Dear Folks,

Lent is coming.  Are you ready?  And I’m not talking about your plans to eat too many pancakes on Tuesday!

1.  Lenten Small Groups.
This year we are moving our Lenten small groups in a technological direction!  Using Flocknote and Bishop Baron’s Word on Fire technologies, the program videos will be available to you on your phone or device of choice!  There is no cost, and you will even have the opportunity to comment and ask questions directly to me as the material is presented.
To sign-up for our Lenten Program, visit https://StMaryFredericksburg.flocknote.com/everyone to join Flocknote via email and join the group entitled “2019 Lenten Parish Retreat”.  If you are already receiving flock note, you will need to log on and join the Lenten group!

2.  “Be still and know that I am God.”  Psalm 46:10
I want to challenge everyone to make visits to the Blessed Sacrament part of your Lenten prayer commitment.  We can all communicate by text or email or phone, but the best option is always to be in the presence of the person.  All these technologies are supplements to real person to person encounters.
I know that we all feel pressed with time, and committing to specific hours of adoration can be a struggle.  So my challenge to you is that you make a promise to come to adoration for 30 minutes a week during Lent.  This is a 7 week commitment, and a much briefer than the commitment that many folks have made for an hour in perpetuity so that we can have adoration Wed Noon to Friday 9 am.
Your 30 minutes need not be a fixed time.  It need not be even Wed – Fri when we have adoration and exposition.  It can be a time between you and God, but where you come to church to be with Him and to be still.
Don’t be surprised if I mention this and even some form of sign up this weekend…. I am contemplating how to encourage and support you in this commitment.

3.  Bishop’s Lenten Appeal.
Thank you for your support of this important appeal each year.  Your generosity goes a long way to supporting so many worthy ministries in our diocese.  In a time where we are all asking for greater accountability from church hierarchy, know that this appeal provides direct assistance to many of our brothers and sisters and neighbors.  It is not a collection for the bishop personally, but for the many works of charity that are carried out in his and our names!

Pax,
Fr Mosimann