Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

As we begin with the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday, Christ invites us to remain in His light, love and goodness. God has given us this time of Lent to prepare ourselves for what matters most in our Christian faith - the ultimate triumph of Christ in His Resurrection.  

Christ invites us to journey with Him in His passion, and experience His closeness and His love.  He wishes to fill us with His Spirit and lavish His graces upon us. He also sends us comfort and strength through the Blessed Mother whose Heart became united with His Suffering Heart, remaining with Him till the end. 

Christ asks us to uproot the weeds which keep us from following Him. During this time of preparation, it is our tradition to commit ourselves to abstaining from something tangible, to "give up" something (e.g., sweets/favorite food, alcohol, watching TV, Facebook time, social media, shopping, gambling etc.).  Although giving up such things is beneficial, we also look forward to abstaining from the weightier matters - our habitual sins (having no time for God, prayer and service, anger, pride, unforgiveness, greed, selfishness, laziness, lying, foul language, gossiping, slander, materialism, neglect of the commandments).   

As we abstain and fast from all that gratifies us, from all that clutters our hearts, we are then emptied so that God can fill us with His spiritual gifts and allow us to feast in the greatness of His love.  Christ offers us His Words and sacraments to recreate and renew us.  Christ wants to establish a more intimate union with us and invites us to spend time with Him in the Most Blessed Sacrament, Scripture meditations, prayers, Stations of the Cross, and spiritual retreats.  Fr. Manuel and I enjoin you to participate in the Lenten exercises to help keep our hearts and minds focused on Christ throughout this solemn season.

Hopefully, we will all be empowered to bear fruits of goodness, kindness, compassion through our almsgiving and service—offered for the love of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior Whose suffering and passion we honor and commemorate this season of grace.  Then, come Easter time, our spiritual garden will blossom and we will be blessed with a basketful of gifts to offer to our Risen Savior, a pledge of thanksgiving and praise to the One whose final coming we await with unwavering hope.  

God is Love,

father Al