Ash Wednesday and Lent

This Wednesday, February 18, Lent begins with the distribution of ashes. The ashes come from the burning of palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday. Ashes are placed on our foreheads in the sign of a cross to signal our intent to enter actively into this season of repentance and change of heart.

Most of us choose acts of penance, prayer and charity to aid our Lenten conversion. Our acts of penance may take the form of fasting or acts of self-denial. By denying ourselves certain foods, activities, or pleasures we remind ourselves, in body and spirit, that God alone can fulfill our deepest hungers and desires. By spending more time in prayer, perhaps going to Mass during the week, praying the rosary with our family or using the “Little Black Book” as a daily reflection guide, we try to pay more attention to God’s Word, embracing it as the ultimate and only guide for those who embrace Jesus as our Savior. Our acts of charity help us remember that what we have is a gift from God. Sharing God’s bounty, especially with those whose lives are burdened, is a marvelous and wonderful way of thanking God for the blessings he has bestowed on us.

Lent can be a time of growth for those who enter into the season with hearts fully open to God and what he calls us to become. Don’t let Lent come and go without consciously considering how you can make it a time of grace.

Ash Wednesday Mass Times:
6:30 AM, 8:10 AM, 12:05 PM, & 7:00 PM

Fr. John P. Klein, Pastor