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Rector Emeritus

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Stational Basilica of St. Mark

Stational Basilica of St. Mark

Reflection for Monday of the Third Week of Lent

March 16, 2020

Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.
 

The origins of the Lenten Season go back to the earliest days of the Church as a time of proximate spiritual preparation for the transformational moment of Baptism.  Adults who had literally been journeying for years to experience the Sacraments of Initiation into the Body of Christ, saw their long-awaiting goal on the horizon.  The final 40 days, prior to Easter, were a time of intense final spiritual preparation.  Through ancient rites of prayer, invocation of the Holy Spirit for strength and healing, anointings, fasting and prayer, the ‘elect’ were prepared in heart and mind for the singular and life-changing moment of ‘putting on Christ’ through water and the Holy Spirit. 

The scriptures during these 40 days will often focus on baptismal themes of ‘washing’ and ‘cleansing’ to underscore the healing and forgiveness of sin that comes with Christian Baptism. 

The story of Naaman the leper holds for us a two-fold significance.  This gentile, not a member of the covenant household of Israel is granted the unforgettable gift of healing from leprosy from the Lord at the hands of Elisha his prophet.  It was a powerful sign that God’s goodness and mercy is for all peoples.  That universality of the Lord’s goodness is experienced through the waters of baptism for all who wish to experience the fullness of life in Christ.

 

 

 

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msgr. Arthur a. holquin, s.t.L.

Msgr. Art was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 1974 for service in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Shortly after the creation of the new Diocese of Orange in 1976, he completed post-graduate work at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium, obtaining an S.T.L. in Sacramental Theology and an M.A. in Religious Studies. He has served the Diocese in a number of ministerial capacities:  Director for the Office of Worship, Director for the Office of Evangelization, Rector of Holy Family Cathedral and finally, Pastor and Rector of Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano. In 2009 he contracted a rare neurological condition (Primary Lateral Sclerosis) that gradually impacted his walking and speech. In 2014 he was named Rector Emeritus of the Basilica parish. Msgr. Art’s favorite quotation is from Blessed Henry Cardinal Newman: To live is to change and to be perfect is to have changed often.


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