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From the Pastor's Desk: February 14, 2021
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Today, on this last Sunday of Ordinary Time before the Season of Lent, Jesus continues to reach out to those who were considered unclean and bring them His healing power. Mark tells us that He “was moved with pity” for the man with leprosy. The emotions of Jesus show His human, real and authentic person. Jesus’ compassion and humanity bridge the gap between the holy and the unclean, freedom and limitations, sickness and health. In this message, the Lord calls us to become saints, challenges us to get to work with hearts formed in Christ-like love. “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” The words of St. Paul are a powerful challenge to the way we live our lives in preparation to begin our Lenten journey.
This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday – the beginning of the Holy Season of Lent. “Lent” comes from an Old English word that means “springtime”. It is the 40 day period in the year of the Church for spiritual preparation for Easter. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends before the Mass of the Lord’s Supper – Holy Thursday. It is the season of significant prayer, penance and almsgiving through grace and conversion, reconciliation and renewal of baptismal promises.
Although Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation, many members of the parish will want to keep it as a solemn beginning to their Lenten observance. For us Catholics, it is a reminder that Lent is very serious business. “Repent and believe in the Gospel” strikes at the heart of the meaning of Lent that prepares us for the manifestation of God’s love in Jesus’ self-giving of His life and His Resurrection. During Lent we will have many different spiritual opportunities– coming to Mass, increasing prayer life – prayer process, our weekly Station of the Cross, Sacrament of Reconciliation, and responding in our own ways to God’s love in our lives. In addition to the spiritual opportunities, please take advantage of the physical needs – we will introduce a tail-gate form of weekly Fish Fry Dinners to-go before the Stations of the Cross.
This year the distribution of ashes will be different. The Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments issued special instructions during anti-COVID-19 precautions this year when distributing ashes on Ash Wednesday. The instruction asks priests to sprinkle ashes on the top of people's heads rather than using them to make a cross on people's foreheads. Although this form of ash distribution is totally permitted by our ritual rules of the Church and practiced for many year in different parts of the world, it still calls us to embrace the essence of Lent – repentance and conversion of hearts – and after all, we will look a little cleaner, yet still bear ashes home to begin the disciplines of Lent, just not in the manner we have been used to over time.
This weekend in the diocese we will conduct the Bishop’s Annual Stewardship Appeal. The Appeal provides an opportunity to support critical funding to care for the retired priests, for the education of our future priests, the ministries of Catholic Charities, Catholic schools that serve the communities with greater needs where the Catholic population is not yet large enough to ensure full enrollment and support of Catholic Schools and Evangelization.
As your Pastor, I want to assure you that the funds you contribute are deeply appreciated by everyone who will benefit from your generosity. On behalf of Bishop Estévez and myself, I thank you for your generous contribution to the Bishop’s Annual Stewardship Appeal. May God bless you!
With the beginning of Lent, I want to invite you participate in the Best Lent Ever Program offered through the Dynamic Parish Initiative. Please register online - Best Lent Ever | Dynamic Catholic. On Ash Wednesday, we will offer to every parishioner special Journals to help you with the process. I would also encourage you to join small groups to reflect on the book “I Heard God Laugh”. We have study guides available to assist you with the process. Please contact the Communication Office for more information.
Have a blessed week and a spiritually strong beginning of the Lenten journey!
With prayers, Fr. Andy
