The Lenten Pa
An Opportunity to Grow in
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or lifelong Catholics, there are probably many things that come to mind when thinking of the season of Lent — from ashes on your forehead, to fish on Fridays, to fasting and making other acts of penance. And while Lent this year will still be quite a bit different, it is still an opportunity to step outside of our “normal,” and take time to refocus on what really matters — our relationship with Christ and His Church. This year, St. Timothy Catholic Church hopes to encourage this pursuit with our Lenten Mission, which will take place March 8-10. Our special guest, Fr. Basil B. Cole, O.P., will speak at Masses over the weekend of March 6-7, followed by giving both morning and evening presentations of the mission over the next three days. Fr. Cole is a Dominican friar who, over the past 55 years of his priesthood, has served as a parish priest, university professor in the United States and Rome, and as a traveling missionary preacher. He is a prolific writer who currently teaches moral, spiritual and dogmatic theology at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. The theme of the mission will be penance, its role in the season of Lent, and the life of the Christian. “What is Lent all about — why do we need Lent?” says Fr. Cole, explaining the heart of his message. “Why don’t we just have Easter all year round? Every Mass we offer is, in some way, an Easter celebration and every Mass is also a passion celebration, so how does Lent fit into all of this?” The Sacrament of Reconciliation will also be an important highlight of the mission, with Fr. Cole offering an opportunity to receive the Sacrament after each presentation. Being available for the Sacrament of Confession is one of
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Fr. Basil B. Cole, O.P., is a Dominican friar who, over the past 55 years of his priesthood, has served as a parish priest, university professor in the United States and Rome, and as a traveling missionary preacher. He is a prolific writer who currently teaches moral, spiritual and dogmatic theology at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C.
Fr. Cole’s favorite parts of giving Lenten missions and he encourages parishioners to take advantage of the opportunity to receive the sacrament, whether it is part of their usual practice, or if they have not gone to Confession in a long time. “It’s always a great delight to be able to help somebody return to the sacraments, especially Confession,” Fr. Cole says. “When people have been away for 20 years, it’s a great delight to help someone on their journey, to pick up where they left off years ago.” Lent is the perfect time to step out of our typical routine and go deeper in our faith, in preparation for the celebration of Easter. Although for many of us, life is still not “back to continued on page 5
