Corpus Christi Blog

Lent begins this week, and we will be kicking it off with Ash Wednesday. However, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday is a day that is also steeped in tradition for us Catholics. Tuesday represents the last day of what is typically known as either Mardi Gras or Carnival. The specific day is known by several names including Fat Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday. Today, we probably think of this as a day of indulgence and gluttony and as a way of treating ourselves before heading into 40 days of penance and self-denial, but historically, there is more meaning to the day and the development of traditions that have come from it.

Shrove Tuesday is the last day of what used to be a week-long celebration, called Shrovetide. “To shrive” means to hear confessions. Around the year 1000 AD, a bishop by the name of Theodulphus wrote, “In the week immediately before Lent everyone shall go to his confessor and confess his deeds and the confessor shall so shrive him as he then may hear by his deeds what he is to do in the way of penance.” Thus, Shrovetide was a way to prepare for the upcoming Lenten season by examining one’s conscience so as to know the best way to focus one’s Lent for the purpose of penance and bettering oneself. If during Shrovetide you find that you are struggling a lot with a particular sin through the confession process, you will have a better idea of what to give up for Lent or what sacrifices you will have to make to help nip that sin in the bud. Shrove Tuesday, then, marks the day of your last hoorah with those particular sins while you head forward into working on the opposite virtue.

The annual Charity and Development Appeal (CDA) in the Diocese of Phoenix provides opportunities for people like you and me to make a big difference in the lives of people we may never meet. This year, we hear in Saint Luke’s Gospel a beautifully succinct description of the beatitudes.And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said:

Believe it or not! We are finally beginning our Parish Center renovation project! No, really! The contractor has asked us to be ready for demolition in early March, so during the last week of February we will be clearing out the Parish Center of all the tables, chairs, kitchen equipment, ministry supplies, and other items. If you are involved in any ministries that use the space, rest assured we will do our best to accommodate you during the time when the Parish Center is unavailable. Thank you for your patience and, as always, please pray for this project and for all those involved in ensuring its success. We will share much more information with you in the coming weeks. Thank you!

“Blessed are you who are poor…hungry…weeping. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day,your reward will be great in heaven!”

Luke 6:20-23

The Beatitudes provide us with a roadmap to happiness. Do we see Jesus in the poor, hungry, sad, and excluded? Jesus calls us to tend to one another with dignity and compassion. The Beatitudes teach us about God’s mercy, forgiveness,and our ultimate reward in heaven!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSHQz85TUkY

(This article includes excerpts from a booklet compiled by John Rajczyk and James Warthman in 2000.)

In June 1987, [35 years ago!] the location of our new parish was changed from the site on San Gabriel Ave. to the new site on Knox Rd and 36^th St. Although our site on San Gabriel was beautiful, it also had insurmountable problems, such as low visibility compared to other parishes and the high volume of traffic in and out of a residential neighborhood. These factors, plus others, dictated that we try to seek another site.

Our thanks go to Frank Labriola and his late wife, Mary, for their generous contribution of land to Corpus Christi Catholic Church. Their donation saved the church a tremendous amount of money. Without their contribution, there would have been a delay in the starting date for the buildings.