Pastor's Pen - Feb. 22, 2015

What will you do for Lent? How are you going to make this Lent different from those in the past? Will this Lent be different? Can you get more meaning out of it than perhaps you have in the past?
There are many ways to approach Lent. Traditionally, we ask people, “What are you giving up? What is your sacrifice? What are you doing for Lent?” Well, there are so many different things to do out there that there is really no reason that someone can’t find something that will lead them through this journey of Lent to a resurrected spirituality on the other side of Easter. This past week I came across several options – one is an app for your phone, one is an internet accessed daily prayer, and two can actually be sent to your email address. I was able to put two of these options in the bulletin (the insert last week) and two more I will list here. There are other options that are listed in the bulletin also including “Take Five”, retreats, prayer groups…
I can only encourage you to be a part of something. If you do not chose to insert/exert yourself into this Lent then you cannot expect to have a change in your relationship with God, which I see is the purpose for these seasons. Good Luck, Have Fun, and Engage. Let’s see what can happen.
From the Web:

1. http://www.lentreflections.com/ -- a daily reflection sent to your email from Fr. Robert Barron, renown bible scholar and author of the Catholicism Series.
2. Praying Lent: Creighton University Daily Reflections is part of my daily routine for Mass Prep. The daily reflections are well worth it, but they also have a segment for “praying Lent”. http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/
3. An app for your smart phone – Lentsanity.

4. DON’T GIVE UP CHOCOLATE FOR LENT! Instead, do something life-changing. Sign up for the BEST LENT EVER email program. Each day, you will receive spiritual coaching from Matthew Kelly, America’s Best-selling Catholic Author.

5. And don’t forget about the old fashion face-to-face encounters found in the bulletin – TAKE FIVE, retreats, prayer service, reconciliation, etc…