Author: Debbie Granger

Our beloved Deacon Wentzel has asked for our prayers today.

Doctors have discovered a mass on his colon, and he is scheduled for surgery this Tuesday to have it removed. We entrust him completely to God’s loving care and ask the Lord to guide the hands of his medical team, grant him strength and peace, and surround Deacon and his family with comfort.Deacon Wentzel is deeply loved by our parish family, and we lift him up together in faith, hope, and prayer. 🙏💙

Heavenly Father,

We thank You for Your steadfast love and for the gift of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who came into the world to save us and set us free. We trust completely in Your power and grace, which sustain, restore, and give life.

Loving Father, we place Deacon Wentzel into Your tender care today. Touch him now with Your healing hands, for we believe that Your will is for wholeness and life—of mind, body, soul, and spirit. Cover him with the most precious Blood of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, from the top of his head to the soles of his feet.

Cast out anything that should not be within him. Root out all unhealthy and abnormal cells. Guide the surgeons and medical team as they remove what does not belong, and lovingly rebuild and restore what has been affected. Remove all inflammation, cleanse all infection, and bring healing through the power of Christ’s precious Blood.

Let the fire of Your healing love pass through his entire body, renewing every weakened or diseased area, so that his body may function as You so beautifully created it to function. Touch also his mind and heart—granting peace, courage, and trust—reaching even the deepest places within him.

Saturate Deacon Wentzel with Your presence, love, joy, and peace. Draw him ever closer to You in this time, and surround him with the prayers and support of all who love him. Fill him anew with Your Holy Spirit, strengthen him for the days ahead, and continue to use his life as a witness that brings glory and honor to Your holy Name.

We ask all of this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Homily: Living in the Light of Christ

February 8, 2026

The Gospel writer John tells us in the Christmas Gospel that Jesus came into the world as the Light of the world.

But in today’s Gospel, Jesus says something striking:

“You are the light of the world.”

So which is it?

Is Jesus the Light of the world, or are we the light of the world?

The answer, of course, is both.

Jesus is the divine Light — the heavenly Light who has come into the world. And through Baptism, He shares that Light with us: the light of grace, the light of truth, and the light of love. That is a powerful and precious gift, and Jesus tells us that it is not meant to be kept to ourselves. We are called to share it with the world.

Those of you who are Confirmation candidates will soon receive seven special gifts of the Holy Spirit when you are confirmed by Bishop Senior: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord. These gifts are given to help you share the Light of Christ with the world for the rest of your lives.

This calling is more than a metaphor. It’s more than a phrase that simply sounds nice. While our hymns express it beautifully, sharing the Light of Christ is a real and essential part of our lives. It means living our vocation of holiness — our call to become saints.

When we read the lives of the saints — especially the saints you have chosen, or will choose, as your Confirmation names — we see how differently each one shared the Light of Christ. Some were great theological minds. Others had enormous compassion and devoted themselves to caring for the sick. Some, like St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, founded religious communities right down the road in Emmitsburg.

Each saint shared Christ’s Light in a unique and beautiful way — and so are we called to do the same.

With Lent just days away, this is a good moment to practice what St. Ignatius of Loyola encouraged: an examination of conscience. We should reflect honestly on how well we are sharing the Light of Christ in our own lives.

Jesus tells us not to place the light under a basket. It is too powerful and too precious. What we share is the Light of Christ’s truth and His law — and our world desperately needs that light, especially in times marked by darkness, sin, fear, and hatred.

So we are called to be safe beacons of light in the world.

This examination begins with the very start of our day. When we wake up, what is our first thought?

Do we pray, “Lord, help me. Guard me and guide me by Your light” before even getting out of bed?

When we turn on the news or scroll through our screens, do we filter what we see through the Light of our faith?

When we go to work, are our business ethics guided by His Light?

When we go to school, do we test what we are learning by the Light of faith?

What about our relationships?

Our social lives?

Our political views?

Do we discern who and what belongs in our lives through the Light of Christ?

And when we face illness, suffering, or hardship, do we view those moments through His Light — trusting Him even then?

At its core, the question is simple and profound:

Am I living my life immersed in His Light?

That is what faith truly is. It is more than an idea or an analogy — it is a way of life. Living in Christ’s Light does not always make life easier, but it does make life better. It brings clarity — moral clarity and spiritual truth.

The Church has a name for this stage of spiritual growth: the illuminative stage of the spiritual life — when our lives are immersed in, guided by, and illuminated by the Light of Christ.

That is a great gift.

Very soon, our Confirmation candidates will receive the grace to live more fully as bearers of that Light in the world. And for all of us today, as we hear these powerful words and receive the grace of the sacraments, let us pray that we may truly live what Jesus teaches us.

As He says in the Gospel:

May His light shine before all,

so that they may see our good works

and give glory to the Father.

Amen.

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To add or remove a name from this list, please call Diane in the parish office at 717-272-5674. Thank you and God bless you.

✨ St. Mary’s CCW and Women of Faith invite you to take a mid-winter pause to pray, reflect, and prepare your heart for Lent. There is no fee, but please register by contacting the church office at 717-272-5674 (leave your name, phone number, and number attending) or text Patty Price at 717-274-2007 (include your name and number attending). All women are invited. Bring a friend.

Morning of Reflection
St. Mary’s Parish CCW and Women of Faith programs invite you to attend a morning of reflection on Tuesday,
February 10, in the parish center, 2 N. 8th St., Lebanon.
All women are welcome. Bring a friend!
8:30. Rosary
9:00 Mass in the main church
9:30 Coffee social – St. Joseph Hall – parish center
9:45 Presentation by Father Bob Gillelan, Pastor, St. Mary’s
11:00 Short video & discussion on giving God our best this Lent
11:30 Lunch in Frederic Hall
During his talk, Father Bob will explain the Five
Remedies for Sorrow as taught by St. Thomas Aquinas, with insights from St. John of the Cross, priest and mystic; and Fr. Ron Rolheiser, Oblates of Mary Immaculate, a popular spiritual writer and speaker.
Father Bob will answer questions such as what is the difference between sorrow and depression (Father Rolheiser); and what is the difference between sorrow and depression in regard to the Dark Night of the Soul (St. John of the Cross). There will also be time for discussion and any additional questions you may have.
There is no fee but please register by contacting
the church office
at 717-272-5674 or text Patty Price at 717-274-2007.
Leave your name and the number of persons attending.
Hope to see you there!

St. Mary’s CCW annual soup sale will be held on Saturday, February 21, from  9 am to 1 pm.

$12 quart; $6 pint. 

Sign up sheets for donations of soups, breads and baked goods will be in the narthex beginning this weekend.
Soup containers will also be available. As always, thanks to our generous parishioners for your support!