Sunday, February 2, 2025
The Presentation of the Lord
This morning’s gospel reading features a man and a woman, Simeon and Anna, who had given themselves over to the service of the Lord for many years. Simeon is described as upright and devout, on whom the Holy Spirit rested. It is said of Anna that she never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. As well as being the Feast of the Presentation, today is also the World Day for Consecrated Life. Simeon and Anna remind us of those men and women who have consecrated themselves to serve the Lord in the religious life. Today we thank God for them all and we ask God’s blessing upon them. Simeon and Anna’s close relationship with the Lord gave them a special gift of insight. When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus into the Temple, Simeon recognized their child as a ‘light to enlighten the pagans’ and as ‘the glory of your people Israel’. Anna recognized their child as the one who fulfilled the hopes of those who were looking forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem. They had a rich insight into who this child really was and they shared this insight with others; they continue to share their insight with us this morning. As our relationship with the Lord deepens, through prayer and through our following his way, we too will grow in our insight into who He is and into the meaning of his whole ministry from his birth to resurrection and we too will be called upon to witness to that growing insight as Simeon and Anna did. This morning, we celebrate Simeon’s insight into Jesus as the light to enlighten all peoples. We recognize our own need for this light and we invite the Lord to shine his light into whatever darkness may be in our own hearts and lives.
Almighty ever-living God, we humbly implore your majesty that, just as your Only Begotten Son was presented on this day in the Temple in the substance of our flesh,
so, by your grace, we may be presented to you with minds made pure. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
so, by your grace, we may be presented to you with minds made pure. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
First Reading: Malachi 3:1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 24:7-10
Second Reading: Hebrews 2:14-18
Gospel: Luke 2:22-40
St. Martin's Mass times and intentions (February 1 thru February 9):
Saturday, February 1
7:00 am Mass
Saturday, February 1
7:00 am Mass
Reconciliation from 4:00 - 5:00, followed by Mass at 5:00 pm
(for Louise Conway +, requested by Skip and Margie Drummond)
Sunday, February 2
9:30 am Recitation of the Holy Rosary
10:00 am Mass
10:00 am Mass
(for the parishioners of St. Martin de Porres parish)
Monday, February 3
No Mass
Tuesday, February 4
5:15 pm Mass
Wednesday, February 5
5:15 pm Mass
Thursday, February 6
5:15 pm Mass
Friday, February 7
5:15 pm Mass
(for Tim and Virginia Keys)
Saturday, February 1
7:00 am Mass
Reconciliation from 4:00 - 5:00, followed by Mass at 5:00 pm
Sunday, February 9
9:30 am Recitation of the Holy Rosary
10:00 am Mass
10:00 am Mass
(for the parishioners of St. Martin de Porres parish)
Pray for our Sick:
Paula Aguilera
Carl Austin
Josie Campos
Pat Carrathers
Domingo Castillo, Sr.
Gabriel Castillo
Lucia Castillo y Sierra
Leonora Deanda
Richard Detterman
John Elser
Maria Hernandez
Bobby Holman
Cliff Kreitz
Roberta Kreitz
Dottie Lopez
Clark Nicholl
Debby Nicholl
Larry Nicholl
Alicia Lopez
Mary Orta
Frances Pillow
Mary Riggs
Ruth Ann Roberts
Alfredo Rodriguez
Socorro Rodriguez
Eleanor Schwab
Daniel Sisneros
Linda Stone
Isabel Vega
L.A. Walker
Nelwyn Wiley
Robin Woolsey
Lord hear our prayer. Amen
St. Martin's Parish Events:
Special Collection This Weekend:
We missed the special collection last Sunday. So, let's try this again! There will be a special collection at Mass this weekend for the benefit of those who clean our Church. Your generosity will be greatly appreciated.
World Day of Consecrated Life:
The World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life is today, February 2, which is also the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Celebration of this day of prayer is Feb. 1-2, to allow parishes to highlight the gift of religious life and pray for those discerning a religious vocation.
St. John Paul II established the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life in 1997 to be celebrated in conjunction with the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as Candlemas Day, which highlights the fact that Christ is the light of the world through the symbolic lighting of candles. "Similarly, consecrated men and women are called to spread the light and love of Jesus Christ through their unique witness of selfless service, such as caring for the poor, the contemplative work of prayer, or through their professional careers."
Candlemas Day:
The word Candlemas derives from candela meaning candle, hence Candlemas is also known as the festival of light. It is celebrated on 2 February to honor light warding off evil and death and assuring prosperity. This Christian festival commemorates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple of Jerusalem and his role as a light to enlighten pagan nations.
All parishioners are invited to bring candles to Mass this weekend for blessing.
Extraordinary Ministers of Communion Needed at BSA:
Volunteers are needed at BSA hospital as extraordinary ministers of communion. It does not require much time. Training is provided and the schedule is very flexible. This promises to be a very rewarding experience for all of those willing to spend some time supporting this ministry. Please contact Elma Fletcher at elma.fletcher@yahoo.com. If you prefer to have a conversation to discuss the opportunity, please call # (806) 206-4496.
Catholic Daughters Enchilada Dinner:
The St. Martin's Parish Catholic Daughters of America will hold their Annual Enchilada Dinner on Sunday, February 16, in the Parish Hall. The meal will include enchiladas, beans, rice, dessert, and a drink. The cost will be $12.00 for adults and $6.00 for children under 12 years of age. Proceeds from this year's dinner will support the many charitable efforts of Court # 2472.
In addition to the dinner, a silent auction will take place. We encourage all parishioners to support this effort and we look forward to seeing you there.
Day of Reconciliation:
The Central Deanery of the Diocese of Amarillo will host a Day of Reconciliation on Wednesday, March 19 from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm at St. Mary’s Cathedral. Multi-lingual priests will be available throughout the nine-hour period.
Parish Hall Planner:
The St. Martin's Parish Hall is available to rent for parties, meetings, showers, celebrations, etc. So that you can plan your upcoming event or function, we maintain a list of scheduled activities in the Hall.
February 16 - Catholic Daughters Annual Enchilada Dinner
If you would like to schedule your next activity in the Hall, contact any Parish Council member for information.
Steve Akeroyd
Carlos Elizarraraz
Carlos Guzman, Jr.
Virginia Keys
Gabriela Rivera
Beatrice Vega
Clara Valdez
The Geography of the Holy Land
(Editor's Note: As we read the Bible, and / or listen to the weekly Mass readings, we constantly hear references to locations in which Jesus traveled and preached. Often, we are unable to compose a picture of this land in our mind's eye. This article, and the accompanying map, will provide a visual basis with which to follow Jesus and his disciples as they traversed the Holy Land (due to it's size and detail, the map is best seen on a computer). I would encourage you to take a look at the maps and their associated reference points dealing with the miracles and preaching of Jesus' ministry.)
The Holy Land is a land of contrasts. In this country that is approximately 50 miles wide and 150 miles long, one encounters snow-capped mountains (Mount Hermon), barren deserts (Judean Desert), a large freshwater lake (Sea of Galilee) and a salt sea (Dead Sea).
It has an ocean coast (Mediterranean Sea), a small river (Jordan River), rich agricultural land (coastal plain and the Jezreel Valley in Galilee) and semiarid expanses (southern regions around Beersheba known as the Negev).
The beauty of this landscape is celebrated in the psalms as testimony to the splendor of the creator.
The pilgrim to the Holy Land gathers a rich storehouse of images that will come to mind as he or she prays the psalms and reads other sections of Scripture. Even a brief visit to this land will stock the mind of the believer with pictures and information that will shape and nourish the way he or she reads the Bible thereafter.
The rainy season in Israel extends from November through March. With the onset of the dry season in April, the amount of green vegetation in the regions south and east of Jerusalem begins to diminish so that by August, Jerusalem belongs more to the desert region than to the sown land.
The herders of sheep and goats, like Abraham and Sarah, move their flocks out into the wilderness in November, and gradually move them back toward the sown land in May and the following months as the pasturage dictates.
Contemporary visitors frequently see herders tending their flocks of sheep and goats not only in the Negev, but also within the city limits of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is situated on mountain spur in the southern hill country about 40 miles east of the Mediterranean Sea. Two valleys make the south, east and west sides of this location difficult to access; therefore, it was ideal as a location for a defensible city.
David and his men conquered the city by ascending the water shaft above the Gihon spring, taking the Jebusite inhabitants by surprise (2 Sam 5:6-10). Prior to gaining control over Israel and Judah, David and his men moved among the ravines and caves of the Judean Desert south and east of Jerusalem. This region receives only a few inches of rain annually compared to the 25 inches that Jerusalem receives each year. The population was small and transient in biblical times; it was a place of refuge for those at odds with the authorities in Jerusalem.
The road leading into the Judean Desert ran by the Garden of Gethsemane and offered a ready-made escape route in the tense moments leading up to Jesus’ arrest (Mk 14:32-36; Lk 22:39-46). It was a route that, in following after his father’s will, he chose not to take.
Jericho lies about 10 miles east of Jerusalem, but it is about half a mile lower in elevation. It will snow in Jerusalem and in Bethlehem (which lies four miles south of Jerusalem), but in Jericho the temperature rarely dips below 50 degrees.
This route through Jericho and then north along the Jordan River was the usual route for Jesus and his disciples to take on their return to Galilee. The other route along the mountain ridges of the hill country would have taken them through the land of the Samaritans, a region which observant Galilean Jews typically avoided. (Jn 4:4-9).
Galilee, the region to the west and north of the Sea of Galilee, is a fertile region of valleys and gently rising hills that was important for both agriculture and as a part of the primary overland trade route linking Mesopotamia with Egypt.
The town of Megiddo at the western edge of the large Jezreel Valley was an important military outpost and location for collecting tolls from caravans. It is in this broad valley through which many nations passed where the battle at the end of the world is envisioned to occur in the Book of Revelation (RV 16:16). Armageddon is derived form “har megiddon,” “the mountain range of Megiddo.” The numerous villages around the 64 square mile Sea of Galilee would have been supported both by the local agricultural economy and by fish. Southwest of the Sea of Galilee rises a very high hill known as Mount Tabor, which is the traditional location of Jesus’ transfiguration. From the Sea of Galilee, Mount Hermon on the Lebanon border is visible on a clear day.
The areas of Galilee and the Mediterranean coast were occupied by the Canaanites and the Philistines when Israel’s ancestors came into the land from Mesopotamia at the time of Abraham (circa 1800 B.C.) and from Egypt at the time of Moses (circa 1250 B.C.) Therefore, the Israelites settled in the central hill country to the north and south of Jerusalem.
The cities of Shechem, Samaria, Bethel and Hebron were located in this mountainous region that was conducive to terrace farming, vine growing and herding. East of these cities had an important sanctuary at which various Israelite tribes gathered on a regular basis. With the construction of the temple in Jerusalem at the time of Solomon (960-922 B.C.), Jerusalem gained importance as the most important religious center in the land.
It has an ocean coast (Mediterranean Sea), a small river (Jordan River), rich agricultural land (coastal plain and the Jezreel Valley in Galilee) and semiarid expanses (southern regions around Beersheba known as the Negev).
The beauty of this landscape is celebrated in the psalms as testimony to the splendor of the creator.
The pilgrim to the Holy Land gathers a rich storehouse of images that will come to mind as he or she prays the psalms and reads other sections of Scripture. Even a brief visit to this land will stock the mind of the believer with pictures and information that will shape and nourish the way he or she reads the Bible thereafter.
The rainy season in Israel extends from November through March. With the onset of the dry season in April, the amount of green vegetation in the regions south and east of Jerusalem begins to diminish so that by August, Jerusalem belongs more to the desert region than to the sown land.
The herders of sheep and goats, like Abraham and Sarah, move their flocks out into the wilderness in November, and gradually move them back toward the sown land in May and the following months as the pasturage dictates.
Contemporary visitors frequently see herders tending their flocks of sheep and goats not only in the Negev, but also within the city limits of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is situated on mountain spur in the southern hill country about 40 miles east of the Mediterranean Sea. Two valleys make the south, east and west sides of this location difficult to access; therefore, it was ideal as a location for a defensible city.
David and his men conquered the city by ascending the water shaft above the Gihon spring, taking the Jebusite inhabitants by surprise (2 Sam 5:6-10). Prior to gaining control over Israel and Judah, David and his men moved among the ravines and caves of the Judean Desert south and east of Jerusalem. This region receives only a few inches of rain annually compared to the 25 inches that Jerusalem receives each year. The population was small and transient in biblical times; it was a place of refuge for those at odds with the authorities in Jerusalem.
The road leading into the Judean Desert ran by the Garden of Gethsemane and offered a ready-made escape route in the tense moments leading up to Jesus’ arrest (Mk 14:32-36; Lk 22:39-46). It was a route that, in following after his father’s will, he chose not to take.
Jericho lies about 10 miles east of Jerusalem, but it is about half a mile lower in elevation. It will snow in Jerusalem and in Bethlehem (which lies four miles south of Jerusalem), but in Jericho the temperature rarely dips below 50 degrees.
This route through Jericho and then north along the Jordan River was the usual route for Jesus and his disciples to take on their return to Galilee. The other route along the mountain ridges of the hill country would have taken them through the land of the Samaritans, a region which observant Galilean Jews typically avoided. (Jn 4:4-9).
Galilee, the region to the west and north of the Sea of Galilee, is a fertile region of valleys and gently rising hills that was important for both agriculture and as a part of the primary overland trade route linking Mesopotamia with Egypt.
The town of Megiddo at the western edge of the large Jezreel Valley was an important military outpost and location for collecting tolls from caravans. It is in this broad valley through which many nations passed where the battle at the end of the world is envisioned to occur in the Book of Revelation (RV 16:16). Armageddon is derived form “har megiddon,” “the mountain range of Megiddo.” The numerous villages around the 64 square mile Sea of Galilee would have been supported both by the local agricultural economy and by fish. Southwest of the Sea of Galilee rises a very high hill known as Mount Tabor, which is the traditional location of Jesus’ transfiguration. From the Sea of Galilee, Mount Hermon on the Lebanon border is visible on a clear day.
The areas of Galilee and the Mediterranean coast were occupied by the Canaanites and the Philistines when Israel’s ancestors came into the land from Mesopotamia at the time of Abraham (circa 1800 B.C.) and from Egypt at the time of Moses (circa 1250 B.C.) Therefore, the Israelites settled in the central hill country to the north and south of Jerusalem.
The cities of Shechem, Samaria, Bethel and Hebron were located in this mountainous region that was conducive to terrace farming, vine growing and herding. East of these cities had an important sanctuary at which various Israelite tribes gathered on a regular basis. With the construction of the temple in Jerusalem at the time of Solomon (960-922 B.C.), Jerusalem gained importance as the most important religious center in the land.