Parce, Domine, parce populo tuo:
Ne inaeternum irascaris nobis.
Translation:
Spare us, O Lord,
O spare us, thy people:
And let not thy wrath
be upon us forever.
The season of Lent begins this Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, March 2nd.
We will have four Masses here at Holy Redeemer: the regular 6:15am and 8:15am morning Masses, Mass at Noon (tell your friends who work in Webster!) and an evening Mass at 7pm.
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are also days of fast and abstinence. Abstinence means that everyone over the age of 14 should refrain from eating meat (never an issue for your pastor, I love fish). Fast means one full meal a day, with two smaller meals and nothing between meals (liquids are permitted). This applies to everyone ages 18-59. (I still do it even though I am older. It makes me feel younger.) No Catholic will lightly excuse himself or herself from this obligation. Abstinence is also required on every Friday during Lent.
Those are the basics. Lent also calls to Self- Denial, Prayer and Charity. So, what are you going to give up for Lent? There are a lot of people in our world today who think we are ridiculous with our grimy foreheads and our Lenten sacrifices. What a bunch of suckers! Holy rollers! And yet, think about it, what good has ever been achieved with- out sacrifice? What of value in your life have you ever gotten without denying your- self? Ask anyone who has accomplished an- ything and you will realize that self-denial and self-sacrifice, what we are called to this Lenten season, are the only known pathways to life. They are the pathways to grace.
Second, we are called to deepen our lives of prayer. The pandemic has thrown everyone off of their game when it comes to faith.
Well, let’s get back at it. Maybe this Lent, more than ever, is a time to rededicate our-
not worry about packing up the kids, get a cup of coffee and watch Fr. Kevin on the telly. Well, it’s not that I don’t appreciate the Neilson Ratings, but…it is a poor substitute for attending Mass in person. We are about at 75% pre-Covid numbers, this Lent let’s increase that. We have two Masses daily at 6:15 and 8:15 and there will be plenty of opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Saturday afternoon at 4, and a Parish Penance Service on March 23rd. (Mark your calendars!) There are a ton of Lenten re- sources available like:
Augustine Institute Formed: https:// formed.org/
Best Lent Ever daily reflections: https://dynamiccatholic.com/best-lent-ever
Bishop Barron Word on Fire Lenten Reflections: https://www.lentreflections.com/
Finally, there are acts of charity. Our Vin- cent de Paul and our Haiti groups do excel- lent work and they are always looking for new people. It doesn’t even have to be connected to the parish, just do something good for someone else in need.