PRAYER – FOR EVERYDAY AND EVERYBODY
Blessing to See
Bless us, Lord, to see as You see.
Remind us that heartbeats and hopes can outshine outward show.
That quiet witness can overcome violence and darkness.
That Your Light can break like the dawn.
Amen.
GOSPEL MEDITATION - ENCOURAGE DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF SCRIPTURE
March 15, 2026
4th Sunday of Lent
John 9:1-41
If you are like me, it’s easy to fixate on our shadows: failures, guilt, shame. Especially when we suffer, it is easy to want to blame ourselves or others. In this week’s Gospel, Jesus’ disciples ask about the blind man, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents?” (John 9:2) They, like us, focus on blame. But Jesus sees the entire situation differently: “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.” He does not deny sin, but he sees deeper — through the light of mercy, not the lens of judgment. The scene hinges on Jesus’ strange claim: “I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). He sees things differently than everyone. They see shadows and light. He is the light.
Thought experiment: imagine you are the sun looking at everything on the earth. What do you see? Everything. What do you not see? Shadows. Everything is illuminated. If you see it, it is illuminated. For the light, nothing is dark.
Because he is the light, Jesus sees us in the glow of his redemptive love. Even our sin becomes a place where his glory can shine. The man’s healing is not just about sight — it is about seeing as Christ sees. Lent is not a season of staring into darkness. It is a time to step into the light — to let Christ’s gaze reframe how we see ourselves and one another.
Lenten challenge: Spend 10 quiet minutes this week asking Jesus to show you how he sees you. Not through shame or fear, but through the light of his mercy.
— Father John Muir
St. Cyril of Jerusalem
Biography St. Cyril of Jerusalem (c.315-386) was born and raised in Jerusalem. He was educated in the Faith and had a love of Scripture at an early age that guided him toward the priesthood.
After he was ordained a priest by the bishop of Jerusalem, he went on to serve as a catechist for those newly baptized in his congregations. The writings he produced during the early years of his priesthood have gone on to help give the modern Church a clear example of how the Church of the East did things during those first few centuries of Christianity. They included teachings on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, prerequisites for Baptism, the Eucharistic liturgy, and more.
During the fourth century the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ, was threatening to tear the young Church apart. It was during this time that Cyril was ordained Bishop of Jerusalem and accused by his contemporaries of Arianism. They exiled him from his homeland on three different occasions, but he was ultimately acquitted of the accusations both in his own time and a thousand years later when he was named a Doctor of the Church in 1822.
Once back in Jerusalem, he and a bishop named Gregory, who would become St. Gregory, attended the Council of Constantinople, where the Nicene Creed was officially adopted. During this time, he publicly accepted and promoted the word “consubstantial,” the word the Council of Nicaea chose to describe Christ’s divinity and the relationship between God the Father and the Son.
His life reminds us that even a prominent theologian of the Church can suffer pain from controversy. Despite this, he never gave up and went on to be recognized as a Doctor of the Church. St. Cyril, pray for us!
CATHOLIC TRIVIA – JUST FOR FUN
Question: According to Scripture, what split into two parts at the moment of Jesus’ death on the cross?
LOOK FOR THE ANSWER
WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO NORTH AMERICAN MARTYRS PARISH
Our Mission Statement:
We, the North American Martyrs Parish, a strong community of faith, Nourished by the Holy Eucharist, Guided by the Holy Spirit and Trusting in the grace of God, Dedicate ourselves to live God’s Word and Let the light of Christ shine through our Community. We strive to provide sound religious formation for people of all ages; To care for the spiritual, social well-being of one another With particular attention to the stranger and the poor in our midst.
“As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ John 20:21
Mass Times
St. Albert
Saturday Vigil:
4:30 PM
15 Church St.
W. Stewartstown, NH
St. Pius
Sunday:
NO MASS
108 Colebrook Rd
Errol, NH
St. Brendan
Sunday:
10:00 AM
55 Pleasant St.
Colebrook, NH
9 AM MASS
ON MONDAY
Mar 16
St Albert
9AM MASS
ON TUESDAY
Mar 17
St Brendan
Office Hours
Monday: 8-3
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 10-2
Thursday: 10-2
Friday: Closed
CLOSED ON HOLIDAYS
Upcoming Events
St. Patrick | March 17
Whether you know him as the man who brought Christianity to Ireland or simply as a reason you eat corned beef and cabbage in March, St. Patrick (415 – 493) is a well-known saint around the world.
St. Patrick was born in Britain of a Romanized family. At the age of 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders from the villa of his father, a deacon and local official, and brought into slavery in Ireland. He spent six long years there as a herdsman, during which he turned to his faith for strength. He later escaped back to Britain on a ship, where he was eventually reunited with his family.
His years of captivity changed him and brought out a zeal for God and a yearning to spread the message of Jesus Christ. Despite the constant danger of martyrdom, he continued to travel throughout Ireland where he baptized and confirmed in the name of Christ.
