My friends, the Season of Lent began on Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
Lent is a 40-day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Maundy Thursday. It’s a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Biblical texts; we serve by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow God’s will more faithfully. We recall the waters of baptism in which we were baptized into Christ’s death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ. We are also to share God’s gifts through sharing our time, talent, and treasure for the betterment of the common good. St. John Chrysostom writes: “Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs” (Adapted from Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2446).
It is my prayer for all of us to take seriously this time of Lent for lament, confession, repentance, and forgiveness. Sin is devastating in our personal lives as well as church life.
I hope you are enjoying the Henri J. M. Nouwen Lenten Devotional, The Way, the Truth, and Life. The scripture for Ash Wednesday was Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a right spirit within me.” Nouwen makes these points:
- Close the many doors and windows of your heart which you flee from God;
- Close the many doors and windows of your heart which you give entry to words and sounds coming not from God, but from people who are angry, disillusioned, and broken buy what is happening to them or around them; and
- Be reminded that Jesus is the Way of life, faith, hope, mercy, grace, and love.
I’m challenged and I hope you are as well, to make this Lenten Season a matter of your heart being cleansed and made more like Jesus’ heart.
Let’s not allow the Evil One to sow seeds of division, judgment, insecurity, and discontent in our individual lives or our church life at Grace.
On our Interim Pastor journey with you, I remain faithfully yours,
Steve
The Rev. Dr. Steven M. Marsh
Interim Pastor
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