Father Michael's Thoughts This Week

WEEKLY THOUGHTS FOURTH SUNDAY OF FEBRUARY 2, 2025

Dear Friends, 

Greetings and best wishes to you all from myself and family. I am very happy to be back after staying away for a month. I bring you warm greetings and some bit of warm weather. Very sad for the plane crash at Reagan Airport.  Let us keep the families that lost their loved ones in prayer and God rest the souls of the deceased in peace.

This weekend the Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus by his parents- Mary and Joseph to the Temple in Jerusalem. This feast is celebrated 40 days after Christmas and marks the end of the Christmas season.

 Mary and Joseph were faithful and pious Jews. They brought to the Temple their first-born son for presentation to the Lord as prescribed in the law of Moses. Present at the Temple were Simeon and Anna. They were waiting for the restoration of God’s rule in Israel. Both Simeon and Anna had been promised by the Holy Spirit that they would see Christ before their death. So, they praised God for having seen the Messiah – “a light for the revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of the people of Israel.” 

 Again, the Church today celebrates the World Day of Consecrated life for all Women and Men Religious. This Feast was instituted by now St. John Paul II in 1997.  Let us continue to pray for the young people to desire and embrace the religious life as they shine out as light to all people to attain salvation.

 Have a great week and fruitful month of February.