There is a beautiful section from the book of the Prophet Jeremiah that we hear in today’s first reading. The Lord says: “I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah… I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God and they shall be my people… I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.”
God takes the initiative again and moves close to the chosen people with this promise. God asks us to receive this promise, to be grateful for it and live as those blessed by God. We see in today’s Gospel how Jesus will live this out to the point of giving his life for us. These readings are filled with much for your thought this week. Use some of your quiet time to allow them to touch your heart.
This week we begin the 13 Tuesdays in preparation for the Feast of St. Anthony on June 13th. This is a long Franciscan tradition and an opportunity to thank this saint for the many, many favors that he has granted to people over the years. I’m sure that you have your own stories of how he has been your friend over the years.
On Friday is our Communal Reconciliation Service at 7 PM. This is the perfect time before Holy Week to pause and pray with our sisters and brothers for forgiveness and for peace and for taking so many things for granted. There will be a number of confessors available for those who would like to go to confession during the service.
-Fr. Andrew Reitz, O.F.M