Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Every week after Mass and several times during the week, I am asked to bless various articles of faith that may have been purchased at our gift shop. Fr. Greg and I are certainly glad to do so because these various images of Saints, candles, holy cards etc., are important aspects of one's prayer. You have seen the beautiful statues around our campus. These are also meant to assist us in our prayer and to help us become better disciples of Our Lord. Beautiful and holy images are meant to reveal the beauty and holiness of God.

Many Catholics have these same images, statues, holy objects in their homes. If you do not have Catholic articles of faith in your home, then I strongly encourage you consider doing this very soon. The use of material objects or sacramentals i.e., holy water, candles, statues, medals, holy cards, scapulars, to name a few, are meant to lead us closer to Christ and live as a better Christian, a better disciple of Jesus. Obviously we would treat these sacred items with respect and reverence because they assist us in our relationship with God.

Pope Francis asked a question that might make some of us squirm if he asked it directly to us. He said, "I would like to ask you – but don't say it aloud, everyone respond in his or her heart: when was the last time you made your Confession? Everyone think about it…is it two days, two weeks, two years, twenty years, forty years? And if much time has passed, do not lose another day. Go! The priest will be good. Jesus is there, and Jesus is even more benevolent than priests. Jesus receives you. He receives you with much love. Be courageous and go to Confession!"

He continued with a line that reminds me that first and foremost, Pope Francis, is a pastor who is acutely aware of parish life. He said, "When one is in line for Confession, we feel those things which weigh on our hearts; but when one finishes Confession one leaves free, grand, beautiful, forgiven, candid, happy. This is the beauty of Confession!"

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Abraham is our Father in Faith. He is our Father in faith because he has showed us what it means to make a free decision to serve God and trust God completely. Abraham had many options - many so called gods that he could worship. He chose not to worship at the altar of the gods of prosperity and technology to name a few. He was rewarded greatly for his good and holy decision. Those who decide to worship at the altar of false gods are heading for misery.

Many people choose to worship at the altar of false gods in our current culture. One obvious example is the choice people have made to worship at the altar of prosperity. To be clear, wealth is not evil. The preoccupation with wealth is evil. It is very tempting to worship at the altar of the gods that will make a person financially comfortable.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We have all experienced worry, stress, and anxiety. At some point in your life you worry about your friends, your homework, your health, your family, your job, and ultimately you worry about your eternal life. We all worry because we are not sure about tomorrow. Most people are afraid of what might or might not happen. Jesus invites us to place our trust in God. In order to trust God, you must serve God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Jesus if very clear about what we are to do. He says in today's Gospel, "No man can serve two masters...You cannot serve God and mammon." Mammon isn't just money. It is anything that we think is more important than God. This is why many people do not have peace. Many have placed their trust in things and people and not trusted God enough. When a person trusts God, says Jesus, that person stops worrying about what will happen (or not happen) tomorrow. When a person trusts God, their primary desire is to know and do God's will.

Lent begins this Ash Wednesday. It is a season of fasting, self-denial, almsgiving and prayer. The season of Lent begins with a symbol of repentance: placing ashes on our foreheads to remind us of the brevity of our lives and our need for a Savior. We have four Masses scheduled that day to allow you to get the season off on the right foot. The Mass schedule for Ash Wednesday, March 5, is: 7:00am, 8:30am, 5:00pm in English and 7:00pm in Spanish.

The season of Lent invites us to surrender something important - be it TV or sweets or meat, or snacking or negative attitudes or less than noble habits. All of these sacrifices are meant to bring us to a greater connection to the awesome love of Jesus Christ and the ultimate sacrifice that He offered for us and for our salvation. He died for us so that death may no longer have power over us.