This Wednesday we celebrate Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, our 40-day season of preparation for Easter. Of all the seasons of the liturgical year, this is perhaps the one in which people make the greatest effort to step up their practice of the faith, particularly through works of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Hopefully you have already given some thought to how you are going to make this Lenten season a time that deepens your faith, but in case Ash Wednesday has snuck up on you, there’s still time! Here are some things you take advantage of through the parish:
- Extra Weekday Masses: Every Monday through Friday at 5:30pm during Lent
- Extra Confession Times: Every Wednesday at 6:00pm during Lent, as well as our Penance Service on March 7th and additional times throughout Holy Week
- Parish Mission: Sunday through Tuesday, March 5th through 7th at 7pm each night
Stations of the Cross: Every Friday during Lent at noon and 7pm
*Please also note our special Outdoor Stations of the Cross on March 24th at 7pm
- Prayer Resources: See the table in the vestibule for resources to aid your personal and family prayer during Lent
- Service to the Poor: Consider getting involved with our St. Vincent de Paul conference: svdp@christthekingonline.org
- Annual Fish Fry: Friday, March 3rd, with all of the net profit being donated to our sister parish, Corpus Christi in Jalchatra, Bangladesh.
- Morning Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours will be prayed in the church every Tuesday during Lent after the 8:30am Mass.
- Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours will be prayed in the church every Tuesday during Lent after the 5:30pm Mass
- Lectio Divina (praying with Scripture) will take place every Thursday morning after the 8:30am Mass.
Of course, many of you have your own practices that you do individually and as a household, so I encourage you to share these with each other. After all, part of our job as a parish is to inspire one another to greater faith and holiness, so who better to turn to than your fellow parishioners when you are looking for ways to rededicate yourself to the Lord this Lent?
My prayers are with all of you, that our works of prayer, fasting and almsgiving will lead us into deeper communion with Our Lord so that we can celebrate His glorious resurrection with unbridled joy when Easter arrives.