"And as her soul was departing (for she died), she called his name Ben-o'ni; but his father called his name Benjamin. So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), and Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave; it is the pillar of Rachel's tomb, which is there to this day."    (Gen 35:18-21)

"Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live;"    (Isa 55:3)

"Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His steadfast love, that He may deliver their soul from death, and keep them alive in famine."   (Ps 33:18-19)

"Praise the Lord ! Praise the Lord , O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have being."  (Ps 146:1-2)

Throughout the Bible we read about the precious worth of our soul. Many years ago Father Kohanik wrote the following and it is worth repeating now as we enter the serious and dignified Great Lenten period.

“Lent is a time for special meditation on the Passion of Christ.  Meditation on the sufferings and death of our Savior Jesus Christ is most pleasing to God, and helpful to our souls.   This is why, for our spiritual and bodily fortification, on the third Sunday of Lent, the Holy Cross is brought out from the Sacristy, and placed on a service altar in the front of the Church for our veneration and learning.  

“Nothing more useful could be suggested that would be a greater incentive for making Lent a time of personal penance, sorrow and fasting, than meditation on, and the reading or hearing about, the mighty price Christ paid that His Heavenly Father might be appeased, and the Gates of Heaven, closed by man’s sin, reopened to all believers in our Savior.

“Meditation on the Passion of Christ teaches as nothing else can, the value of the human soul;  it is worth the Blood of Christ.   What a frightful catastrophe it must be to lose one’s soul if Christ died on a Cross to save it!   This brings to mind the old, never changing eternal truths that resound throughout the world anew, from thousands of pulpits at each recurring Lent.   Death is the echo of life. You shall die but once. You have but one soul!

“Lent is a time to attend all church services, to confess our sins, to receive Holy Communion, to take part more frequently in exercises of piety, to give generously to works of charity, to perform acts of kindness towards the sick, the aged and the poor and to pray more fervently.”

We must always keep in mind the important fact that sin is the cause of man’s estrangement from God.  Our church calls upon us to look into our inner selves, our conscience, and humble ourselves before our Lord, and, through the Holy Sacrament of Penitence (Confession), and cleanse our souls from every sin committed by us, either by word or mouth, thought, or deed, both known and unknown.  It is only in this manner that we can be properly prepared to unite ourselves with our Savior Jesus Christ, in the receiving of His Precious Body and Blood, through the Sacrament of Holy Communion and pray to Him fervently to save our souls.  

Happy Birthday to all those celebrating in the month of March: Rosemarie Petro and Valentina Franko both on March 2; Sonya Finno on March 3; Amy Kovalycsik Talley on March 11; Scott Cahayla on March 13; Robert M. Czech on March 14; Nicholas Kovalycsik on March 20; and Genevieve Bobenko on March 22. May God grant each of you Many Years!

Memorial (Soul) Saturdays will be beginning on March 9. There are six Memorial Saturdays this year: March 9 and March 30; April 13, June 22 and October 19. Remembering departed relatives and others among the faithful who have fallen asleep in the Lord is an act of love that we should never neglect. The Panikhida on each of these days will be served. Make a list of those you want included in the services and leave the list in the Church Office or mail it to Father Maryan at the rectory. Attend these services to experience the beauty and meaning of these days in the place where our relatives and friends worshipped before they were laid to pious rest.

We are being reminded that this is a very hard time for many people who are out of work and that your donations to our food basket in the vestibule will be greatly appreciated to those who will benefit from your kindness. Helen Baron, our food basket coordinator, asks that you remember your neighbors who are unable to provide for their families in this economically insecure time. Helen thanks all of you who have been so generous in the past and may God bless you all.