Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you, they would have not been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I long for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.
-St. Augustine of Hippo, Confessions, Book 10, Chapter 27
As we embark on our Lenten journey this year, our Collaborative is focusing on the theme “Ever Ancient, Ever New.” Derived from St. Augustine’s famous quote in his Confessions, this year’s theme echoes our own desire to draw closer to God during this holy season. The Beauty that Augustine pines after is the beauty of God alive in our Catholic Tradition and in our everyday lives.
Ours is a faith that is ever ancient- rooted in Tradition and Scripture- and ever new- taking on new life in our present reality, meeting the needs of our day and constantly being reinvigorated as the Church, the Body of Christ, grows in our individual and communal lives.
As we embark on our Lenten journey this year, our Collaborative is focusing on the theme “Ever Ancient, Ever New.” Derived from St. Augustine’s famous quote in his Confessions, this year’s theme echoes our own desire to draw closer to God during this holy season. The Beauty that Augustine pines after is the beauty of God alive in our Catholic Tradition and in our everyday lives.
Ours is a faith that is ever ancient- rooted in Tradition and Scripture- and ever new- taking on new life in our present reality, meeting the needs of our day and constantly being reinvigorated as the Church, the Body of Christ, grows in our individual and communal lives.
To deepen our spiritual lives this Lent, you’ll discover a number of programs in the Collaborative designed to offer us a chance to delve into the ever ancient and ever new reality of our faith. From bible studies and poetry readings to opportunities for adoration, the sacrament of reconciliation, and evenings of reflection, we gather during this season to witness to and experience the beauty and hope God offers. Each week at Mass and in the bulletin, the ‘Question of the Week’ will invite a new mode of reflection available to everyone. Our Lenten Gift will invite us to consider the ways our faith- ever ancient and ever new- continues to change lives and nurture community around the world.
God is constantly calling out to us. This Lent, let’s listen and respond with our whole being– seeking the peace that only God can give, growing in loving relationship with God through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and coming to see Christ more clearly in the practices of our faith, ever ancient and ever new.
Join us this Lent as we journey together into the heart of our Catholic faith- serving others, offering our all to God, and discovering in the process, much as St. Augustine did, that our hearts are restless until they rest in God.
A Lenten Message from fr. jim
My dear friends in Christ,
I am overjoyed to be returning to my ministry, and to you… just in time for Lent! It strikes me as I write these words that they could have been copied and pasted from my Christmas message in 2022. These past weeks of recuperation and therapy have been the latest chapter in that saga which began with my life-threatening accident nearly three years ago. They have also afforded me time to reflect on the mystery of God’s presence throughout my experience. At the time my life hung in the balance, and I was totally dependent on others, I learned something about dependence on God. And I experienced God’s presence powerfully through the loving prayers and support of this wonderful community.
I’ve come to see this journey as a metaphor for life. Life takes all of us to unexpected places. One thing is constant. There is no place our journey takes us that God is not already there, fully present to us.
Lent is a time to become more aware of God’s loving presence in our lives. Augustine discovered that even as he turned away from God, God was in loving pursuit of him. “You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I long for you.”
In this time of division and turmoil both locally and on the world stage, each of us is called to be an instrument of Christ’s love, healing and reconciliation. We do not do this alone. It all begins with an encounter with the Risen Christ, ever ancient, ever new. In these holy days of Lent, may we draw close to the God who is already seeking us.
Much love in Christ,
Fr. Jim
We have a rich, full schedule of liturgies, programs, and events planned for Lent, centered around our them of “Ever Ancient, Ever New” – please join us on this Lenten journey!
As a community of faith, we are called to practice the three Pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It can be temptingly easy to slide into old habits each Lent. Choosing to give up the same old thing (chocolate) or to turn exclusively inward (getting off social media). Yet we must remember as Catholic Christians that we make this journey together. As St. Augustine (and our Lenten theme) impel us- our Catholic Tradition must be Ever Ancient and Ever New. In this way our three-fold Lenten call encourages us to reimagine the new things to which we are called in the season and to walk alongside our sisters and brothers as they also respond to God’s invitation to a unique Lent. Thus we extend ourselves outward in prayer and almsgiving, fast from things that separate us from deep intimacy with Jesus, and embrace the invitation to engage in the gift of communal prayer.
This year, as a Collaborative, each week in Lent we will offer a Question of the Week which will be related to the Sunday readings. The questions will be published in the bulletin and on the website, and proposed briefly before the final blessing at every Mass during the Lenten season. This is an opportunity for our Collaborative community to be praying in companionship with one another, while simultaneously examining our individual spirituality.
Consider this a collaborative-wide Lenten mini retreat!
Bible Study: Women in the Old Testament Part two
Tuesday evenings from 7:00 – 8:30pm in St. John Powers Hall
March 11, March 18, March 25, April 1
As Catholics, we often stick to the familiar stories from Scripture that we hear at Mass, but what about those stories that are few and far between in our lectionary?
This Lent, join us as we explore the creativity, courage, and leadership of women in the Old Testament and come to know ourselves and God more deeply through the lens of their stories. Using the Little Rock Scripture Study guide, Women in the Old Testament, Part Two , we will explore stories of women of the Bible such as such as Judith and Esther, whose complexities and gifts broke stereotypes and continue to reveal God to us. No prior knowledge is required – only an open heart and mind, and a willingness to meet these holy figures in prayer and community.
The study guide is available on Amazon and from other booksellers. Please come to the first session ready to discuss Lesson 1.
Online registration has now closed – if you are interested please contact Kelly Meraw (kelly.meraw@sjspwellesley.org) or Sr. Colleen Gibson (cgibson@sjspwellesley.org)
lenten lecture: “turning dreams into reality” WITH build the faith
Thursday, March 20 at 7:00pm at St. John powers hall
Guest Speakers:
Monica Lacouture and Fernando Dangond of Build the Faith
Fr. Gabriel Afumbom and Fr. Lesley Fonye
Monica and Fernando will share the story of Build the Faith, the recipient of this year’s Lenten Gift. Build the Faith is a non-profit organization that builds churches in areas of economic distress around the world. It was inspired by the unwavering faith in God exhibited by their daughter, Christina Dangond Lacouture, who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in December 2012, at the tender age of 6. Throughout her arduous battle against cancer, Christina provided a remarkable testament to strength, courage, and an unshakeable belief in God. She demonstrated that it is indeed possible to navigate life’s most challenging circumstances with a radiant smile and profound trust in Jesus, consistently proclaiming, “Jesus, I trust in you.”
Our Lenten Gift will support their current project – the construction of a church in the Archdiocese of Bamenda, Cameroon, in the community where both Fr. Gabriel and Fr. Lesley served as pastor before coming to the U.S. to further their studies.
Fr. Gabriel and Fr. Lesley will share their personal experience ministering in this community, and talk about the critical need for these flourishing faith communities to have physical spaces to worship and to serve as centers of community in these unstable areas.
Throughout Lent, in the bulletin and here on the website, we will share this story with you as we prepare for our collaborative-wide Special Second Collection April 5-6.
Our gift will allow each of us to share in easing the suffering
and to answer Lent’s clarion call to love extravagantly.
teen reconciliation and worship service
Friday, March 21 at 5:00pm
St. john the evangelist church
An open invitation to all teens –
particularly those preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this spring –
to experience God’s love and mercy.
There will be music, a brief reading from scripture, a short reflection, and a walk through an examination of conscience. The Youth Ministry team will help guide you through all the steps to leaving a little lighter and filled with God’s mercy!
Interested, but not sure if you’ll feel ready to receive the sacrament? That’s OK – please come to the service anyway, and encourage your friends to come too! There will be no pressure, just an open invitation to experience God’s love and mercy.
Young Adult Ministry: Theology at the table
Saturday, March 22 and friday, april 4
This Lent, Young Adults in and around the Collaborative are invited to join us for “Theology at the Table.” A unique spin on Theology on Tap, using the dining room table the SJSP Young Adult Ministry has come to love, these dinners will offer an opportunity to gather with a special guest to discuss topics and grow in faith and community.
Our guest on March 22, Kayla August, a PhD Candidate at Boston College, will share with us about her own call as a preacher and to explore and reflect on the Burning Bush moments of our own lives. Our guest on April 4 needs no introduction – our pastor, Fr. Jim!
These potluck dinners are open to young adults aged 21 to 40.
Registration required – please click the link below to register:
Taizé Prayer Service
monday, march 24 FROM 7:00-7:45PM
FOLLOWED BY THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
st. JOHN THE EVANGELIST church
Ever Ancient, Ever New
All are invited for an evening of outstanding sacred music, scripture, and poetry that span the ages of our Catholic tradition. While these elements are woven together, participants will be guided into prayer and contemplation surrounding their personal Lenten journey.
The liturgy will be streamed live at: sjspwellesley.org/sj/live
Following the liturgy there will be an opportunity for those who wish to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
“Evening for women” Lenten Retreat
All women of the Collaborative are warmly invited – dinner will be served and carpool arrangements are available.
Friday, aPRIL 11 FROM 5:00 – 9:00PM
SAINT JOSEPH SPIRITUAL MINISTRIES SPIRITUALITY CENTER
fACILITATOR SARA MILONE
Steeped in Jesuit education, Sara received her B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross, a M.Ed. from Loyola Marymount University, and a M.Div. and Post-Master’s Certificate in Spiritual Formation from Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. Her areas of ministry experience include high school campus ministry and education, parish youth ministry, college and young adult retreats, hospital chaplaincy, adult faith formation and spiritual direction.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED :
sjspwellesley.org/evening-for-women-retreat
Donations to the St. John-St. Paul Adult Faith Enrichment program to help defray the costs associated with this offsite retreat gratefully accepted: