ASH WEDNESDAY

THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE BLESSED ASHES WILL TAKE PLACE DURING MASSES ON ASH WEDNESDAY AT 7:00 A.M., 12 NOON, AND 7:00 P.M.

The Church ritualizes the beginning of Lent through the blessing and distribution of ashes. The Word of God on Ash Wednesday emphasizes repentance, reconciliation, and interiority. Prayer, penance, and almsgiving are signs to God that we take these 40 Days seriously. What will your spiritual growth plan look like during the coming Lenten Season?

To help you respond to the special Graces that God offers all of us during this Holy Season, please make Sunday Mass a non-negotiable and accept God's invitation to come to a daily Mass sometime during the week.

Please receive the Sacrament of God's Divine Mercy and Forgiveness. Confessions are heard every Saturday from 3:30 until 4:45 p.m. and Sundays after all the Masses during the Season of Lent.

Penance can be meaningful when we discipline ourselves and be more open to where God is leading us, rather than what I want and when I want it. Giving up things can be good, but perhaps, choosing to do something that Jesus invites us to can be very good also. Choosing to do something for another out of love is what Jesus shows us throughout the Gospels. "Christianity is a way of life that is only as effective as it is concretely lived out. It is about being doers of the Word of God and not only hearers."

LENTEN OPPORTUNITY

Please take a copy of “The WISDOM of the SAINTS” and use it throughout Lent and beyond for inspiration to come to know, love and serve God like never before. This book provides 365 days of inspirational quotes from the saints to help you through your daily struggles and provide you with beautiful thoughts for meditation to bring you closer to Jesus as you prepare for Easter.

Courage:

“Go forward bravely, Fear nothing. Trust in God; all will be well.”

St. Joan of Arc

God’s Mercy:

“There is no saint without a past, no sinner without a future.”

St. Augustine

Prayer:

“Prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.”

St. Teresa of Avila