This past Wednesday, March 5th, the Universal Church celebrated Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent. Ash is used as a reminder that we are just dust in comparison with the existence of God. Hence, one of the formulas that you heard on Ash Wednesday was “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” This phrase recalls the book of Genesis at the moment of the creation of a human being, “The Lord God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). God made us in His image (Cf. Gen. 1:26-27). However, we cannot forget that we depend totally on God. We need His presence and love in our lives to live. We need His breath of life, that is the Holy Spirit, to walk in this world and work for the Kingdom of God and gain salvation and eternal life.
To attain salvation, it is necessary to turn our faces and repent from our sins. This is the second formula that we could hear this Ash Wednesday, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” This is what Jesus proclaimed when He started His public life (cf. Mk. 1:14-15). The Lord Jesus is constantly inviting us to ask God for forgiveness. He is teaching us that God is the merciful Father who is waiting for us with open arms to bring us His love, mercy, and forgiveness (Cf. Lk. 15:11-32). For that reason, the Roman Catholic Church is always highlighting and promoting prayer, fasting, almsgiving as Lenten observances which help us to ask God for forgiveness. Besides, the Sacrament of Penance (known as well as Confession or Reconciliation) plays an important role in this wonderful season. Let us go to this sacrament of forgiveness and practice the Lenten observances with love, believing that through them, we can obtain the mercy of God, salvation and eternal life.
There will be different spiritual activities for Lent at Holy Trinity Church, such as the Stations of the Cross, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and opportunities for confession. Please check the Lenten program which was distributed as an insert in last week bulletin. If you have questions or concerns, please let us know.
Let us pray:
Grant, almighty God,
through the yearly observances of holy Lent,
that we may grow in understanding
of the riches hidden in Christ
and by worthy conduct pursue their effects.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.
(From the collect prayer first Sunday of Lent)
Remember, The Parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.
God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!
Fr. Jorge Ramírez
