What are you doing for Lent?

03-01-2020From Fr. Antony's DeskFr. John Barbella

Today is the First Sunday of Lent. I personally think of Lent as Catholic Spring Training! Baseball players head to Spring Training around the same time Lent begins, and spend several weeks getting into shape for the coming season.

In the same way, Catholics use Lent as a time to get in ‘spiritual shape.’ The traditional ways to do this are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. We are encouraged to do a little more praying, fast as a penance for our sins, and be generous to the poor. What follows are some suggestions for doing this.

Try to get to Daily Mass during Lent. If you can’t get there every day, at least try to get to Daily Mass at least once a week. The Mass is the most powerful prayer we have, and we do well to make good use of it. Another good way to pray this Lent would be to get to the Lenten Benedictions which we will have every Wednesday evening of Lent. Each evening will include time for prayer, as well as a Lenten homily, followed by Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. I would especially encourage families to come to these evenings, at least once this Lent, just to expose your children to the beautiful practice of Benediction.

We will also be having a Lenten Mission this Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings at 7pm in the Church. There will be a Lenten Homily each evening, along with some other prayer. Monday it will include the Miraculous Medal Novena, Tuesday will be a Holy Mass, and Wednesday will be Benediction. It should be a great time for prayer and reflection!

Stations of the Cross will begin this Friday at 3pm and 7pm. These meditations, which help us reflect on all that Jesus did for us on that first Good Friday, are a tried and true way to pray during Lent. I hope that every family in our parish will get to the Stations of the Cross as many Friday’s as possible this Lent. (Stations will be prayed in Spanish on Tuesday evenings at 7).

To assist people in almsgiving, our parish will participate in the Rice Bowl again this year. I would ask every family to take a Rice Bowl and fill it with change this Lent. This money is given to Catholic agencies that serve the poor. Many families make a practice of having a very simple meal once a week during lent, and donating the savings to the Rice Bowl. Others place spare change in it each day. It’s a great way to both fast and help the poor this Lent.

Most of all, I encourage everyone to make a good Confession this Lent. Confessions are heard every Saturday 9-9:30am and 3:15-4:15pm. Additionally, there will be a Penance Service on March 23rd at 7pm. Many priests will be available to hear Confessions that evening. Whether you go to the Penance Service or regular Confessions, be sure to get to Confession this Lent.

Finally, we will have 24 Hours for Jesus again this Lent. From after the 8am Mass on Friday, March 20th to before the 8am Mass on Saturday, March 21st, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed in our Church for adoration and prayer. There will be a Holy Hour and extra times for Confession. Check the details elsewhere in the bulletin or on the parish website.

Our Church takes on a somber tone during Lent. Most of the images are covered and there are no flowers. Simple Latin chants are used for the Mass parts. The idea is to help us enter into this holy season on many different levels, as a reminder of our need to get into better spiritual shape this Lent.

Please remember to pray a Hail Mary for me today, and every day. I pray for all of you daily. Let’s also pray for the grace to make a good Lent, and to use this holy season to really get in good spiritual shape for Easter.

Have a great week!

Fr. John

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