Today is Ash Wednesday and we begin the season of Lent today. 

Today we should refrain from meat and reduce our food intake to a combined maximum of only 2 full meals. 

There are 2 Masses for Ash Wednesday. 12:00 – Fr. Ron presiding alone – all in Spanish – ashed distributed after the homily.

7:30 PM _ Mass with Fr. Javier and Fr. Ron – pretty much all in Spanish but Fr. Ron will also preach in English and we will project the readings in English on the big screen. OLM choir members will also help with the music ministry. We had some problems with the Internet, so I am unsure of the streaming status. Last Sunday we had to upload the Mass after it was over, and this may be the case for today too. 

Remember, Fr. Sebastian is away for 5 weeks enjoying his delayed holiday with his family in India. We pray that he is doing well. I am picking up his duties, so I am stretched a bit thin. By the way, I have a great office assistant, her name is Esmeralda. Please direct your office requests to her (Baptismal certificates, problems with streaming, phone numbers, questions about donating clothes, etc). Her email is: esmeralda@ourladyofmercy.info and her phone is 91-733-94-09

She is bilingual. Thanks!

Also,we have adoration of the Blessed Sacrament tomorrow (Thursday) at 6:30 PM. Benediction is about 7:20 PM:

William, our seminarian will lead the Stations of the Cross on Friday at 8:00 PM in the big church (I do it in Spanish on all Fridays at 6:30 PM).

 

We will follow the Vatican’s COVID safety guidelines and sprinkle the ashes instead of making a sign of the Cross on your forehead. Just to be sure, we will use gloves. 

I pray we find new strength during this season of grace.

Be blessed in abundance,

Fr. Ron

I was recovering from surgery when a charity representative phoned asking me to take part in a door-to-door fund-raising effort. “Sorry,” I replied, “but I’ve been incapacitated.”

Undaunted, the caller kept trying to convince me to change my mind and volunteer.

I interrupted and said, “I’m incapacitated. Do you know what that means?”

She hesitated. “It means your head was cut off?”