3rd Sunday of Lent
Recently I received a note from a teenager I met years ago. He wrote, “Dear Father Muir, you probably do not remember me, but I wanted to thank you for your inspiring and humorous homilies at the parish. They helped me appreciate the beauty of Catholicism, which I have now embraced in a personal way.” That small note moved me more than he probably imagined. I had no idea my words had taken root in him. I was simply sowing seeds — week by week, Mass by Mass. Someone else — his parents, a youth minister, or God Himself — was doing the deeper work. Now this young man is joyfully reaping a harvest of faith. In today’s Gospel, Jesus offers living water to a Samaritan woman whose life had been full of searching and disappointment. By the end of their encounter, she becomes a bold and joyful evangelist. Then Jesus turns to His disciples and says something easily overlooked: “One sows and another reaps” (John 4:37). He is helping them — and us — understand how evangelization works. Often, the one who sows the seeds of faith is not the one who sees the fruit. This Lent, ask yourself: Are you in a sowing phase or a reaping phase? If you are sowing — raising children, praying for someone, mentoring — be patient. Your work matters. If you are reaping — seeing someone come alive in faith — be grateful. You are standing on sacred ground, tilled and watered by others. Lenten challenge: Thank someone who once sowed faith into your life. And keep sowing, even when the harvest is unseen. — Father John Muir
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
My birthday passed not long ago, and my parents gave me as a gift the NES classic game system. It came with 30 games preloaded and they are games I played as a young man in college. This wonderful gift both made me feel young and old at the same time. Young since it reminded me of all the hours I spent playing games with my college buddies. Old because it made me realize I can’t play the games like I used to play them because my reflexes have slowed down a bit. It also had me thinking about my college days and how much time has passed since those days. It also made me think of the friends I had back in those days and I was wondering where they all are today and how they are doing in life. I was also wondering what might have been the last thing I said to them without knowing it would be the last time I saw or spoke to them in this lifetime. My brothers and sisters, life passes so quickly and people come and go in and out of our lives in a blink of an eye. Let us be sure that we tell the people in our lives how much they mean to us, how much we care for them and love them. Let us also during this Lenten season, as we strive to improve our relationship with God, that we also improve our relationships with our family, friends, co-workers etc. and be sure to appreciate those who love us in return before time passes and they are fond memories of people and times gone by in our lives.
The above article was one I wrote back in 2017, which means another nine years have passed and how quickly they have gone, which proves my point and begs the question – have any one of us done as I outlined above? If not, let us do it before it is too late. a blink of an eye. Let us be sure that we tell the people in our lives how much they mean to us, how much we care for them and love them. Let us also during this Lenten season, as we strive to improve our relationship with God, that we also improve our relationships with our family, friends, co-workers etc. and be sure to appreciate those who love us in return before time passes and they are fond memories of people and times gone by in our lives.
God Bless you and have a wonderful week,
Fr. Michael
SCRIPTURAL REFLECTIONS ON STEWARDSHIP
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again.”
Jesus reminds us that material things, even something as basic as water, can never satisfy us over the long run. When we build our lives around material possessions we will always want more, and no amount will ever satisfy our desire. True joy and peace only come when we follow Jesus – when we become more “God-centered” and less “self-centered.”
EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP
RECOGNIZE GOD IN YOUR ORDINARY MOMENTS
Wide-Open Eyes
When my first child was born, we had a nursery created for him that featured images from “The Beginner’s Bible” painted on all the walls. (You may have seen this Bible before, where the Biblical figures in the book all had large wide-open eyes.) Images of Adam and Eve, David and Goliath, and Jesus were displayed on all four walls. On the largest wall was a big picture of Noah’s Ark with lots of animals. As our son got older, we would point to images on the wall as we read bedtime stories to him. Our son is now in his 20’s and living several hours from us, so those days are far behind in our rearview mirror of life. We prepared quite a lot for his birth. When our next two children were born, the preparation time had decreased significantly. Most parents know what I am talking about. The newness of your first-born brings with it so much emotion that you are compelled to spend countless hours preparing. When the next children are born, you are certainly excited, but you act differently and with a little more reserve. For most readers, this is not your first Advent. It probably won’t be your last. If you approach these December days simply as a way to prepare for Christmas, you may find yourself just doing the same old thing as last year. However, if you spend this time reflecting on the time when Jesus returns or when you shall see him face-to-face, you might be able to stir up some of that emotion of anticipation within you. Jesus is coming again. When people of all ages understand that reality, it can be a cause for large, wide-open eyes indeed.- Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS
2026 Archbishop’s Annual Appeal
We have $7,230.00 pledged toward our Archdiocesan directed goal this year of $13,746. The Archdiocese has sent out letters to past donors announcing the 2026 Appeal. If you wish to participate you can either mail your pledge directly to the Archdiocese or you can put it in our collection and we will forward it for you. If you do decide to mail it in directly, we are asking that you let Sue know in the office so we can be sure our account is properly credited. You can drop a note in the collection, call the rectory, or send us an email. Thank you.
SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY MASS
The Archdiocese is preparing for the annual tradition of honoring couples who will be celebrating their 5th, 25th, 50th, or 60+ wedding anniversary in 2026. The presence of these couples and their families is a beautiful witness to the strength and stability of Catholic marriage. Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Joseph Tobin on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 3pm at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark. All family members are welcome! Please call the rectory if you are interested in attending this mass as pre-registration is required.
SEND A SEM A SENTIMENT
On the bulletin board in the vestibule is a list of seminarians. The Archdiocese is encouraging the faithful to send cards, letters, and well wishes to the seminarians. Take a picture of the list with your phone and send one (or more) of them a little uplifting message. Thank You!
PRAYER REQUESTS
That God will relieve their suffering and restore them to health.
Please pray for: Please pray for: Kellie Salata, Kelly Chinchar, Jessica, Daniel Breslin, Stanley, Joseph Marrone, Anthony, Michael, Joseph, Jessica Esopo, Steve, Audra, Bernadette, James Weiss, Baby Ford, Rosemary Malangone, Elizabeth Malangone, Sue West, Danny, Colleen Emery, Richard, Joan Russo, Christina Martin, Mornia Evans, Valerie Valverde, Diana McGuckin, Manny Scarangella, Cheryl Prinjinski, Stephen West, Bryan Westfall, Cathy Bruno.
Holy Name Medical Center is looking for Eucharistic Ministers, volunteers, who are willing to help out in giving out Holy Communion to their patients. If you are interested, you can email them at pokafor@holyname.org or call their office at 201-833-3243 or stop by their Pastoral Care Office, behind the chapel, lobby/ground floor at Holy Name Medical Center.
SCRIPTURAL REFLECTIONS ON STEWARDSHIP
“Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.”
God calls all of us to leave behind our old ways and to follow Him, placing our complete trust in Him. Some of the old ways that we struggle to leave behind might be materialism, selfishness and greed. Yet God promises to show us a new land and a better way to live. Remember what St. Teresa of Calcutta said, “God does not call us to be successful, God calls us to be faithful.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The phrase “poor in spirit” can be confusing. Think of it in this sense – poor in spirit means depending on God’s providence and not depending on our own self-reliance. Being detached from earthly things (power, money, and comfort) and being attached to heavenly things (charity, sacrifice, and mercy). Denying ourselves from satisfying our desires and helping others obtain their basic needs.
The gift of Bread & Wine for the first two weeks of March has been given in memory of Frank Pizza by the Pizza Family.
The Sanctuary Lamp for the month of March has been given in memory of Josephine & Anthony DeGrosa by Joann DeGrosa.
Please consider sponsoring our Bread & Wine, Altar Flowers, and the oil for the Sanctuary Lamp.
Opportunities for Parish Support
There are several ways you can help support our parish and honor loved ones at the same time. As you may have noticed on the first Sunday of every month in our bulletin, we thank the donors of our Altar Gifts. You can donate the Bread & Wine, Altar Flowers, or the Sanctuary Lamp in a two-week block for $50 in someone’s memory. We have blocks open for this year. We also need to purchase a new Easter candle each year (the tall candle on the altar) for $300-$400 which can also be donated in someone’s memory. You do not have to fund the entire amount, anything you wish to donate towards the purchase of our Easter candle is appreciated. We also have masses available for your intentions. If you wish to honor someone in any of these ways, please call the rectory.
Prayer for our Nation
God our Father, giver of life, we entrust the United States of America to your loving care. You are the rock on which this nation was founded. You alone are the true source of our cherished rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Reclaim this land for your glory and dwell among your people. Send your Spirit to touch the hearts of our nation’s leaders. Open their minds to the great worth of human life and the responsibilities that accompany human freedom. Remind your people that true happiness is rooted in seeking and doing your will. Through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, patroness of our land, grant us the courage to reject the “culture of death.” Lead us into a new millennium of life. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Praying the ROSARY
The Rosary is a meditation, a time to recall and think about the life of Jesus as seen and experienced by Mary. As the model of faith, Mary’s life sets a pattern that we strive to follow: saying ‘yes’ to God’s will in our lives and sharing His love and message with others. The Mysteries of the Rosary form a mini lesson of faith, using the highlights and significant moments of the life of Jesus. Like paging through a family scrapbook, we see in brief the events of salvation history that are the core of our belief and the hope of our eternal life.
WE NEED BULLETIN ADVERTISERS!!
We would like to thank all the advertisers who have supported us throughout the past year. Our parish benefits greatly from the ads you see in the bulletin. The revenue pays for the printing which is an important means of communication for the parish. If we do not have enough advertisers, the cost of our bulletin goes up. We thank the local businesses that advertise with us especially in these tough economic times. We have some spaces on the back of our bulletin that need filling so if you would like to advertise your business as well as benefit your church, please contact John Patrick Publishing at 1-800-333-3166.
Please support our advertisers at the back cover of bulletin.
