Greetings!

Friends,

This week we celebrate our Catholic Schools week and with great joy we are thankful to all of those who have or still plan to contribute to the annual appeal for St Paul the Apostle Catholic School. Your generosity has been a great grace and sacrifice in order for our kids to grow in both their education as well as in their love of the Lord even during this very difficult pandemic year. If you have been educated in the Catholic school system yourself at any point during your life you probably already know of the great benefits this has had in your own faith life. When I think of the many Catholic school teachers that I encountered when I was growing up I realize just how many of the most important values I hold dear today came from those experiences.

So again I thank you for your support of our school and ask you to join with me in praying for our kids at St Paul school that they would continue to experience their learning and faith. And we also ask the intercession of St. Paul that he would continue to guide all our school families this year that they would grow closer to Jesus together.

St Paul… Pray for us

God Bless and Stay Safe,

Fr Mark Cote

We will be having our Fish Fry’s starting Ash Wednesday February 17^th, continuing every Friday through Good Friday April 2^nd from 4pm-7pm. Due to restrictions everything will be CARRY OUT ONLY. Steps will also be taken to provide a clean, sanitized and safe Carry Out experience.

Good Afternoon Families,

I hope you are all doing well and have had a great week so far! This week for me has been a little busy, we are celebrating First Reconciliation Friday evening with our Second Graders and I am very excited. This is my first of many Sacraments that I hope to celebrate with

St. Paul. Please keep all of the children in your prayers this week as they embark on this next journey of their faith life. We also received our Confirmation date from the Bishop's office, so things are definitely moving in the right direction.

This upcoming Sunday's Gospel finds Jesus teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. The people were surprised that he taught with such authority, I think they were also confused when Jesus confronted and cast out an unclean, evil spirit from a man who was among them. The evil spirit called Jesus “the Holy One of God.” Those who witnessed this power and authority spread word of Jesus throughout Galilee. I looked up the definition of "evil", the dictionary states that evil means a profound immorality and wickedness, especially when regarded as a supernatural force. When I think of the word evil the first word that comes to my mind is harm. There is no way, anybody can argue that evil is ever good, except for the individual causing the evil. We as Christians believe that the devil is the source of evil in the world and in our lives. Jesus’ words and actions were so compelling that the news about him could not be contained; it spread quickly throughout all of Galilee. Here we are Two thousand years later and the news about Jesus continues to spread. We are called to participate in sharing the Good News of Jesus with others in our words and in our deeds.

I ask you to read today’s Gospel, Mark 1:21–28 together as a family. What did the people who saw and heard Jesus find so amazing? People should see in our lives the power and authority of God at work. Can you name any modern examples of people in whom you have seen the power and authority of God at work?  This may a good time to consider how we use our power and authority as parents, as bosses or supervisors, as coaches, or anytime that we may be in a leadership role. Do we use our power and authority for the good of others? Do we use our power and authority to bring about positive change? Do we use our power and authority to guide our children or others in the ways of holiness and righteousness? Our use of power and authority has the potential to lift people up or to tear them down. The words we choose, the tone of voice we use, and the actions we take reveal to our family members, to friends, and to others that it is Jesus Christ who has authority over our lives.

Today is a good day to consider how we use our power and authority as parents, as bosses or supervisors, as coaches, as captain of the team or class president. Do we use our power and authority for the good of others? Do we use our power and authority to bring about positive change? Do we use our power and authority to guide our children or others in the ways of holiness and righteousness? Our use of power and authority has the potential to lift people up or to tear them down. The words we choose, the tone of voice we use, and the actions we take reveal to our family members, to friends, and to others that it is Jesus Christ who has authority over our lives.

Invite family members to name ways they see evil present at school, at work, in the neighborhood, in your city, or in the world. Decide on one evil that you as family can address by using your power and authority to bring about a positive change for the good. Conclude in prayer together that we will experience wonder at the work of God in our world today. Jesus teaches with authority, differently from the way the scribes do it. The first thing that the people perceive is the diverse way in which Jesus teaches. It is not so much the content, but rather the way in which He teaches that impresses the people. For this reason, by His different way, Jesus creates a critical conscience in people concerning the religious authority of that time. The people compare and say: He teaches with authority, in a way different from the way the scribes do. The scribes of that time taught quoting the authority. Jesus does not quote any authority. He speaks with His experience of God and of His life. His word is rooted in the heart.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Song of the Week