Dear Brothers and Sisters,

“Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.” This line from today’s Gospel is a reminder of the importance of silence and spending time with Our Lord. Lent invites us to slow down and notice the ways Our Lord is present to us. In our busy schedule is can be easy to forget how Our Lord wants to be with you. Here are some more suggestions from Fr. Ed Broom, OMV on how to make the most out of Lent. Please see last week’s bulletin for Fr. Broom’s first five suggestions.

5. Read and Meditate on the Passion Accounts in the Four Gospels Delve into the most authentic sources of the Passion, suffering and death of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and that is the Bible, the four Gospels. They can be found in these Chapters:
Matthew 26-27,
Mark 14-15,
Luke 22-23,
John 18-19.
You might read all the accounts and pray over them, noting the different details and slight nuances in each Gospel.

6. Psalm 22
It is truly fascinating, the reading and meditation of Psalm 22 in the Old Testament. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, this prophetic Psalm highlights many of the details of the Passion of Jesus and His sufferings, hundreds of years before Jesus was even born. Another reason for believing in the reality of Jesus being truly the Son of the Eternal Father. Read this Psalm carefully and you will feel as if you are being transported to the very foot of the cross with Mary, John, and the Magdalene on Good Friday.

7. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
By far the most powerful, efficacious and pleasing prayer that we can offer to God is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Indeed, what is the Mass—nothing other than the Sacrifice of Calvary in which Jesus offers Himself to the Father for the salvation of all of humanity through the power of the Holy Spirit. If possible, attend daily Mass in Lent and receive the Eucharist worthily and with great love and devotion.

8. Movies: The Passion of the Christ, The Miracle of Marcelino (1955), The Mysteries of the Rosary (Patrick Peyton)
Another strong exhortation, in the vein or realm of contemplative prayer would be to view one of these movies, if not all of them. However, put on your contemplative lenses and strive to view them not so much as a Hollywood rendition, but rather as a contemplative prayer. The images, especially those in The Passion of the Christ, will be engraved in your memory and can be elicited for contemplation when you go to your Holy Hour, and that brings us to the next suggestion to live out the most fruitful of Lent’s in our lives.

9. The Holy Hour of Power
Be generous with the Lord Jesus, who gave every drop of His Precious Blood for you. Strive, if at all possible, to make a daily Holy Hour. Archbishop Fulton Sheen calls it The Hour of Power! Ideally speaking, it is best to do it in front of the Blessed Sacrament where Jesus is truly and substantially present in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. If this is not feasible, then you can find some quiet place in your home—your prayer-corner or home-sanctuary. This practice will transform your life!

10. The Most Holy Rosary—The Sorrowful Mysteries
Pope Saint John Paul II in his Marian-Masterpiece, The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary, suggests that we contemplate the Face of Jesus through the eyes of Mary. What better method to contemplate Jesus, the man of sorrows hanging from the cross, than through the eyes of Mary. To refresh your memory, the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary are the following:

The Agony in the Garden;
The Scourging at the Pillar;
The Crowning with Thorns;
The Carrying of the Cross;
The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus.

In conclusion, it is my prayer and most ardent desire that you will have their most fruitful Season of Lent culminating in the most immense joy of Easter and the Risen Lord Jesus, by striving to implement these Lenten prayer practices. May we all die to sin and rise to new life with Jesus and Mary!

God Bless,

Fr. Don Kline, V.F.,
Pastor 

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