1st Sunday of Lent

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”. ( Psalm 118:24) This weekend I would like to prepare all of us, in a gentle and prayerful way, to enter into the season of Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026. The Lord, in the Gospel of Matthew 5:17-37, gave a new dimension to the old Mosaic Law as a way to advance towards perfection. It is an invitation by the Lord to all of us to grow in holiness day by day. Let us accept the Lord’s invitation and enter into Lent with the hope of becoming better disciples. The Lenten season consists of forty days based on the Biblical reference to the forty days and nights of floods at the time of Noah (Genesis 7:4), the forty years the People of Israel wandered in the wilderness before entering the promised land (Numbers 14:33), the forty days and nights Moses spent on Mount Sinai before receiving the Ten Commandments (Exodus 24:18) and the forty days of fasting and prayer by our Lord Jesus Christ in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2). The number “40” in the Bible symbolizes a time of testing, trial, purification and preparation for something new and better—a higher transformation. In the Church, we have the tradition of giving up something during this time or making a pledge to do something positive such as spending extra time in prayer or doing additional works of charity. Please use this Lenten season to focus your time and attention on the Lord and what He asks of you. Let us all make the best use of this time of Lent to prepare ourselves for the glories of Easter. On a personal note, I would like to share that in 2023, I gave up Facebook during Lent. The grace from that Lent is that I now have no desire to get back on Facebook. I use the added time towards the holy hours which I do for different intentions. Praise the Lord!!! Our Parishioners Roger and Kelli Crabb have purchased 230 copies of the book ‘The Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality’ by Matthew Kelly for our Lenten reading. Please take one per family. We thank them for their generosity to our Parish. I highly recommend that parents talk to their children about the seven pillars of Catholic Spirituality. It will strengthen their faith. Finally, I want to invite you to look forward eagerly to Lent not as a somber or negative time, but as an invitation to each of us to come close to the Lord. By the end of the day and by the end of our lives, all that matters is GOD! God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24) This weekend, the Lord is asking us, through the Gospel of Mathew, Chapter 5, to be the “…salt of the earth and the light of the world.” Before laying out the ways and means to follow his direction, let us first thank God, as a Parish, for His blessings to us this last year. Last year, the Lord blessed us with Eucharistic Revival in the form of having video lessons with Bishop Robert Baron on different parts of the Mass. We were blessed with brown scapulars enrolling our parishioners in the Confraternity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. We started silent Eucharistic Adorations every Friday after the 8 am Mass and Eucharistic Processions annually to conclude the Christmas season. We held a Ministry Fair and established 50 ministries and groups. With the cooperation of the Jubilee Committee, we organized the veneration of the relics of various saints. The repair committee supervised the various repairs to the Church after the two hurricanes. The entrance of our Church looks fabulous with new doors and a historic plaque displaying the history of our Church on the wall. We thank God for His many other blessings to us as individuals and families. Now the way for us to be salt of the earth and light of the world is by taking part in the CATHOLIC MINISTRY APPEAL of the Diocese of St. Petersburg. By participating in this Appeal, we are cooperating with our Shepherd, the Most. Rev. Bishop Gregory Parkes, to continue the works of charity and mercy established by the Diocese. Through the Catholic Ministry Appeal, pregnant mothers are helped to protect and care for the babies in their wombs, the poor students in our Catholic schools are given tuition assistance, the poor and those economically struggling are helped through Pinellas Hope and Hillsborough Hope, and the seminarians of our Diocese are supported in their training to be future priests. We reached our goal last year. This year our goal is $56,314.00. I have completed my pledge. I encourage all the members of our Parish to please participate in this Diocesan-wide Appeal. Together we can do so much good. The Lord said:  “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” Mathew 25:40 God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24) We are already one month into the year of 2026. Time will not wait for anyone. Therefore, let us make the best use of every minute the Lord gives us. I would like to highlight the feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple which is celebrated on February 2nd every year. According to the law of Moses, every first born male child was to be presented to the Lord in the temple. (Exodus 13) Again according to the law of Moses, a woman was considered ceremonially unclean for forty days following childbirth. (Leviticus 12). Thus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, even though sinless, pure and unstained by original sin, offered a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons for her purification as prescribed by the law. The presentation of the Lord in the temple was in all aspects a respect for the Mosaic law. Digging deeper, the presentation of the Lord in the temple was, in fact, the return of the glory of the Lord to the temple. In the book of Ezekiel, chapter 10, the prophet Ezekiel saw the vision of the glory of the Lord departing from the Jerusalem temple because of the sins and the wickedness of the people of Israel. God was so angry with the people that He left the temple. This meant that all those years, before the arrival of the Savior, the temple priests were offering empty sacrifices in the temple. As the sinless Virgin Mary was carrying the child Jesus, the Son of God, in her arms, climbing the steps of the temple assisted by St. Joseph, the Heaven opened and all the nine choirs of Angels sang hymns of praise and worship and bowed down in Adoration to welcome the Lord back to the temple. It must have been an awesome moment, although it was hidden from the eyes of the people. How Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, to bring the Son of God into world and become the means of returning the Glory of the Lord to the Jerusalem temple! I would ask all parents to consecrate your children to the Lord, regardless of the child’s age so that they remain in God’s graces at all times. There is the tradition of Priests and Nuns belonging to Religious Orders renewing their Vows on this Feast Day. In addition, there is a tradition of blessing of candles during the Mass, which is why the Mass is sometimes referred to as the “Candlemas.” We too can renew our commitment to the Lord for ourselves and our children on this special occasion. This weekend we have placed the Catholic Ministry Appeal envelopes in the pews. Next weekend I will speak about the Catholic Ministry Appeal at all Masses and commission all the ministries, committees and councils in the parish. Standing next to me in the picture is Frank Gude, the oldest member of our Parish, who celebrated his birthday on January 26th. Congratulations on a life in which you have served the Lord and our Parish. God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24) This weekend we celebrate the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary time of the year. The Lord began his preaching by inviting everyone to repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repentance comes from the Greek word ‘ Metanoia’ which refers to a profound change of heart and mind, one’s behavior and one’s way of life. It is a conversion towards loving God above all and to love others as God would want us to love them. In today’s gospel Jesus calls the first disciples to follow Him: Peter, his brother Andrew, James and his brother John. All four of them were fishermen. As the days passed, he chose the rest of the twelve disciples. Their role was to assist the Lord in the establishment of the Kingdom of heaven. Indeed they had done their part. Today we are entrusted with the task of proclaiming the Kingdom of God and the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the world. In order to continue the good works of the Kingdom of heaven in our diocese, we are invited by our Bishop the Most. Rev. Gregory Parkes to take part in the Catholic Ministry Appeal. Through this Program, our diocese helps the poor find shelter and affordable housing through Catholic Charities, offers the needed care to pregnant mothers to protect and nourish their babies in their wombs, helps the poor students in our catholic schools towards their education, assists the teens and young Adults attend the Good Samaritan Projects to build up their character, supports seminarians in their training to becoming future priests and many other charitable activities. Our goal this year is $ 56,314.00. With the participation of all the families, we will reach our goal and help continue the good works of the kingdom of God in our five county wide diocese and beyond. I ask all the families of our parish to prayerfully consider pledging to this appeal of our Bishop. God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24) This is the second Sunday in Ordinary Time of the year. John the Baptist refers to Jesus as ‘the Lamb of God’ in the Gospel of John. In the Old Testament, lambs were sacrificed in the temple as an atonement for the sins of the people. The blood of a lamb was sprinkled upon people as a way of easing away their sins and offenses. But the truth is that the blood of a lamb has no power to forgive the sins of people. It is only the blood of the Son of God that has the power to wash away the sins and offenses of the people. That is the truth which John the Baptist proclaimed when he addressed Jesus as ‘ the lamb of God’. John was given the privilege of seeing the Holy Spirit coming upon Jesus in the form of a dove. That was the confirmation to him that Jesus was the Son of God. This week, January 18-25, is known as the week of prayer for Christian Unity which was initiated by the Graymoor Franciscans in 1905. This is an Ecumenical observance that lasts eight days where the Catholic Church is joined by other, Protestant denominations to pray for Christian unity. We refer to the Church as the Body of Christ which has been broken into various pieces. We hope and pray that soon there will be ‘one flock and one shepherd’ (John 10:16). January 22nd is the day of prayer for the legal protection of unborn children. We continue to pray with the hope that the hearts and minds of parents will be strengthened to ensure that every unborn child is protected in the womb of his or her mother. The birth of a child brings so much joy to the entire family. As all human life is the gift of God, we are called to preserve, promote and protect it from the moment of conception to natural death. May God bless and protect all the families and their children. God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24) This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Even though Jesus did not need to be baptized because He is God, He allowed John the Baptist to baptize Him out of respect for the tradition. Soon after Jesus was baptized, the heavens were opened and the Spirit of God came upon Him in the form of a dove. A voice came from the heavens, proclaiming: “ This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”. This is the affirmation from God yahweh that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah. Jesus was baptized as an Adult at the age 30 as the beginning of his public ministry. In the early years of the Church only the Adults were baptized in the Church. Due to the black plague which killed 20 million people most of whom were children in Europe in 1300 AD, the Church started baptizing babies so that they would have the grace of Baptism. According to the teaching of the Church, Baptism is the sacrament by which the original sin we were born with is forgiven. What is original sin? It is the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, as a result of their disobedience to God as mentioned in the book of Genesis, chapter 3. Once our original sin is forgiven, God adopts us as His children and we become members of the Church. The grace of Baptism is that it leaves an indelible mark on our souls, reminding us that God claimed us for Himself and that we belong to God for ever. Since most of us were baptized as infants, the date of our Baptism remains in the Parish records. Somehow there has been no tradition to celebrate the Anniversary of our Baptism while we celebrate our birthdays every year. The day of our Baptism is important as the life of grace starts that day. That’s why it is worth finding out the date of our baptism from our Parish records and celebrate it with gratitude to God by attending the holy Mass. I know the date of my Baptism. Do you know the day you were baptized ? With the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Christmas season comes to an end. On January 12th, the Ordinary Time of the year begins in the liturgical calendar. The Ordinary Time is the longest period during which we reflect upon the public ministry of Jesus, His teachings, miracles and His call to conversion. It is already ten days into the new year 2026. Let us live each day of the year for God’s glory, remembering our baptismal vows of renouncing sin and the glamour of evil, professing our faith in the triune God and following the teachings of the Church. Let our faith be seen in good works on a daily basis. Here the inspiring words of St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta are worth noting: “Let us do ordinary things in an extraordinary way”. God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24) This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord which is also known as the Feast of the Magi, and the Feast of the Three Kings. Whatever name it is referred to, the central theme of the Feast is that God sent His Son into the world for all people. Jesus came to bring salvation not only to Jewish people, but also to people of all nations, ethnicities, races, colors and creeds. This is the meaning of the Feast of the Revelation of the Lord to the gentile world. Let us not keep Him just to ourselves, but proclaim Him to the whole world. Like last year, we are going to host a Eucharistic Procession on Sunday, January 4, 2026 after the 10:30 am Mass in our walking path. There will be four stops during the procession for Benediction: At the first stop, a blessing will be imparted to Sacred Heart Parish, East Pasco- Hernando Deanery, and the city of Dade City. At the second stop, a blessing will be given to the Diocese of St. Petersburg and the Universal Church. At the third stop, the State of Florida will be blessed. At the fourth stop, the United States of America will receive the blessing. After returning to the Church, the whole world will be blessed by the Eucharistic Lord. I would like to thank the Eucharistic Procession Ministry for purchasing a new canopy for the parish. I am grateful to the Women’s Club for arranging refreshments after this holy procession. I invite you all to join the procession in praise of our Lord and in honor of the gift the Lord gave us in His Son. God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”. (Psalm 118:24) This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph on the Sunday after Christmas. This feast highlights the truth that the Son of God chose to be born into a human family and grew up in the town of Nazareth. The Gospels tell us that Jesus, as a boy, was obedient to his mother Mary and his foster father Joseph. This is an invitation to all the children to always listen to your parents. When we think of the Holy Family, there is a misconception that Mary and Joseph did not have any worries or problems and that they had everything given to them. The Holy Family had their share of the troubles of life from the time of the birth of the Savior until his saving death on the cross. What we can learn from the Holy Family is that Mary and Joseph trusted in the Lord at all times. They experienced moments of fear when King Herod was trying to find the baby Jesus so that he could kill Him. They had to flee to Egypt to protect their child. Overall, it was the Lord who was protecting them all throughout their lives. We all know that families are not perfect. We all face the struggles and challenges of life on a regular basis. Parents and grandparents worry about their children and grandchildren. That is why we need to imitate the Holy Family and trust in the Lord. I pray that all the parents take responsibility for their children and teach them the ways of love, peace, sharing, forgiving and being thoughtful with each other. The twofold commandment of love of God and love of neighbor is taught in the family. In order to welcome the new year of 2026 and to celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, we will have a Vigil Mass at 4 pm on December 31, 2025 and a 9 am Mass on January 1, 2026. With the start of the new year, I encourage all of us to make some New Years resolutions to live by. Happy New Year! God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”. ( Psalm 118:24) As we celebrate the 4th Sunday of Advent, we are coming close to the Birthday of our Savior, Jesus Christ, on December 25th. This is the fulfillment of all the prophecies of the Old Testament. Isaiah 7:14 speaks of the sign from God that the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel. The Archangel Gabriel confirmed this message to the Blessed Virgin Mary during the Annunciation by telling her that she would conceive the Son of God and carry Him in her womb by the Power of the Holy Spirit. The Archangel Gabriel also revealed the same message to Joseph in a dream about the Birth of the Savior. As the Gospel of Mathew, Chapter 1:24: “When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home”. There was only one reason for the Incarnation to take place. That reason is found in John 3: 16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.” This gift to us of our Savior by God, our Father, was the first and most important Christmas gift. We will celebrate Christmas Eve Vigil Mass at 4 pm on December 24th and will celebrate Midnight Mass on December 25th, and Mass at 10 am on Christmas Day. I pray for God’s abundant Blessings upon you as you gather with family and friends to celebrate the joy of the Birth of the Savior. As you exchange gifts, remember that we are all gifts to each other. Above all, Jesus Christ, is the greatest gift God has given to us. I wish all of you a Merry Christmas! Fr. Bob Romaine