This Wednesday, March 8^th, is Ash Wednesday and begins the Great Season of Lent. This Great Season of Lent is a time to retreat from many of the activities of life.   It is a time to spend some extra moments examining one's spiritual walk and life with the Lord.     Not merely examining one's journey with Christ, but taking steps to live a better life with God.     Lent is a desert-experience!

Further, the Great Season of Lent is a time of penitence.    Parties and such events should be curtailed.    Our schedules should be re-adjusted so as reflect the mood of this season in our daily activities.      It is a time to give-up legitimate foods, drinks and activities, as a way of making reparation for our sins.     But, also included must be adding some practices to draw one closer to the Lord, such as reading a passage from the Scripture each day, participating in daily Mass, visiting Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament daily, doing some kind deed each day for someone as if he/she were the Lord Himself, etc.

This Great Season is also a time to join with those preparing to receive the "Sacraments of Initiation", i.e, those who are preparing to become Catholic Christians through the RCIA programs.     Those children preparing to make their First Holy Communion.      And those teens and adults preparing to complete their Sacraments of Initiation by being confirmed.      All those making these Journeys of Faith should be part of our daily prayers.

Finally, let us not let this Great Season of Lent pass us by without attempting to make some significant change in our lives, by uprooting some failure and also by adding some virtuous practice.

This Wednesday there will be four Masses:   8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:05 p.m., and 7:30 p.m.      Blessed Ashes will be distributed at these four Masses, and also during a Paraliturgy at 4:15 p.m.     

Ash Wednesday is a Day of Abstinence:    All 14 years of age and over are required to abstain from eating any meat of any kind this entire day.

Ash Wednesday is also a Day of Fast:    All 18 years of age to 59 are required to fast by eating only one Full Meatless Meal, and two small meatless collations (small portions that together do not equal more the Full Meal), and nothing at all in-between meals.

Ministers to the Sick:     All Ministers to the sick should also take along Blessed Ashes to administer to the sick.