In this fourth week of Lent, the world feels heavy. News of war reminds us how fragile peace can be. At the same time, our nation has paused to remember the life of Jesse Jackson, a minister and civil rights leader who spent his life calling people to justice, dignity, and hope. Thousands gathered in Chicago last week to celebrate his life and continue the work he began - reminding us that faith is never meant to remain private, but to shape how we treat one another and how we build a more just world.

At one of the services, Stevie Wonder sang the civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome.” But he reminded the crowd that the song can also be understood in another way - not just we shall overcome, but you shall overcome. In other words, hope is not only a dream for humanity in general; it is a personal call to each of us. In times of uncertainty and conflict, each person must choose hope, compassion, and courage in their own life.

Lent invites us to make that same choice. When the world feels divided by fear, war, or injustice, the gospel asks us to begin where we are - through prayer, kindness, and the quiet work of reconciliation. If each of us takes responsibility for the hope we carry, then together we can still become the people who overcome. That is the Lenten path: not despair, but faith that God can work through us to bring healing to a wounded world.

Today our scripture readings remind us that we are so loved by God; and that love should prompt us to do as Paul exhorts us to do in his letter: live as children of the light.

Finally, I encourage everyone to plan to join together to hear more about an extraordinary work, the Saint John Bible. Please mark your calendar for this Monday, March 16, at 7:00 PM in McDonough Hall on the Saint Giles Campus. It is a once in a Millenium undertaking - come and see!

Also, I ask you to please take the time to look at and fill out the Disciple Maker index Survey. The important information you share will help us understand what challenges and opportunities have shaped us during the process of unification in our parishes. Your input matters. Please take the time to complete the survey.

Have a safe and good week ahead.

With you a Christian, for you, a priest.

Fr. Carl Morello
Pastor
Ascension and St. Edmund Parish
St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy and St. Giles Parish

Christmas Markets in Poland! Any interest? I am organizing this trip, and you are invited - November 28th-December 8th. We will visit Gdansk, Warsaw, Krakow and more sites. For information pick up a brochure at the parish office.