Well…Lent is just a couple days away…can you believe it? This January/February stretch is moving like a freight train!
This year Fr. Le and I chose the theme “Memento Mori: Remember your death” for Lent. This idea is not meant to be morbid, but to focus on living for the eternal. It has been a common slogan in Christianity since the beginning and, in my lifetime, we totally lost that beautiful thought and I think it’s important that we rediscover the wonder and focus that remembering our death can bring.
This is my appeal to each and every one of us to dive in full bore into this Lenten Season and here are a couple ways to do it:
First, consider what you will abstain from for Lent. It’s important for us to fast, if we can, from something during Lent. The whole idea is for this season to be a time for us to grow in holiness. Ask yourself: what will help me be closer to God? Bishop Scott McCaig put it best:
“Don’t just choose, pray first. Ask the Lord where you are most vulnerable to the enemy – your greatest vice. Then identify the opposing virtue and embrace a discipline that will strengthen it. God doesn’t want your chocolate…He wants you. He wants your heart. He loves you!”
I love that man and I’m going to ask you to take these words to heart.
Second has to do with almsgiving. During Lent we Catholics try to “up our game” when it comes to giving financially. I was thinking that maybe we could use the DSA as our springboard for that and I’ll ask you to pray about it. I’m pretty sure DSA takes place during Lent this year and after all that the diocese did to help us with our Church, this could be a great way to accomplish a lot of goods: supporting our diocese, showing gratitude and sacrificing. Please pray about it. We’ll obviously keep you updated on when we start.
Third, I urge you to consider making it a priority to get to confession during the Lenten season. Some tips for confessions during Lent:
1. Look over the schedule and set up when you and/or your family are going to come. Don’t keep saying you’ll get to it; make it intentional! If the confession times are 8:30 until 10:00, try to get there closer to 8:30 because there will be times when confessions will need to end on time so a priest can attend appointments and such.
2. Please be conscious of not treating confession like spiritual direction. I’ve been getting some feedback that we need to focus a little more in the confessional so that as many people can receive the sacrament as possible. As your priest, I will very rarely “move you along” because you are in such a vulnerable spot in the confessional. I’ll count on you to use good judgment and be conscious of the fact that many are waiting.
3. Don’t be afraid! Fr. Le and I are both pretty nice and, more important than that, we are sinners, too. We are tender because we need tenderness.
Finally, I’m asking you with all my heart to consider our Lenten Services. We are offering Wednesdays during Lent as a time for us to pray together. The evening will begin with confessions, followed by Mass, a short reflection, Night Prayer, and a time of quiet if you wish to stay and pray.
On an unrelated front, I was able to schedule some time for dad and me to head down to Florida for the Tigers spring training. We will be leaving on February 22nd and returning March 5th. We will have a couple of my cousins with us and some friends. I’m very much looking forward to it. I will miss you all and pray for you every day.
fjk
