Today is the Fifth Week of Lent, and this means that next Sunday we will celebrate Palm Sunday. Lent has passed so quickly.

Jesus answered His disciples, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”

In the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks of the hour that has come. Why is this ‘hour’ and why is it so important to you and me?

At an agonizing moment shortly before his passion, Jesus says: “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ No, for this purpose I have come to this hour.”

‘Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.”’

The Parable of the Grain of Wheat

Jesus tells us today that: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.” Jesus is speaking about His death on the Cross for you and me.

At the wedding at Cana, when Mary His Mother tells Jesus, “they have no wine.” Jesus answers, “My hour has not yet come. (John 2:4). When Jesus changed the water into wine, this is the first of His messianic signs. We hear Jesus mention this hour numerous times.

The hour is the time of our salvation, Jesus’ Passion and Death on the Cross and, of course, His Resurrection. The Gospel of John beautifully designates this hour as the time of His glorification.

Parish Engagement Study

Remember last week’s First Reading from the Second Book of Chronicles? That was the exciting time of Jubilee, of freedom from the bondage in Babylon.

As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we reflect on our history, and plan for our future as a Catholic community. At this time, I would like to give every single person an opportunity to provide me with their thoughts and desires for our parish.

I want us to collectively assess where we stand as a Catholic community of faith. Your feedback will bring a deeper and better idea on how best to form our faith at both a personal and parish level.

I have commissioned what is known as a Parish Engagement Study that will gather opinions from every family and individual about hopes and needs for faith on a community and personal level.

Robb Spence and Cosgriff Company, a Catholic organization are doing this work exclusively for our parish. Your responses go directly to the company and will always remain completely confidential.

About fifty (50) personal interviews have been be conducted involving a wide cross-section of people. It is not possible to interview everyone, so the same questions are compiled into a survey that has been sent to every parish household.

You have the option to complete the mail survey and return it in a postage paid envelope or visit our website. Thank you for having made your response if you have already done so. There is still time to respond. The information will allow us to plan for the future of the parish and the results of the study will be revealed to the parish upon its completion.

Fr. Kilian, Fr. Joseph, Deacons and our great Parish Staff, Disciples and Volunteers.

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