Dear Parishioners,

As you know, out of concern for the well being of all, Archbishop Nelson Perez has suspended all weekday and Sunday Masses until further notice.

And all regular parish activities have been suspended as well.

Nevertheless, we will be as present and available as possible for your spiritual needs and for any emergencies.

We encourage you to pray together as a family and to nurture your spiritual lives:

*We will be posting each Sunday’s readings, so that you can read them and pray with them during the week.  The Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Lent are:

1 Samuel 16:1-13, 31    Ephesians 5:8-14   John 9:1-41

*Consider the Practice of Lectio Divina with any of the above readings:

LECTIO: (Read) Read the text slowly out loud. Take your time with it. Listen. Pay attention and see if there is a word or phrase that in some way speaks to you personally.

ORATIO: (Pray) Take that word or phrase and slowly repeat it to yourself. Say it again and again. Maybe even commit it to memory. See what it brings up in you: ideas, questions, images… Begin to talk with God about the word or phrase. Enter into a conversation with God.

CONTEMPLATIO (Contemplate) After ruminating over the word and speaking with God about it, spend some time in silence.  Be still. Rest in God’s presence. End by thanking God. Pray the Our Father.

Don’t worry about distractions. You will have them! Just calmly return to the word and to your practice of prayer. As Father Luke Dysinger says, “It is not necessary to assess the quality of your LECTIO DIVINA, as if you were ‘performing’ or seeking some goal. LECTIO DIVINA has no goal other than that of being in the presence of God by praying the scriptures.”

If you know of an elderly parishioner or neighbor who needs food or other necessities, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will do all we can to help.

And finally, even though the church is temporarily closed, we still have bills to pay and a staff to pay. Here at St. Martin’s we live from Sunday collection to Sunday collection.  So we would ask you to consider using PARISH GIVING, which is on this website here. Or consider mailing your weekly offering. If we don’t receive any donations, Saint Martin will quickly find itself in a very serious situation.  We appreciate your generous and loving support of your parish.

Let’s pray for each other and with each other in spirit every day.  God’s love will triumph!

Fr. Murphy