Happy Second Sunday of Lent!
As a Michigan man, I praise God for the gift of the seasons, which makes me especially grateful for the arrival of the month of March. I am now officially allowed to bid adieu to my fond feelings for snow and winter and forge a new alliance with the promise of springtime. I’m certainly not alone among us who have hazy, distant memories of what sunshine looks like. We’ve seen it in photos before; our forefathers have told us of dazzling rays which once cast strong shadows upon the earth. Having now hibernated through months of cloud cover, we await a new creation when the illustrious Vitamin D decides to re-enter the chat.
Our journey through the Lenten season draws us closer to the solemn feast of Easter, which is not only the celebration of our Lord’s rising in victory over death, but also the celebration of new birth in our Catholic family. I was talking with my parents and siblings recently, and my mom found this commentary on the Diocese of Lansing website that I thought was wonderful to share. For your edification: this year across the diocese, there will be 940 men, women, and children who will be brought fully into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. Of those, 380 are Catechumens (unbaptized, who will be baptized and will receive First Holy Communion and Confirmation) and 560 are Candidates (already baptized, who will receive First Holy Communion and Confirmation). This represents the highest number of Easter converts—including the highest number of adult baptisms—in 20 years within our Diocese.
That’s an encouraging reminder of how the Spirit of God continues to move in our world, in spite of all the worry and tragedy that can run across the news headlines and through our social media feeds. At St. Robert, we are praying for three Catechumens and nine Candidates. Good Shepherd is welcoming an additional two Catechumens and four Candidates. Please remember to pray for these dear brothers and sisters of ours! They have been studying and preparing in earnest since last fall.
A brief change of gears: The annual Diocesan Services Appeal begins next weekend. This year I hope we can respond generously again for the good of the Church’s wider mission across the ten counties of our diocese. Our designated parish goal for 2026 is $16,638.00. We will join all parishes March 7th/8th, for DSA Commitment Weekend, with envelopes in the pews that we will fill out together and collect at homily time, as usual. I’ll speak more at Mass about it.
Offer up a few prayers this week for the spring thaw to arrive soon! Blessings upon your Lenten penances—stay strong, stay close to the Lord.
Fr. Brian