Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of Saint Benedict:

The time for laxity is over! It is time to get ready for the coming Lenten Season. Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and we are gearing up for the spiritual journey that leads us through forty days first to the Easter Triduum and then to the celebration of Great Easter itself.

Ash Wednesday will be busy here, and everyone should have the opportunity to receive ashes. We will offer Liturgy of the Word Services at 7:15 a.m., Noon, 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.; Mass will be celebrated at 9:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. (with the school children) and 5:00 p.m. (with the Religious Education Classes). Hopefully we can all begin our Lenten journey with the prayerful reception of the Ashes, a reminder of our call to repentance and on-going conversion.

Further along in the bulletin, you will find Bishop’ O’Connell’s letter regarding the Lenten regulations. We are mindful of simplicity of life, and especially of our eating habits during this time of the year. It is always a noble practice to “give something up” for Lent, but it should be something that becomes a distraction in our relationship with our Lord. Getting rid of noise and distractions in life is a good thing.

Simplicity of food – characterized by the weekly abstinence from meat on Friday’s – is a good practice every day of Lent. By this I mean, small simple meals and no snacking between meals. We are very mindless in our eating habits, and it is good to be conscious that so many people, even in our own communities, go without food on a regular basis. Another great practice in Lent is to take on an additional time for prayer and reflection; perhaps, a daily Rosary, a reading from Sacred Scripture, visiting the Adoration Chapel, or attending daily Mass.

The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal are offering a Parish Mission for us on the week of March 26 – 29. The opportunity for the Sacrament of Confession will be offered then, in lieu of a separate parish wide Penance Service. As we know, we are obligated to Confession once a year, during the Lent – Easter Season. We will be offering ample opportunities for the Sacrament, and there will also be special events at the parishes in our area. We will keep you apprised of all those developments.

Let us consider the Penitential Prayer of Saint Augustine of Hippo as we open this Holy Season:  
Father Garry