Well, Lent is here!  Are we ready?  Ash Wednesday starts it all and Easter Sunday is the climax.  This is a time of preparation, repentance, almsgiving, fasting and prayer.  We never truly arrive, but are always on the journey.  So, I want to encourage you to strive after the holy things, to be bold in confessing your sins, and committed to deepening your prayer life and increasing your acts of charity.

 On Ash Wednesday we have ashes mark our foreheads.  This is a visible sign to God that His love for us will be returned to Him with all our heart, mind and soul.  The times for Confession and Mass make a spiritual binding possible.  Almsgiving and fasting temper our spirits and drive us to love our neighbor as ourself.

 There are talks to enlighten the Faith, extra daily Masses to honor God, frequent confession periods to say we are sorry and opportunities to put faith into action though charity—which is God’s love in visible form.

 May this Lent bring you closer to God.  He stands ready for the embrace.  Are you courageous enough to take the next step?