The great Catholic theologian and philosopher Bernard Lonergan suggested that the human soul does not come into the world as a tabla rasa, a pure, clean sheet of paper onto which anything can be written. Rather, we are born with first principles indelibly stamped inside our souls. Fr. Ron Rolhesier states that “classical theology and philosophy name these principles as four things as transcendental, meaning that they are somehow true of everything that exists. They are: oneness, truth, goodness, and beauty. Everything that exists somehow bears these four qualities.”
Rolheiser continues saying “these qualities are perfect only inside of God. God, alone, is perfect oneness, perfect truth, perfect goodness, and perfect beauty. However, God brands these four things, in their perfection, into the core of the human soul. Hence, we come into the world already knowing, however dimly, perfect oneness, perfect truth, perfect goodness, and perfect beauty because they already lie inside us like an inerasable brand. Thus, we can tell right from wrong because we already know perfect truth and goodness in the core of our souls, just as we also instinctively recognize love and beauty because we already know them in a perfect way, however darkly, inside ourselves. In this life, we don’t learn truth, we recognize it; we don’t learn love, we recognize it; and we don’t learn what is good, we recognize it. We recognize these because we already possess them in the core of our souls.”
Our theme for Lent is to open the eyes of our heart and we are trying to learn to recognize what we already know to be one, true, good, and beautiful. Fr. Kevin’s retreat gave us some new material to reflect upon, you can find his handouts on the website here. Our scripture readings for Sunday bring us closer to the heart of our Lenten journey, offering us a rich tapestry of themes to reflect upon as we prepare for Holy Week.
The first reading from the Prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31-34) speaks of a new covenant, not like the one made with our ancestors but written on our hearts. God promises to be our God, and we shall be His people, with all our sins forgiven. In the Gospel according to John (John 12:20-33), Jesus speaks of His hour having come to be glorified, illustrating His message with the metaphor of the grain of wheat that must die to produce much fruit. This passage calls us to embrace the necessary deaths within our lives—letting go of our sins, our pride, and our self-centeredness—to see with the eyes of our heart again, what we know to be one, true, good, and beautiful.
This promise of a new beginning invites us to approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation with open hearts, ready to receive God’s mercy and to renew our relationship with Him. This Lenten season offers us a unique opportunity to encounter God’s infinite mercy, to confess our sins, and to start anew. I invite all parishioners to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation together on Monday, March 25 at 7pm. Poet and parishioner, Christine Moore, will preside at the service and we will have six priests available to hear confessions. May we take this time to examine our lives, repent, and seek forgiveness, so we may fully experience the joy and renewal that comes from reconciliation with God and one another. We come to not learn it new but to recognize what we already know to be true, good, and beautiful—God’s love and mercy.
Looking ahead, we eagerly anticipate the celebration of Palm Sunday, marking the beginning of Holy Week. We encourage you to invite your families and friends to join you. This day commemorates Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, greeted with palms and shouts of “Hosanna!” It is a day of both celebration and poignant anticipation of the Paschal Mystery we are about to witness. We invite all parishioners to join us in this solemn observance, as we prepare our hearts to walk with Jesus through His passion, death, and resurrection.
In these final days of Lent, may we deepen our commitment to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. May we seek reconciliation and prepare ourselves to enter the mysteries of Holy Week with clean hearts and renewed spirits. Together, as a faith community, we journey towards the promise of Easter, the celebration of our Lord’s resurrection and the ultimate expression of God’s love and mercy for us all.
Finally, as you read this note, Meredith and I will be leading a retreat for the RCIA elect and candidates off campus, as they enter the last few weeks of their journey into full initiation into our Church and community. I ask you to please pray for them and if you have not already done so, please take a card from the entrances of the Church and write them a personal note of welcome to our community. Please bring those notes back before Holy Thursday so we can prepare welcome packages for Easter Vigil.
I also encourage you to consider joining us for the Easter Vigil. If you have never been, it is a spectacular liturgy and I truly believe everyone should attend once every 3 years even not more often. It is the pinnacle of our year! Our full Holy Week schedule can be viewed here.
May this time be one of profound grace and spiritual growth for each of you and your families.
God Bless,
Fr. Brendan