The Seven Sacraments of our Church are essential to each one of us in living our personal faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior, Lord, Shepherd and Teacher. Over the past few weeks, forty-one of our children made their First Confession. They shared in the healing mercy and gentle forgiveness of Jesus for the first time as they came to Church with their parents for confession. The children came in three groups at 6:30pm on Wednesday, February 1, on Thursday, February 2 and on Wednesday, February 8. As usual the children were very well prepared for their Sacrament of Penance and I compliment and applaud them. I am grateful to the parents of the first penitents for their example in coming to confession before their child and ‘showing them the way.’ The example of the parents is so important to the children especially in religion, in moral action and in behavior. Example speaks louder than words. May God bless the families of our children who made First Confession with his grace, his peace and his spirit of unity.
I want to thank all the teachers of the children who made their First Confession: their CCD teachers and their teachers at our local Catholic Schools, especially Sts Leo-Seton, St. Genevieve, Carencro Catholic and Our Lady of Fatima. The teachers do so much to prepare the children for their Sacraments. May the Lord bless all our teachers with his guidance, his encouragement, his patience and his inspiration. As Pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton Church Parish, I am personally very thankful to Tonia Harrington and Gerry Baumboree, who co-ordinate the Program for First Confession and First Communion as well as the Confirmation and CCD Programs. May the Lord bless them abundantly for all they do for the children and youth of our church parish. I recognize their efforts, their good work and their perseverance.
I also share my personal appreciation to the three Priests who were so kind and willing to come to St. Elizabeth Seton to he at the First Confessions with me those three evenings: Father Brian Taylor, Pastor of St Genevieve Church in Lafayette, came the three nights; Father Michael Arnaud, Pastor of Assumption Church in Mire, came two nights and Father Hampton Davis, Pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Lafayette, came one evening. May the Lord Jesus the great High Priest, bless my brother Priests with his anointing, his serenity and his divine presence. May Father Brian, Father Michael, Father Hampton and myself and all Priests strive to serve you the People of God according to the gentle, humble, kind and merciful example of Jesus Christ, the eternal High Priest.
This weekend, February 18-19, the children who made their First Confession will receive certificates for that beautiful and great Sacrament. I have signed each of the certificates myself and placed a happy face next to my name. My prayer is that the children will display their First Confession certificate in their room at home and know how loving and how forgiving Jesus always is to them now and in the years to come. May there be abundant mercy in the homes of our children as they grow and mature with the example, the help and the love of their parents, families and relatives.
Please continue to pray for our children who are preparing for their First Holy Communion on the last Sunday of April and the first Sunday of May. First Communion days are among the most spiritually significant and the most meaningful days in the religious lives of our children and of each one of us. The gift of Jesus in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is one of if not the greatest of all the blessings we can receive. May each time we share in the Eucharist be an act of faith, a ritual of trust, and an expression of our affection for the Savior. May we become who we are privileged to receive. May the Eucharist be a meal for us as we grow closer to the Lord and to one another. May the Mass also be a remembrance of the sacrifice of the Lord at Calvary on Good Friday.
My prayers, best wishes, love and gratitude to you and to your loved ones for who you are, for all you do for the Lord and for the good of St. Elizabeth Seton Church Parish. The Psalm for Mass today is 103; and the response is ‘the Lord is kind and merciful.’ May the mercy and the kindness of the living God that we know in Jesus Christ enable us to be kind and merciful in all of our relationships with family and friends.
SHALOM!
Fr. Gary
Homework for the week of February 19 – February 25
