While the number 40 is connected with many biblical events, the forty days of Lent represent Jesus’ time spent in the wilderness preparing for His ministry by facing the temptations that could lead him to abandon his purpose and calling. Thus, originally, Lent marked a time of preparation – through prayer, study, and self-reflection – for those who were to be baptized at the Easter Vigil, the celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord early on Easter Sunday. Since the newly-baptized were to be received into a living community of Faith, the entire community was called, as we are today, to join the baptismal preparation.

Taking into consideration the time of preparation which is through prayer, study and self-reflection, might as well include “self-emptying”. Here is a self-explanatory picture for all of us to ponder upon.

According to the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus spent forty days fasting in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, during which he endured temptation by Satan. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of this forty day liturgical period of prayer and fasting.

Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of adherents as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. The ashes used are typically gathered after the palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday are burned.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent; and we usually observe it with a period of fasting and spiritual preparation. Our liturgy includes the imposition of ashes on the forehead to mark our mortality, with the words: “remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

It’s easy for people to get stuck in a rut, doing the same old thing the same old way all the time. But when you open yourself up to new people, new experiences and new ideas, you are making room for God to reveal Himself to you and work in different ways within your life. When you stretch yourself, you increase your abilities and you increase your influence in the world around you.

This year, make the decision to explore new people, places and things. Take a different route home from work. Try something new on the menu at lunch. Be open to new people who may not necessarily look like you or act like you. If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours! Let God direct and broaden your horizons. Look for new opportunities to grow and stretch so you can live a fully satisfied life the Lord has in store for you!

This is the true meaning of Christmas–that Christ came into the world for you and me! Whether you come to church frequently or not and especially if you only come on Christmas, pray for faith while you’re in the church. Pray that the Christ Child may come into your heart, transform it and give you a new life in Him. Pray for his Light to fill you with peace. Pray for his Light to have you reconcile yourself with estranged relatives, friends and neighbors.

Pray for this light to heal whatever ails you. When you receive Christ in communion tonight, pray for his grace and strength to do whatever he has called you to do. Pray this week that you may bring Christ’s light and love into other peoples’ lives, that you may reconcile with those you have had differences, that you may help someone through a difficult period in their lives or that you may be a “non-anxious” presence for those who worry constantly or are distressed.

Whatever your Christmas is like, Jesus understands it and you fill it with his presence. There is no joy so great that Christ cannot raise it to greater heights; there is no disappointment so bitter or sorrow so deep that he cannot come into it with his love right now, and the true hope he offers of eternal life and joy beyond all imagination. This is Christmas, the celebration of the birth of hope and joy in the Savior who is to come and no one and nothing can stop. You are seeing and experiencing a great light –let it shine in your heart and free your passion to be a Christian in a very broken world.

Merry or not at Christmas we always get a present: Christ’s presence where we really are, and our hope of being where he is.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

As the whole world continues to progress into this age of cyberness and modern technology, I understand that a number of you may still not have access to websites and to social networkings such as facebook, blogs, twitters, and emails. Therefore, I am using the traditional way: pen and paper, as St. Paul did.

I believe that as Christians, you have incorporated the church as part of your daily lives, and that going to church is one of your household names. Perhaps you might not have used this phrase as quite often as you should, but it is still one of your household names. As your priest and pastor, I am here to remind you to use it again: “COME TO CHURCH”.

There are many good reasons why we come to church.

It is sometimes challenging to remember every single detail about our church life. Our website provides us reminders but it does not provide us the opportunity to broadcast our personal dedications. Therefore, what you don’t see and experience in the website is what you personally see and experience when you come to church on Sundays.

We come to church not to be entertained; instead, we come to entertain the day that God has set aside for us to experience His presence in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist in the presence and company of our brothers and sisters.

Help me re-create the atmosphere of this loving and welcoming community that you all established decades ago by coming to church every Sunday. God gave us a gift of 6 days for personal use. He only asked for one.

Come to church. Your presence is highly appreciated. After all, 95% of life is showing up.

Yours Truly,

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.[5]

While those on whom the Spirit had descended were speaking in tongues, the disciple Peter stood up with the eleven and proclaimed to the crowd that this event was the fulfillment of the prophecy (“I will pour out my spirit”) in Joel 2:28-29. Acts 2:41 reports: “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”

Have a Blessed Easter!

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)

The season of Lent is the fourth season of the church year. Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and prepares us for Easter, offering us lots of time for self-examination.

Some people take on additional study during Lent, while others deny themselves something as an ongoing reminder of the season. That practice can be helpful, but Lent is not a time for punishment, just reflection. Many people turn inward during Lent, writing Lenten reflections that help them bridge their spiritual quest to loved ones, to their community, to their faith in God.

The color purple, or lavender, is the palette of the season, sometimes supplanted by plain, unbleached cloth.

Please join the St. Chad’s family during this time of reflection, and visit us for all the Lent and Easter services!