Together in Spirit

Browsing From the Desk of Fr. Mike

Preparing for Lent

It is Mardi Gras time. There is a group of German people called Speilmanzug, who follow a German way of preparing for Lent by beginning the celebration of Mardi Gras on November 11 at 11:00 pm. From that point until the beginning of Lent they hold several celebrations in which they “very seriously” try to have fun.

For most of the rest of the world Mardi Gras begins  the Sunday before Ash Wednesday and culminates on “fat Tuesday”. Both events speak to the change that Ash Wednesday signifies. We move from times of celebration to a time of sober reflection.

The season of Lent is a time to reflect on our need for redemption. Thus we are encouraged to take time to take another look at our lives and to honestly assess its state. Are we living a life that reflects God’s presence at work in us, or are we distracted by the world we live in? Do we understand how much we need God’s work in our lives or do we think we can manage everything ourselves? Often times this will lead us to realizing that we have drifted from a primary relationship with God so that we once again begin seeking a way to return to him. Lent is the primary penitential season of the Church’s year.    

Hopefully as we move away from the Mardi Gras experience happening this week, we will allow ourselves to enter into the more uncomfortable season of Lent so that we may allow it to propel us ever closer into our relationship with God.

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