Wednesday February 22

ASH WEDNESDAY

6:45 AM Mass

12:10 PM Service

6:00 PM Mass

(Ashes distributed at all 3 times)

LENT

This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Forty Days of Lent that lead us on our faith journey to the Sacred Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter). Lent is a time set aside by the Church for reflection, repentance and conversion so that each of us and by extension, our parish family, may become more identified with Jesus and cleared witness to His Gospel of Redemption and Salvation. Although Lent is a penitential season, the main focus is not on our sins (though we need to acknowledge our sin and come to God for forgiveness); we focus on God’s compassion, mercy and forgiveness offered to us by the saving victory of Jesus in His Cross and Resurrection over sin and death. We traditionally look at our loves in light of the injunction of Ash Wednesday: “Repent and believe the Good News.” We repent, acknowledge our sin and come to Confession for forgiveness; and we believe the Good News that we are able to be forgiven by God.  The three-fold ancient practices of Lent are Prayer, Fasting and Alms giving.

Prayer is not to change God’s will or mind, but to align our lives and will more with the will of God; to be able to say with Jesus in the agony of the garden:  “Not my will, but Your will be done.”

Fasting:  is not just to give something up, but rather to help us appreciate that yes we are physical being, we are also spiritual beings and to help us re-focus on who we are; not just people of the world, but also, Children of God and Heirs of the Kingdom and to rely on God’s goodness and generosity.  It also helps to appreciate and enter into solidarity with those who are hungry:  physically, and/or spiritually.

Alms giving gives us the chance to imitate God in His great generosity to us and to share His many gifts to us with our brothers and sisters who are in need of the basics necessary to live a dignified life.  -Fr. Dan

Dear Parish Family,

This weekend a number of our children will be celebrating First Penance; not only is this a blessing for our parish, but also a time for each of us to reflect on our own celebration of this great Sacrament of healing.  Confession is one of those Sacraments that seem to have fallen out of favor with many; perhaps we don’t believe that we are in need of forgiveness, or perhaps we think that my ‘sin’ is only between God and me. So why should I go to the priest for absolution?  First, we are all sinners and in need of forgiveness, St. John writes:  “Whoever says that they are not a sinner has made God out to be a liar.” Sin is not just a breaking of a law or a commandment, it is a disruption of righteousness and relationships. When I sin, I choose to diminish (or in the case of mortal sin) cut off my ability to receive and experience God’s grace.  If God’s grace was only given to me for me then I do not need to be reconciled with anyone other than God. However, God’s grace is given not just for the individual, but through the individual for the community and the world.  My sin, my refusal to love, affects my relationship with God, with my authentic self (the person God created me to be), the community of the Church and the world.  I need to be reconciled, not just with God, but with myself, the community and the world. In the Sacrament, God forgives sin, restores relationships and empowers one to live more closely in line with Jesus’ life. Also, in this sacrament we experience both pardon and peace. Take a moment and prayerfully ask yourself: “When was the last time I went to Confession?” If you can’t remember or if it has been over a year then it is time to reacquaint yourself with the celebration of this great gift of healing, reconciliation, restoration and grace.

God Bless, Fr Dan