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“What we raise over our parish
goal is returned to the parish
for our own needs.”
                              – Fr. Bill

Parish Rebate from this year’s Annual Catholic Appeal

When I am out and about shopping in Federal Way, where I live, I am surprised by the number of boarded up windows and wall sections of businesses where an out-of-control car ran through. At my bank, a car smashed through a wall and entered the bank lobby, barely missing an employee’s desk. A recent safety inspection of our parish campus highlighted that same risk to our buildings. Our parking lot also has seen an increased number of incidents of people speeding around, doing donuts.

Back in February, our parish hosted a weeklong Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design(CPTED) workshop for the city of Covington. Our parish received a set of design principles to reduce the incidence of crime and malicious behavior by manipulating the environment in a way that creates a safer space.

Based on our safety inspection and our CPTED report, we are using this year’s rebate from the Annual Catholic Appeal to add planter boxes to protect our building from runaway cars and parking curbs/stops and speed humps to discourage reckless driving in our parking lot. Improved lighting to the parking lot and the exterior of the buildings would also be added.

Your support of the Annual Catholic Appeal funds many important ministries in the Church throughout western Washington. What we raise over our parish goal is returned to the parish for our own needs. This year that rebate will improve the safety of our parking lot while increasing a little more green around the blacktop. Thank you for your support.

“If you have been a victim of abuse, I pray that you may
know you are surrounded by angels.”
– Fr. Bill

Child Abuse Prevention Month
As we end Child Abuse Prevention Month, I came across this icon of Jesus, with his wounds visible, embracing a victim of abuse. He enters the dark void, caused by abuse to be present. A mantle of safety
envelops her. Angels surround both of them.
When a child is abused, the effects are grave and can last a lifetime. Common effects can be the loss of faith and trust in God, post-traumatic stress disorders, and greater risk of substance abuse and
suicide.
We pray for healing of all victims of abuse. In addition, we take steps to prevent abuse. We train staff and volunteers to recognize and report the warning signs of abusers. We educate families and children to protect themselves and to report abuse. We hold offenders accountable and report all suspected abuse to local public authorities.
If you have been a victim of abuse, I pray that you may know you are surrounded by angels. And in that dark void, our gentle Savior seeks you out. In his woundedness, he desires to heal your wounds.
Any one of our staff would be honored and available to walk with you on the path to recovery and healing. Don’t hesitate to call.

“It is up to each of us to say ‘yes’ to this gift [of mercy] God offers and to let this gift transform our lives.”
– Fr. Bill

The Name of God is Mercy

When God revealed the Divine Name to Moses, we are told in the Book of Exodus by God: The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. (Ex 34:6)

Throughout the Old Testament, this theme is repeated with the emphasis always placed on mercy and on God’s love, which never tires of forgiving. Jesus, the image of God, came to reveal a God abundant in mercy.

The German theologian, Cardinal Walter Kasper, stated that what characterizes and distinguishes God best of all is mercy. This has not always been communicated well. Too often, God has been portrayed as server or uninterested. Many have tried to focus our attention on God’s mercy. St. John XXIII sought “the medicine of mercy” over “that of severity” in inaugurating the Second Vatican Council. St. John Paul II wrote his second encyclical, Rich in Mercy, and canonized St Faustina Kowalska known for her popular image of and devotion to Divine Mercy. Pope Francis has made this a constant theme. “To show mercy,” the Pope said, “is an essential feature of God. This is precisely how he shows his omnipotence.”

Mercy is “an essential feature of God.” It is “a key word for God’s actions towards us,” because “God reveals his power, above all, in mercy and through forgiving us. Mercy is the most surprising attribute of our Creator and Redeemer.”

Mercy is offered but never forced. It is up to each of us to say “yes” to this gift God offers and to let this gift transform our lives. Remember the parable of the debtor who is forgiven much, but refuses to forgive another a little? If God’s name is mercy, so must ours be as well.

This ministry “would draw on the help of our parish community to help a releasing person rebuild a new life.”

– Fr. Bill

 One Parish, One Prisoner

Last weekend, Joe Cotton, Director of Pastoral Care and Outreach for the Archdiocese of Seattle, shared a reflection on the Sunday’s gospel of the prodigal son and a statewide program called One Parish One Prisoner. This ministry seeks to equip faith communities to build supportive pre-release relationships with one person returning to their community from prison. A group of St. John the Baptist parishioners have asked to begin this ministry. They would form a team and begin a two-year journey of relationship building, release planning, and holistic re-entry support for one person ending his/her incarceration. He/she would draw on the help of our parish community to help rebuild a new life. The Parish Leadership Team wanted to let the parish know about this ministry and have the opportunity to share any comments or concerns. You can read more about called One Parish One Prisoner at

https://nwcatholic.org/voices/joe-cotton/catholic-voices-one-parish-one-prisoner and

https://undergroundministries.org/opop.

Please share your comments or concerns with either Andrea Mendoza, Pastoral Assistant for Social Outreach at andream@sjtbcc.org or myself at billm@sjtbcc.org. Feedback is due by Monday, April 11.

“Whereas sin is destructive, a penance can be constructive and bring healing to others harmed by one’s sin.”
– Fr. Bill

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Our communal Lenten reconciliation service with individual confession and absolution will be Saturday, April 2 at 10:00 am. In preparation, I would like to repeat a series of bulletin articles I did for our Advent reconciliation service.

It is the Holy Spirit who moves the follower of Christ who has sinned to come to the Sacrament of Penance. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, we seek deeper and deeper conversion to God. This process of conversion through the Sacrament of Reconciliation has four elements: contrition, confession, penance, and absolution.

In previous articles, I have examined contrition and confession. Now I would like to focus on the element of penance. Sin is destructive. It can harm self, others, the community, and creation. When I was a child, the common act of penance the priest gave us was to pray three Hail Marys and one Our Father. While prayer is always good, I often did not see the connection between what I confessed and the penance that was given. Today, the focus is on a penance that can really be a remedy for sin and a help to renewal of life.

Sin can easily become habit forming, even addictive. A penance can help one break a bad habit by developing a good one. One can push against a sin by choosing to do the opposite. In suggesting a penance, I often give the opposite of a sin confessed.

The penance can also help repair an injury sin has caused to another. Whereas sin is destructive, a penance can be constructive and bring healing to others harmed by one’s sin.

While the priest suggests the penance, the penitent has to agree to it. One can always ask for a different penance if the one suggested is impossible or too difficult to carry out. Sometimes the penitent even can suggest a penance they believe will be a true remedy for their sin.

This Lent, since we do not have permission to celebrate Reconciliation with a general absolution, we do have the opportunity to be more intentional in offering a penance that truly addresses the sins being confessed. The whole purpose of a penance is to bring healing. True conversion is completed by acts of penance.