Saint John the Evangelist Parish Honesdale issued the following announcement on Mar. 24.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
On this Laetare Sunday we rejoice in having passed our halfway mark of Lent and set our hearts and minds on the joy of celebrating soon the glorious days of the Sacred Triduum. Before Easter is upon us we need to make plans now for a worthy celebration of the Paschal Mysteries. WHen my brothers and sister were children my dear mother made a “game” out of our annual spring cleaning. Just about every nook and corner of the house was exposed and like an army of ants we attacked those places where the dust bunnies found a home. They were dealt a mortal blow. And a victorious mom would remind us how fresh and clean everything smelled. Of course one of the main objectives of the spring cleaning was our getting to Confession. Though always a regular practice it carried a special weight around the latter days of Lent in preparation of Easter. Just as we banged-out the dust from the carpets as they hung on the clothesline( are there such any more?) with the wire carpet banger ( what a way to get out your frustrations) so we should bang out our sins in the confessional and get a fresh new start in our lives.
St. Paul stresses the newness of life in Christ through the ministry of reconciliation which is exactly what Confession is. How perfectly this is portrayed in today’s parable of the Prodigal Son. We are all prodigals and all in need of the Father’s mercy and forgiveness which comes to us through the death and Resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. The prodigal was transformed by the father’s love. He felt once again at home, loved and restored. Experience the same as you make a heartfelt confession in the days ahead.
With Blessings,
Father Langan
Original source can be found here.
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