Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

Finally the long shortest month of the year comes to a close this week, and the hope of Spring seems imminent. As we enter the Lenten Season it is a good time for us to take some time and assess where we are in the journey of our lives of faith. Each one of us could do a bit more than we are in the spiritual life.

We do have a great deal going on during Lent -- one thing that seems overwhelming at times is the feeling that if I can’t do everything then I won’t do anything. We offer many programs and opportunities, but nothing comes with a full commitment. Make one Soup and Scripture -- it isn’t a series where you need to attend all of them. Come to one night of Stations of the Cross; perhaps on a night when the Knights offer the Fish Fry, so that you can do both things and share in the social dimension of the parish as well.

I am working on some soup ideas -- so I hope you can make it -- we are also lining up some good speakers for the evenings.

Traditionally we have focused on “giving something up for Lent,” and this is a noble thing to do. Here we can talk about two different movements in life. On one hand we give up something (a good) that we enjoy and make this a sacrifice, and then offer that sacrifice for an intention. It is also a good time to give up a sinful inclination and try to become a better person by conquering -- with God’s help -- something that gets in the way of our relationship with God. In the first instance when the time of sacrifice is complete at Easter we can again enjoy that good. In the second instance we then pray and discipline ourselves so that we can rid ourselves permanently of that sinful inclination.

Lent is also a good time to strengthen our personal prayer life as well. The Adoration Chapel is open 24/7. You do not need to make an hour commitment or sign-up for a regular schedule. It is good even to stop in for a quick and quiet visit of prayer and adoration.

Our Lent Parish Confessions are scheduled for Sunday, March 12 from 2 - 4 pm. As has become our practice, there will be about a dozen priests here for confessions that day. Put it on your schedule and avail yourself of the Sacrament and fulfill your Easter duty, At the same time we will be holding the interviews for the candidates for Confirmation. Our eighth grade students -- school and religious education -- will be Confirmed on March 23. Let us keep them in our prayers as they prepare for that significant moment in their lives of faith.

This weekend we kick-off the Annual Catholic Appeal. I am grateful to Carol DeMuria for her leadership on this important endeavor. Our parish goal this year is $90,000. We have already raised $11,000 towards the goal. Thank you for your support of the Bishop’s Appeal.

Speaking of the bishop, he will be here for the Saturday evening Mass on March 11 (5pm). He likes to visit the parishes during Lent, and I am happy to host him here. It is always good to see the bishop in the parish.

I pray that everyone has a blessed and fruitful Lent,
Fr. Garry