Time To Retreat

 Today is the Annual Lent retreat for all adults in our parish church.  The parish has been offering this time at the beginning of Lent so that eveyone may begin Lent with the proper focus.  Some consider that Lent does not begin until this weekend when we celebrate the First Sunday of Lent - in our parish we begin Lent on Ash Wednesday.  Once Ash has been imposed on our foreheads we are in Lent mood - praying - fasting - meditating on the various aspects that will help us all grow during these next 40 day.  This Saurday our theme - A Journey Through Lent With Jesus and Faustina.  St Faustina who brough the Divine Mercy Devotion to the Church is one of the focuses in our parish whenever we discuss God's Divine Mercy.

As we spent time this morning with Holy Mass - a presentation by Fr. Jim McCormack MIC
- sharing various prayers - we began to immerse ourselves into this most precious period
of 40 days.  Just image if the person pictured above was not St Faustina - rather You. How would that make you feel with His hand on your shoulder?

Deacon Dale 

On THe Road

Our Lenten journey has begun - we are now into our third day - still energized by the imposition of ashes on our foreheads - still excited about our 40 day adventure - walking with Jesus - walking closer to God. Before we get much further - we assess the supplies - equipment needed for a long journey.  Our Bible - spiritual food for the journey - Sturdy Sandals - protection from the rocks in our path - Living Water - with the Spirit of God flowing within - all things are possible.  As we walk this journey - important to pace ourselves - too fast - the risk of burning out - getting spiritual blisters - walking too slow - risk of distractions - falling off the path of life.  

Jesus asks us to walk with him - to see where He lives - to see what He sees - to hear 
what He hears - He stands at the road of life - beckoning - calling - waiting - for you.

Deacon Dale 

The Day After

 The Day After

Faces washed - ashes gone - the second day.  So we are into our Lenten experience.  
A day to reflect on yesterday's ashes - the prayers spoken - the songs sung - the thumb on 
our forehead - the ash that fell to the ground.  Did anything happen - was there a spark of 
hope - a glimmer of anything?  Why did we go - what did we expect - God's forgiveness? The end of the second day - close at hand - what lies ahead - questions - hope - faith?

When Jesus spoke to the crowds many wondered - questioned - speculated - sought answers.  Today we do the same - two thousand years later - nothing has changed - God is still God - Jesus is still Jesus - waiting - for you.

Deacon Dale 

Ash Wednesday 2026

A Smudge - A Stroke - An Ash

Ash Wednesday - observed today around the world - different nations - different continents - 
different cultures. A day of acknowledgement - the beginning of a Holy Season - a Season of repentance - Repentance for what we have done - have not done. A time of deep reflection - where we have been - where we are going - unless a change is made. A Season made for all mankind - religious - or not. Today we received ashes imposed on our foreheads - ashes from the burnt palms from lasts year's Palm Sunday celebration. Palms once waved in joyful expectation and remembrance of Christ's entrance into Jerusalem. From Celebration to Repentance - Joy to Sorrow - Hope to Renewed Hope.

Jesus came that each of us might experience life to the fullest - to all He came - not everyone accepted Him - the same exists today - many believe - many others do not. It is not up to us to worry about the non-believers - that is God's business - that is Christ's concern. Our focus -
this Lent - is on ourselves - on our own salvation - on the direction that our individual life is 
going. It will be hard enough for each of us to straighten the path we walk - the life we live - 
hard enough that Holy Roman Church gives us the gift of this Season - to pause - pray - to 
reflect - on our own life.  We have 40 days....

Deacon Dale