Stations of the Cross and Fish Dinners…

Team,

Tomorrow (or today, depending when you read this post) is our First Lenten Friday for 2014!  Obviously, this is a day when we abstain from meat – as well as keep our personal plan of penance, prayer, and charity (if you haven’t worked out all the details, jot down your thoughts, taking a look at our "ASH WEDNESDAY" post, and stick to your plan!).

I stumbled across a nice reflection on our Lenten Disciplines… written earlier this week, it gives some nice insight to our practices!

There will be Stations of the Cross in the Church at 2:15 pm and 7:00 pm – this is weekly standard for Lent... it’s a great Lenten Practice to pray the Stations of the Cross!

Also, the HNJ Knights of Columbus are running a Fish Dinner from 5:00-7:00 pm in the Social Hall.

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Fr. Wilke

ASH WEDNESDAY

Okay, Team… here we go – Lent!

Ash Wednesday Masses are as follows:

1. 6:30 am

2. 8:30 am

3. 12 Noon

4. 7:00 pm

Ashes will be distributed at all Masses… for a few thoughts on the distribution of Ashes, read what our friend Jimmy Akin has to say on this unique day of the year.

Remember: Ash Wednesday is a day of both fasting and abstinence.  If you aren't sure what “fasting and abstinence” means… click here.  For a spiritual reflection on fasting, read through this little article.

As we prepare for Lent, I encourage all of you to read Pope Francis’ Lenten Message.  

I also encourage you to be deliberate, write down your plan, about how you will fast, pray, and give alms this lent.  Perhaps it will be as simple as: fast – No Candy, not even chocolate; pray – I will attend the Stations of the Cross each week, or pray them on my own on Friday, and go to the Sacrament of Confession twice between now and Holy Thursday; almsgiving – every week will give $10, from my own money earned this year, to the Church in the tan colored “St. Vincent de Paul Society” envelopes… This is obviously just an example, to get the ideas moving, take it or leave it but I do strongly encourage you to enter into Lent with a plan, a detailed and written plan.

Let’s remember to keep one another in prayer, that this Lent each of us will become a better Christian through our Lenten discipline and the goodness of God!

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world!

Fr. Wilke

Ready... Set... LENT!

Team,

Ash Wednesday is THIS WEDNESDAY (March 5^th) and it is the start of LENT!  

Lent is centered on prayer, fasting, and alms-giving (giving-to-charity, in more modern terms) – this seems like a lot of rules and restrictions, but let me tell you all something important: Lent is how we are supposed to live all the time!  Not that we need to sprinkle ashes on our heads every few weeks… no, on a deeper and more profound level…

Lent calls each of us to live a life that is more about God and less about me.  Living a life that is more about God and less about me, is in the running for the motto of the Christian life – just look at Jesus, he came to do the will of the Father: from his birth in Bethlehem, to his childhood years, through his preaching and miracles, and the Passion, Jesus lived a life for our salvation by following the will of God the Father.  Now that we got a bit more of the whole Christianity thing squared away (My life is about God not about me), lets take a quick look at Lent and Ash Wednesday…

Got 2 minutes? Ash Wednesday and Lent in Two Minutes, from our friends at Busted Halo.

Fasting? Why Fast? Some great thoughts from our Friend Meg at Held by His Pierced Hands.  As well as “few” thoughts on what to do for Lent, and why… nice thoughts!  

[If you want to bounce your idea for your Lenten Sacrifice seems a bit extreme or even tougher than usual, shoot me an email and we can chat about it – the whole conversation will be completely private and do me the favor of adding your phone number to the email, in case its just easier to call.]

We can talk a bit more about Prayer and Almsgiving soon… but with fasting and Lenten Sacrifices first on our agenda, at least on my agenda, I thought these blog posts and ideas would be helpful. 

Remember: we cannot serve both God and the world, so carve some of the world out of your life to make more room for God!

May the Lord continue to bless you,

Fr. Wilke

Sleet and Ice Cancellation of Youth Group

Folks,

Due to more Sleet and Ice scheduled to come into Harrisburg in the early evening tonight, we will not be having our Movie Social Tonight.  Sorry for the late notice on this, I was hopeful that this would change to rain. 

In short: No Youth Group Tonight.

Fr. Wilke

March and April Schedule!

[Wednesday, March 5th: ASH WEDNESDAY]

Sunday, March 9th: EUCHARISTIC DEVOTIONS and Prayers; Start at 7:15 pm in the Former Church – snacks afterwards, concluding at 8:30 pm

Sunday, March 16th: T3: The Teen Timeline & Encounter; Start at 7:15 pm in the Former Church, concluding at 8:30 pm

[Tuesday, March 18^th: Evening Prayer for Bishop Gainer at 7 pm]

Sunday, March 23rd: T3: The Teen Timeline & Encounter; Start at 7:15 pm in the Former Church, concluding at 8:30 pm

Sunday, March 30th: T3: The Teen Timeline & Encounter; Start at 7:15 pm in the Former Church, concluding at 8:30 pm

Sunday, April 6th: Lenten Prayer Service; Start at 7:15 pm in the Former Church – snacks afterwards, concluding at 8:30 pm

Sunday, April 13th: Diocesan World Youth Day Mass and Events; High School Students to have Mass with Bishop Gainer at the Cathedral in Harrisburg: details to follow.

[Tuesday, April 15^th: Parish Lenten Penance Service at 7 pm]

Sunday, April 20th: Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord; No Youth Group – Happy Easter!

Sunday, April 27th: Divine Mercy Sunday Social; Start at 7:15 pm in the Former Church, concluding at 8:30 pm – details to follow.

Three Questions...

Hello Team,

We are just a few days from LENT! (I know, it always sneaks up on me -- every year!)... yes, Ash Wednesday is March 5th!

... here are three great questions from Archbishop Chaput on getting reading for Lent.

Food for thought...

Fr. W

Sunday, March 2nd

Sunday, March 2nd: MOVIE and SOCIAL; Start at 7:15 pm in the Former Church -- will likely be done by 9 pm due to length of movie... we will watch "The Jeweller's Shop" (a movie based on Pope John Paul II's play)

See you Sunday!

Fr. W