8th Sunday in Ordinary Time-- March 2nd, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today we conclude the Sundays of Ordinary Time and will begin the Liturgical of Season of Lent this week with Ash Wednesday. We continue to follow the life of Jesus as we journey with Him up to Jerusalem, where He will arrive at Calvary and mount the cross. Ash Wednesday is a day of universal fast and abstinence in the Church. It is strongly recommended that the tradition of gathering the local Church for the devotion of this Season. Lent runs from Ash Wednesday until the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, April 17th. The ashes we will receive symbolize our mortality and our repentance. Ash Wednesday is a day which we publicly and simply profess that we are Catholic Christians and that we belong to Christ. The ash is a symbol of our sinful nature. When we receive the ash, we are invited to change our lives, to fill our hearts with the Word of God and if we are far from Him and our faith, we must return to Christ and His Church. Catholics are encouraged to participate in the Eucharistic Liturgy and in the Sacrament of Penance during Lent and parishes are encouraged to provide regular and frequent opportunities for such participation. Likewise encouraged are devotions such as Stations of the Cross, vigils and prayer services with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, all of which we do at Saint Joseph’s. Traditional practices including increase of prayer, Scripture and other spiritual reading, giving of alms, personal self-denial of food and drink, increased care and service of the sick and needy. Abstaining from eating meat is to be observed on all Fridays during Lent. This applies to all persons 14 years and older. Fasting means that one full meatless meal, may be eaten. Two other meatless meals may be eaten, sufficient to maintain strength, but together they should not equal a full meal. Liquids, including milk and fruit juice, may be taken between meals. If health or ability to work is affected, fasting is not required. The law of fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday applies to all persons between the ages of 18 years and 59 years. Private, self-imposed, observance of fasting on Lenten weekdays are strongly recommended. Pastors and parents should ensure that children, who are not bound by the laws of fasting and abstinence, are taught an authentic sense of penance, conversion and reconciliation. The theme word for Lent is Compunction. It is related to the verb “to puncture” and suggests the deflation of our inflated egos. It is a challenge to see any self-deceit about the quality of our lives as disciples of Jesus. It is to be hit again and again with the demands of the gospel that we fail to live up to. The gospels are meant to trouble us so that we may confront our illusions about ourselves. Through Compunction we are lead to do penance and to conversion. Penance is our first steps of living a new life away from sin; it is the act of  purifying one-self through prayer, sacrifice, and charitable deeds. This leads us to Conversion, which is a turn towards God. I hope this article introducing Lent is enough to get you started.

May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Fr. Steven Guitron 
Pastor