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Today’s story of Lazarus in the Gospel of John is one of the greatest stories of the New Testament. It reminds us that Jesus is the one who is the champion of life and whenever He confronts death, death is overcome by the power of God. This Gospel more than any other reveals the heart of Jesus and what he wants for all of us.

Celebrate this holiest of times in our church with MQOA!

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As the Third Sunday of Lent come upon us, it is a good time to check where we are in our Lenten journey. Last week, we had the transfiguration of Jesus. It is a reminder that the work of God is from the inside out and if we let it, can change our appearance too. It reminds me of a comedian from Ireland, Tommy Tiernan. In commenting about priests, he said that he thinks that “priests should show the effect of their decision on their face”. It is part of a ribald reflection on preaching and priests. (You can look at it, but it is a little salty. Be warned.)

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This week we begin the archdiocesan Catholic Appeal. The theme is Faith in Action, It starts with you. We are being asked as always to support the pastoral center and the programs that assist parishes across the diocese. In years past, the themes have underscored the importance of different programs and services that have been helped by the appeal.

The annual Catholic Appeal will be launched at all Masses this weekend at MQOA. Parishioners are invited to contribute generously to the Appeal. This is our time to recognize the supportive work of the Archdiocese in 250 parishes in 144 communities throughout the Boston area. The Archdiocese supports our parish and others with numerous services, providing engineers to examine our buildings, services for those in hospital, in prisons, preparing for marriage, caring for the homeless and food insecure, and many others. Cardinal Sean O’Malley will celebrate the 5pm Mass this weekend at MQOA. Thank you for your generosity.

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Join us for our all things LENT, grow in prayer, deepen your faith and be part of the community

The Disciples of Salem Knights host a Pancake Breakfast between the two morning Masses at IC Hall.

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Perfect fit, perfect shot, that looks perfect in that room. The idea of perfection is part of our lives constantly. It is something that we aspire to, sometimes are challenged to achieve, or accidentally (most frequently for me personally) how we attain something. Over the course of the time I have been a priest, this idea of perfection and perfectionism generally had been used as a way for people to give up trying to achieve growth in the spiritual life. And it is understandable.

As I write this I am sitting in St. James Hall with women who are welcoming people who are cold. It is the coldest time in this area of the country for a while and we were asked to open our churches for the homeless and those who might have lost heat or have frozen pipes. I was asked about this by a new group in Salem and was happy to offer help.

Ash Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023

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In season three of the popular series, The Chosen, we see Jesus gather a band of people whom he trains and works with until the moment when he gives his largest discourse. It is in effect the beatitudes that we read and hear today. It is part of the repentance message that we heard from Jesus last week and the beginning of seeing the church as including many people with many gifts. It is also a way of looking at the way we live as Christians in this world.

Lee. Escucha. Explora.

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