Our CYO program at Notre Dame de Lourdes celebrated their Sports Banquet last Sunday evening, 3 March. The banquet was a chance to celebrate all our student athletes, their coaches, and their achievements throughout this year. The players for each team were recognized and applauded while a standout player was honored for each team based on their leadership, service, and dedication to their sport. The program also featured recognition of our Championship seasons in JV Girls’ Volleyball and in Co-ed Soccer. Players on these teams received championship apparel and the banners announcing their achievements were unfurled and displayed at Nelson Hall. Congratulations to our athletes, their parents, and their families. Congratulations and thanks also to our coaches, assistants, and our CYO Board members for their dedicated service and many hours of commitment to our CYO program at Notre Dame de Lourdes.
Wednesday, 13 March celebrates the Eleventh Anniversary of the election of Pope Francis as our Holy Father. The following prayer is a reflection on the Way of the Cross from Pope Francis.
Lord Jesus, help us to see in your Cross all the crosses of the world:
The cross of people hungry for bread and for love.
The cross of people alone and abandoned even by their children and kin.
The cross of people thirsty for justice and peace.
The cross of people who lack the comfort of faith.
The cross of the elderly who struggle under the weight of years and loneliness.
The cross of migrants who find doors closed in fear and hearts armored.
The cross of little ones, wounded in their innocence and purity.
The cross of humanity that wanders in the darkness of uncertainty and in the obscurity of
temporary culture.
The cross of families split by betrayal, by the seduction of the evil one or by selfishness.
The cross of consecrated people who tirelessly seek to bring your light into the world and
feel rejected, derided, and humiliated.
The cross of your children, who believing in you and seeking to live according to your
Word, find themselves marginalized, and rejected even by their families and peers.
The cross of our weaknesses, of our hypocrisy, of our betrayals, of our sins and of our
many broken promises.
The cross of your Church that, faithful to your Gospel, struggles to spread your love even
among the baptized themselves.
The cross of the Church, your Bride, that feels constantly assailed from within and
without.
The cross of our common home that is gravely withering before our eyes.
Lord Jesus, revive in us the hope of resurrection and of your definitive victory over all evil and all death. Amen.
The Sacrament of Penance will be celebrated on Monday, 11 March at Our Lady of Peace from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.; and at Notre Dame de Lourdes Church on Thursday, 14 March from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. The Sacrament of Penance is also available Saturday afternoons at Our Lady of Peace from 3:30 – 4:15.
Today, the Fourth Sunday of Lent, is Laetare Sunday. Rose colored vestments are suggested to be worn today. I once was giving a presentation to second grade students who were preparing for the Sacraments of Penance and First Holy Communion. I presented the different vestment colors with a brief description of what each color represents. Red is love, white is purity, green is hope, violet is preparation, and rose is perfection. A young girl raised her hand and said: “So what you are saying is green plus violet equals rose. Meaning that if we hope, and do our work, then we will achieve perfection.” Yes, green plus violet equals rose. The wisdom of our young disciples. Laetare – Rejoice!