Mission Trip, then onto Lent!

Dear parishioners,

I will be leaving next Thursday on a mission trip to Mexico City with Hope of the Poor.  The trip involves time spent with the poor of Mexico City, visits to the shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe, and growing in community with our group!  Several of our parishioners have already experienced the depth of this mission, and I pray you may join it one day.  When I return, we will be one week from Lent beginning!  So just as a quick reminder that during our Lent the Church emphasizes growth in Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving.  I invite you to take on a concrete, workable means to grow in each of these areas during Lent. 

Here are a few examples:

Prayer:  1. Have Family Prayer Time, where you set aside a specific time each day for a reading of Scripture, a decade of the Rosary, or some other devotion.  2. Make the Morning Offering as a Family, dedicating the day's activities to God.  3. Have a Sacred Space at Home, where you create a prayer corner with a crucifix, Bible, and other sacramentals as a visual reminder.  4. Use a jar for prayer intentions, or have a notebook to collect prayer intentions from each family member.

Fasting: 1. Simplify Mealtime, choose one day a week to have a simple meal, like soup and bread, and donate the money saved to an agreed-upon charity.  2. Screen Time Fast, as a family decides to fast from screens for a certain period each day or week, using that time for prayer, reading, or family activities.  3.  Positive Fasting, where family members are encouraged to give up a negative habit or behavior and replace it with a virtuous one, such as gratitude or acts of kindness.

Almsgiving: 1. Charitable Giving with your time to visit someone, or to write a letter to a family member.  2.  Mutual Family Project, where we participate together to provide for others, such as making food, making a monetary offering, or even building/making something together.  Always remember the three Ts: Time, Talent, and Treasure. 

We will also have the opportunity for a Lenten study with a book from Word on Fire, more to come soon!

In Christ,

Fr. Luke Fleck