March 15, 2026: Fourth Sunday of Lent
God sends Samuel to anoint a king from Jesse’s sons. Samuel sees Eliab and assumes his stature marks him as chosen, but God rejects him: not as man sees does God see – man looks at the appearance, the Lord looks into the heart. Seven sons pass; none is chosen. The youngest, David, tending sheep, is called and anointed; the Spirit of the Lord rushes upon him. Psalm 23 proclaims the Lord as shepherd who leads through dark valleys with rod and staff. Paul tells the Ephesians they were once darkness but now are light in the Lord – they should live as children of light and awake from sleep, for Christ will give them light. In John’s Gospel, Jesus heals a man born blind by making clay and sending him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. The Pharisees interrogate the man and his parents, progressively refusing to accept the miracle. The man’s testimony grows bolder: I was blind and now I see. After being thrown out, Jesus finds him and reveals himself as the Son of Man. The man believes and worships. Jesus declares he came so the blind might see and the seeing might become blind.
The Holy Father’s Prayer Intentions
March: For disarmament and peace
Let us pray that nations move toward effective disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament, and that world leaders choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy instead of violence.
Prayers for our Priests
The following are priests and deacons of our Diocese who have died. Please remember them in your daily prayers:
- Fr. Frederick Lohmann (Feb. 10)
- Msgr. John W. Spreen (Feb. 11)
- Fr. John R. Nolan (Feb. 12)
- Fr. John Lupton (Feb. 13)
- Fr. Patrick Bourke (Feb. 14)
- Most Rev. Peter Baltes (Feb. 15)
- Fr. Peter F. Masterson (Feb. 15)
- Fr. Leonard Paskert, O.F.M. (Feb. 15)
- Fr. Thomas Fennessy (Feb. 16)
- Fr. Gerhard Jansen (Feb. 17)
- Fr. Albin Breinlinger (Feb. 17)
- Fr. William Costello (Feb. 17)
- Fr. Herman J. Niebrugge (Feb. 17)
- Fr. Eugene Cieslick (Feb. 17)
- Fr. M. J. Foley (Feb. 19)
- Fr. Lawrence Hoye (Feb. 20)
- Fr. Barnabas Diekemper, O.F.M. (Feb. 21)
- Fr. Simon Hoffman (Feb. 22)
- Fr. Charles Flori (Feb. 23)
- Fr. George Hamilton (Feb. 23)
- Fr. Louis Elbow (Feb. 24)
- Fr. K. J. Withoff (Feb. 25)
- Fr. Roger Schoenhofen, O.M.I. (Feb. 25)
- Fr. George Morelock (Feb. 25)
- Fr. Timothy M. Moloney (Feb. 26)
- Fr. Thomas Cusack (Feb. 28)
- Fr. P. J. O’Reilly (Feb. 28)
- Fr. E. J. Cahill (Feb. 28)
- Fr. Thomas E. Cusack (Feb. 28)
Prayers for our Military
- Nolan Yehling- USAF, Whiteman AFB
- Brandon Weidner- US Coast Guard, Sault Sainte Marie, MI
- Kody Presswood- Staff Sergeant, US Space Force, Colorado Springs, CO
- Nick Glasgow- USMC, CA