Today we observe the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time. From the first reading we can hear the account of the Prophet Jeremiah’s vocation. The Lord wants him first to trust in God’s Word and to be His ambassador to foreign nations. The Lord promises to be with him. There is only one condition: being faithful to the Lord and the calling from the Lord. When we examine Jeremiah’s life it is clear that his adversities mirror our own. Rejection, misunderstanding, false accusations, unfounded opinions are all challenges we can relate to. Especially at the time of trial we should remember to remain faithful to the Lord who has loved us since the very beginning. This faithfulness can make us a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall as the first reading declares.
Pope Francis encourages the faithful throughout the Universal Church to pray in the month of February for the following intention: For a generous welcome of the victims of human trafficking, of enforced prostitution, and of violence.

This Tuesday, February 5th, we celebrate a memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr. She lived in the 3rd century in Sicily and died probably in 251. She is one of the most highly venerated virgin martyrs of Christian antiquity and her name is mentioned in the Roman Canon of the Mass (The First Eucharistic Prayer) along with the Blessed Virgin and 6 other women. According to tradition, she was tortured severely and suffered the removal of her breasts by the Roman prefect Quintianus, whose amorous advances Agatha rejected. It is said that St. Peter the Apostle appeared to her in the prison and healed her wounds. In early artwork, St. Agatha is often depicted carrying her excised breasts on a platter. Later these depictions were mistaken by some to be bread and led to the practice of blessing bread on St. Agatha’s day. She is the patron saint of rape victims, breast cancer patients, wet nurses and bell makers. She is also considered to be a powerful intercessor when people suffer from fires. In some Churches on the day of St. Agatha loaves of bread are blessed and then people put pieces of them in various places in their houses to be protected from fire.

Recently we have exchanged the lights in our church. The new bulbs give more light and make our church much brighter especially during evening Masses. Upon some requests and due to the winter conditions, from this week our morning Masses will be celebrated at 9:00 am. I hope that this change will better serve the needs of our parishioners and visitors.

God bless,
Father Peter