Renew your life in Christ

The season of Lent is upon us. We will all have many chances to seek Christ anew, reaffirm our baptismal vows, and renew the true conversion of our hearts and minds as followers of Christ.

Whether you need to pray, worship, serve, give, learn, reflect, commemorate, confess, and more, there will be a place just for you to connect with Christ more closely. Thank you for journeying together with your Mother Teresa faith family this Lenten season.

Sacred silence

As we enter the special Lenten season in our liturgical calendar, let's all practice a few moments of sacred silence at the beginning of our Mass to prepare prayerfully for the great gift of the Eucharist. We endeavor to start and end Mass on time.

To "keep holy the Sabbath," please consider arriving a little early and staying with us until the end to receive the final blessing, which gives us strength and courage to proclaim the Good News.

We also ask you to exit the church after Mass in silence, reminding us of the necessity to give ourselves to silent prayer during these 40 days.

Rules for fast and abstinence

Ash Wednesday (February 14) and Good Friday (March 29) are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. Fridays during Lent are also obligatory days of abstinence.

For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal and two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards.

If possible, the fast on Good Friday is continued until the Easter Vigil (on Holy Saturday night) as the paschal fast to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus and prepare ourselves to share more fully to celebrate his Resurrection more readily. (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)

Friday Morning Prayer

Join us for Morning Prayer, following the iBreviary app, on Fridays at 9 a.m. during Lent.

Parish Lenten Missions

Our hope for you this Lenten season is a time for quiet, prayer, good works, and reflection upon the many ways in which we are so blessed. All are invited to attend two mission opportunities to help deepen your spiritual journey this Lent.

Eye has not seen, ear has not heard …

Presented by Father Daniel Oschwald on Tuesday, February 20, 6 to 7:30 p.m. In this Lenten Mission, we are invited to see the world and others with Jesus' eyes and respond with Jesus' love. We will explore what it means to put on the "mind of Jesus" and through the Wisdom of God be made whole through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

The Sorrowful Mysteries

Presented by Patrick Yanke, author of The Personal Rosary, on Saturday, March 2, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The Rosary is a devotional tool for learning to love as God loves us. Come for an hour of contemplation on living the mysteries of the Rosary in our own lives.

Stations of the Cross

Include the devotion of the Stations of the Cross in your Lenten practice. Join us on Friday mornings following 9:30 a.m. Mass and in the evening at 7 p.m. to walk with Christ as we reflect on the mysteries presented to us with each step.

Lenten Penance Service

Our Lenten Penance Service on Wednesday, February 28 at 6 p.m. Please take this opportunity to experience God's grace and healing through forgiveness. Receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Lent helps us to move toward a renewal of our baptismal promises, which we celebrate on Easter with peaceful hearts.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation will also be offered during Lent on Friday morning, February 23, and March 1, 8 and 15, in addition to Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

Enrich your Lenten journey with Magnificat

You can pick up your copy of "A Companion for the Forty Days of Lent" in the narthex. Magnificat is a spiritual guide to help you develop your prayer life, grow spiritually, find a deeper love for Christ, and participate in the holy Mass with greater fervor.

Designed in a convenient, easy-to-use format, it includes:

• Inspiring daily reflections from some of the most gifted Catholic writers
• Faith-filled essays
• Prayers, poetry, and devotions
• Meditations for the Way of the Cross
• A treasury of spiritual insights

Spending a few moments meditating on the inspiring daily reflections and the short prayers that follow them will allow you to accompany Jesus through his passion and death, emerging on Easter Sunday to the overflowing joy of his Resurrection.