Message From Our Parish Priest

ASH WEDNESDAY
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a holy season of repentance, renewal, and returning to God. This day holds particular significance, both tender and transformative. “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” These words are not meant to discourage us, but to ground us in humility and truth.
Embracing Holy Humility Acknowledging our smallness before God is not a source of shame; rather, it is liberating. Ashes serve as a reminder that we are not self-sufficient and that everything we have is a gift. Our true worth comes from being beloved children of God. Embracing humility, in the spirit of St. Francis, opens the door to joy.
Conversion of Heart (Metanoia) Lent is not just about giving things up; it is a journey of ongoing conversion and a daily turning toward Christ. Ash Wednesday invites us to release pride and resentment, seek reconciliation, and start anew with simplicity. This process of conversion is both gentle and radical, reshaping the way we love.
Poverty and Simplicity
The ashes symbolize a detachment from worldly glory, prompting us to ask: What am I clinging to? What prevents me from loving freely? How can I live more simply? Lent transforms into a journey back to Gospel simplicity. Joyful Penance Penance is characterized by hope, unlike a gloomy sense of repentance. Even while fasting and making sacrifices, there is an element of gratitude. Why is that? Because penance helps restore our relationships with God, with others, and with creation. Therefore, Lent is also a time to heal our connection with the earth and the impoverished.
Let us begin our Journey

Ash Wednesday Prayer Lord, You formed me from the dust and breathed Your life into me. Teach me the humility of Jesus, the courage to let go, the simplicity to trust You completely. May these ashes not only mark my forehead But soften my heart. Make me an instrument of Your peace, poor in spirit and rich in love. Amen.