This 5th week of Lent offers us a final week before Holy Week to encounter Jesus, our Redeemer and Savior, and to emerge stronger in our resolve to walk in his footsteps and to experience Jesus’ pardon and peace.

Pope Francis has challenged us to take the season of Lent seriously and to make spiritual progress in our lives. Our Holy Father has called Lent a time for repentance, spiritual renewal, conversion, and transformation. He has urged us to avail ourselves of the Sacrament of Reconciliation during this season of Lent, acknowledging that we are all sinners in need of God’s mercy. (Read more…)

During the weeks of Lent, the Scripture readings and Mass prayers at our weekday Masses invite us to seriously respond to the call to conversion of heart that we heard on Ash Wednesday and to continue in our efforts to enter into the season as best we can.  We are called to turn away from our sinfulness and to turn towards God.  The traditional Lenten penances of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are held up before us as excellent ways of responding to this challenge to faithfully live the Lenten season. (Read more…)

During the Season of Lent we have the tradition of Walking with Jesus on the way to Calvary. It is a beautiful way to walk with Jesus and to pray in the company of fellow parishioners.

Since Lent is a penitential season of preparation for Easter, the Stations of the Cross, have become a popular devotion in parishes.

The Stations originated in medieval Europe when wars prevented Christian pilgrims from visiting the Holy Land. In the 12th century, St Francis of Assisi devised the list of stations and started the tradition of reciting it as a type of devotional service. (Read more…)

Today we celebrate second Sunday of Lent. Lent is the time, approximating forty days, of reflection and penance leading up to Easter. Pope Francis stated, “Lent comes providentially to reawaken us, to shake us from our lethargy.” He said that Lent is meant to wake up Christians and to help them see that God can give them strength to change their lives and their surroundings.

One of our leading Catholic scholars has described Lent as the desert time in the Church year. (Read more…)

On Ash Wednesday we started the Season of Lent with the imposition of ashes on our foreheads. The ashes were imprinted on our foreheads with a sign of the Cross. It is meant to remind us of our identity and relationship with God. First, it means we belong to God. We are his children. Second, as his children, we have the responsibility to make Jesus presence felt and experienced in this world. Third, given the identity and relationship that we have with God, as His children, we are constantly called to holiness of life. (Read more…)

This Wednesday, March 6th there is a good chance you’ll see a co-worker or someone at school or at the store walking around with ashes on their forehead. So, what’s up with that?

March 6th is Ash Wednesday, the day that marks the beginning of Lent, a period of fasting and reflection leading up to Easter. The day gets its name from the practice of placing ashes on one’s forehead as a celebration and reminder of human mortality and as a sign of repentance. (Read more…)