Father Richard J. Rego
Fr. Isaac Fynn, Weekend Assciate
PO Box 14257  Tucson, AZ 85732-4257
Office Hours 10:00-12:00 Mon-Fri
Phone: (520) 205-4096 * Fax: (520) 205-4097
Email: frrichardrego@comcast.net
Website:  www.saintgianna.net

“Put on then, as God’s holy and beloved people, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience.  Forgive one another; and if one has a complaint against another, as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also forgive.  And above all these things put on charity, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.  And let the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body.  And always be thankful - - - And whatever you do in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3: 12-15,17).

Latin Mass Schedule                        MASS INTENTIONS        
Daily Mass 12:15 pm                        Sun 6:30 John J. Urban
Saturday 8:30 am                              Sun 1:45 Pro Populo
Sunday Masses                                  Sun 5:00 Cathy Curtis & Al
6:30 am, 1:45 pm, 5:00 pm                Mon Wilford Bugner
Summer Schedule For Sunday
Effective March 18
6:30AM  & 1:45PM

Rosary                                             Tues Elizabeth Lenhard, RIP
Sundays 1:30 pm, 4:40 pm
                                                            Wed Fr. Eugene Rosielski
                                                            Thurs Intention of George McClosky
Confessions Schedule                        Friday: Rose Ucci, RIP
Mon-Fri 11:am to 12:00 Noon                    Saturday:  As in St. Ambrose Bulletin
Saturday 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm                    
Sunday 4:15 pm to 4:45 pm                     Readings for Sunday, February 25th
Devotions Schedule                        Introit - - - Ps 90: 15,16,1
Fatima Devotions every                     Epistle - - IICor 6:1-10
1st Monday of Month 7:00 pm            Gradual    Ps 90: 11,12
Saint Joseph Devotions                         Tract - - - Ps. 90: 1-7,11-16
Wednesday after 12:15 Mass                     Gospel - - Mt 4:1-11
                                    



Saints of the Week
Mon, Feb 26 - - - -Feria of Lent
Tues, Feb 27 - - - Feria of Lent
Wed, Feb 28- - - - Ember Wednesday
Thurs, Feb 22 - -  Feria of Lent
Fri, Fed 23- - - -    Feria of Lent
Sat, Feb 17  - - - - Ember Saturday

Special Saint of the Week   
No saints are commemorated this week

Gospel Words of Jesus Christ Our Divine Savior
36 And sending away the multitude, they take him even as he was in the ship: and there were other ships with him. 37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that the ship was filled. 38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, sleeping upon a pillow; and they awake him, and say to him: Master, doth it not concern thee that we perish? 39 And rising up, he rebuked the wind, and said to the sea: Peace, be still. And the wind ceased: and there was made a great calm. 40 And he said to them: Why are you fearful? have you not faith yet? And they feared exceedingly: and they said one to another: Who is this (thinkest thou) that both wind and sea obey him? (Mark 4: 36-40)

From the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans
16 Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are whom you obey, whether it be of sin unto death, or of obedience unto justice. 17 But thanks be to God, that you were the servants of sin, but have obeyed from the heart, unto that form of doctrine, into which you have been delivered. 18 Being then freed from sin, we have been made servants of justice. 19 I speak an human thing, because of the infirmity of your flesh. For as you have yielded your members to serve uncleanness and iniquity, unto iniquity; so now yield your members to serve justice, unto sanctification. 20 For when you were the servants of sin, you were free men to justice. (Rom 6: 16-20)

Spiritual Thought Of The Week
From the Introduction to the Devout Life, by Saint Francis De Sales Part One, CHAPTER VII. “Be sure, my daughter, that if you seek to lead a devout life, you must not merely forsake sin; but you must further cleanse your heart from all affections pertaining to sin. For, to say nothing of the danger of a relapse, these wretched affections will perpetually enfeeble your mind, and clog it, so that you will be unable to be diligent, ready and frequent in good works, wherein nevertheless lies the very essence of all true devotion. Souls which, in spite of having forsaken sin, yet retain such likings and longings, remind us of those persons who, without being actually ill, are pale and sickly, languid in all they do, eating without appetite, sleeping without refreshment, laughing without mirth, dragging themselves about rather than walking briskly. Such souls as I have described lose all the grace of their good deeds, which are probably few and feeble, through their spiritual languor.”

From The Imitation Of Christ By Thomas A Kempis
Book Three The Twenty-Seventh: THE VOICE OF CHRIST MY CHILD, you should give all for all, and in no way belong to yourself. You must know that self-love is more harmful to you than anything else in the world. In proportion to the love and affection you have for a thing, it will cling to you more or less. If your love is pure, simple, and well ordered, you will not be a slave to anything. Do not covet what you may not have. Do not possess anything that can hinder you or rob you of freedom.  It is strange that you do not commit yourself to Me with your whole heart, together with all that you can desire or possess. Why are you consumed with foolish sorrow? Why are you wearied with unnecessary care? Be resigned to My will and you will suffer no loss.

From The Teachings Of The Second Vatican Council  
Dei Verbum (On the Word of God): #10 Sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the word of God, committed to the Church. Holding fast to this deposit the entire holy people united with their shepherds remain always steadfast in the teaching of the Apostles, in the common life, in the breaking of the bread and in prayers (see Acts 2, 42, Greek text), so that holding to, practicing and professing the heritage of the faith, it becomes on the part of the bishops and faithful a single common effort.   
    But the task of authentically interpreting the word of God, whether written or handed on, has been entrusted exclusively to the living teaching office of the Church, whose authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ. This teaching office is not above the word of God, but serves it, teaching only what has been handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and explaining it faithfully in accord with a divine commission and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it draws from this one deposit of faith everything which it presents for belief as divinely revealed.  It is clear, therefore, that sacred tradition, Sacred Scripture and the teaching authority of the Church, in accord with God's most wise design, are so linked and joined together that one cannot stand without the others, and that all together and each in its own way under the action of the one Holy Spirit contribute effectively to the salvation of souls.
From The Code Of Canon Law  Canon 273 Clerics are bound by a special obligation to show reverence and obedience to the Supreme Pontiff and their own ordinary.

Catechism Of The Catholic Church
2324 Intentional euthanasia, whatever its forms or motives, is murder. It is gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator.

SPECIAL NOTICE
Please be advised that donations to Saint Gianna’s can be made through our website: www.saintgianna.net.  By so doing, one can contribute using their credit card.  We appreciate your financial support and also ask your prayers for our continued success.  Also, please note that we are now set up with PaPal so that our parishioners and friends can automatically contribute a designated amount each month toward your support of Saint Gianna’s.  Check our website for details: www.saintgianna.net.

Classes
We will be conducting classes on the Documents of Vatican II at the Desert Springs Academy, 3833 E 2nd St., Tucson.  The phone number is 321-1709.  Classes are on Wednesday at 3:00 PM.

Pope Benedict XVI Prayer Intention For February
General - - - - That the earth’s bounty God gave to all people be used wisely and according to the principles of justice and solidarity.
Mission - - - - That the struggle against diseases and the great epidemics in the Third World find in a spirit of solidarity the ever greater generous cooperation of governments.

    
    One this First Sunday of Lent, the liturgy turns our thoughts to Our Lord’s Temptation in the Desert.  The devil!  Satan!  Make no mistake about it, he exists and he is man’s mortal enemy.  He has one goal and one goal only - - - man’s eternal ruin in hell.  Our Lord has warned us that the devil is a liar and the Father of Lies:  “The truth is not in him.”
    
    Our Divine Savior had been fasting for forty days when He allowed the evil one to tempt Him three times.  The first temptation was an appeal to the social order.  “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to turn to bread.”  In other words, Satan wanted Jesus to be a bread king, a social worker and nothing more.  Satan would have been delighted to reduce Our Divine Savior’s mission to making this a better world in a purely materialistic sense.  He wanted to obscure or even obliterate Our Lord’s real mission, which was man’s redemption from sin, Satan and eternal death.   Satan knew well that the Cross of Calvary would end his dreadful dominion over man, which began with the sin of our first parents.  Christ’s victory would come on Calvary.  Satan wanted Him to forget the Cross. “That’s not what the people want.  Give them bread, fill their bellies and improve the economy!  Then they will follow you.  Not the Cross.”  Our Lord’s answer was clear and to the point: “Scripture has it, `Not on bread alone shall man live.”  
    
    Next, Satan took Him up on a high hill and showed him all of the kingdoms of the world.  “I will give you all this power and the glory of these kingdoms.”  Then he added this frightening fact: “They are mine and I give them to whomever I wish.  Prostrate yourself in homage before me and it shall all be yours.”  He wanted the Son of God to adore him.
    
    Satan puts this same temptation before us in various ways.  He shows us the riches of this world, the lure of money, the pride of life, the lust of the flesh, the world’s comforts, and anything else that will lure us away from the love of God.  All these things can be ours.  The price: Sin!  This is precisely why St. John tells us that the love of God is not in the person who loves this world.  Again our Blessed Savior answered Satan scripturally.  In so doing, taught us an important lesson. Jesus said to him, “Scripture has it, `you shall love the Lord your God; Him alone shall you adore.’”
    
    Then came the final temptation.  Satan leads Our Lord to Jerusalem and set him on the parapet of the temple.  “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for Scripture has it, `He will bid the angels watch over you’; and again, `With their hands they will support you that you will never stumble on a stone.’”   Notice how Satan does not hesitate to use Scripture to achieve his evil ends.
    The evil one wanted to reduce Our Lord to a wonder worker.  Isn’t this what the wicked Herod expected of Our Lord.  He wanted Jesus to work some wonders so as to entertain him?  Satan was telling Our Savior to give the people what they wanted.  “Spend all of your time healing the sick.  You can even raise the dead, if you wish.  Work miracles!  Entertain them!  Then they will follow you. Give them what they want and you will be popular.  You will win them over completely.”  St. Matthew records that at this point Jesus said: “Be gone, Satan!  Scripture has it: `you shall do homage to the Lord your God; Him alone shall you adore.”
    
    Jesus could not have sinned because His nature was divine.  However, by submitting Himself to the devil’s temptations, Our Divine Savior was teaching us not to be attached to the things of this world.  As he would tell Pilate: “My Kingdom is not of this world.”  Next he was teaching us how to resist temptation.  Do not enter into dialogue with the devil as Eve did in the garden.  When we are tempted, immediately, we should repeat the words of Our Lord: “BE BEGONE SATAN!”   As St. James says: Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  May Our Blessed Mother, the Refuge of Sinners & the Gate of Heaven, help us in our constant conflict with Satan and his evil temptations.
                                                                                       
                        Father Richard J. Rego, S.T.L.