Lent is truly one of my absolute favorite times of the year! It is a solemn time; a time to reflect and slow down. A time to truly allow ourselves to meditate on Christ’s Passion, and hopefully through this Season we grow ever closer to Him. The challenges of our World are immense right now! The pandemic still lingering, parts of the world are at war, and the civil unrest that just will not calm down. It is very easy to be discouraged, but we have to put God’s armor of joy on! How is this possible to do in a world of chaos? Look up! Look towards our Heavenly Father and allow yourself to enter into the mystery of the faith! We are so incredibly blessed to be Catholic, and we have to embrace all that the Church gives us to grow ever closer to our Father! It’s through Christ’s Church that we can find joy and by finding joy, we are led to peace. What are some Lenten practices you and your family can do to have a strong Lent?

May I make a suggestion on a great way to grow closer to Christ this Lent? Attend our Parish Mission. This has been a Lenten must at Saint Paul’s for a long time, and this will be our first one since the pandemic hit. We are very blessed to have Father Gary George join us this year. I first met Father Gary at the Diocesan Retreat for Permanent Deacons. At this point, I was only a candidate and had not been ordained yet. Father Gary walked around the room as we began to gather with our wives, and introduced himself to everyone. He immediately made himself available to everyone in attendance. Once the retreat began, he was lightning in a bottle. He was on fire with the Holy Spirit and challenged all of us to rise to the occasion. To embrace our calling not only as deacons, but as sons and daughters of the Almighty Father! My brothers and sisters, I promise you, if you open your hearts, this will be an amazing experience for you. If you can’t come all three nights, make just one. Also bring someone with you. Someone who is searching and longing for better. Father Gary will help show them the way to Jesus Christ! Please make sure to be with us as a parish family on March 14, 15, and 16th starting at 6:30p. It’s going to be an amazing adventure!

I will end with the following prayer from Thomas Merton. Merton was a Trappist Priest that passed away in the late 1960’s. He is one of the great spiritual writers on faith, and is a hero of mine. I hope this prayer brings you deeper into your Lenten Journey, and I look forward to walk with each one of you towards the Easter Promise!

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.I do not see the road ahead of me.I cannot know for certainwhere it will end.Nor do I really know myself,and the fact thatI think I am following Your willdoes not mean that I amactually doing so.But I believe that the desire to please Youdoes in fact please You.And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.And I know that, if I do this,You will lead me by the right road,though I may know nothing about it.Therefore I will trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.