Thanks be to God for the lengthening days and the nicer weather we have enjoyed this past week! Spring is truly in the air. And with the blooms of daffodils and greener fields and gardens comes the arrival of our season of preparation for Easter.
It’s later than usual this year, but today is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. While we often think of Lent in terms of “giving something up”, its real meaning is that it’s a time of preparation of body, mind and spirit for the holy season of Easter when we proclaim to the world that Christ was raised from the dead. And from him comes all our hope.
So during Lent, we are called to “repent” – literally, to think again! A time to reflect and as if our lives are in tune with Jesus or have we slipped away from him a bit. On Ash Wednesday, we wear our humble, fragile state on our foreheads as a reminder of our dependence on God.
Please take Lent as an opportunity for spiritual renewal for all of us. May our parish also be blessed in this holy season.