Typically Ash Wednesday draws many individuals and families to the traditional Mass with the distribution of Ashes. However, Mother Nature proved to be a stickler, bringing forth freezing rain and conditions that caused anxiety and cautious driving and pedestrian conditions.
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Football wrapped up with the Super Bowl last Sunday, Valentine flowers are wilting, high school state tournament games continue, and the forty days of Lent are upon us.
“Whoever says to a brother, ‘Raqa’ shall be answerable to the Sanhedrin.” Our gospel passage from Matthew uses a Hebrew/Greek word transliterated into English, meaning: “useless, empty or of no value.” Within the Jewish culture at the time of Jesus the strong connotation of “Raqa” constituted a serious offense. A brief story from the Talmud illustrates the nature of the seriousness of “raqa.”
Gratefully, our church at St. Malachy is again warm, with the leak fixed and the building secure thanks to the efforts of our parish director Greg, and volunteers who shared their space heaters.