We increased by 11 over last weekend and 220 over the same weekend last year.  The 12 Noon Mass almost surpassed the 4 PM Mass.

4 PM       253           0

6 PM         90           0

8 AM       118           0

10 AM     183           0

12 PM     241           1

     Thank you to the SVDP members who gave short presentations before Mass and talked with parishioners afterward.  Thank you to the 18 people who plan to join our SVDP conference.  If you're interested in joining or learning more, feel free to attend the SVDP meeting tonight at 6:30 PM in the old chapel over in the parish center.

     The Concorde was a joint venture between France and the UK.  These planes travelled up to Mach 2.04.  I never before made the connection between the Concorde and concord which means "agreement between persons, groups, nations, etc.".  The word "concord" has appeared in the Mass readings a couple times recently.  Today for MLK day, I used the prayers at Mass "For the Preservation of Peace and Justice".  Unfortunately, we have a great deal of discord these days.  Let's pray for concord and seek knowledge and grow in love in order to build concord.

     If you read the sources I read, you will have read several articles on discordant Vatican politics recently.  If you're looking for a good summary with a solution for promoting greater concordance among people, then read the following article by a wise man:

by Robert Royal

     I've completed day 3 of Catechism in a Year podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz.  See the invitation video above.  Jonah McKeown wrote an article about this popular podcast starting at the top spot on Apple Podcasts followed in second place by Bible in a Year.  See here.

     All the wise people in the Church and our patron saint, St. John, advise us to keep Jesus central in our lives.  If we put Him first, He will give us the grace to learn more about Him and His plan for us.  He'll send the Holy Spirit to equip us to build concord.  That concord will be fully achieved when He brings us home to the Father's house.

     If you'd like to be in better concord with Jesus, come receive His mercy in the Sacrament of Confession/Reconciliation/Penance today from 2 to 4 PM and 6 to 7 PM.

God love you,

Fr. Jim