Today we celebrate Laetare Sunday, because the introit or entrance antiphon for the Mass begins with Laetare Jeruslalem, “rejoice, Jerusalem.” Priest and altar vest themselves in rose-colored vestments today as a reminder that the rose-fingered dawn will break always upon the darkest night, until the final dawn of eternity brings a close to human history. The history of humanity is a tale of sadness, as the first reading from Chronicles describes it: “the people added infidelity to infidelity, and even though Yahweh had compassion on his people … they mocked the messengers of God.” Humanity continues to mock God and his laws, but He will never refuse anyone his love and reconciliation. We must rejoice because God is greater than our infidelities: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” That verse from John 3:16, our Gospel today, gives us hope and joy that in the end God’s truth and love will triumph over our hardness of heart. The mission of the Church is to insist on God’s truth and love, especially in the face of a growing secularism and even mockery of God.
We love and support our archbishop, and all the good people who work in the archdiocese. Every Sunday we pray for Archbishop Cordileone by name in the Eucharistic prayer and in the prayers of the faithful. This is the Sunday when, in addition to our prayers, we offer him a financial gift from the blessings God has bestowed upon us. This is the Sunday when we share in his work of bringing God’s love and truth to the people of San Francisco.
Our gifts help fund needy parishes and schools, youth ministry and marriage programs, Respect Life and ethnic outreaches to Spanish-speaking, Filipino, and Chinese people. We help fund our archdiocesan newspapers and websites, train seminarians, and send priests for further studies, and many other services to our community. But most of all, our gifts simply send a word of support to a heroic archbishop that we are behind him in his irreplaceable ministry. The greatest service the archbishop renders our community is to ensure that the Holy Mass is offered on 95 altars every day in San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin counties. Archbishop Cordileone is the Vicar of Christ in this archdiocese, and his very presence gives us cause for rejoicing. We have a high priest who will never let us starve for the Bread of Life. Let us give what we can so that the Holy Mass will never be lacking in San Francisco, nor the Mass be lacking in faithful to attend it.
We love and support our archbishop, and all the good people who work in the archdiocese. Every Sunday we pray for Archbishop Cordileone by name in the Eucharistic prayer and in the prayers of the faithful. This is the Sunday when, in addition to our prayers, we offer him a financial gift from the blessings God has bestowed upon us. This is the Sunday when we share in his work of bringing God’s love and truth to the people of San Francisco.
Our gifts help fund needy parishes and schools, youth ministry and marriage programs, Respect Life and ethnic outreaches to Spanish-speaking, Filipino, and Chinese people. We help fund our archdiocesan newspapers and websites, train seminarians, and send priests for further studies, and many other services to our community. But most of all, our gifts simply send a word of support to a heroic archbishop that we are behind him in his irreplaceable ministry. The greatest service the archbishop renders our community is to ensure that the Holy Mass is offered on 95 altars every day in San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin counties. Archbishop Cordileone is the Vicar of Christ in this archdiocese, and his very presence gives us cause for rejoicing. We have a high priest who will never let us starve for the Bread of Life. Let us give what we can so that the Holy Mass will never be lacking in San Francisco, nor the Mass be lacking in faithful to attend it.
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