INDULGENCES: Many Catholics have never known, or have long forgotten, the spirituality of an indulgence. Every sin we commit has its consequences. It has a residue. It disrupts our communion with God, and it weakens our ability to resist temptations, and it often hurts others. Once these sins have been confessed in the Sacrament of Confession, the healing can be done by what the Church calls an indulgence. Indulgences are prayers, fasting, almsgiving and other works of charity which diminish for us the effects of our confessed sins. Examples of an indulgence is reading and praying the Bible daily, and praying the Rosary. Lent is an excellent time to begin spiritual activities that bring you complete satisfaction for sins confessed and forgiven. THE SIGN OF THE CROSS: For early Christians, the Sign of the Cross involved tracing small crosses on the forehead, on the lips and on the heart, as we do at Mass before the reading of the Gospel. In the 3rd century, Tertullian noted that Christians made the Sign of the Cross regularly before entering or leaving their homes, eating, bathing, even before lighting lamps. The Sign of the Cross is made on Catholics at Baptism, at the Anointing of the Sick and countless times in between. When you reverently bless yourself with the Sign of the Cross, you express belief in God the Father, in God the Son and in God the Holy Spirit from whom all blessings flow. We can sanctify modern life with this ancient gesture. PRO-LIFE: There is a place in the world for children with special needs. We all are differently-abled, with flaws and gifts. These children are teachers of our souls, and society desperately needs the lessons and blessings they bring. (Peter’s Story: Discovering Hope and Love) PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY Gracious Father, we pray to you for your holy Catholic Church. Fill it with your truth, Keep it in your peace. Where it is corrupt, reform it. Where it is in error, correct it. Where it is right, defend it. Where it is in want, provide for it. Where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of your Son, Our Savior Jesus Christ AMEN RESPECT LIFE COLLECTION: In the early 1960s, abortion was illegal in every state. New York State was one of the first states to legalize abortion in 1970. This was followed in the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v.Wade which made abortion legal in all 50 states, with few restrictions, throughout the 9 months of pregnancy. January 22nd marks the 35th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which legalised abortion on demand in our nation. There are over a million deaths from abortion each year in our country. Nearly 500 of these take place in Plattsburgh. Bishop Cunningham has authorised a Respect Life Collection in all the parishes of the diocese the weekend of January 26-27. Money collected will be disbursed in the form of grants to local organisations active in pro-life ministry. NEW BEGINNINGS: “NEW BEGINNINGS” is a group of divorced and separated people that meet every Thursday at 7:00 PM at St. Peter’s Church, Plattsburgh in the Upper Room. For more information contact St. Peter’s Rectory at 563-1692. LIFE INSURANCE: Do you have an old life insurance policy sitting in a security box? That policy obviously is not needed and has outlived its original purpose. This makes an easy and convenient gift to a parish or school just by a simple signature. You can also make a gift using life insurance by naming a parish as either the owner of the policy or the beneficiary. If you make the parish the owner of the policy, you can claim an income tax deduction for the amount equal to the lower of the fair market or cost basis. In addition, if you continue to pay premiums on a policy that a parish owns, you can deduct the premium payments.