Do you remember that old Looney Tunes cartoon with Frisky the puppy and Claude the house cat? It is the one where Claude, a yellow cat with a red-tipped tail, would be walking through the house minding his own business. Then, out of nowhere, Frisky the puppy would come up behind Him and start barking, "Yipe, yipe, yipe, yipe, yipe!!" Claude would get so scared that he would launch himself into the air and bury his claws into the ceiling. Then, after Frisky trotted away, the cat, with a perturbed look on his face, would peal his claws out of the ceiling one-by-one to the sound of, "Boink, boink, boink, boink ..." Hillarious! If you haven't seen it, Google it. I watched one just before writing this and it still makes me belly-laugh to the point of tears.
Well, that image comes to mind when I think of Lent just being a few days away. Like Claude the cat being startled by Frisky the puppy, we may be surprised and caught off guard by the sudden arrival of this season. "Lent?!" Lent has come quickly upon the heels of Christmas. But as the Scripture says, we cannot "let this day catch us off guard."
Lent, even though it is a penitential season, is an awesome time for renewal and rekindling of the fire of devotion. This bulletin outlines several opportunities this Lent for such a renewal.
Parish Mini-Mission (Feb. 12, 6:30-8:30 p.m.)
"Always at the Beginning" by Fr. Chad Arnold will focus on a mature attitude of spiritual growth and steps for success.
God Squad (Sun., Mon, Tue, Thurs., Fri. during Lent
A spiritual training program that operates much like a sports season but is focused on the spiritual skill rather than athletic skill. We will be focusing on the book Soul of the Apostolate, devotional prayers, and night prayer.
Parish Prayer & Bible Groups
We have several prayer groups and bible groups in our parish. Our parish office would love to help guide you through our many great options! You can also look them up on our website under Ministries -> Comprehensive List. If you find one to join, don't hesitate to reach out and get plugged in.
FORMED
FORMED is an online Catholic educational and entertainment video streaming platform that is open to all our parishioners. It also offers books, CDs, and classes concerning Catholic teaching and formation. I suggest finding fellow parishioners and meeting once a week in someone's house to watch one of the series. It is a great way to form yourself in the faith, as well as build your sense of community.
So, this Lent don't be startled like Claude the cat, because it so quickly approaches. Rather, get a plan in place for an awesome Lent. Do not hesitate to participate in one of these opportunities for faith formation we will have on our parish campus.
Father Jarrod Lies, Pastor