The Springtime of our Faith and More

The Springtime of our Faith

Greetings!

Salutations! How are you? Hope you’re doing well. You might already know this but we are now in a very important liturgical season preparing for the holiest days of our Catholic Christian faith that commemorate the suffering, death, and triumphant resurrection of Jesus. The days leading up to that are referred to in English as Lent.

That’s an interesting word for the name of this particular season. Oftentimes when we hear that specific word it is referring to the past tense of someone who lends something. For example, “My neighbor lent me his hammer the other day so that I could do some remodeling projects in my home.” If my neighbor happened to be the superhero Thor then that hammer would have probably done more destruction than construction to my humble abode but I digress…

So what exactly are we being given for a brief time with the understanding that we will return it at a later moment? Also, who is the one that is lending something to us? At the spiritual level we could make the case that God is giving us life here on earth for a brief time so that we could glorify Him in all that we say and do. However, the truth of the matter is that the word “Lent” in reference to the liturgical season is not actually referring to borrowing something. According to our friends on Etymology.com the noun “Lent” is from the Old English word of “lencten” that means “springtime” or simply “spring.”

As we look out our windows and see piles of snow and sheets of ice all over the place that description of Lent seems to be misleading at best and agonizingly not fair at worst. And yet, our experience here in Minnesota has taught us that at some point the cold days of winter will eventually - perhaps in April or May - transition into the beauty of springtime. It just so happens in God’s Providential Plan that the Lenten season this year will take us to the third week of April when spring should be in full swing. Trees will have their leaves once again and flowers will be blooming. It will be a time of new life that will come from a desert like time of desolation.

We ask the Lord to help us in our own journeys of faith throughout this Lenten season. May it be a blessed time to draw close to Jesus with renewed hearts through our prayers, fasting, and alms giving. As such Lent can be for us a season that begins in the chilly winter but ends with a glorious springtime in the Peace of Christ.

May the Lord bless you in abundance ,

Fr. James

Trivia Question of the Week

According to the Gospel for the First Sunday of Lent which of the following was not a temptation for Jesus in the desert?

A. Turning a rock into bread

B. Jumping from the Temple

C. Stopping a sandstorm

D. False worship

See the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.

If you’re looking for a way to grow spiritually this Lent, check out this week’s FORMED Pick of the Week. In the six episodes of Into the Desert: A Lenten Study on Prayer Dr. Gray will share a method of prayer called Lectio Divina that will help you to hear God’s voice in prayer through the Scriptures. If you’ve ever wondered how to begin praying or felt like your prayer is one-sided, this series on FORMED will help you.

This week, go to formed.org and watch Into the Desert: A Lenten Study on Prayer .

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Catholic Services Appeal Foundation

“…be doers of the word, and not hearers only.”

What does your faith mean to you? Faith is something so personal that words cannot easily explain it. Faith can bring peace amidst turmoil, and true joy even in difficult circumstances. As Catholics, we are called to freely live out our faith and to give back to others as Christ has poured Himself out for us.

The Catholic Services Appeal Foundation (CSAF) is an independent non-profit focused solely on supporting 20 designated outreach ministries and nothing else. By partnering with the CSAF, you help those in need: the hungry, the orphan, the sick, suffering, dying and grieving. You assist in ministering to the imprisoned, evangelizing Catholic youth and college students, and strengthening families. You enable the sacraments to be provided to Catholics young and old alike.

To join in the work of the CSAF, simply connect via your mobile device to csafspm.org, or complete a paper pledge form and drop it in the collection basket or mail it directly to the Foundation’s office in Plymouth, MN. Thank you for responding to the Gospel call to serve the poor, support life, strengthen faith and transform lives by God’s grace—Unified We Rise!

Answer to the Trivia Question of the Week:

C. Stopping a sandstorm

Immaculate Conception Church and School

Church: 763-788-9062 | School: 763-788-9065

info@immac-church.org | ICCSonline.org

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