Dear
Parishioner,
Happy Lent! And I truly mean that. Lent is finally here. This holy season is a time to renew the
joy of the Lord in our hearts, and the joy that comes from loving God. Over these next forty days we can
faithfully devote ourselves to our life in Christ. Living the Catholic life, challenges us to travel with Jesus
from death to life. So, how do we
go about doing that? How do we
accede to the challenge? Lent
gives us many opportunities.
Lent –
A Time to Pray
Love nurtures
life. Prayer helps us to express
our yearning for that life. In
prayer we deepen our relationship with God. Prayer is a gift of waiting. Prayer shows us the good things and the gifts that God has
in store for us when we wait on the Lord.
God always acts upon our prayer.
Although we may not appreciate the answers that God gives, prayer helps
us work through conflicts, doubts, and troubles in our lives. Prayer orients and shapes our
relationship with God, and helps us to uncover the mystery of love revealed,
which is God. Lent invites us to
be attentive to the gift of prayer.
Lent challenges us to be people of prayer.
Lent –
A Time to Sacrifice
Sacrifice is an
act of offering, and an act of giving.
It is an act of loving. By
giving of ourselves, we come to see how God gives himself to us. Sacrifice is a way by which we
love. Sacrificing is difficult. ThereÕs no doubt about it. But the point of sacrifice is not what
we give up, but what we give. In
Lent, sacrifice is a way through which we give ourselves over to love. Sacrifice renews our commitment to
love.
Lent –
A Time to Share
Sharing what we
have been given helps us to appreciate not only what we have, but also what
others have been given. It has
been said that Òa gift is not truly a gift, unless it is freely given, and
freely received.Ó Sharing with
Ôstrings attachedÕ limits our ability to share freely, and love
generously. If we share with the
expectation of receiving something in return, we set ourselves up for unmet
needs, and disappointments. Sharing
with others in mind, always moves us beyond ourselves with care and compassion
for others. Lent presents many
opportunities for sharing whether itÕs giving alms, sharing our time, or
helping another in need.
Lent –
A Time to Forgive
When we think of
forgiveness, what comes to mind?
We usually think of forgiveness in terms of forgiving other
peopleÉmaking amends with anotherÉextending the olive branch. Forgiveness is a gift of healing to accept from
God. While it is an act that we
extend to others, forgiveness is also an act that we extend to ourselves. We cannot give something that we
do not have. It takes courage, and
humility to first accept GodÕs forgiveness, mercy, and healing love; and then
to extend those gifts to others.
Lent is a time for reconciling unhealed hurts, unresolved issues, and
conflicts in our lives that keep us from living the new life of the
Gospel. The life God intends for
us to live in Him.
The Ash
Wednesday Challenge
Each Wednesday
evening we celebrate Mass at 6:30 p.m.
We also celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation (individual
confession) from 5-6:00 p.m.
Beginning on Ash Wednesday, we begin what I call ÒThe Ash Wednesday
Challenge.Ó The Challenge is to
come to Wednesday evening 6:30 p.m. Mass on all of the six Wednesdays of Lent. You
might also come to Reconciliation at least once during that time. The Ash Wednesday Challenge is
something I offer to you. And I
would encourage you to take The Challenge as part of your Lenten
observance. ItÕs a gift you give
to yourself, to others, and to God.
I hope the materials
in Living Lent will help you in your
preparation for Easter. I
encourage you to use this booklet as a pastoral, practical, and spiritual
resource for both personal and family prayer. May our Lenten observance together lead us into the mystery
of ChristÕs Eucharistic love; and help us to discover more fully His presence
in our lives. That is a challenge
for us all.
May GodÕs Grace and Peace be Yours,
Fr. David