“Each year you give us this joyful season [of Lent] when we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery with mind and heart renewed,” reads the First Preface of Lent. Shouldn’t Lent create in us sorrow and joyless faces until Easter morn? Is Holy Mother the Church wrong in telling us to be joyful during Lent? Not likely.

If Jesus’ life is seen as climaxing with death, there’s grave reason to be sad and hopeless. But, we’re not just talking about death, here, but about the ‘paschal mystery’: the death-and-rising of our Lord, Jesus. Hence, when one savors the whole significance of Jesus’ life-death-resurrection, one cannot but overflow with joy: evangelii gaudium!

Wednesday, March 6 we begin our Lenten journey. Ash-Wednesday we have two Masses: 8:30 AM and 7 PM. Fridays in Lent we gather together in the Church to pray the Stations of the Cross. You could come either at 2 PM or at 7 PM to pray the Stations of the Cross. Let us make use this beautiful time to grow closer to the Lord.

Don’t give up something for Lent but reflect on how we could change our-self to be better people. Examine your conscience and find out that one thing that’s holding you from becoming better version of yourself. Let’s make effort to become better version of our-self as children of God for the Word of God invites us to an ever more authentic conversion of heart.

In the midst of our daily concerns Jesus challenges us through this Sunday’s Gospel to do our level best to produce good fruit. Jesus invites us to have complete trust and confidence in him in the midst of the ups and downs, the losses and gains of everyday life. While we may not always be able to avoid producing bad fruit, we should focus on the times that we manage to produce good fruit.