I am caught off guard by at least six or seven days/seasons every year. I’m inevitably stunned that Christmas is upon us, despite its constant presence  on the calendar. I have never once been prepared for the onslaught of snow. The only day that I seem to  see coming every year is what I call “Baseball Day,” which is the first day that the world smells like    baseball, and I buzz my head. So, it’s no surprise that Lent is now just around the corner, and other than the Lenten Mission and preliminary extra confession times that we’ve been planning, I have not done any personal spiritual preparation for this season of  stripping away our attachments and growing closer to Jesus.
 
This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, which means we only have a few days to discern how God is calling us to grow and change in order to be spiritually prepared for Easter. Inasmuch as every soul’s journey to God is unique, I’m not here to tell you what God     is asking of you. That said, as we approach the implementation of our new Family of Parishes, I humbly suggest, as your pastor, that you consider the following things to detach from and some suggestions of how to do so:
 
· Let go of “the way things have always been” and start praying about what could be. Too much complacency turns us towards ourselves and takes away an awareness of our mission to go out to the world and proclaim the Gospel. We have to find a balance between seeing our parish as our spiritual home that nourishes us and seeing it as the jumping off point that equips us and sends us out into the world. Ask God for the grace of  discernment, meditate on what is holding us back as a parish community, and resolve to do some fasting or other sacrifice for missionary zeal in our parishes. Bonus points if you pray for me and Fr. Jeff.

· Release any resentment over the current state of affairs. We are only getting two        full-time priests. We will have to cut Masses. You might have to change your Mass time or drive a few extra minutes. None of that is pleasant, but it’s time to grieve our losses, buck up, and then let go of the age of convenience Christianity. Ask God for the grace of abandonment to His Providence, meditate on how God cares for us even in times of trouble, and give up habits of  negativity and pessimism.
 
· Diminish the level of control that technology has in your life. This one doesn’t deal          specifically with Beacons of Light, and it sounds cliché, but (almost) all of us can      benefit from restricting our access to social media, news outlets, mindless games, and scrolling. Find a balance in life that allows you to be present to God, to one another, and to take time in silence.
 
May God bless our Family of Parishes abundantly as we approach this Holy Season, and transform us into ever holier disciples.