Bishop declares snowday
Actually, Bishop Paul Loverde granted all the souls in the Arlington Diocese a dispensation from the obligation of Mass today. I found this out when I went to Mass at St. Michael's just down the road in Annandale. The priest told us as much in his homily. His pastor asked him to be brief today because the snow is just getting heavier and heavier. He thanked the congregation for coming to Mass in such awful weather, and told us like the leper in today's Gospel, we approach Jesus with faith and with confidence.
Mk 1:40-45A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said,
"If you wish, you can make me clean."
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched him, and said to him,
"I do will it. Be made clean."
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning the him sternly, he dismissed him at once.He said to him, "See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them."The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
He remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere.
