Dear Parishioners,

We are halfway through our Journey to the Cross this Lent as Pilgrims of Hope. We have together opened our hearts to the Lord by uniting our sufferings, challenges, temptations, weaknesses, and sins to the Cross... trusting that it is through His wounds that we are healed. This season is a time of conversion. The path to a deeper relationship with the Lord is always one of trust and surrender, and the Cross is what gives us hope and strength.

The following quote from Father Louis Bouyer helps us to remember that the Cross is part of everyone’s life, but for the Christian, it takes on a life-giving meaning:

“The cross stands at the end of any path which the Christian may take, even if it is true that it is always the resurrection that attracts him. It is an unavoidable fact that, whatever path the Christian feels called upon to take, sooner or later he cannot escape the necessity of giving up everything: himself, his loves, and his possessions, whatever they may be. Sooner or later everyone has to do this. Christianity itself cannot be blamed for this harsh necessity. It falls on all men equally.

To reproach Christianity with bringing the cross into men’s lives is to shut one’s eyes to the evidence. It had no need to do so; the cross was there already. Christianity did not put it there. But what Christianity alone could bring was a meaning for the cross. The Gospel alone adds to the necessity of the cross the promise of the resurrection. It does more: it teaches us how to make the cross the way to resurrection. It enables us to look evil in the eye, because it makes us find in evil itself the means to overcome it. Consequently, what distinguishes the Christian from the non-Christian is not that he is vowed to the cross but that he has found the means to make the cross life-giving…”

As we continue our Lenten journey, we continue to ponder the cross, to make it a focus of our prayer. A wonderful way to do this is by making the Stations of the Cross with us as a community on Friday evening. Join us for a simple meal of soup and grilled cheese sandwiches at 6 pm, followed by the Stations in the Church at 7 pm. The reflection and meditation upon the journey of our Lord from His being condemned to death to His being laid in the tomb is one that opens our hearts to His saving grace. Come walk the journey and unite any suffering in your life or your families to the journey we make with Christ. The Cross is our Hope.

I want to recognize and thank Bishop Wall for leading a deeper understanding of the call by Saint Paul to, “Be Imitators of me as I am of Christ.” His reflections on the way that saints embraced the life of Christ and witnessed for us were enriching. We are grateful for those who supported his mission. We collected close to $14,000.00. He was humbled by your generosity and love. I, too, am grateful for the welcome and hospitality you showed him as he led us in our Lenten mission.

Remember to take time to slow down and appreciate this season of Lent. Praying, fasting, and giving alms help us to develop a deeper awareness of God’s love, His Son’s saving grace, and the wondrous power of the Holy Spirit.

As Pilgrims of Hope – we continue our journey to the Cross.

Blessings,

Fr. Fred

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