Legend has it that Valentine was a priest who served during third century Rome. There was an Emperor at that time by the name of Claudius II. Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those that were married. With this thought in mind he outlawed marriage for young men in hopes of building a stronger military base. Supposedly, Valentine, decided this decree just wasn’t fair and chose to marry young couples secretly. When Emperor Claudius II found out about Valentine’s actions he had him put to death.

Another legend has it that Valentine was an imprisoned man who fell in love with his jailor’s daughter. Before he was put to death he sent the first ‘valentine’ himself when he wrote her a letter and signed it ‘Your Valentine’, words still used on cards today.

Perhaps we’ll never know the true identity and story behind the man named St. Valentine, but this much is for sure…February has been the month to celebrate love for a long time, dating clear back to the Middle Ages. In fact, Valentines ranks second only to Christmas in number of greeting cards sent.

6 week ON LINE SCRIPTURE COURSE

This six week course on  Mark’s gospel attempts to capture the focus of the gospel: To love and be loved by Jesus. The story line receives major attention. Historical, geographical, and cultural comments are added where it seems useful for the understanding of the story.  The purpose of this study will be fulfilled if we are  motivated to a conversion of heart that leads us  to a life that is less anxious, a mind that is less suspicious, a heart that is less hostile…..

This course begins the First Week of Lent

For more information or to register email Sister Therese Ann at tarich@theursulines.org. Diocesan Religious Education hours available.

Mardi Gras, literally “Fat Tuesday,” has grown in popularity in recent years as a raucous, sometimes hedonistic event. But its roots lie in the Christian calendar, as the “last hurrah” before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. That’s why the enormous party in New Orleans, for example, ends abruptly at midnight on Tuesday, with battalions of streetsweepers pushing the crowds out of the French Quarter towards home.

What is less known about Mardi Gras is its relation to the Christmas season, through the ordinary-time interlude known in many Catholic cultures as Carnival. (Ordinary time, in the Christian calendar, refers to the normal “ordering” of time outside of the Advent/Christmas or Lent/Easter seasons.

Carnival comes from the Latin words carne vale, meaning “farewell to the flesh.” Like many Catholic holidays and seasonal celebrations, it likely has its roots in pre-Christian traditions based on the seasons. Some believe the festival represented the few days added to the lunar calendar to make it coincide with the solar calendar; since these days were outside the calendar, rules and customs were not obeyed. Others see it as a late-winter celebration designed to welcome the coming spring. As early as the middle of the second century, the Romans observed a Fast of 40 Days, which was preceded by a brief season of feasting, costumes and merrymaking.

The Carnival season kicks off with the Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night, Three Kings’ Day and, in the Eastern churches, Theophany. Epiphany, which falls on January 6, 12 days after Christmas, celebrates the visit of the Wise Men bearing gifts for the infant Jesus. In cultures that celebrate Carnival, Epiphany kicks off a series of parties leading up to Mardi Gras.

Epiphany is also traditionally when celebrants serve King’s Cake, a custom that began in France in the 12th century. Legend has it that the cakes were made in a circle to represent the circular routes that the Wise Men took to find Jesus, in order to confuse King Herod and foil his plans of killing the Christ Child. In the early days, a coin or bean was hidden inside the cake, and whoever found the item was said to have good luck in the coming year. In Louisiana, bakers now put a small baby, representing the Christ Child, in the cake; the recipient is then expected to host the next King Cake party.

There are well-known season-long Carnival celebrations in Europe and Latin America, including Nice, France; Cologne, Germany; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The best-known celebration in the U.S. is in New Orleans and the French-Catholic communities of the Gulf Coast. Mardi Gras came to the New World in 1699, when a French explorer arrived at the Mississippi River, about 60 miles south of present day New Orleans. He named the spot Point du Mardi Gras because he knew the holiday was being celebrated in his native country that day.

Eventually the French in New Orleans celebrated Mardi Gras with masked balls and parties, until the Spanish government took over in the mid-1700s and banned the celebrations. The ban continued even after the U.S. government acquired the land but the celebrations resumed in 1827. The official colors of Mardi Gras, with their roots in Catholicism, were chosen 10 years later: purple, a symbol of justice; green, representing faith; and gold, to signify power.

Mardi Gras literally means “Fat Tuesday” in French. The name comes from the tradition of slaughtering and feasting upon a fattened calf on the last day of Carnival. The day is also known as Shrove Tuesday (from “to shrive,” or hear confessions), Pancake Tuesday and fetter Dienstag. The custom of making pancakes comes from the need to use up fat, eggs and dairy before the fasting and abstinence of Lent begins.

Click here to read the rest of Bishop George Murry’s letter

Very few facts are known about Saint Blaise. We believe he was a bishop of Sebastea in Armenia who was martyred under the reign of Licinius in the early fourth century.

The legend of his life that sprang up in the eighth century tells us that he was born in to a rich and noble family who raised him as a Christian. After becoming a bishop, a new persecution of Christians began. He received a message from God to go into the hills to escape persecution. Men hunting in the mountains discovered a cave surrounded by wild animals who were sick. Among them Blaise walked unafraid, curing them of their illnesses. Recognizing Blaise as a bishop, they captured him to take him back for trial. On the way back, he talked a wolf into releasing a pig that belonged to a poor woman. When Blaise was sentenced to be starved to death, the woman, in gratitude, sneaked into the prison with food and candles. Finally Blaise was killed by the governor.

Blaise is the patron saint of wild animals because of his care for them and of those with throat maladies.

In His Footsteps:

Take time as Saint Blaise did to find out how you can help wild animals. Find out what is being done to support and protect the wildlife in your area. There is wildlife everywhere, even in cities. Even a birdfeeder can help God’s creatures survive.

Prayer:

Saint Blaise, pray for us that we may not suffer from illnesses of the throat and pray that all who are suffering be healed by God’s love. Amen

As a parish we will bless throats during daily Mass on February 3rd and during all weekend liturgies.

Candlemas is a traditional Christian festival that commemorates the ritual purification of Mary forty days after the birth of her son Jesus. On this day, Christians remember the presentation of Jesus Christ in the Temple. Forty days after the birth of a Jewish boy, it was the custom to take him to the temple in Jerusalem to be presented to God by his thankful parents.

In pre-Christian times, this day was known as the ‘Feast of Lights’ and celebrated the increase strength of the life-giving sun as winter gave way to spring.

How did the 2nd February come to be called Candlemas?

It was the day of the year when all the candles, that were used in the church during the coming year, were brought into church and a blessing was said over them – so it was the Festival Day (or ‘mass’) of the Candles.

Candles were important in those days not only because there was no electric lights. Some people thought they gave protection against plague and illness and famine. For Christians, they were (and still are) a reminder of something even more important. Before Jesus came to earth, it was as if everyone was ‘in the dark’. People often felt lost and lonely. Afraid. As if they were on their own, with no one to help them. Then came Jesus with his message that he is with his followers always ready to help and comfort them. As if he is a guiding light to them in the darkness. Christians often talk of Jesus as ‘the light of the World’ – and candles are lit during church services to remind Christians of this.

The Romans had a custom of lighting candles to scare away evil spirits in the winter.

One of the most interesting custom took place in Scotland. In the olden days, Candlemas was the day when children brought candles to school so that the classrooms could have light on dull days. As time went on, gas lighting took over from candle light. The children took money to the teacher who was suppose to spend it on sweets and cakes for the children to eat. The boy or girl taking in the most money were declared Candlemas King and Queen and they ‘ruled’ for six weeks. They had the power to make one whole afternoon a week a playtime and they could also let anyone they wished off punishment.

Other names for Candlemas Day

Candlemas’s Day also has two other names. One is the ‘Presentation of Christ in the Temple’. The other is the ‘Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary’. Both these names come from special events in the life of the child Jesus.

Today, the parish will bless all candles to be used for the liturgical year. The blessing will occur during daily mass.

Reflection for Families
It is an awesome responsibility to have authority over another person. Our very use of that authority has the potential of lifting people up or tearing them down. The greatest responsibility we have rests in the authority we have over our children. The words we choose, the tone of voice we use to speak to them and the actions our children see us take, relate to them the authority Jesus has over us. It’s often a sobering experience to think back over the day and recall what kind of witness we’ve been for Jesus. Our hope is that we can try again tomorrow.

Bringing the Gospel Into Your Family
We may not be able to exorcise evil spirits, but as a family, suggest places in your school, work place, neighborhood or community where evil (or something unjust) exists. Make a plan and take an action as a family to right this wrong.

Discussion Starters

1. Just like Jesus sent the evil spirit from the man, someone once helped me get over something troubling when…
2. People were looking to Jesus to perform healings and miracles. A miracle I witnessed was when…
3. One person of great authority who I think is most like Jesus is…

Gospel Summary
Jesus called two sets of brothers to be his disciples. First he called Andrew and his brother Simon. He then came upon James and John who left their father and their boat to follow Jesus. The summon of Jesus had to have been inviting beyond doubt, because these four men immediately left their means of livelihood and families to follow a dynamic, but unknown leader.

Reflection for Families
The faith and trust of these early disciples is hard to imagine. Everything Andrew, Peter, James, and John had known disappeared as they began a new way of living found in their company with Jesus. We often see these dramatic conversions among candidates in the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) and the Children’s Catechumenate. Something may have happened recently in a person’s life that brought them to the point of conversion. It is important that you help your family, along with the entire Christian family, to affirm and support these folks in the months ahead.

Bringing the Gospel into Your Family
The fishermen were busy going about their business of fishing and earning a living. Still, something in their busyness caused them to not only stop their work and listen to Jesus, but drop what they were doing and follow him. We all live very busy lives today, too. Stop to consider where you hear Jesus’ call in your busy day. Share these moments with one another and explain how you did (or didn’t) respond to the call. Offer support to one another as you work to better answer Jesus’ call in the future.

Discussion Starters

1. A life-changing call for me that came from Jesus happened when…
2. Like the first fishermen, I am a gatherer of people for Jesus when…
3. Jesus called more than one disciple at time. It also helps me to be called with others because…

“Who is my neighbor?” Jesus answers that question in two parables: the Good Samaritan and the Last Judgment. In both of these timeless stories Jesus teaches us that there is a direct connection between our love of God and love of neighbor. There are times, however, when we do not see the neighbor in our midst who is in need, the neighbor who lives in poverty. Or if we do encounter someone in need, we may not know how best to respond.

The Good News of Jesus Christ, Son of God and Word Made Flesh, invites Christians to see the world in a new way. That challenge has been relevant down through the ages, but today it is urgent. Many of our neighbors, near and far, are crying for help. Poverty remains a reality in our region and in many parts of the world. Those in poverty are our brothers and sisters, our neighbors, trying to get our attention. The Church is especially called upon to recognize our neighbors in need, provide care, and engage the entire community to find solutions that can help them break the cycle of poverty.

Click here to read the Pastoral Letter of the Most Rev. George V. Murry, S.J. on the occasion of national poverty awareness month.

Visit the Diocese of Youngstown Catholic Charities Campaign to Reduce Poverty website for more resources

Our Confirmation program provides a very significant role for parents as well as the sponsor. All public and parochial school students are invited to attend the program.

Our first meeting will be Sunday, 26 February 2012 at   
10 am in Vincentian Hall.

Please call Sister Therese Ann by 12 February to RSVP.

Registration Form-Confirmation 2012 ]]> http://saintedwardparish.org/sacrament-of-confirmation/feed/ 0