Dear brothers and sisters,

It is amazing to think that we are already celebrating the fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time this week and Lent is right around the corner. This coming week is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. This is a great time to take advantage of this spiritual journey towards the joy and hope of Easter. Our Lord asks us to embrace the cross during this season of Lent and really focus on spiritual growth. In his statement guiding us for lent, Pope Francis said, “Lent is a time of conversion and a time to deepen one’s faith, demonstrating and sharing it through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.” We have an opportunity during this season to not only increase our faith but to demonstrate it too. Let us really reflect on how we will set our spiritual goals for lent. Instead of being so quick to give something up, which is a great way to train our will; we can also think about doing something extra that we haven’t normally done. Pope Francis continued his guidance by reminding us, “Faith finds expression in concrete everyday actions meant to help our neighbors in body and spirit. Feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, welcoming strangers, offering instruction, giving comfort, on these things we will be judged.” “Particularly during the Year of Mercy, he said, Catholics are called to recognize their own need for God’s mercy, the greatness of God’s love seen in the death and resurrection of Christ and the obligation to assist others by communicating God’s love and mercy through words and deeds.” These are beautiful words spoken by Pope Francis and very good advice. We can, through prayer and sacrifice, truly embrace the cross this Lent and enter spiritually with Jesus into the desert and focus on being different from the moment we receive our ashes on Ash Wednesday until the moment we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord on Easter Sunday.

Peace,

Fr. Mike