Dear Parishioners,

I am so happy to announce that a St. Mary's parishioner has come forward and paid the remainder of our 2022 ACA goal to reach $23,225. We made it! This has been a goal that St. Mary’s has historically not achieved for several years. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of our parishioners in all of our parishes who have participated in this year's ACA: 46 families participated at St. Mary’s, 11 at Holy Ghost and 8 at Sacred Heart.

Please join us for Faith Night this Wednesday. We will be starting our series on the Mass. This first week we will be doing an overview and covering the Introductory Rites of the Mass. I will give a presentation and then there will be time for discussion. On Friday, we will have Stations of the Cross at 5:30 pm followed by soup supper.

This First Sunday of Lent is a good opportunity to reflect on the three primary spiritual practices associated with the Time of Lent: prayer, self-denial, and works of charity. Deepened prayer helps us to hear the Word of God more clearly and to become more responsive in following the Lord’s will in our lives. Prayer also increases our love of God by deepening our relationship with the Lord. Self-denial frees us from being enslaved by our appetites and desires or dominated by wasteful practices. Self-denial, especially fasting, also awakens us to the needs and sufferings of others and allows us to experience the frailty of the human condition so as to grow in compassion for those who live in constant need. In performing charitable works (almsgiving), we express our love of God in our love of neighbor and begin to make a practical difference in the lives of others as a witness of our discipleship. Charitable works (almsgiving) also challenge us to let go of the false security of our possessions and the illusion of self-sufficiency by our responsible care for others. Thus, these three practices are interconnected.

Prayer, self-denial, and good works all lead us into a practical and more profound love of God and neighbor. Lent is not so much about what we “give up” but rather what we “give to” God and others.

How can we deepen your prayer life during these forty days of Lent so you can hear more clearly the Word of God being spoken to you?

What are some of the enslavements we experience, and how can the practice of self-denial help free you from being governed by those enslavements (“Do you control your desires, or do your desires control you”)?

Who needs to experience your mercy and charitable works, and how can you express your love of neighbor in a new way during this Lenten time?