The Light is On

Photo courtesy: St. Louis Review | Archdiocese of St. Louis.

 

 

 

The light is on again.

This Lent, Catholics in the Archdiocese of Omaha and the Diocese of Des Moines, especially those who have been away from the Church or the sacrament, are invited to experience God’s mercy and forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation.

Archbishop George Lucas and Bishop Richard Pates said they hope that through “The Light is On” initiative more people will participate in the sacrament during Lent. 

To make it more convenient, most churches have additional confession times during the Lenten season.

At nearly every Catholic church in the archdiocese, priests will be available for confessions on five Thursdays during Lent – March 13, 20, 27, April 3 and 10 – from 5:30 to 7 p.m., in addition to regular reconciliation schedules.

Parishes in the Diocese of Des Moines will publicize days and times when a priest will be available for the sacrament.

Priests in both dioceses have been asked to talk about the sacrament during homilies at Sunday Masses. In the archdiocese last weekend, priests led a communal “examination of conscience” to help people reflect on their sins and the promise of forgiveness found through confession.

Deacon Tim McNeil, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Omaha, said the archdiocese is offering the initiative again because feedback from priests last year was positive. They reported a number of people returned to the sacrament after being away for many years, Deacon McNeil said, and many commented on the healing that took place during last year’s effort.

Father Joseph Brodou, pastor of Mary Our Queen Parish in Omaha, said “The Light is On” initiative brings awareness to the sacrament of reconciliation and gives people a great opportunity every Thursday to receive and experience the love and mercy of God.

“The sacrament of reconciliation teaches us humility,” Father Brodou said. “We come to appreciate that we have faults and we need God in our lives.”

In his recent column in The Catholic Mirror, the newspaper of the Diocese of Des Moines, Bishop Pates said that by reconciling with God through the sacrament of confession, we place our temptations, troubles and sins before God, who relieves us of the pain and guilt caused by sin, and he extends forgiveness and initiates the process of healing.

“The more we sin and the more we sin seriously, the colder our relationship with God becomes until it is deeply frozen,” he said. “Thaw begins when we have some perception of the havoc which is created in our lives when we are ever more devoid of God’s presence.”

Inevitably, he said, the outcome of the sacrament is uplifting, liberating, and it initiates a new beginning.

Archbishop Lucas encourages Catholics to visualize themselves making a good confession and hearing the words of absolution.

“Set a time and place to celebrate the sacrament and put a mark on your calendar,” he said. “Jesus, who died and rose for us, wants you to experience his love in a more profound way, in the part of your life wounded by sin. Try him and find out the depth of his care for you.”

Resources on the sacrament of reconciliation, such as ways to prepare for the sacrament, and how to grow in understanding and appreciation of the sacrament, can be found at dmdiocese.org/alightforyou and thelightisonomaha.org.

 
Blogged by Lisa Maxson, senior writer/reporter

Lent

This week marks the beginning of the Lenten season – 40 days of prayer, penance, sacrifice and good works in preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection at Easter.

Lent is one of my favorite times of the year because I like the challenge this season brings to deny myself, grow in my relationship with Christ and be a more giving person.

This year, Pope Francis is urging us to make Lenten sacrifices for others, especially the poor.

In his Lenten message for 2014, he said we as Christians are called to confront the poverty of others, “to touch it, to make it our own and to take practical steps to alleviate it.” The whole church must bear witness to those who live in material, moral and spiritual destitution the Gospel message of the merciful love of God, who is ready to embrace everyone in Christ, the pope said.

I’d like to share a Lenten ritual I’ve done since college. I think it works with what Pope Francis is suggesting.

Before Lent begins, I sit down with my calendar and designate a person or issue for each day during Lent, and make daily sacrifices or do extra things for that intention. For instance, one day’s sacrifices and good works might be offered for my sister. On that day, I will pray for her and her intentions. I also might drink my coffee black instead of with cream and sugar, not eat a dessert after lunch and send her a little note … offering them all up for her.

I think it’s helpful to have a face or an issue, such as abortion or poverty, as a motivation. It also makes the sacrifices and good works easier when I have a focus. We all need prayers and I’m sure everyone I’m going to pray for has a special intention. 

Whatever you do or don’t do during Lent, use them as an opportunity to grow in your relationship with Christ, whose ultimate sacrifice of death gives us all eternal life.

Lenten regulations

Lent begins Ash Wednesday, March 5, and continues until the Easter triduum, which begins with evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Thursday, April 17, and runs through Easter Sunday, April 20.

The law of abstinence prohibits eating meat but allows eggs, milk products and sauces made with animal fat and applies to all Catholics ages 14 and older on Ash Wednesday, the Fridays of Lent and Good Friday (April 18).

The law of fasting allows a single full meal each day and two light meals at other times but no solid food between meals and applies to Catholics ages 18-59 on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Blogged by Lisa Maxson, senior writer/reporter.

Lenten Prayer Walk

When the weather is nice, Mary Lou Alfieri takes a daily walk around her Papillion neighborhood and prays a rosary for the people who live on her street. 

She’s been doing this for about seven years – ever since her parish, St. Columbkille, did it as a Lenten program. Most people stopped when Lent was over, but Mary Lou continued.

St. Columbkille Parish is doing this project again for Lent, and already 50 people have signed up to participate, said Sister Jean Marie Faltus, religious formation director for the parish. From now until Easter, people are invited to walk their street every day or as often as possible and to pray with the “eyes of Jesus ,” she said.

“Try to see what Jesus would see if he was walking down your street,” she said. “We want the entire parish covered with prayer.”

Sister Jean Marie said prayer walkers are to pray for God’s purpose to be lived in every person’s life, God’s preparation for each person’s heart during this Lenten season, God’s presence in each person’s life and God’s grace to be released in the parish, homes, school and places of work.

Mary Lou said she likes praying for her neighbors, especially if her prayers are helping others. If she can’t walk outside, she prays for them at home and at daily Mass, she said.

“Who knows who’s out there in need of prayer,” she said. “I hope that my prayer helped someone feel good that day.”

In conjunction with the prayer walkers project, parishioners at St. Columbkille will read the same book during Lent, Sister Jean Marie said.

Members of the parish’s 25 faith sharing groups involved in the Spirituality-Faith Alive program will read “Encouraging Change,” by Father Joseph Siksica and use an accompanying journal written by Sister Jean Marie. This year they’ve extended the invitation to read the book to all parishioners. So far 100 additional books have been purchased by parishioners not involved with the faith sharing groups, Sister Jean Marie said, which means more than 500 people are set to participate.

“The thing I’m asking everyone who reads the book to do is change one little thing in their lives,” Sister Jean Marie said. “We really need this dome of prayer to keep everybody going during the season.”

Blogged by Lisa Maxson, senior writer/reporter