Dear Friends and Parishioners of Saint Patrick:
“Repent and believe in the Gospel.” Each Lent we receive this message as an invitation as well as a loving challenge.
That’s why repentance and believing in the Gospel (the Good News) go hand in hand. If we’re repenting—that is, changing to a new direction—what is that new direction? Something has to draw and envelope us once we change. Embracing the Gospel keeps us redirected and refocused. Savoring the Word satisfies the hunger of our heart!
With this in mind, I invite you into the joy of this holy season as we approach Ash Wednesday and the weeks to follow. Through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, may we repent of ways that do not lead us to Christ and create a holy longing for all things good and truly satisfying.
Blessings to you and your loved ones as we begin this sacred time of repentance and make use of the many spiritual tools: additional prayer opportunities, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, our Lenten Scripture Journey, Stations of the Cross, acts of charity, and making room with silence and personal reflection (to name just a few).
Yours in the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ Our Lord,
Fr. Michael Gurnick