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The way in which Jesus defeated Satan was by way of prayer and fasting. Even in the weakness of his humanity, having fasted for 40 days in the desert, Jesus was able to put the devil in his place and chose not worldly pleasures, power and vanity, but rather the food that comes from above, heavenly Bread. This great battle with Satan not only prepared Jesus for His public ministry but also for His crucifixion. The point here being that His battle was just as spiritual as it was earthly and shows us how to take up arms in our battles.
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Fasting has become a phenomenon as of late. I have seen so many advertisements for intermittent fasting in order for a person to lose weight. While on the one hand that may be true, on the other hand there is a real spiritual benefit to fasting. When you fast you are disciplining your body in order to be healthier. At the same time, if I can say no to something good, I can also say no to something bad - like sin. Fasting helps us to choose the good over the bad, choose grace over sin. This is how we launch an offensive against sin and vice. For example - do you have a difficult person in your life, someone you struggle to forgive? Fast for them. Defeat the sin of lack of forgiveness or a hardness of heart by fasting for that person. What about injustice and the very noticeable sufferings of others - for example the war in Ukraine. We can fast on behalf of those who suffer because this is how Satan is defeated.
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How does one fas? In general we often think of fasting in relation to food and drink. As such, it is taking one regular meal during the course of the day and only very small portions for the other 2 meals - or skip a meal altogether. But one can also fast from things like social media, TV, texting - especially if fasting from food or drink is impossible. The spiritual benefits of this discipline allow us to begin to choose virtue over vice, grace over sin. Let us not, therefore, neglect this discipline of Lent as a matter for others or that a discipline of antiquity. For this is how we defeat the influence of the devil in our lives, overcome sin and develop stronger habits of virtue.
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Church Envelopes: Yet another glitch on the part of the envelope company. Please stay tuned, your envelopes are on the way ... Please consider signing up for automatic withdrawal for your weekly church donation. Contact the office for more details.
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Parish Mission: Mark your calendars for our Parish Mission March 27-29. We are pleased to have Mr. Greg Wasinski return to Holy Family as our mission speaker.
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Dollars for Babies: A huge THANK YOU to all those who donated to the Alternatives Pregnancy Center in Greenfield. As a parish we collected $3,334.14 for their ministry, In addition to that, the pregnancy center gained 2 new volunteers! Thank you for your generous support of pregnant women and witness to the dignity of human life! I am very proud of you!
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The John Paul II Youth Group will have its monthly meeting Sunday March 20th, from 6:30-8:30 at Holy Trinity. We will continue our conversations on Catholic social teaching with a special guest who is a nurse in a state penitentiary. Come hear her story as we discuss visiting the imprisoned and racism. There will be time for fellowship and prayer also! All teens are welcome.
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Please join us during the Season of Lent for the following events:
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- Monday - Mass at 6pm.
- Tuesday - The Mass Explained: discussion on the nature and meaning of the Catholic Mass, 6pm.
- Wednesday - Adoration 12pm-6pm; Confession 5pm; Benediction 6pm.
- Thursday - Rosary: for our nation and the people of Ukraine, 6pm.
- Friday - Stations of the Cross followed by homemade soups, 6pm.
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Did you Know??? Reflection on the Mass: Catholics are supposed to fast for 1 hour before receiving Holy Communion. Why is that? We are not supposed to eat anything - apart from water or medication - before Mass. This is so that in an outward way we may show our inner hunger for God. In the Mass, we bring all sorts of difficulties, weaknesses, sins, and so on. The Lord asks us in a tangible way to empty ourselves so that He can fill us with His grace.
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There is no new Coffee with FJ episode.
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See the link to previous episodes below!
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Support Holy Family
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when you shop at Amazon with Amazon Smile!
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Click the image below to set Holy Family as your charity!
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Holy Family Roman Catholic Church
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