On this Second Sunday of Lent, the Church invites us to reflect upon two beautiful events regarding top of the mountain experiences: The sacrifice by Abraham in the first reading, and the transfiguration of Jesus in the Gospel. Scripture scholars assert that the relationship between Abraham and Isaac foreshadows the relationship between God the Father and Jesus. Like Abraham, God was prepared to let go of what was most precious to him, his only begotten son, Jesus Christ. Similarly, scripture scholars tell us that there are some similarities between Isaac and Jesus Christ.

I thank everyone who has participated in the Charity and Development Appeal (CDA) this year. The latest weekly update as of Wednesday last week, February 24, shows that 88 families have participated from our parish community so far with a total pledge of $33,419. This represents 39% of our total goal of $85,000. Our overall goal, beyond the financial goal, is to have up to 300 families participating in the Appeal this year. I encourage those who have not participated yet to consider sending their pledge or payment this week.

The Gospel today tells us that Jesus went into the desert right after his baptism to fast and pray for 40 days and nights, and there he was tempted by the devil. What is the significance of Jesus spending 40 days and nights of prayer and fasting in the desert?

During the week, I received an update for our parish participation in the Charity and Development Appeal (CDA). I was delighted to see that 73 families have already participated in the CDA from our parish community with a total pledge of $27,965. This represents 24% of our total goal of $85,000. I thank those who have already participated. I encourage those who have not participated yet to consider sending their pledge or payment this week.

“Go and show yourself to the priest.” We heard this twice in the Scripture readings today. This is a reminder about the critical role of priests in healing ministry.

The story in the first reading presents leprosy as both a physical and spiritual contagious illness. Thus, God commanded that only a priest can declare someone ill to be quarantined or well enough to reintegrate back into the community. While leprosy in itself does not render someone spiritually impure, it does make it impossible for a leper to participate in the Temple worship. For this reason, the priest’s duty to ensure the sanctity and safety of Temple worship thus extends to the whole community.

Have you made plans for the Lenten season this year yet? Remember, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. The most common way many people make plans for the season of Lent is by making Lenten promises. The tradition of making Lenten promises is a very good strategy that helps us to develop new ways to maintain personal disciplines and spiritual renewal. I encourage you to consider including the three pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting and almsgiving in your Lenten promises this year. When we include these three pillars of Lent in our Lenten promises, we will see that Lent will mean for us a period of “Giving up, taking up, and lifting up.” In fasting, we give up attachment to bodily needs like food and material things. By setting aside quality times for personal prayers, we take up new habits to strengthen our relationship with God. When we give alms, we are lifting up our brothers and sisters who are in need of our love, prayers and support. May God give us His grace and strengthen us to be able to carry out our Lenten promises faithfully to the end.

It is the time of year again when we are all called to participate in the annual Charity and Development Appeal (CDA). This weekend is designated as Announcement Weekend in all the parishes in our Diocese. I thank all of our parishioners who participated in the appeal last year. Despite the pandemic, we went beyond our goal of $85,000 by up to 117%. A total of 213 families in our parish participated in CDA last year with a total gift of $99,625. I also thank those who have already participated in the appeal this year. Our parish goal remains the same this year at $ 85,000.

The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2021. A season of intense interior spiritual preparation for the solemn celebration of Easter (Suffering, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ). DO YOU EVER WISH YOU COULD “GET MORE” OUT OF MASS? Every liturgical action is by its very nature steeped in sacred Scripture….all that we do in Mass receives inspiration and substance from Scripture. We have organized a six-week bible study with the theme: A BIBLICAL WALK THROUGH THE MASS to avail all parishioners of St. Benedict the opportunity to reap fruits of the Holy Mass.

In our second reading today, St. Paul touches on celibacy, one of the core practices in the Catholic Church, that has often been a subject of discussion among Catholics and non-Catholics alike especially in the wake of recent sex scandals involving priests. It is important to understand the historical root of celibacy and why the Church considers it a virtue for Priests and Religious in the Latin Rite.

It’s hard to believe that at this time last year, the news about Coronavirus did not get a lot of attention by many people around the world. The unbelievable rate at which the virus spread across the globe is a reminder of how much we are all connected as one human family and how much we depend on each other to survive. I thank God that we have not had an outbreak of the Coronavirus in our parish community through the year. However, I am aware that a number of our parish families have been affected directly by the virus in different ways. If you or anyone in your family tested positive for the virus, or if you lost a loved one to the virus, please know that you are in my prayers for healing. The mental stress and other indirect impact of the pandemic are equally devastating.

The story of Jonah in our first reading today is one of the most popular stories in the Bible, especially among children. The first time God called Jonah, he was afraid to follow God’s command to go and preach to the people of Nineveh. As a result, he was punished when a fish swallowed him up for three days. As we hear in the first reading, when God called Jonah a second time, he obeyed and went to Nineveh. Similarly, in the Gospel, Jesus called the disciples and they immediately followed Him, leaving everything behind.

The month of January is generally known as the Pro-Life month, especially among Christians in the United States. Special prayers are offered throughout this month for the protection of human life from conception until natural death. This week, you’re invited to join thousands of Catholics nationwide in prayer for the respect of human life during a special Novena called 9 Days for Life (9daysforlife.com) from January 21-29.

The annual vote for best places in Ahwatukee is here again. This year, our St. John Bosco Preschool and St. Benedict Parish are on the list. Please help our St. John Bosco School win “Best of Ahwatukee Preschool 2020” by casting your vote in the Ahwatukee Foothills News. You can also vote for your favorite preschool teacher and your “Best Place of Worship.” Here are the instructions:

NO registration is needed.

The Christmas Season ends today with this celebration of the Baptism of the Lord. We can now put away all Christmas decorations. We will begin the 1st week in Ordinary Time, Year “B” tomorrow, January 11th. Ordinary Time lasts from this week until Ash Wednesday on February 17th. I thank everyone for their participation in the Christmastide this year. My special thanks to the Art and Environment ministers and the Liturgy Ministry leaders for their effective planning for the Christmas and New Year Liturgies. I also thank those who sent donations for the poinsettias and other gifts to the parish and staff during this time.

The Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by St. John the Baptist marks the beginning of His ministry; it was a major turning point in Jesus’s life, especially since we know very little of his life between the ages of 12 and 30. As we heard in the Gospel today, right after his Baptism, the heavens were opened and the Spirit of the Lord descended upon him in the form of a dove. The voice of the Father was heard, “This is my beloved son, listen to him.” God’s voice is heard at the baptism of each one of us reminding us that we are his beloved sons and daughters.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a peaceful Christmas and New Year celebration. The Christmas Season ended this past weekend with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord. We can now put away all of our Christmas decorations. We will begin the 1st Week in Ordinary Time, Year “B”, on January 11th. Ordinary Time lasts from this week until Ash Wednesday on February 17th. I thank everyone for their participation in the Christmastide this year. My special thanks to the Art and Environment Ministers and the Liturgy Ministry Leaders for their effective planning for the Christmas and New Year Liturgies. I also thank those who sent donations for the poinsettias and other gifts to the parish and staff during this time.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, meaning the revelation of God to the gentiles. Epiphany, commonly known as the story of the “Wise Men,” is one of the most popular stories in the Bible. We are told that the three wise men, also known as the “Magi’’ or “Three Kings of Orient,” traveled a long distance from the Eastern part of the world to Jerusalem, following the guidance of a star in search of the newborn King, Jesus. One question many people ask is, “Why do we call them wise men if they were pagans?” They are generally considered wise men because they were able to search for Jesus using common sense and natural science; they embarked on a journey in search of God as pagans but when they found the Baby Jesus, they worshipped him and then returned as missionaries and believers in God.