Dear friends in Christ

This Sunday is the last before the start of Lent—in the traditional calendar Quinquagesima Sunday—fifty days until Easter! So the countdown is on as we approach Lent which prepares us for Easter. Saint Paul in the second reading of the Mass this Sunday, teaches us that after death our bodies will be clothed in immortality, as death is finally conquered by Jesus Christ. We are not simply flesh and bones—matter—but we possess an immortal nature which will come to fulness of life at the resurrection of the body. Lent is a reminder that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, which is why we focus a little more on this important truth during these forty days ahead. By expressing prayer of the body through our various penitential acts, we ensure that we keep in mind the relative importance of these temples God has give us for just a time. This Lent is an important one, since it occurs during a Jubilee Year. If we have not already done so, we might like to take-up some of the suggestions that the Church has proposed to us for this Year of Hope (see separate item). I remind you also that in just over a week we shall begin the Parish Mission. Essentially during Lent, we want to bring our wills into union with what God wills for us. Each day of Lent can be like a blank sheet which we can fill in with an account of wonderful things. We may start with good intentions, but our holiness will be seen in the way that we persevere day by day in prayer, self-sacrifice and good deeds. May God bless us in this time of special grace and conversion. May we arrive at Easter with hearts and minds renewed!

God bless you!

Msgr Kevin Hale