The Season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday which falls on February 22^nd this year.  On that day we will acknowledge our mortality, the reality that we will not escape bodily death.  At the same time we acknowledge God’s never-ending mercy towards us and the gracious gift of eternal life that we have received through the sacrifice of our Lord. 

In this season we commit ourselves to self-examination, that is, to honest reflection of our relationship with God so that we become aware of our sins.  When we do become aware of our sins, we repent and return to the Lord as we promised in our baptismal covenant.  We spend the days of Lent being more intentional than usual about prayer, fasting, and self-denial. Prayer is the language we use to communicate with God.  That is true for all Christians, and for many people who adhere to other faith traditions as well.  Ultimately what unites people of faith is not how we pray, or to whom we direct our prayers, but that we pray.  Prayer, as a language and expression of love and fidelity towards the Holy One, is the common denominator for all people of faith.

For our Lenten program this year, we have invited guests from other faiths and other Christian denominations to teach us about forms of prayer different from our own.  We will begin at 6 pm on Wednesday, February 29, 2012 with a light soup supper in the Parish Hall.  Then we’ll go into the church for the rest of the program from 6:30 until about 7:15.  The first Wednesday, Eric LeBlanc will guide us in praying the rosary of the Roman Catholic Church.  There will be a short time after our prayers for us to respond or ask questions about that particular form of prayer.  On subsequent Wednesdays we’ll follow the same time schedule.  I’ll let you know each week about the speaker for the following week.  I’m looking forward to a rich time of learning in this Lenten program.  Please reserve Wednesday evenings in Lent to be here at St. Thomas as we learn more about prayer together.

God bless you,

Pam +