Imagine with me God looking down upon us these days and wanting to send us a new set of commandments for our modern agewith the challenges we are presently facing. What might these commandments be? This is what one anonymous person considered and wrote.

1. Respect the dignity and worth of every human being, regardless of race, gender, religion, or any other characteristic.
2. Act with compassion, empathy, and kindness towards others.
3. Practice honesty, integrity, and transparency in all your dealings with others.
4. Honor the natural world and act responsibly toward the environment.
5. Work toward peace and justice for all people.
6. Promote equality and oppose discrimination and oppression.
7. Act with humility and avoid arrogance or self-centeredness.
8. Foster a sense of Community and support the common good.
9. Embrace learning and seek knowledge throughout your life.
10. Cultivate a sense of wonder and appreciation for the beauty and mysteries of life.

Who can argue with such a list? Compassion, care for others, love, these are the things that bring us together and help build community and relationships.

As we have begun Lent, as we ask that you LEAN IN TO LENT so that we all can truly STEP into EASTER which of the above “commands” might you try to focus on and practice more? Please pay special attention to our Lenten Evenings of Reflection and Prayer and join us as we consider how we best lean into listening, love, discipleship, and life. We lean into these knowing at times there will be the cross we must carry, but we do so always with the hope and promise of new life. What spiritual progress do you hope to make during Lent?

Lent presents us with a golden opportunity each year to practice life in a new way. It invites us to let old habits die while allowing new ones that will stretch and strengthen us. It is not easy. Often we feel like we do not know what we are doing, much like a new parent. By stepping outside of our familiar patterns, we are offered the chance to encounter God’s grace in new ways. Just like a new parent, we find that we have more capacity for love and growth than we ever imagined.

Wishing all a blessed and productive Lent.

Please remember all who will be confirmed at Ascension and Saint Edmund Parish on Saturday, March 15, by our New Vicariate IV Vicar, Bishop Jose Maria Garcia-Maldonado. Confirmation for the students at Saint Catherine-Saint Lucy and Saint Giles Parish will be on Saturday, April 12. Welcome to Bishop Jose Maria. We congratulate you and pray for you in your new role within our church and vicariate.

With you a Christian. For you a priest.

Father Carl Morello
Pastor
Ascension and St. Edmund Parish
St. Catherine of Siena – St. Lucy and St. Giles Parish