…”Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.” Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.” The Gospel on this First Sunday of Lent should raise important questions for us. If the Devil would try to tempt Jesus….why would we not think that the Devil is trying to tempt us – distract us – and keep us from the way of the Lord – the pathway of Light and Hope that leads to Heaven. A first step in ‘returning to the Lord’ is to follow the example of Jesus. We need to name what is keeping us from the Lord – even better said – WHO (the Devil) is trying to keep us from the Lord. Then put Satan behind us so we can focus on the Lord. This is the work for this first week of Lent.
…Last week in the mail you should have received your Lent Newsletter. It is filled with a complete listing of the many programs and opportunities which will be available to you this Lent at Saint Ambrose. Please check it out along with today’s bulletin and our parish website. There are many ways to help all of us return to the Lord our God.
…The first reading from the Book of Genesis also reminds us that we all have choices and options – how will you use this Lent to make choices for the Lord? How will you choose to use some of the programs and opportunities available to you this Lent?
…”To you Lord, I return” is our Lenten theme. It comes from the Suscipe Prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola. You will see the phrase and the prayer all over the place. It calls us to remember that all we have is from the Lord. Our work is to ‘return it’ and ‘return ourselves’ to the Lord our God. God’s grace and love our sufficient for all our needs.
…Many thanks to Darren Cereshko who made the doors that stand in the center of the sanctuary. Lent calls us to open the doors of our heart to the Lord – to make our return to the Lord our God. God bless a good friend of our parish who prepared the entry rugs with our Lenten message – a constant reminder for all of us. God bless Helen Lanzarotta, Kathy Ralofsky and Lynn Tobon and the A/E team for making our campus, and especially our Church, look so inspiring for Lent. As you will hear at Mass (and on social media) Tom Bonezzi has put St. Ignatius’ prayer to an inspiring Lent song. We are so blessed.
…At the doors of the Church this weekend will be copies of the Suscipe Prayer for you to take with you so we can keep ourselves focused in prayer this Lent. There will be a basket of Lent Cross Pins in the sanctuary. If you need one – please take one.
…We have a very solid response for our Lent Faith Sharing Groups. Jane Baldwin has been working hard to lead this important effort. It looks like we have 28 groups meeting with almost 200 people joining. There’s still room for you. Contact Jane today (JBaldwin@StAmbrose.us). These faith sharing groups are an easy and comfortable way to reflect on God’s Word in meaningful conversation with some really good people.
…Speaking of good conversation….come and enjoy great food and good friendship each Friday at our Lent Fish Fry. Please join us from 4:30 to 7:00 pm. It’s a great meal and helps support our parish community.
…The Chapel is open every day and in the chapel hallway is the bookrack which is loaded with some spiritual reading for the season.
…We are very blessed to have one of our members, Matt Harley, in the formation program for the Diaconate Program. God willing, Matt will serve as a Deacon in two more years. This coming Saturday he and his classmates will be installed in the Ministry of Lector. It is a formal ministry in the Church that reflects both his understanding of the Word of God and his formal call to proclaim that Word to all of us. Please keep Matt and Mary and their family in your prayers.
…This Sunday is our annual Health and Wellness Fair and Healthy Breakfast thanks to our friends at Marc’s. You are going to want to stop by Hilkert Hall from 8:30 am until 1:00 pm for great treats and lots of good learning to take care of ourselves. Caring for our body – the temple of the Lord – is a great choice for this Lent.
…Last Sunday’s celebration of Confirmation was inspiring and beautiful for our newly confirmed and their families. Special thanks to Caitlin O’Neill and her team for all the hard work and effort in preparing our teens. A huge SA shout out to Deb Houdek who keeps track of all the details throughout the process and arranged a wonderful reception. She had a great team with her; the Baking Ministry was a blessing beyond words. Thank you one and all.
…BTW….we always use bakery around the parish – funeral luncheons, fish fry, community meal and some special receptions. If you can help every now and then, please let Jane know and we will add you to the contact list. It’s pretty simple – a need arises – and those who can help – help – and somehow your goodness and God’s providence always provides. We could use your help (JBaldwin@StAmbrose.us).
…This week’s bulletin takes on a new look and an added page. We have a new bulletin provider – LPI Publications. The bulletin comes at NO cost to our parish community. Enjoy the look. David Hoover would appreciate any feedback, comments or concerns (DHoover@StAmbrose.us).
…To you Lord, I return. Together let’s make this lent a time of return – to the Lord our God – and to living and loving in the ways of the Lord. Consider inviting someone to ‘return’ to Church with you for a weekend Mass.
…May God strengthen us in these holy days so we can proclaim the words of the Gospel, “Get away, Satan.” To you Lord, I return.
