Parent Teacher Talk
February 18, 2018
1st Sunday in Lent - Mark 1: 12 - 15
Because of our fallen state, suffering is a natural condition for humanity until we are again with God, in heaven instead of in the Garden of Eden. To prevent all of humanity from being lost to utter depravity (intentional and serious sin), the unrepentant perished while the faithful, Noah and his family, were saved and a sacred covenant formed by the Will of God for the benefit of humanity. The psalm celebrates how God always keeps His covenant to love His People despite their infidelity to Him. The second reading considers the import of Noah in relation to our Redemption through Jesus. Jesus was fully human, and He suffered in the desert through serious temptations, overcoming them for our benefit. He emerges from the desert to declare the Kingdom of God is at hand -
God's Covenant of Love is being fulfilled!
Important Dates
February
14th............... Ash Wednesday
16th............... Lenten Friday: Stations of the Cross at 7:30 pm following Fish Fry from 5:00 - 7:30 pm
18th............... RCIA, Rite of Sending & Election
21st............... Monthly Rosary - Seek Mary's intercession for your most critical needs!
25th............... First Communion Demo of Mass after 10 am Mass in Church
27th............... The Light Is On: Reconciliation from 7 - 9 pm in every Catholic church in Cincinnati
March
4th................. Baptism Preparation class for parents who wish their children baptized before June
13th............... Parish Lenten Reconciliation Service with St. Bernadette, at St. Bernadette parish
17th............... First Communion Retreat: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Parish Dining Hall
25th............... Palm Sunday
29th............... Holy Thursday
30th............... Good Friday
31st................ Easter Vigil
NEWSY NOTES
Ash Wednesday service is a wonderful way to begin the Lenten journey,
but remember that the Eucharist is the high point of the Mass .
The ashes are an addition to the Mass to help us enter the liturgical season of Lent.
Adoration of Christ in the Eucharist begins after the 8:30 am Mass every Friday
Stations of the Cross begin at 7:30 pm on Fridays through Lent
The St. Thomas More Fish Fry begins this Friday
(Proceeds benefit the parish Boy Scout Troop and the parish)
Greetings Parents,

When the priority list of "To Do's" grows longer than the minutes I have in a day, there is a little (OK, LOT) of stress that starts to build. How can these all be accomplished in the manner in which they should be accomplished? At times I think how much simpler life was "in the old days" when there were fewer "opportunities" for people and thus fewer demands on our time.

I suspect that someone from that era might see it a little differently, with objections varying depending on the time and place of the "old days." Frontier life and farm life might have had fewer demands outside of managing the homestead, but the demands were more physically demanding and required more time than many of us apply to individual tasks today. Modern conveniences relieved the physical demands and the time required, but a trade-off was that more income was needed to afford the conveniences and now more time is needed outside the home. Families work less together on basic household tasks and work independently more often at varying tasks and activities specific to each person.

Working together as a family to care for farm animals, prepare food, repair a barn, or clean clothes has some appeal when we've had a few weeks of sharing only brief moments actually in the same room talking with one another and not focused on other duties (school or employment work brought home, social media requests for attention, scheduling upcoming events, etc.). It seems a simpler time when family relationships were strengthened by shared work necessary for the entire family. The need for everyone's contribution helped everyone feel needed and "community spirit" was instilled first in the family. How ideal! Yet every earthly ideal has a down-side, and as we "look back" we see the high mortality rate of people as they worked hard and faced injury and illness with fewer means of recovery.

I come to the point where it seems God might be pointing me back to the now and how to make today be what He wants, what he knows is best for us. I'm sure there were always projects people wanted to accomplsih "in the old days" that had to take a back seat to other priorities. Even if not, today is what we have and if we focus on one task at a time, God will see to the rest. Wishing for what someone else has or had tends to obscure the downsides and elevate only the positives. I much prefer a hot shower to cold water drawn from a creek and a flushing toilet to an outhouse! Someone else might seem to be living the dream, but really no one is doing so until we are past this life and embraced in the love of God in heaven. For now, I need to focus on one task and then the next until the day is done, be grateful for what I accomplished and grateful for what God accomplishes without me. Tomorrow we'll start with what He leaves for me after He works all night.

Embrace those little ones tight and may God bless you and your families abundantly!

-- Linda Bader, St. Thomas More
Articles for Parents

When Jesus was born, girls were typically betrothed at 12 years of old, so Mary was likely 12 - 13 years old when she gave birth to Jesus. Today in the western world, girls this age are advised to get an abortion when they are pregnant, often citing the health risks. It is far safer to give birth today than at any time in the past! One young, brave mom accepted the reality of her motherhood, that began with her child's conception, and shares a bit of her story.
The same title as last week, but a new article with a different perspective that considers a five-minute daily act that can make Mass meaningful for you!
Being creatures of habit, many follow the same Lenten practices every year - which can be wonderful if they are beneficial for the spiritual life. Sometimes, though, we need to think outside of our standard box to get actually find ourselves "retreating" from the influence of the world and drawing closer to God, Our Creator, the One with whom we hope to spend eternity (to be apart from Him is to be apart from Love and all who love Him).