March 3, 2011

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights.” (Matthew 4:1-2)

Dear Friends:

The season of Lent is here once again. We read in Matthew’s gospel that the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. This Lent allow the Spirit of God to lead you into the wilderness with Jesus. Consider it a holy invitation to reflect on your personal call to discipleship. I firmly believe that what Lent offers us is courage and humility. If prayed well we may find our true selves again in the silence of the desert.

What is Lent all about anyway, you might ask. I am told that the word Lent comes from an Anglo-Saxon word lencten, which means “springtime.” It got this name because Lent occurs in the springtime of the year. I think you will agree with me that after this long cold winter we are ready to embrace the promises that spring and Lent have to offer. As you know Lent is also a time of penance which goes way back in our history. We say that Lent is a season of 40 days which relate of course to the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert. It is no small coincidence then that our custom of fasting during this season is directly related to the fast Jesus experienced. The church prescribes this holy season as a time for fasting, for prayer and for almsgiving and service. Fasting - to keep us in solidarity with the poor and needy and to strengthen our spiritual life. Prayer - to renew daily our dependence on God alone. Almsgiving and service remind us that God is the source of every gift. As we pray this Lent, allow the Sacred Scriptures to draw you closer to our good God. What is Lent about? It is about choosing the world of light over the world of darkness. It is also about trusting more and more in the promise Jesus made to us; that is, by uniting ourselves to Jesus and dying to sin, we also rise with Him to eternal life. We cannot ask for much more than that.

Our liturgy committee is planning to offer a Lenten series again this year. We can look forward to a prayerful experience each Wednesday at Blessed Sacrament Church at 7:00 p.m. and Stations of the Cross will be prayed each Friday at St. Agnes Church at 7:00 p.m.

Over the past year our Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) has been working on goals and objectives for our cluster. I have been so pleased with their great ideas and enthusiasm. The PPC has asked that we reinstitute a Youth Commission. Under the guidance of Colleen Keane, a Youth Commission has begun meetings and is actively preparing to serve our youth.

I served as the spiritual director on the last COR weekend held in November and as one of the spiritual directors for the Cursillo weekend this past January. As I write this letter I am preparing for a marriage preparation course being held at Blessed Sacrament Church. We have twenty-two couples from the city and area attending the weekend. We continue to have a Scripture course, Development and Peace, Catholic Women’s League, Knights of Columbus, card socials, soup kitchen and the list goes on. These are just a few examples of the exciting and sacred things happening in the parish cluster.

As you are aware, both parishes in our cluster are engaged in a Capital Stewardship Campaign. I would like to thank you for your ongoing prayers and financial support. The Blessed Sacrament site is preparing to replace the concrete window sills and other areas made of concrete that are crumbling. We have been given permission from the diocese to begin the first phase of this project and we hope the work will commence soon.

Now that the roof system has been replaced at the St. Agnes site we are preparing to move into the second phase of our building campaign. We have been instructed to address any issues found in the condition report completed by an engineer. Some of these issues include the problems found with our heating system and other maintenance items. Once these issues have been addressed we will begin refurbishing the interior of the Church. We have many things to do at both sites so you can be assured that our Stewardship Capital Campaign will continue to run for several years.

The pastoral team continues to work hard for the cluster. One of our team has been on a leave of absence since November. I am indebted to Colleen Keane for her willingness to take up youth ministry related work and the Confirmation preparation program in addition to the specific ministries she is involved in. Please keep all of our dedicated staff in your prayers.

I pray that your Lenten journey brings you closer to Christ and your personal celebrations fill you with the joy of Christ’s love and a spirit of renewal. May these holy days of Lent bring you closer to the Light of Easter.

Your brother in Jesus the Good Shepherd,

(Rev.) Daniel Bombardier

Lord Jesus, you are the Son of God who became human. You went into the desert to be tempted by the devil and to begin your mission as the new Adam. Help us enter the desert with you. Help us share in your Lenten battle that we may share, also, in your Easter victory.