Can you believe we are about to start the season of Lent?!?! It always sneaks up on us so fast as these winter months go by in a blur. I’ve always found that many people find the season of Lent to be a personally meaningful time as they take the opportunity to spiritually reengage, recommit, reconnect, reinvigorate, rediscover, reaffirm, reestablish, rejuvenate, respond, reconcile, rehabilitate, refresh, reset, retreat, renew …
All of us know a share in the brokenness of this world and need to re: _(fill in the blank here)____ every once in a while in order to get ourselves back on track to where we’d like to be. Indeed, God himself leads us in this opportunity. The Gospel, the Good News, is that God understands this about us, accepts us for who we are and yet wants so much more for you and me. God knows the persons we can yet become, and God will give us the grace to get there. As ashes are imposed on our foreheads this Ash Wednesday, we hear the words, “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel,” marking our program for Lent. It is a program of repentance (literally: “a turning around”) to resurrection ultimately celebrated in the Easter Season to come. What great hope for us, a hope that can be found nowhere else!
Come and re: (fill in the blank here)____ with God here at St. Mary’s this Lent! You’ll see a list of happenings here in the bulletin to help you do exactly that – opportunities for Weekend and Daily Mass, for Eucharistic Adoration, for Reconciliation, for Quiet Prayer in our churches, for Stations of the Cross, for Faith Formation including a presentation by renowned theologian Dr. Sri, for Daily Devotions, for personal practices of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving, and there are many other opportunities besides. Know that you are always welcome here. We exist to serve you, to help you grow in discipleship, to accompany you together on this journey to encounter Jesus Christ, who alone can re: _(fill in the blank here)____ your life.
Keep Smiling,
Fr. Luke 😊