"I have blotted out what you have done; now observe what I have commanded, in order to obtain what I have promised." St. Augustine

The readings for this Sunday point to God’s plan to make all things new, especially our hearts.  When we repent of our sins we are free to leave those past deeds behind and look forward to a future of walking in the Way of God. The first reading and Psalm echo the great deeds of God in the Exodus as a prophecy of his plans to restore his people from a life of sin. In the second reading, St. Paul reminds us that, by the promises of the risen Christ, we are to live with hopeful hearts, “forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead.” In the gospel we see Jesus extend his unconditional love and mercy to the sinful woman. He commands her to sin no more for, as St. Augustine observes, Jesus condemns the sin, not the sinner. In saying to her “neither will I condemn you”, He tells her that she need no longer fear the past but, by living the life of grace which He offers, she can look forward to the joy of obtaining what He promises.

As we head into the last full week of Lent, there are still plenty of ways to observe the season including:

Evening Prayer - pray the evening Liturgy of the Hours with us on Wednesday at 6:15pm in the church followed by…   Sacrament of Reconciliation - take advantage of this extra opportunity on Wednesday from 6:30-8pm to receive the spiritual healing and peace of God's love and forgiveness   Stations of the Cross - Friday at 7pm in the church. This timeless devotion re-enacting the scenes of Christ's Passion is a prayerful way to be drawn into the mystery of our own salvation.

This weekend, we welcome Daniel Oberreuter, lead vocalist for the Catholic rock band "The Thirsting" as he sings and plays at ALL Masses. Daniel will also be presenting a special concert on Monday evening at 7pm in St. Augustine Church, "Come Hold My Son". Visit www.comeholdmyson.com

Easter Elegance - The last day to donate to the Easter Elegance clothing drive is this Tuesday, April 9th!  Please bring donations of new (or nearly new and in very good condition) clothing for children ages 0 – 16 years to the parish center. Benefits the child clients of the Pregnancy Care Center and Lazarus House Ministries so that they may experience what it is like to enjoy “Easter Sunday Elegance”

This Sunday, April 7th, 2:30PM, Movie Afternoon. Watch the 1966 classic film "A Man for All Seasons". Winner of 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor, this film depicts the struggle between the devoutly Catholic and highly regarded statesman, Sir Thomas More and King Henry VIII who is determined to break with Rome and the Catholic Church in order to divorce his wife and remarry Ann Boleyn. Held in St. Rita Hall, discussion to follow movie.

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, next weekend - check out the complete schedule here...

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