Dear Brothers and Sisters of St. Andrew the Apostle,

Please read the bulletin or our parish website for all the St. Andrew's news and events. Here is a glimpse of what is coming up in the coming weeks:

• This Sunday's second collection supports the St. Andrew the Apostle Concert Series. Thank you for your generosity. The Brethren will perform at our final concert of the 2024-25 season on Sunday, May 4, at 4:00 p.m.
• Today the Middle School and High School Youth Groups will have their annual bowling outing ("Fish Bowl") at Bowlero. The Middle School Youth Group outing is from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM and the High School Youth Group outing is from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM. More information here.
• The St. Andrew's Women's Lenten Retreat will be on Saturday, March 29, at the Benedictine Monastery at Linton Hall, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The cost is $45. Fr. Wagner and Fr. Stephan Starzynski will lead the retreat. There are only a few spaces available, so register here by Monday, March 24.
• All students in the second grade or above are invited to join the Children's Easter Choir, which will sing at the 12:30 PM Mass on Easter Sunday. Rehearsals start on March 23. For more information and to register, see our website.
• Come to our final Open House for our St. Andrew's Blue Ribbon School on Tuesday, March 25, from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM. Register here!
• We're looking for volunteers for our St. Andrew's Vacation Bible School, which will be from July 21 to 25. The VBS is only possible through the work of volunteers, so please consider signing up for this wonderful summer event.

... Thanks be to God for a great parish mission with Fr. Riley! I was not here the last time he led a mission in 2019, but it was truly inspiring to hear his conferences, to see the number of Confessions he heard, and to experience a life so formed over the years by his vocation to the priesthood. Fr. Riley was ordained in 1991, and you can see how a life of prayer, sacrifice, and service has formed the virtues that carry him through a rigorous schedule that bears such marvelous fruit. We thank him for his lessons on the Rosary, Scripture, Confession, and holiness. You can find the retreat notes he referenced at his website.

... Our Eighth Graders were Confirmed by Bishop Burbidge on Thursday. It was a joyous day and it is always an honor to have Bishop Burbidge visit our parish. Let us pray that our newly Confirmed will live out the deepening of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as they continue to carry out their mission as disciples of Jesus Christ in their homes, in their schools, and in the world!

... Tuesday, March 25 is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. While it is not a Holy Day of Obligation, it is the highest feast of the Church - a Solemnity, and like the Solemnity of St. Joseph last week, it is a day of feasting and one where it is okay to put aside your Lenten penances. The Annunciation is the celebration of the Archangel Gabriel announcing (hence, the Annunciation) to Mary that the Holy Spirit will overshadow her and she will give birth to the Savior, the Son of God.

As Fr. Riley said in one of his Mission talks, the Ascension does not get enough attention, for it is the Pro-Life feast, the day Christ became incarnate, when He was conceived in the Virgin Mary's womb. The Ascension also gives us the perfect example of our Blessed Mother who says, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to [God's] word" (Lk 1:38). Would that we all had such trust in God's plan and docility to accept it. Instead, we often allow our comfort to play a role in what we are willing to do for God, creating obstacles to responding to God's will. Let us pray for Mary's intercession that we may have hearts ready and willing to respond to God, knowing that what He commands is the path to flourishing on earth and in heaven.

... Throughout the Diocese of Arlington, Catholics will be participating in a Diocesan Day of Unplugging on Friday, March 28. By unplugging from our smartphones, screens, and social media, we practice fasting. Using the extra time for prayer and good works is an even greater incentive to convert our lives this Lenten season. So join us in the Diocesan Day of Unplugging by giving up screens for some or part of the day on March 28 and using that time gained by praying or doing charitable works (See the Diocesan website for suggestions).

A few years ago, I read Nicholas Carr's The Shallows. Actually, I listened to it as an audiobook. The book was first published in 2011, so there is a lot more information to support what was found back then, which is that the use of the internet is changing our brains. We use our memory less when we use technology for our information, like GPS for driving directions, the internet for historical information or trivia, or even (as I often do), looking up Scripture verses online instead of in the Bible. For those of us old enough to grow up without the internet, we remember the phone numbers and addresses of people we knew when we were young. Now our phones and computers do that for us. I can tell you my best friend from middle school's phone number and address from 45 years ago even today, but I still need to look up my own sister's current phone number and address. The ease at which we get information changes how we use our brains, and not for the better.

And Artificial Intelligence does not look like it's going to help in this area.

So let's all commit to take part in Diocesan Day of Unplugging for the health of our souls AND our brains!

... Know of my prayers for you in this sacred season of Lent. The Holy Spirit was at work in our Lenten Mission, the fruit of which was the long lines for Confession! In this Jubilee Year, I know that the Lord is abundantly pouring out His grace for all of us. Please pray for me as well. May we all strive to be great saints.

In Christ,

Fr. Wagner