Our Pastor’s Corner – Week of March 30, 2025

My Dear Friends,
This weekend, we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Lent also known as “Laetare” Sunday. It occurs at the very midpoint of Lent and derives its name from the first words of the Entrance Antiphon at Mass, “Lætare Jerusalem”—“Rejoice, O Jerusalem”. On this Sunday, flowers at the altar are permitted, the organ may be played more frequently; and Rose-colored vestments may be worn instead of purple. The contrast between this Sunday and the other Sundays of Lent encourages us to stay strong in our Lenten commitments for soon the joy of Easter will be here!

The parable Jesus tells in today’s Gospel is unique to the Gospel of Luke and familiar to all of us. We call this the parable of the Prodigal Son. All the characters in this parable have been the subject of great reflection. While selfishness, anger, pride & jealousy can sometimes be a part of many of our lives, even greater is the capacity to imitate our Heavenly Father by moving above those thoughts & desiring to show mercy, love, & forgiveness. We can imagine our first response to the audacity of a son who asks for his inheritance before his father has died. Yet the father in this parable agrees to honor the son’s request & divides his property between his 2 sons. The younger son takes his inheritance & leaves home. The older son remains, continuing to provide for the father & the household. Having been disgraced by the younger son, the father spends some time watching the road for the return of the lost son. When he eventually sees his wayward son returning, the father not only welcomes him but also runs out to greet him & then honors him with a party. We find no surprise in the anger of the older son. Yet the father appears sad & even confused by the older son’s indignation. He says in reply that they should celebrate because the lost son has returned. The father is filled with gratitude & love for the older son’s faithfulness. This love is in no way diminished by the father’s rejoicing at the return of the younger son.

On this “Laetare” Sunday then, today’s Gospel describes the real reason for our joy: God’s great love for us has been revealed in Jesus. Through his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, Christ has reconciled us with God and one another. He awaits our return to Him to celebrate with great joy. This is the journey we make during this time of Lent, to return to Him and to receive Him with joy at Easter.

This Sunday at the 10 AM Mass, we will celebrate the 2nd Rite of Scrutiny for our Elect: Noelle D’Antonio, Nicholas D’Antonio & Kristen Olsen. They are preparing to be baptized at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night. These “Scrutiny” prayers are offered so that they may be spiritually strengthened at this time of their faith formation and so that they might be able to receive the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation & Eucharist) in a more fruitful and grace-filled way. I would ask you to please pray for them and their sponsors as they draw closer to becoming fully initiated members of the Catholic Church.

ikewise, we acknowledge Susan Nowoswiat and Cynthia Sansone who have already been baptized in another faith denomination and are seeking to be received into the Catholic Church at this time. They will soon receive their sacraments of Penance, Confirmation and Eucharist and enter into Full Communion with the Church at Easter. Please continue to pray for them and their sponsors as they prepare to make a Profession of Faith into the Church and receive their sacraments as well.

I want to express my sincerest gratitude to all of you who welcomed me back to Our Lady of the Assumption last weekend. It felt so nice to be home! As I mentioned last week, I will be speaking at all of the Masses this weekend to give an update on my recovery and to share some of my personal thoughts regarding this present journey in my life.
All of you have been so thoughtful and supportive, and I really appreciate your love and concern for me. As some of you already know, this current time home for me is considered a temporary “leave of absence” from my therapeutic care so that I might prepare to return more fully prepared to take on my responsibilities here again at OLA. So, I am returning back to St. John Vianney Center in Downingtown, PA this coming Sunday evening and will then finally return back to OLA permanently just before the weekend of Palm Sunday and Holy Week. I am truly grateful that I will be here to celebrate these most solemn days with you especially, Easter Sunday.

I want to thank you again for all you have done for me and for all that you continue to do for our wonderful parish. We are truly blessed. May you and your families have a great week!
Love & prayers, Fr. Carey

Love and prayers, Father Carey