Dear Friends, I am excited to announce that our shared parish theme for Lent this year is “Our Hope in Christ’s Cross.” In St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, he writes:

 “For Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly.  Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” - Romans 5:6-11 

Over the years  I have come to believe that many of the problems in our world today are rooted in the idea that someone, somewhere feels unlovable. That person then goes out and tries to “earn” love: but the love that is “earned” is not true love.  True love must be given freely.  

No matter what we do, we are loved beyond measure by God. God demonstrated this by allowing His only Son, Jesus, to die for us. The “exclamation point” on this statement of love is that Jesus died for us while we were still alienated from God.

This Lenten season, our shared message is this: We proclaim this good news: we do not have to earn God’s love because He bestows it upon us freely.  Love, especially love at this magnitude, demands a response – mainly to live as people who know that they are loved. 

As Christians, this fact gives us a precious gift: hope. The risen Lord’s promise to remain with us through the gift of the Holy Spirit enables us to hope even against all hope. With this gift, we can see the goodness quietly present even when all else seems lost.

Over the centuries the Church invites us to imitate His ultimate sacrifice on the cross through a series of small sacrifices, including increased prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These smaller sacrifices, motivated from a desire to show gratitude to God and not to earn God’s love draws us closer to being the men and women God created us to be.

As we focus on the hope that comes to us from knowing that our God willingly died for us on the Cross, I encourage you to plan your Lent around one or more of these five calls to action : 

1. Practical Teaching: Strive to learn something new about your faith.

2. Private and Communal Prayer: Add a new prayer to your daily/weekly routine and/or come to a prayer service other than Mass.

3. Acts of Service: Make an effort to improve your family or community by performing an act of mercy each day.

4. Holy Friendships: Attend an event with other parishioners and/or reach out to people who you have not talked to in a while.

5. Pivotal Circumstances: Strive to be more aware of God’s presence in your daily life.

Our Parish website “Lent section” will have many more ideas and ways that you can grow in your faith this Easter Season.  

May Jesus Christ be Praised, 

Fr. Thomas M. Pastorius, Pastor 

Plan Your Lenten Journey