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In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. (Mark 1:23-26). Quiet! We often hear this shouted out by parents in the home, or teachers in the classroom, or dog owners when someone comes to the door! Quiet! We shout quiet so that the recipients of this phrase can calm down and refocus on what really matters. When Jesus shouts “Quiet,” the person with the unclean spirit froze in his tracks and left the man. Are you willing to take this word to heart with you this week? Quiet! Are you willing to take those quiet moments in your day so that Jesus can work in your life? Take those moments and let Him do the rest. Allow the peace of Christ to enter in.
Celebrate Catholic Schools Week! Ignite Hope has been the theme for our school this year and is the theme for Catholic Schools Week. Hope has been so important for us this year and is always important for us to focus on in our journey of life. I am excited for our students who celebrate hope in so many ways this week. From Hope in Christ to a Future Full of Hope, our students will not only have fun but take time to pray this week each day so that they can truly be people of HOPE! I invite you to take a moment this week and give thanks to God for the gift of Catholic education, and if you received Catholic education sometime in your life, thank the Lord in a special way in prayer this week. Personally, I want to thank Mrs. Dougherty and Mrs. Goshe for how they have led us through this year of Covid craziness. They have done wonderfully! Thank them when you see them. May God bless them abundantly!
Also, this past Tuesday we celebrated 1st Reconciliation for our 2nd graders. It was such a gift to celebrate the mercy of God with our children. Jesus is active and wants to enter into all of our lives with his mercy that renews and redeems!
To cap off the school news, know that the Car Raffle will begin this weekend. I am so grateful to the VanDevere Auto Group for offering us a beautiful Buick to raffle off for the good of our parish. This year, proceeds will go to providing security improvements for our church and school—a parish wide effort! Thank you!
Special Thanks! I wanted to thank Fr. Thomas, Anna Clark and Fr. Bline for being at the 11:00am Mass last Sunday. It was beautiful to see both Fr. Lou and Anna receive the Anointing of the Sick and be prayed over. If you didn’t get to see it, please go on our YouTube channel and check it out. Thank you too, Fr. Bline for coming and preaching! It was beautiful! It was a surprise to see you! I can’t wait for the day when we can really pack the house and worship our living and loving God together. In the meantime, keep praying for the health of Anna and Fr. Lou after their surgery on February 1. Pray for all in need in any way. There is always so much to pray for.
Lastly, the St. Blaise Throat Blessing will take place February 3. We will be offering the blessing both with candles individually and as a group blessing. Whatever you are comfortable with. St. Blaise, pray for us!
May God’s peace and joy be with you,
Fr. Jeremy
