Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Hopefully, by now, we have all thought of some ways to enter deeply into this gift of Lent. If you’re still wondering how to observe Lent the best way possible this year, or if you totally forgot, it’s not too late! Start today. Think of it as quality, not quantity. In the Gospel passage for Ash Wednesday, Jesus outlined three things we could do: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. I always encourage people to pick one thing from each category and do each of them well. In terms of prayer, the holy rosary is always a good choice. Or even better, commit to a weekly or bi-weekly holy hour in Ste Claire Chapel in front of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Best of all prayer, consider daily Mass (in addition to Sunday, of course) two or three times a week. In the end, whatever you choose, if you stop what you are doing and get busy with the affairs of God, giving Him your time, you can hardly go wrong.

Recently, someone posted tips on how to fast, attributed to Pope Francis. These things are a sure path to becoming holy / a saint, which is the goal of everyone since only saints are in heaven. I’ve included those tips at the end of my column.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Into the desert, with Christ, we go. The holy season of Lent arrives this week with the celebration of Ash Wednesday. There is something special about Lent as we embark upon a deep, honest reflection about the state of our spiritual lives. Alone it’s hard, but together as the Body of Christ, we find the strength to go deeper.

First, some basic reminders: All Catholics over the age of 14 onwards abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent. (That’s right folks, there’s no upper age exemption for abstinence from meat!) Also, Catholics from the age of 18 to 59 fast at least on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The Church defines this fast as one full meal for the day, as well as two smaller portions were taken for strength that together is not equal to a full meal. (Those for whom fasting is not advisable are exempt. Such people should look for other ways to do equivalent penance.)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Some may recall that I was originally scheduled to be the chaplain for a trip to Ireland in May for the Diocese of Charleston’s 200th anniversary. Unfortunately, I will not be able to go on this trip. However, I still encourage people to go and celebrate our history through the life of our first bishop, John England. More information can be found on the website of the Diocese at charlestondiocese.org.

It’s not uncommon for us to question, and doubts are sometimes part of our life of faith. After all, St. Thomas Aquinas wrote copious volumes with this in mind. A century before him, a brilliant philosopher named St. Anselm took as his motto, “Faith Seeking Understanding.” The Church’s history is brimming with some of the brightest intellects ever born, who made the critical study of the faith and science their life-long passion: Augustine, Roger Bacon, Duns Scotus, Pascal, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, Gregor Mendel, Edith Stein, Georges Lemaître, and Elizabeth Anscombe, to name a few. “On the basis that God is a God of reason and love, Catholics have defended the irreducibility of the human person to matter, the principle that created beings can be genuine causes of their own actions, free will, the role of the virtues in happiness, objective good and evil, natural law and the principle of non-contradiction. These principles have had an incalculable influence on intellectual life and culture.” (Fr. Andrew Pinsent, May 6, 2011)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, It’s always hard to believe how quickly Lent seems to arrive, but it will soon be upon us in just over two weeks. I have always deeply appreciated this special time that helps remind us of our true purpose as disciples of Jesus Christ. Lent becomes a time to turn away from our selfishness and refocus on the most important thing: God. It’s not too early to begin thinking about what we might add in prayer and penance so that when Ash Wednesday arrives (February 26), we can hit the spiritual ground running.

One of the best ways to begin your Lenten journey is with this year’s Parish Mission, which begins the night of Ash Wednesday and runs through the evening of Friday, February 28. This year we are planning to make the Mission part of a Forty Hours devotion, a special forty-hour-ish period of continuous prayer made before the Blessed Sacrament. By coming before Jesus, truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament, we will begin our Lent in the best way possible – focused on Jesus Christ. Jesus went into the desert for forty days, which is what Lent is based upon. It is also the root of the Forty Hours devotion. You will be encouraged to sign up with your fellow parishioners for some time of Adoration. (Those who already have an hour in Ste Claire Chapel will come over during their hour to Old Saint Mary’s.)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“The anniversary of a church’s dedication is celebrated with the rank of a solemnity.” – Roman Pontifical, Rite of Dedication of a Church, 27.

In a typical year, we move the celebration of the dedication of our parish church to the closest Sunday. In the Church’s liturgical calendar, the anniversary of the dedication of a parish church is considered so important for the local community, it even takes the place of a Sunday in Ordinary Time. However, every few years the date of our dedication – February 2 – falls on a Sunday. Thus, in addition to our celebration of the consecration of St. Mary’s, we also celebrate the great feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, a.k.a., Candlemas. (Keep in mind, our feast was celebrated long, long before we Americans came up with “Groundhog Day”!)