The season of Lent begins this Wednesday, and we have much happening in our parish to make this Lent a time of renewal. I like to think of Lent as a time of preparation for Easter. It’s almost like preparing for a very exciting motorcycle trip, there are things that I need to do to prepare my motorcycle and myself for those exciting trips. The better my preparation is, the better the trip will be. It’s kind of like this with Lent and Easter. Lent is our preparation time for the great event of Easter; the better we prepare the more we will enjoy the trip. We can all reflect on how we can spiritually prepare for Easter. The Church suggests focusing on the practices of PRAYER, PENANCE, AND ALMSGIVING. Each of these can be difficult, but so is cleaning out the CV carburetor on an old Harley, but I still do it at the beginning of each season so that I can enjoy the rides more. In the same way we should look at the difficult work of prayer, penance, and almsgiving, they will get the engine of our spiritual life singing again. Consider joining our parish community for Stations of the Cross each Friday of Lent. This year our seminarian Paul will lead them both in the mornings and evenings, along with a short homily. You may also want to join us for our Thursday teaching series on the Bible. There will also be a penance celebration on a Friday prior to Holy Week, when we can focus on the gift of God’s mercy and have a chance to celebrate the sacrament of confession. And, there is always our daily Mass, the best help for our spiritual life. Whatever we choose to do during this holy season of Lent, may it be great preparation for the adventure of Easter.
Fr. Wojtek Kuzma