FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK

Dear St. Mary’s Parishioners: As always, during Lent we like to ramp up our spiritual practices. The main pillars of our Lenten spiritual exercises are our prayer, fasting and almsgiving. As we know, if we are 14 years and older, we are to abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and on all Fridays of Lent. Everyone ages 18 to 59 is to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Every year Bishop Jaime Soto promulgates the “Lenten Regulations” which can be found here in English and Spanish: https://www.scd.org/news/lentenregulations-2021 To be sure, there are many ways to pray, fast and give alms. I would like to offer a few suggestions based on Bishop Soto’s Lenten Regulations. With regard to prayer, here are a few suggestions: • Attend daily Mass as much as possible during Lent. • Make a good confession during Lent. The faithful are obliged to confess their sins at least once a year. (Confessions are heard on Saturdays at 3:30p and on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30p) • Pray the “Stations of the Cross” either individually or in a group. (We will have the Stations of the Cross each Friday at 6p in English and 7p in Spanish in the church.) • Pray the Rosary often, if not daily. • Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. • Make visits to the Blessed Sacrament. We have Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the church, Monday through Friday, from 3p to 6:30p. • Read a spiritual book or two during Lent. There are many classic, spiritual books, but also books published more recently. Ignatius Press is a good resource: https://www.ignatius.com/ • If you are not already signed up for formed.org, please sign up and take advantage of wonderful Catholic talks, movies and e-books. With regard to fasting and abstaining, here are some suggestions: • Abstain from alcohol and desserts. • Abstain from television or one’s favorite television show, video games and social media. • Turn off all computers and electronic devices at 8 pm and do not turn them on again until the morning. Regarding almsgiving and serving the poor and needy, here are some ideas: • Give to the poor by supporting the diocesan Annual Catholic Appeal, Catholic Charities of Yolo-Solano and giving to St. Mary’s Food Locker, St. Vincent de Paul, and Gabriel Project • Offer to help with our apostolates of Feed My People, Soup for the Soul and From Thy Bounty. • Visit the sick and homebound. May all of us have a most fruitful Lent! In Christ Jesus, Father Berg