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Each of us is familiar with at least one – if not several – what we might call “God moments” in which God reveals himself in Sacred Scripture. We find one of those profound “God moments” in today’s First Reading from Exodus 3:1- 8a, 13-15. Here we read of Moses’ encounter with God speaking to him from a burning bush that was not being consumed by the flames! Wouldn’t we give anything to witness such a profound “God moment”?

Students at Our Lady of Fatima School and public school students in the Catechism program will be receiving cardboard “Rice Bowls” to use during Lent as we participate in Operation Rice Bowl. Rice bowls will also be available in the church and parish office for other parishioners who would like to participate. The Rice Bowls will be collected during Holy Week. 75% of our Rice Bowl donations go to support the programs of Catholic Relief Services throughout the world, and 25% of our Rice Bowl donations support local projects to alleviate hunger and poverty here in our own Archdiocese.

The Novena of Divine Mercy begins on Good Friday, April 19, and ends on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27. The novena will be prayed in the church at 3:00 PM each day during this period.

In today’s Gospel (Luke 9:28b-36), Jesus wants to bring some focus to Peter, James, and John by having them witness the Transfiguration. The Gospel for the Second Sunday of Lent always includes the Transfiguration. Jesus begins by leading the three Apostles up a mountain – the traditional place to which one went to encounter God. Once there, Jesus is transfigured before their eyes. “…his clothing became dazzling white…”.

Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School Spring Fling Craft Fair In Fatima-Gallagher Hall, April 6 from 10 AM -5 PM & April 7 from 8 AM -2 PM. Calling all Crafters, Bakers and Vendors $30/day or $50 for both days. Call 255-6391 for more information or to register.

In today’s Gospel (Luke 4:1-13), Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit into the desert for forty days of prayer. Prayer was Christ’s usual practice to discern and obey the will of the Father, and to prepare himself for whatever momentous event was ahead of him. Sustained by only grace and prayer, Christ encounters the devil. Imagine the audacity of the devil as he tries to put God himself to the test!

Wednesday of this week is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. There are some people who seem to have a mistaken understanding of the reception of ashes and assign more importance to receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday than they do to attending Sunday Mass. Do not be misled. The ashes are NOT a Sacrament. They are what is called a “sacramental” and are no different than blessing yourself with Holy Water when you enter or leave the church. What is exceptional about the reception of ashes is that it normally occurs only one day a year (on Ash Wednesday), and that it is an outward sign – a public declaration, if you will – that one is a sinner and is in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness. If we receive the ashes and then do not follow it up with a Sacramental Confession at some point during Lent, we have done nothing but condemn ourselves as hypocrites.

As Christians, we worship a God who loves us so much that he became human for our sake and went the extra mile of love, dying an excruciating and humiliating death on a cross. St. Paul assures us in today’s Second Reading (1 Corinthians 15:45-49) that as we are human and in the likeness of Adam – complete with sin – so we will also take on the likeness of Jesus, the heavenly one.

Funeral services for Monsignor Eggert: Rosary will be recited at Our Lady of Fatima on Wednesday, February 27, at 6:00 PM. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Fatima on Thursday, February, 28, at 11:00 AM.

View the Ash Wednesday Mass schedule, Simple Soup Supper dates and times, and extended hours for the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) during Lent.

Ash Wednesday falls on March 6th this year. Mass with distribution of Ashes will be at: 6:30 AM, 8:15 AM, 12:10 PM, and 5:30 PM. Please note that the evening Mass will be at 5:30 PM rather than 6:30 PM as in the past. The distribution of ashes will take place after the homily at each Mass.

How does God guide us? Listen to the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel Reading from the Gospel according to Luke (Luke 6:17, 20-26). This is a great place to start. The Beatitudes are at the very heart of Jesus’ preaching. They expand upon Jesus’ command that we are to love our enemies and love our neighbor. The Beatitudes are contained in what is called the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel, though in Luke’s Gospel this is called the Sermon on the Plain because it is described as taking place on level ground rather than on a sloping hillside. At the core of the sermon is Jesus’ teaching on love.

You are invited to stop by Fatima-Gallagher Hall after the 7:30 AM, 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM Masses on Sunday, February 17, and say hello to our new Parochial Vicar, Father Chris Hallada.

Looking back at our life, we may recognize a particular person or a specific experience that caused us to make a significant change or to go in a different direction than we would have otherwise. Hopefully, the change was good, enabling us to think bigger, do better things, and use our talents in a way that we had not considered before. This is what happens in today’s readings. Isaiah is called by God to be his prophet (Isaiah 6:1-8). In the beginning, Isaiah does not feel worthy of this call, but by the end of today’s First Reading, he is responding with “Here I am, send me!”

Read the list of dangerous apps for kids from the Archdiocese of Santa Fe Youth and Adult Office.

Read the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops Urgent Action Alert in opposition to New Mexico HB 51, the Decriminalize Abortion Bill, and New Mexico HB 90, the Assisted Suicide Bill.

Thank you to Jim Schumacher and the staff of the Cooperage Restaurant for hosting the Women’s Guild Annual Luncheon on January 20. It was a wonderful event that gave the women of the Guild the opportunity to enjoy each other’s company while enjoying a delicious lunch.

Open registration for Our Lady of Fatima School 2019-2020 school year is underway. Please contact our principal, Ms. Melinda Mader for more information about Our Lady of Fatima School and to arrange a personalized visit. The school office may be reached at 255-6391.

Next weekend is the beginning of our Annual Catholic Appeal campaign for 2019 and we will have the opportunity to complete pledge cards. The theme for this year’s campaign is “His Mercy Endures Forever…Welcome the Stranger,” once again focusing on the Corporal Works of Mercy. All registered parishioners recently received a letter, pamphlet, and pledge card from Archbishop John Wester regarding the importance of the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA). Unlike the tithing renewal that we do each November in which we commit ourselves to a weekly tithe to the support of our parish, the Annual Catholic Appeal is our opportunity to consider the needs not just of our own parish, but of Catholics across the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, many of whom are not only our “spiritual” brothers and sisters in Christ, but are also literally members of our extended families.

The Annual Catholic Appeal campaign for 2019 has begun. The theme for this year’s campaign is “His Mercy Endures Forever…Welcome the Stranger,” once again focusing on the Corporal Works of Mercy. All registered parishioners recently received a letter, pamphlet, and pledge card from Archbishop John Wester regarding the importance of the Annual Catholic Appeal.