Holy Saturday

Holy Saturday is the period of Holy Week when Catholics remember Jesus' entombment. It is a preparation day. Today is a day of quiet and prayerful reflection on the true gravity of the crucifixion and Jesus' redemptive sacrifice. Throughout the world our Churches are empty of the Blessed Sacrament and quiet in anticipation of Easter's triumph over darkness and evil, sin and death. The quietness of the day permits us to ponder the implications of physical death and how each of us in life and death, affects others. The day before Easter also permits the Elect and the Catechumens a period of solitude and reflection as they prepare to participate in a most meaningful manner in the Sacraments of Initiation. After the frantic activities of Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday & Good Friday Holy Saturday is a pregnant pause before the realization of the resurrection is realized on Easter Sunday morning. This period should be prayerful and quiet, as well as contemplative of the chronological and historical events that we call the Passion. This day should also provide anticipatory happiness as we prepare to celebrate the New Passover. Holy Saturday permits us to deeply saturate our parched theological spirits in images of the waters of Baptism, and symbols of restored life. This evening Mother Church will initiate a new fire and the Paschal Candle will stand in our churches providing radiant light and reminding us of Jesus' Easter triumph. We will profess our faith in the Creed, along with our newly initiated brothers and sisters. We will partake in the Eucharistic sacrifice, now the unbloody reenactment of Calvary. In our Churches, new water will be blessed and there will be a sprinkling over all of us to recount our sacramental incorporation through the living waters of baptism, the warming power of the Holy Spirit in confirmation and the nourishment provided through our Eucharist, Jesus, the Bread of Life. It is a good and appropriate thing that this Holy Saturday period is quiet and contemplative, relaxed and subtly expectant.

MASS SCHEDULE, INTENTIONS, SCRIPTURE READINGS AND FEAST DAYS

Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. Sun. Holy Day of OBG Mar. 4 Mar. 5 Mar. 6 Mar. 7 Mar. 8 Mar. 9 Mar. 9 4:30 p.m 6:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m. No Mass Sacred Heart, Chariton Victims of Abortion Ralph & Jo Hobt Sara Mitchell 2 Kings 5:1-15AB Luke 4:24-30 Daniel 3:25, 34-43 Matthew 18:21-35 Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9 Matthew 5:17-19 Jeremiah 7:23-28 luke 11:14-23 Hosea 14:2-10 Mark 12:28-34 Hosea 6:1-6 Luke 18:9-14 1 Samuel 16:1B, 6-7, 10-13A Ephesians 5:8-14 John 9:1-41 Memorial of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, Martyrs Optional Memorial of St. John of God, Religious Optional Memorial of St. Francis of Rome, Religious

10:30 a.m. Manor Mass, Chariton 9:00 a.m. Nursing Home, Leon 6:30 a.m.

Sacred Heart, Chariton Rob & Rose Graffio No Morning Mass Sacred Heart, Chariton Leona Chapman Saint Francis, Corydon Louis & Dorothy Lutz

Sun. 8:00 a.m. Saint Brendan, Leon All Parishioners Mar. 10 10:30 a.m. Sacred Heart, Chariton Amelia Parenza

Feast of Our Lord

Lenten Project 2013: Holy Ghost Juniorate Seminary- Parish and religious education programs and schools of the Diocese of Des Moines are sponsoring a Lenten project to raise funds for a minor seminary in Nigeria which is led by the Holy Sprit Fathers. The seminary serves approximately 600 high school students under dire conditions. The Diocese of Des Moines has been blessed by the ministerial services of four Holy Spirit priests from Nigeria over the past two decades. The school is in great need of educational resources. Please help build the kingdom. Your dollars will provide classroom updates and renovations, building and roof repairs, sewage and drainage system reconstruction, generator, textbooks and school supplies. Donations may be sent to: The Diocese of Des Moines (Holy Ghost Seminary in the memo line), 601 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50309. The web page for this project is www.dmdiocese.org/nigerian-seminary-fund.cfm. Click on the Nigerian Seminary Fund on the sidebar. InnerVisions HealthCare Fundraising Banquet is June 4 from 7-9:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Hotel, 50th Street &University in West Des Moines. The speaker at the event is the actress Shari Rigby who played the post-abortive birth mother in the 2012 Hollywood movie. She will share her experiences as a real post-abortive woman and how playing the same role in a movie impacted her life. If you are interested in reserving your seats or becoming a table host contact Jenny Condon @ 515-440-2273, or jenny@innervisionshealthcare.org, or register online at www.innervisionshealthcare.org/banquet/

Easter Sunday
Easter is the feast of feasts, the unalloyed joy and gladness of all Christians. In the very center of the Mass, the great prayer of thanksgiving, from the first words of the Preface, expresses the unrivalled motive for this joy: if it is right to praise You, Lord, at all times, how much more so should we not glorify You on this day when Christ our Passover was sacrificed, for He is the true Lamb who took away the sins of the world, who by His Death destroyed our death and by His Resurrection restored our life. Easter means, then, Redemption obtained sin destroyed, death overcome, divine life brought back to us, the resurrection of our body which is promised immortality. With such a certitude, we should banish all trace of sadness. Haec dies quam fecit Dominus: "This is the day which the Lord has made." Throughout the octave we shall sing of the unequalled joy which throws open eternity to us. Every Sunday will furnish a reminder of it, and from Sunday to Sunday, from year to year, the Easters of this earth will lead us to that blessed day on which Christ has promised that He will come again with glory to take us with Him into the kingdom of His Father.

Daylight Saving Time begins Sun., March 10. Set your clock ahead one hour before retiring Sat., March 9

SACRED HEART CHARITON

Tithes- $1587 Inter-Church Council Meeting is Monday, March 4 at 7:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, Lucas. Religious Education is Wed., March 6 from 6-7:30 p.m. Bible Study Epic is Wed., March 6 from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. The Great Adventure is Wed., March from 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. and Thurs., Feb. 28 from 9-11:00 a.m. Session 17 questions will be discussed. Come celebrate with us! You are invited to Ron Pollard's "I can't believe I made it to my 75th birthday" party Saturday, March 2 after mass at the Sacred Heart Parish Center. Hope you can come!! If possible, RSVP to ron.ev.pollard@gmail.com or 641-203-2529. Eucharistic Adoration is every Thursday during Lent at 7:00 p.m. K of C Fish Fries for Lent begin Friday, Feb. 15 and end Fri., March 22 from 5:00 p.m.-6:45 p.m. Please invite your friends. Stations of the Cross will follow at 7:00 p.m. St. Patricks Day Celebration is Sunday, March 17 after the 10:30 a.m. Mass. The meal will include corned beef and cabbage, Irish Stew, Soda Bread, Beer Bread and assortment of desert.

St. Joseph Feast Day is Tuesday, March 19. There will be Mass followed by a potluck in honor of the feast.

SAINT FRANCIS CORYDON

Tithes- $286 Stations of the Cross will be at 5:45 p.m. on Saturdays during Lent.

SAINT BRENDAN LEON

Tithes- $371 Religious Education for Kindergarten-8th grade is Wed., March 6. Religious Education for High School is Wed., March 6 in the rectory Reconciliation will be Wednesday, March 6 at 6:30 for RE students. Open Reconciliation to follow. Eucharistic Adoration is every Thursday during Lent at 7:00 p.m. K of C Fish Fries for Lent begin Friday, Feb. 15 and end Fri., March 22 from 5:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Please invite your friends. Stations of the Cross will follow at 7:00 p.m. Monthly Breakfast Potluck will be held on Sunday, March 24. Coffee & rolls will not be served on March 31.