March 6, 2022
1st Sunday of Lent
One of the greatest temptations human beings face is leaving the truth of who they are, where they came from and who created them in pursuit of more personal satisfactions. When we consider all that desires our attention in a given day, there are many lures that attract us to illusions about ourselves. We can easily find ourselves distracted or tired, preoccupied with preserving our status in life, social relationships, current trends, and corporate demands, and intrigued by pursuing what we perceive to be the “path of least resistance.” The daily concerns of life can quickly take our eyes off of our truth, making the empty promises of worldly accomplishments and ideologies seem so attractive. What is at risk in giving into this temptation?
We cease giving thanks to and worshipping our Creator as we pursue our own self-sufficiency, power, and prestige. We replace the true God with a “pet” one. While many do not totally dismiss the idea of God and pretend to remain at least remotely connected, they do not invest themselves heart, mind, and soul in the relationship either. That is why we are so easily swayed. If something attractive comes along, we lunge for it. After all, having a position above and over everyone else is a good thing, isn’t it? In more honest moments, many have to admit that they believe this to be true. The Evil One is very convincing. But he can only gain control if we allow him to.”
About temptation, St. Basil remarks, “As the pilot of a vessel is tried in the storm, as the wrestler is tried in the ring, the soldier in the battle and the hero in adversity, so is the Christian tried in temptation.” And here is found the reason for Lent. It is a wonderful opportunity to get a handle on the attractive lures of illusion that easily captivate us and bring us off track. It is also a time for some honest reflection rooted in prayer, fasting, and selfless giving that can bring us to temptation’s remedy: love. Love of his Father gave Jesus resistance. It can do the same for us. ©LPi
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One of the greatest temptations human beings face is leaving the truth of who they are, where they came from and who created them in pursuit of more personal satisfactions. When we consider all that desires our attention in a given day, there are many lures that attract us to illusions about ourselves. We can easily find ourselves distracted or tired, preoccupied with preserving our status in life, social relationships, current trends, and corporate demands, and intrigued by pursuing what we perceive to be the “path of least resistance.” The daily concerns of life can quickly take our eyes off of our truth, making the empty promises of worldly accomplishments and ideologies seem so attractive. What is at risk in giving into this temptation?
We cease giving thanks to and worshipping our Creator as we pursue our own self-sufficiency, power, and prestige. We replace the true God with a “pet” one. While many do not totally dismiss the idea of God and pretend to remain at least remotely connected, they do not invest themselves heart, mind, and soul in the relationship either. That is why we are so easily swayed. If something attractive comes along, we lunge for it. After all, having a position above and over everyone else is a good thing, isn’t it? In more honest moments, many have to admit that they believe this to be true. The Evil One is very convincing. But he can only gain control if we allow him to.”
About temptation, St. Basil remarks, “As the pilot of a vessel is tried in the storm, as the wrestler is tried in the ring, the soldier in the battle and the hero in adversity, so is the Christian tried in temptation.” And here is found the reason for Lent. It is a wonderful opportunity to get a handle on the attractive lures of illusion that easily captivate us and bring us off track. It is also a time for some honest reflection rooted in prayer, fasting, and selfless giving that can bring us to temptation’s remedy: love. Love of his Father gave Jesus resistance. It can do the same for us. ©LPi 
Sometimes, Jesus’ teachings don’t seem to make practical sense. When we hear things like love your enemies and do good to them, turn the other cheek when struck, give to anyone who asks, do to others as you would have them do to you, be merciful, stop judging, forgive, and give to others, we get a bit unsettled. After all, it’s okay for God to do all of these things, but does He really want us to do them, too? Many good-hearted Christians really draw the line with some of these ideals and say, “No way!” They even remark that if someone did something hurtful to someone they loved, they would have no reservations seeking severe retribution. There is still this persistent thinking, even among those who consider themselves Christian, that a violent action deserves a violent response. Somehow, we continue to justify.
Yet, it is most clearly against the very grain of the Gospel. Part of our difficulty has more to do with understanding God’s love. We wrongly think that sinful or hurtful actions and evil people somehow are seen as lesser in God’s eyes. They are not. God loves the sinner as much as He does the saint. And, both of these inclinations exist in every human being, even those who consider themselves holy. Both the capacity for good and the disposition toward evil exist in every one of us. Viktor Frankl has this to
say when reflecting on the Holocaust: “Our generation is a realistic generation because we have learned what a human being really is. When all is said and done, man is that same creature who invented the gas-chambers of Auschwitz; but he is also that being who walked upright into those chambers with the prayer ‘Shema Yisrael’ on his lips.”
If we believe in God, we have to actlike God. Whether we like that idea is another issue. If we don’t then perhaps, we need to reconsider our faith and whether we really believe in Jesus Christ. We are made in the image of God, not the image of ourselves. The Christian must, at all costs, leave resentment and the need for retaliation behind, lose defensiveness and bring into the mind and heart the realization of who we represent in this world. ©LPi 
THE MANAGEMENT OF THE ASSETS
Summary: The parish ended last fiscal year in
the red. The SBA/Payroll Protection Plan loan from previous year assisted with some part of this fiscal year. Once again we were able to pay all of our Archdiocesan Obligations. The parish is working hard on maintaining a balanced budget. With your assistance with Sunday collections, we still came in 8.43% under budget. Through personal donations, we were able to pay off our consolidated 2014— 2017 loan to the Archdiocese. Not only are your donation of your talents or time needed, we need continued support in our weekly collections. Therefore, I am once again asking all parishioners who have not yet increased their weekly contributions to please consider a $1.00 per week increase. We currently have 1,898 parishioners. With an additional $1.00 per parishioner over the remaining 33 weeks in this fiscal year we would increase our total revenue by $62,634. With these additional funds and continued control of expenses we will be able to once again fulfill all of our Archdiocesan Obligations and be current with all of our everyday invoices.
With the help of all of you, we are continuing to reduce one of the operating loans. This past year collections were $10,543 reducing the balance to $119,440.
MAINTENANCE, SITE AND FACILITIES
With the unusual past year dealing with the pandemic, project still got completed. We were able to repave our Seymour Church parking lot and completed the St. Christopher parking lot wall. Just a reminder, we have projects on the horizon for our aging parish buildings. We need those of you who have not yet fulfilled your TTWCI pledges to please continue to fulfill your pledges. We can use those funds to help pay for upcoming projects. I appreciate all of your commitments to Santa Maria del Popolo and thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely, Rev.. Miguel Martinez, Pastor