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If you have been a member of our “parish of the airwaves” for many years, you know that this is the time of year I often write a Lenten message about the importance of sacrificing something during this holy time.

This is necessary to make room in our hearts for Christ, and it is something that I believe wholeheartedly. But this year, I have also been thinking about what it truly means to make a sacrifice.

Some people look at the Lenten sacrifice as an obligation of religion, but they miss a very important component to this sacrifice. It is a rite of faith!

Our Lenten sacrifice gives us an opportunity to grow in our faith in the midst of longing for a beloved activity, food, or object. The sacrifice that we make in faith during this season should be something that will be difficult for us. It should be something that we will miss.

In that longing we feel, we must turn to God in prayer to overcome the temptations we face as a result of what we have given up. This is such a wonderful opportunity for us to turn our lives fully over to God as we face the struggle, amidst temptation, to keep our commitments to our Lenten sacrifice.

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Of course, this period is also an opportunity to understand, even in a small way, the journey faced by Christ during his 40 days of temptation. His sacrifice was far greater than anything we could possibly imagine. But, through our Lenten sacrifice, we can get a small glimpse of Jesus’s suffering for us and be more grateful for that gift.

As you prepare your heart for this coming Easter, I pray that you will keep the Sunday Mass at Mercy Home community in your daily prayers. And, please know that you have a place in both my prayers and those of the Mercy Home family.