Holy Spirit Parish

Dear Holy Spirit Parish:                       February 14, 2021        
  “Moved with “splagchnizomai”, Jesus reached out and touched him.”                                                      (Mark 1:41)
     The root of this Greek word is “splagchnon.”  A fair translation would be “guts.”  In Greek culture the seat of the emotions is the intestines.  Our lectionary translates the verb as “pity.”  I like the King James much more:  compassion, which means to “feel with” or “suffer with.”  No, Jesus did not heal from some aloof place of superiority.  He was able to heal because he, having suffered too, was able to be with them in their pain.  And not being alone there, set loose the powers of healing in the wounded person’s life.
     This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday.  See the schedule of in-person liturgies we will be offering on the front of this bulletin.  Because of Covid we will be modifying the distribution of ashes as the Bishops have recommended.  The minister will come to you in your pew and sprinkle a pinch of ashes on your head.  To make that manageable, people are asked to be kneeling (if they can) when they receive.  The collection for Ash Wednesday will be to provide food to the school children at our twin parish in Haiti.
      Our theme for Lent this year is:  Prepare to be….  The old saying is pretty much true:  You get what you expect.  And after this very rough year people have begun expecting the worst.  In praying over the scriptures for Lent our planning team was struck at how every Sunday God proves to surprise people beyond their expectations.  Our goal this Lent is to get Holy Spirit Parish to pivot from expecting the worst, to expecting … expecting … expecting the coming of God’s Kingdom!
      Each Sunday we are led to expect something good.  Next Sunday, the First Sunday of Lent we hear God’s invitation to:  Prepare to be … Accompanied.  That may sound pretty tame, until you remember “splagchnizomai”!!  If we could lift our gaze from expecting the worst to preparing for the best, we too would find Jesus reaching out his healing hand—in the midst of Covid 19, tumultuous politics and environmental suffering—and touching us with his healing power.
      Next Sunday, the First Sunday of Lent, we celebrate the Rite of Election.  Normally done in a large gathering at the Cathedral in La Crosse, this year each parish is privileged to receive the testimony on behalf of the Candidates for Easter Sacraments and to express our commitment to them in return.  At the present we have one candidate for Baptism and three for Confirmation prayerfully discerning whether they are ready to commit themselves to Christ within the Catholic faith community.  That all may share in this wonderful event we will celebrate the rite at the 8:00am live stream Mass.  In the meantime, please hold them in prayer!
      Next Sunday evening, the highlight of our Campus Ministry year begins:  The Busy Student Retreat.  Four Spiritual Directors from around the state will be moving in for the week.  For each of the next five days a student will meet with a Director at a time that fits their class schedule.  Each evening there will be prayer, a presentation, and a take home meal.  The Directors do not come out of a desire to teach or problem solve.  Rather, they are moved by “splagchnizomai”  to reach out and touch these students.  Hold these directors and students in prayer as well.
      Also next week, at the gathered liturgies, we will invite people to take a moment to write down the names of people who would serve well as Parish Council members.  Our Nomination Committee will contact those named to see if they are open to running.  If you are not attending in person please send in your nominations to the parish office.  If you are wondering what qualities we are looking for, top on the lists is: splagchnizomai.
 

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