Dear Friends in Christ,

This weekend at Masses, you will hear talks from members of our Parish Family Advisory Council, commonly known as the PFAC. These are representatives from all our parishes whose purpose is to advise me as the pastor in creating the “One Parish Plan” that will bring us together as a single canonical faith community. They will be offering overviews of our recent listening sessions and surveys exploring people’s responses to the question “Who are we as parish communities?” As you will hear, there are distinctive things about each of our four parishes, but also many more things that we share in common and unite us.

Who are we as Christians? Pope St. John Paul II answered it this way: We are an Easter people, and Alleluia is our song!” That is the song that the Lenten season we have begun prepares us to sing with all our hearts. Like preparing for anything of major significance in our lives, there are disciplines or practices to guide us. Lent invites us to focus on three in particular: Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Check our parish communications about our various Lenten opportunities, but here are three brief suggestions on how to practice them every day.

1. Set aside 10-15 minutes every day to simply sit in silent prayer before the Lord. Find a space apart from the many distractions that fill up our days, and rest in God’s abiding love for you.

 

2. While observing Fridays as a day to abstain from meat, also commit to fasting from negativity, gossip or harsh and mean criticisms of others.

 

3. Make little sacrifices of your daily creature comforts to practice alms giving for the Rice Bowl Program that supports Catholic Relief Services.

 
A blessed Lenten Season to all!
Fr. William Heric, Pastor