“Rejoice and repent / ‘cause here comes Lent! / We all know we’re sinners, / let’s cook some fish for dinner.” Ash Wednesday this week brings the start of Lent, a holy season where we prepare for renewal in our baptism, renewal in the sacrifice of the Cross, and renewal the power of the Resurrection. Masses for Ash Wednesday are 6:30 a.m. at SJB, 8 a.m. at SSP, noon at IHM, and 7 p.m. at SJB.

This year, our experience of Lent will focus on the Eucharist, as SSP Parish joins in the National Eucharistic Revival. Our bishops began the National Eucharist Revival last year, convinced that Jesus invites us to return to the source and summit of our faith in the celebration of the Eucharist. It’s a response to the spiritual crisis facing the Catholic Church in America. A recent Pew study showed that only 3 in 10 Catholics believe that the bread and wine offered in Mass truly become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ; most Catholics said that the bread and wine were only a symbol. May this revival help Catholics understand the truth and beauty of the Sacrament,

So, lots of Lent will connect to the Eucharist.

• Msgr. Bommarito and I will preach homilies about the deeper meaning of sacrifice, because the Eucharist re-presents the sacrifice of the Cross.
• Rather than using my pastor column to talk business, I’ll go deeper into the messages of the readings at Mass and what they teach us about sacrifice.
• Next week, we’ll have Eucharistic Revival prayer cards at the doors of all our churches next week and a talk on the Eucharist by me and my brother Fr. Alex Nord next Sunday at 3 p.m. at SSP.
• We’ll join with parishes all over the Archdiocese in collecting supplies for refugees in “Boxes of Mercy” so that our participation in Jesus’s sacrifice overflows in blessings for others.
• We’ll have two Wednesday Bible studies led by Deacon Dana focused on learning about the Eucharist.
• Most of all, we’ll have a new Sunset Mass at 4:30 p.m. on Sundays at SSP Church. I hope this new Mass time draws many people to worship Jesus in the Eucharist during Lent! Thanks to the generous parishioners whose service makes all of these opportunities possible!

Here’s a few last items of parish business before Lent. We wrap up our “Direction” message series this week. As we consider Jesus’s direction for us and for our parish, I’d invite you to read a message from Archbishop Rozanski called “Disciples Make Disciples.” Copies are available in  the back of our churches this weekend today. The Archbishop asks us to share the Faith with new ardor, new methods, and new expressions. His message excites me. He gives some great ideas for how to get started, and also some ideas that challenge me, like “Listening and Building Community” and “Community of Care.” If you’d like to do something extra to start Lent with a spiritual boost, read “Disciples Make Disciples”!

After more reflection on the proposed-but-canceled town hall meeting in January, and after consultation with the Transition Team and parish staff, I’ve decided a pause in 2024 on meetings about political questions will help us live our mission as a parish. We’ll still welcome neighborhood associations who come to our campus to conduct their regular meetings, but we won’t host special meetings on political questions, unless the meeting is called for by the Archdiocese. It’s a one-year pause because in this election year, we want to be a place where diverse people gather to meet Jesus and grow as disciples. It’s a one-year pause because engaging with others for the good of our neighborhood and society is something important for our long-term mission.

Finally, I am thrilled to announce that the Archbishop has assigned an additional deacon to our parish! Deacon Ron Holmes’ assignment starts this week, and he’s generously agreed to lead our efforts to visit and care for our homebound parishioners. So if you know someone who would like a visit, let us know! He’d love to come see them. Please give Deacon Ron a warm welcome, and say a prayer for him as he joins our community.

God bless you and please pray for our parish!