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Rector's ramblings - FEBRUARY 2005
We often hear in the Thanksgiving to New Year holiday time how important it is to “count our blessings.” Our Bethesda family made that exercise very real with generous end of year giving and heartening increases in pledges for 2005. We had great numbers at out Christmas services and a wonderful group of babies baptized the day after. We had so many young children at the 4pm Christmas Eve service that they stretched way down the aisle for my talk with them. I know for adults other than parents and grandparents the chaos at times can be a bit much for that service. We are planning to add some carols to the 12:10 service next year which will give another option for a musical celebration of Christmas. Of course the Midnight Mass is still the favorite with a full house, wonderful music, and an indescribable spirit of joy and wonder and thanksgiving to God for giving us so many blessings to count.
On a personal note I wish to thank all the knees in the Parish who came to me in my pain to assure that my knee surgery would go well. It did and I wish to thank all those other knees for their prayers and encouragement. I thank God as well for all I really wanted for Christmas was to kneel for Silent Night, which, with cushioned help I was able to do. Thanks to all for your understanding and care.
Believe it or not Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 9th with services at 6:45, 10, 12:10 during the day and in the evening at 7pm. Beginning Friday February 18th we add an early and brief 6:45 am Mass using Rite II for folks on their way to work. For those in town during the week we continue the Wednesday 12:10 celebration with the healing rite. On Sundays Fr. Evans continues with another set of education presentations at 9am in the Parish House. The 6:30am service is added to the Sunday schedule after a brief winter hiatus.
All groups will have special opportunities to observe Lent as we hope to provide you with a variety of devotional ways and times in which you may deepen your devotion in this time.
The traditional call is for the giving up of things to help us concentrate on our “core” selves through the avoidance of favorite items in our life style. If this means you end up losing weight, giving up smoking, or generally being healthier, that’s fine. Our Lord will be delighted with you. Even without such goals we can take on disciplines that involve avoidance of foods such as meat on Wednesdays and Fridays or favorite drinks which by avoiding we can remind ourselves of our discipleship to follow Jesus.
In recent times the call has been to take something extra on. More prayer, attendance at more services, volunteering, reading anything that helps one be reminded of our need to be near to the call of our Lord to serve and to be renewed in the knowledge of his words and ways are suggested.
Be realistic and have a plan, but build in flexibility for those special occasions or even unexpected events that would call for a relaxation of your discipline. Hold an image of Jesus close to you and sense that He only asks that you follow His Heavenly way more closely than our worldly way of life so that in the end we realize how little of this life is really needed for true happiness.
Our life is a journey with Jesus from beginning to end. The better we learn that now the easier the whole trip will be.
This year even Valentine’s Day falls in Lent along with the variety night and the pot-luck supper so there are lots of ways to lighten the journey that allows me to wish you a Happy Lent!
Thomas T. Parke
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