Our 40 day Lenten journey, one that will ultimately bring us to the cross and celebration of Easter, continues this month. The 40 days we spend in Lent are incredibly meaningful, because it is during this time that Jesus invites us to join him in an intimate journey of love. During this time, we are called to spend time in prayer, reach out to those in need, and offer personal sacrifices.

Though our journey with the Lord during the Lenten Season may be filled with temptations, due to our own sinful thoughts and desires, this is something Jesus understands. Remember, he too was tempted in the desert by the devil. But, just like Jesus, we are led by the Spirit and the life-giving love of God. We can count on him for strength and courage to resist the things that lead us away from God and to say yes to those things that bring us closer to him.

As Christ-followers, we are called to die to ourselves so that Jesus may be raised up in us. There is no time this is truer than during the Lenten season. It is essential that we die to our selfish desires, our need for control, to our tendencies to be harsh toward others. We can only reach the call to a life of repentance and conversion if we die to ourselves. This forty-day journey is a priceless opportunity to live as Jesus would have us live, to pray as he would have us pray, fast and give offerings as he would have us do. By dying to ourselves, we allow the light and love of Christ to shine through us.

Let us follow the example of Jesus this year as we come together to celebrate the Eucharist during the holy season of Lent. By being faithful to God’s invitation to fast, pray, and care for those in need, we can trust that our reward will be found in the hope of the resurrected Christ and the fulfillment of the Lord’s covenant with us. By dying to ourselves and rising with Christ, God’s great plan of salvation and his glory is revealed.

This Lenten season, I hope you will keep our Sunday Mass community in your prayers, and rest assured that you remain in ours. I pray God blesses you throughout this Holy season.