Dear Parishioners,

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I recently had a great corned beef sandwich from Joe’s Deli in Rocky River just to make sure I satisfied my Irish itch in case some tragedy prevents me from indulging in more corned beef this week. In fact I saw parishioners there along with a man I knew from a former parish who plays a great Santa Claus (even here at our school). The wait was long but it was worth it. I always have matzo ball soup (with the vegetables strained from the broth of course) as this just seems to be a good fit for an Irish meal. I think sometimes about changing my name to O’Schmitz but something about that just doesn’t seem right. I look forward to our second Lobster Tail dinner (already consumed by the time you read this), especially since I couldn’t make the last Fish Fry due to really bad allergies that day.

It’s hard to believe that next Sunday is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. I’ll list our Holy Week services in next week’s bulletin but wanted to remind you of the importance of entering into the mysteries of that week so that your Easter can be one of real joy. You are welcome to bring your old palms to the church but honestly it’s best that you just discard them at home (which is perfectly permissible) as we have so many ashes from burning palms in the past that we would have enough for 200 Ash Wednesdays. Of course you’ll receive fresh palms next weekend when you come to Mass so be sure to take a few and hold them during the opening procession as a reminder that they express our praise of Jesus who entered the city of Jerusalem to great shouts of joy and acclamation. You can also be mindful of wearing red clothing if you wish as that is the color of that day which we also call “Passion” Sunday because of the passionate love of God for us (which brought him much sacrificial suffering).

Here’s something I read recently which put a different perspective on what it means to help someone. I’m hoping it may give you pause, as it did me, to think about our Lenten efforts differently:

Just as fasting means more than just eating less food, so almsgiving covers more than just the rattle of coins in a collecting-box. Let me share some unsettling thoughts about it. In the old days we used to light fires. We would rake out surplus ash, crumple newspaper, put thin sticks on it, one or two thicker ones, get some coal ready. We would strike a match, light the paper, and finally, after a longer or shorter struggle with flames and fuels, we would have a good fire burning and warming us. Nowadays we turn a dial or press a button. In the old days we were told to feed the hungry, give a home to the homeless, clothe the naked and visit prisoners and the sick. Nowadays we make a donation. We give coins to the collection or click a button on a screen. The new way of warming our rooms is cleaner than the old.

The new way of doing works of mercy is cleaner too. We never have to look at someone hungry, or a ragged stranger, or someone sick or in prison. The advantages are many. Let me list them. I am safe. I don't have to worry that I might be helping the wrong person, or the right person in the wrong way.

Clean, safe and hygienic it all may be. But the Gospel does not say ‘I tell you solemnly, in so far as you paid someone else to do this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you paid someone else to do it for me.’ People are people, not units of neediness. People need people, not machines

Fr. James P. Schmitz