Pictures 2020
      • RE Handbook
      • Religious Education Volunteers
      • Confirmation 2015
      • Confirmation 2016
      • Confirmation 2018
      • Confirmation 2019
      • For Parents
    • Adult Faith Formation
    • Respect Life >
      • Why We March
      • Elizabeth Ministry
    • Youth Ministry
    • Communications
    • RCIA
    • Parish Outreach
    • Music and Liturgy >
      • Choir >
        • 3 J's and the Flock
      • Altar Servers
    • Health Apostolate >
      • Homebound Ministry
    • Knights of Columbus
  • News
    • Diocesan Appeal
    • Bulletin
    • Flocknotes
    • Daily Readings
    • Links
    • Diocese of Rockford
  • Prayer
    • Eucharistic Adoration
    • Offer a Mass