Dear Friends in Christ

We are once again on the threshold of Lent, which begins this Wednesday. The ever more rapid passing of time only serves to remind us of the passing of life and how we stand daily in the hope of eternity. How will each of us live the Forty Days which constitute this sacred time ahead? Above all, with love: for God and neighbour. Also, in a spirit of detachment from the world and all of the things in it which deflect us from the path to Heaven. We can try to live a richer spiritual life during Lent: perhaps trying to attend daily Mass or an extra Mass in the week (remember the early Friday Mass at 6.30am); there is the Way of the Cross and Benediction every Friday evening. For the Year of the Word - the God who Speaks there are the Lent Talks on the Gospels (details in this Newsletter and the website). I encourage you to take up the Gospels and read the life of Christ as part of your spiritual programme this Lent. Then there is the difficult area of penance and mortification; this really shouldn't be difficult, because it is simply the prayer of the body. Let each of our acts of self-sacrifice be like the beating of our hearts: hidden and constant but necessary for the life of our souls. Perhaps try as a family to make some time for prayer together, even if just at the start of meals. In these ways we shall mark this holy time together and see the ashes placed on our heads this Wednesday transformed into the gold dust of Easter!

God bless you!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Priest@LourdesLeigh.org ✚ 01702 478078
The Sunday Homily is available as a podcast at LourdesLeigh.org