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March 5, 2019
"Faith is a flame that grows stronger the more it is shared and passed on."
-- Pope Francis
No matter who shows up at the Tybee Post; no matter their reaction, I am excited for this opportunity to share our Catholic faith. If you plan to come, please join with me in trying to create a welcoming atmosphere. Try to avoid any judgmental thoughts or words, which no doubt would be a sure deterrent for anyone considering Christ and His Church.
While most Catholics can be too laid back in sharing their faith, we want to be careful of going to the opposite extreme. If you perceive that someone might have an interest in being a part of our faith community, don’t push too hard. Conversion is a process and we need to be open to a person’s objections and questions. Our family and friends and especially our God might be on a different time line than ours. In any case, I hope this will be an exciting and fun event for our faith community.
Giving up something for Lent fosters self-discipline and tempers our desires. It is a form of fasting. It is a form of penance. It promotes spiritual growth. Most of us have been in the habit of giving up a favorite “something” for Lent for many years. Being somewhat of a smart aleck, I always tell folks that I’m giving up vodka and calf’s liver for Lent, neither of which I’ve consumed in years and years.
If you're giving up something for Lent, that's great. But think also about the possibility of doing something positive to bolster your spiritual life and make the world a better place. Look for ways that you can increase your knowledge of your faith, strengthen your spiritual life or perform special acts of mercy and kindness at home, at work, in our parish or in your community. I’d love to see more folks coming to daily Mass for Lent.
10 suggestions for making the season more meaningful:
1. Slow Down - Set aside 10 minutes a day for silent prayer or meditation. It will revitalize your body and your spirit.
2. Read a good book - You could choose the life of a saint or a book on spirituality. I plan to read Haley Stewart’s The Grace of Enough.
3. Be kind - Go out of your way to do something nice for someone else every day.
4. Attend the Stations of the Cross on Wednesdays followed by a Soup Lunch.
5. Volunteer – We always need more help with the liturgical ministries. And we are in critical
need of volunteers at the Thrift Shop. Try just two hours a week.
6. Reach out - Invite an inactive Catholic to come to Church or see Convinced with you. 7. Pray - Especially for people you don't like and for people who don't like you.
8. Tune out - Turn off the screen and spend quality time talking with family members or friends.
9. Clean out a closet - Donate gently used items to the Thrift Shop.
10. Donate — Make sure you contribute to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal to help the mission
of the Church in South Georgia, but then also be mindful of the Church Universal by
contributing to Rice Bowl.
Stations of the Cross
Wednesdays during Lent at 12:15pm
Followed by a Soup Lunch
Trinity Mass
Sunday, March 31st
10am at the Tybee Pier
Fr. Jerry Ragan
