Dear Parishioners,

What is your Lenten journey like? Do you feel like you are drawing nearer to the Lord by your increased prayer and fasting? Hopefully you feel His closeness during this difficult and stressful time and hear His invitation in spite of all the challenges. We all have struggles in our lives, but if we listen to the voice of God and respond, the end result will be better than anything we can imagine.  

Lent is a time for all of us to focus on our dependence on the Lord and to ask for his understanding and forgiveness for the times we have stepped out of line and failed to make Him the center of our lives. Because we are human and have human frailties, we all have a need for forgiveness from God and one another. We speak to one another face to face, but we communicate with God by means of prayer.

As Catholics we learn our basic prayers as children and often recite them without even thinking about the meaning of the words we are saying. Prayer does not have to be memorized. Simply put, prayer can be defined as talking to God. It is not just saying words. The fact that we pray is proof that we recognize who God is and we know how dependent we are on Him in our daily lives.

During Lent, as we focus on repentance and forgiveness, let us pray that we are changed forever and that we can keep growing in our relationship with the Lord. Let this season be just the beginning of a positive change in our lives and an intensified closeness with our Lord and Savior.

You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Jarek Sztybel