FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK
Dear Beloved St. Mary’s Parishioners,
Every year, Ash Wednesday begins with a gutcheck: “Repent and Believe in the Gospel.” That’s the phrase the priest will say to you as he puts ashes on your head, in that ancient gesture of sorrow and contrition that goes back thousands of years. The drama of human salvation, all the way from the beginning with Adam and Eve, to Abraham, Moses, all the prophets of old, culminating in the unsuspecting sending of his son Jesus to die on the cross, is one of God’s relentless pursuit of each of us. Christianity, for all its depth and richness can be summed up in that simple fact--God’s mighty love. We matter more than we can ever imagine. Yet, despite this penetrating, life-changing truth, we effortlessly forget. We allow the glimmering distractions of worldly allurements to shove God from his rightful place in our lives. We’re commanded, in no uncertain terms, to “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (cf. Deuteronomy 6:5, cf. Matthew 22:37). We all fail here, even the saintliest of saints do.
Each Lent, we begin anew. We enter into the desert with Jesus who himself fasted and prayed in solitude for forty long days. He jumps into the heart of the spiritual battle which rages in all of our hearts. The 17th century French mathematician, inventor, and brilliant Catholic writer, Blaise Pascal, famously quipped, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” The stillness of quietude reveals the war within. We see the constant tug between following God or not. Should I give into temptation or not? Should I pray or busy myself with the cacophony of distractions which beakon my gaze? Silence makes us uneasy because it leads us to deeper truths, if we are so daring to ponder them. Lent is such a time.
Know of my prayers for each of you. It is my solemn duty as your priest and pastor to offer prayers on your behalf. This Lent, my hope is a simple one -- your love will grow for Jesus. No matter how you’ve fallen or failed in your walk with the Lord this last year, Lent is a time for us to start anew. “We know that all things work together for the good for those who love God” (cf. Romans 8:28).
A Slave of Jesus Christ,
Fr. Brian J. Soliven
