Quiet Time
Consider spending a few minutes in prayer in our beautiful church. Or, if you can’t drop in, just bless yourself as you drive by your church.
Stations of the Cross
Want a great way to ease the tensions that occur in every family?
Come to one of our Stations of the Cross services every Friday night at 7:30.
Taizé Meditations
for Stations of the Cross
7:30 PM Friday March 4, 2016
Leave your troubles at the foot of the cross and walk out feeling refreshed.
Here is a list of prayers for Lent
Consider these ideas for your family for the 40 days of Lent from Loyola Press
Retreat
Nothing helps you grow in faith like a retreat from your busy life. Modern life is full of challenges that at times make us feel overwhelmed. Pressures from work, social life and peers, and the daily grind of life tend to wear us down and cause us to lose focus on our call to become more like Christ.
A retreat allows us a time to pray and re-focus our lives and priorities and to experience God’s love for us in a very real way. This year consider one of these retreats for a life-changing experience that will help you on your journey on your way to eternity.
Lenten Day of Recollection
Saturday, March 5th. It will begin with 8 AM Mass – 12:30 PM at Kavanagh Hall. Msgr. Marc Trudeau will speak on the “Year of Mercy.” A donation of $10 per person is requested to cover the food expenses.
RSVP – Ely -310.944.3355
Catholic Daughter’s Lenten Retreat
Saturday March 19, 2016 in Kavanagh Hall. It will start with 8 am Mass followed by a Continental Breakfast and the retreat to follow at 9:30 am.
Eat
Yes, food can help you grow in holiness! As Catholics over the age of 14, we are called to abstain from meat and fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On Fridays during Lent, we are called to abstain from meat. Of course, those with dietary or medical needs are exempted. That said, you will be most welcome to join together with family and fellow parishioners for fellowship and shared purpose during our Friday soup and fish fry meals.
Re-connect with your friends and families this Lent. Why not reach out to neighbors and friends that have drifted away from the faith and invite them to break bread with you?
Our Lenten Soup Dinner at Kavanagh Hall is held on February 12, 26 and March 11.
There are delicious fish dinners served at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Avenue I on February 19, March 4, 18.
Join us for a Lenten Fish Dinner of fried or baked Icelandic halibut plus all the sides; salad and dessert, juice, iced tea, lemonade and coffee are included.
Fully stocked cash bar also available.
Cost is $11 (no tax or tip necessary). Children Under 12 $5 .
The proceeds of the dinner is to help our Seminarians .
Consider joining these fine men as a knight in service to others.
Music
It is astonishing how much noise there is in daily life! Our senses are constantly being engaged by advertisers looking to gain our attention and dollars. This lent, try tuning out some of these distractions that work on our subconscious mind and try lifting up your spirit with some inspirational music.
There are plenty of options with Pandora on the internet. Only 4 minutes of ads per hour. Consider some ancient gregorian chant, or other worship music of your choice.
If you’d like to offer a gift to someone, Rich in the gift shop can assist you with some CDs for reflection and contemplative prayer.
Read
Yes, you’ve often thought that you should spend more time reading the bible. There’s probably no one in you circle of friends that hasn’t felt the same way. Some of us have sometimes felt that it’s something we ought to do. We resolve to read the entire bible in a year. Or, we make an abstract commitment to just read a little bit more than we do now.
This lent, why not talk it over with your friends and go to one of our bible study meetings? There are morning and evening times available. Enjoy a video presentation, Q&A session, and meet others that are looking to grow in their faith.
Consider reading a spiritual book, like ‘Rediscover Jesus‘ given out this past Christmas. Check your own library of books and learn more about Jesus this lent.
Mercy
Experience true unconditional love and unfailing mercy that God has for you. Confused about how to recognize His plan and love for you in your life? Consider an intimate encounter with the Creator this lent. We have all fallen short of the mark at times, and he knows your heart. ‘ Before you were formed in the womb he knew you’. So, it’s not as though He doesn’t already know what we have done or how we have turned away from him at times. He’s waiting for you to turn back, and ask for his mercy. Encounter this healing power of his mercy in church every Saturday at 4PM or by appointment with a priest. ‘There’s more joy in heaven over the one who was lost and returned than the 99 who were faithful’.
After this, experience the full power of his love by the gift of His son to us. Weekdays 8 AM, 12 Noon. Receive the Body and Blood of Christ, truly present at communion.
Get Involved
Want to feel truly blessed? Do you wish your family to understand what it means to follow Jesus? We have been given gifts to use in the service of others to help build God’s kingdom here on earth. When the world tells us that we must do everything we can to get ahead, be successful, gather material things for ourselves, we know deep down in our soul that this will not bring us joy. We are being called to put our talents to use to honor God. In this service to others, we feel truly peaceful and that our lives have meaning.
This Lent, take some time to reflect on how many talents you have been given and how blessed you are. Then, take a moment and explore our ministry pages to see where you can volunteer to help build our family. Learn more>
Pray
Want to become the holy, healthy, vibrant person God created you to be? Of course you do!, We all want that for ourselves and those we love.
The question is, how do we know what we are called to do?
These questions cannot be found in books or by asking others. Only by spending time in prayer will be begin to understand our life’s mission that we are uniquely qualified to accomplish. It doesn’t matter how young or old you are. God controls time and can catapult you to make up for a lifetime of bad decisions, once you begin to honor Him and his plan for you.
There’s no one way to pray. The key is to open your heart and decide to make this a priority. Lent is the perfect time to start. Why wait any longer? True joy awaits you.
Be Smart
Really? Yes! Turn your smart phone into a tool of inspiration. Why not get a daily email with God’s word, a short reflection and prayer? Simpler than having to remember to do this every day, just click and you are in prayer. Consider joining the email list of Flame of Love, or Matthew Kelly – Best Lent Ever
Want to get more out of the Mass you are attending? Having difficulty hearing or understanding the scripture readings or the responsorial psalm? Have you noticed some of your fellow parishioners using their phones during mass. They’re not texting, thy are reading the Word of God along with the lector and priest. Consider a free app ‘iBreviary‘ that the contains all these and other prayers. Especially powerful is the section on prayers, the ‘thanksgiving after mass’ after receiving Communion.