Dear Parishioners and Friends,
This
coming week we begin the great season of Lent. It is a time of prayer, penance
and almsgiving. It is a journey of conversion and mercy.
Pope
Francis, in his Apostolic Exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel,” speaks of the
need for us to accompany our brothers and sisters “in faith or on a journey of
openness to God” (44). This accompaniment needs to be with mercy and patience.
None of us is perfect. We are all sinners. We all need mercy and patience in
the stages of spiritual growth as we progress along the road of holiness.
It
is important for us to keep in mind that patience and mercy can help encourage someone
in their life of faith. The Holy Father says, “A small step, in the midst of
great human limitation, can be more pleasing to God than a life which appears
outwardly in order but moves through the day without confronting great
difficulties” (44).
One
of the greatest opportunities for mercy to help us on our journey is the Sacrament
of Penance. The confessional, Pope Francis reminds priests, “must not be a
torture chamber but rather an encounter with the Lord’s mercy which spurs us on
to do our best” (44).
May
this Lent be a time of experiencing God’s mercy and I encourage you to make a
good confession.
In Christ,
Msgr. Baker
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