The Lenten Mission: I am truly grateful for the outpouring of God’s grace which sanctified and energized the three nights of our recent Lenten Mission. I believe – and I pray – that those graces are still very much alive in our hearts and in our local Catholic community. God is so good. Fr. Mike not only reminded us of that truth, but he also embodied a genuine humility and joy by which we were able to see the Lord through the presence of Fr. Mike. St. Paul writes about Christians serving as ambassadors for God, and Fr. Mike was certainly that for us. Many of you were present for the Mission evenings, but I also believe that the graces of the Mission are able to touch the hearts of those who could not be with us. God is not limited in his reach. If he can multiply bread and calm a sea, he can certainly radiate his light and love beyond the walls of our church (for example, there are beautiful stories about crime being reduced in neighborhoods where Perpetual Adoration chapels are built). Our job now is to take the gifts of the Mission and to offer them to others. Remember our parish rally cry: Totally on Mission! Every day is a day to tell others about Jesus. Every moment is a moment to share the love of God with all whom we meet.

The Choice: I’ve really been struck this Lent by the stark choice that the daily Mass Scriptures paint: To choose Christ is to choose life; to turn away from Christ is to choose death. Our eternal destiny as individual human beings is absolutely dependent upon our decision for or against Christ. We have two – and only two – possible destinations at the end of our earthly lives . . . heaven or hell. Our choice should be clear. Christ has died for us and is risen again. He has destroyed the power that sin and death held over us. We need only to take Christ’s hand and allow him to lead us through the temptations of life and into the everlasting love of heaven. Yet we must repent. We must turn away from our sins and accept the Gospel in its fullness. Lent is a privileged time to do so. We must not wait. We are not promised tomorrow. Today is the day to accept Christ into our hearts!

Lent Lived Alive: For sure, it seems that we were just celebrating our Lord’s birth on Christmas Day. Yet here we are in the holy season of Lent once again. Please remember that the pillars of Lent are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. We should take each one of those seriously and commit to doing penance for our sins during these privileged 40 days. I often encourage you to go to confession, but such repentance takes on even more urgency during Lent. Our God is a merciful Father. In fact, He is incredibly merciful and compassionate. Like the prodigal son, we need only turn around and run to God (and we will have that opportunity with several priests present to hear confessions on the 2nd day of this week’s Mission). Lent is a privileged time to make things right with God. Even if we think that we are doing pretty good in our relationship with the Lord, there is always more growth possible. Please pray for me during this holy season. I will pray for you. Let us live this Lent fully alive.

The Holy Season of Lent: The time of Lenten prayer, fasting and penance begins this Wednesday, February 14 – Ash Wednesday. Although not a holy day of obligation, Ash Wednesday is an important day, a day to remember that “you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” After our morning Ash Wednesday Mass at Holy Redeemer, I will offer Mass at both Kinzua Rehabilitation and at the Rouse Suites. Deacon Ray will be distributing ashes at the Watson Home. Deacon Larry will be doing the same at Warren State Hospital. Fr. Rick and the folks at St. Joseph will also be providing opportunities for those beyond the normal reach of our sanctuaries to mark the day with ashes. My “Lenten Challenge” for you is a simple one: Attend all three evenings of the February 20-22 Mission. I would especially like to see our young families present and together for these privileged days of spiritual renewal. In addition to the Mission, a good number of you will commit to being at daily Mass during Lent. I applaud you. Others will deny themselves various worldly pleasures or add extra prayer time to their routines. Again, I applaud you. Our enemies – the flesh, the devil, and the world – do not wish to see us taking Lent seriously. For the good of our souls and for the love of Jesus Christ our Savior, may you and I indeed take Lent seriously. The reward is eternal.

Baptismal Font Update: If you really love the new tile in the baptismal font area at Holy Redeemer, thank Dana California. She was our artistic vision person! The font itself is being constructed from the large ambo that has for many years stood in the gathering space of the church. We looked at all kinds of fonts in catalogs, but nothing quite seemed to capture everyone’s approval. Being able to use wood that is organic to the parish and that already matches the furnishings in the sanctuary has us very excited. We are deciding on the material for the baptismal bowl itself – most likely thick glass or stainless steel in a wooden basin. All of the work should be completed and in place for our celebration of the Easter Vigil. I’ll keep you updated!