March 4, 2019
Dear Parents and Friends of St. Michael’s School,

On Wednesday, we begin our forty day season of Lent, a time when Catholics are called to an increased practice of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Although primarily a Catholic observance, many other Christian denominations recognize this tradition as well. The ashes we receive remind us that God made us from dust, that we have sinned, and that our sins are separating us from God. Therefore, the priest will recite the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Typically at school Masses, the person distributing the ashes will say, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”

The traditions and practices associated with Ash Wednesday are counter-cultural, so imbuing in our students the importance of this ritual is sometimes challenging. Oftentimes, students are not exposed to very many struggles, and we are noticing that when they do encounter conflict, they do not always possess the tools to cope. Many parents believe that clearing a path for their children by eliminating obstacles or placing blame on others will ensure future success. Because we love our children, we want them to be happy, so the idea of sacrifice is not always readily embraced. We know, however, that unless we sometimes experience sadness, failure, denial, and deferred gratification we will never fully be able to appreciate happiness, success, and contentment.

I encourage you to approach this Lenten season with enthusiasm and a sense of purpose. Discuss ways that your family can be more prayerful by attending Mass regularly or praying the rosary together; by embracing the idea of fasting or giving up something that is meaningful for the 40 days of Lent; and by donating time, talent, or treasure to a just cause. Perhaps you might consider offering the money you would spend on a family night out to a local charity. Whenever we put God first in our lives, we are exponentially rewarded.

Finally, I invite you to come to the second night of our Parish Mission with Fr. Leo Patalinghug, who will speak this evening in St. Michael’s Church at 7:00 PM. Our students had the opportunity to listen to his message today as he spoke about the qualities of a Superhero and how those characteristics relate to our faith. First and foremost, a superhero must be attentive; we can do that by listening to God and speaking to him in prayer. Second, a superhero must be reverent; we show respect not only to God, but also to our families and friends. Third, a superhero is always ready; ready to say “Yes” to God, and ready to bring our friends closer to Him. Finally, a superhero must rest and refresh because being a superhero is hard work; we do that each week when we attend Mass. We challenge each of our students to practice the qualities of being a superhero during the upcoming 40 days of Lent, and we thank Fr. Leo for his inspiration.

Fr. Leo is from Baltimore and is known as “The Cooking Priest.” He is a TV/radio host, speaker, author, and award-winning chef who uses food to bring families back to the dining room table.

You can read more about Fr. Leo at https://fatherleofeeds.com/about/

I hope that this Lenten season will be rewarding and purposeful for everyone as we all seek to make further strides in our faith journey.

In Mission,