LENT - A FORTY DAY RETREAT

LENT - A FORTY DAY RETREAT Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel! Believers begin this holy season speaking those words as their foreheads are marked with ashes in the form of a cross. This is a timely and critical reminder that we are only temporary citizens of this world, a people destined for eternity with God. So we begin the journey of Lent, forty days spent with the Lord who has destined us to share His resurrection. The Feast of the Resurrection, which we call Easter and the ancients called the Great Sunday, was the day to celebrate our destiny. Just as the Lord Jesus spent forty days in the desert preparing for His new life, we spend forty days preparing for this great day of our destiny through fasting, prayer and works of charity. During Lent, we imitate Christ by entering a spiritual desert created by a conscious effort to simplify our lives. Fasting from unnecessary preoccupations and diversions, eating more simply, living more quietly, gives us the time and opportunity to realize our hunger for God. This hunger leads to prayer, the talking and listening to God which centers a Christian's life. Finally, what we have given up through our fasting should also be given away. Others, especially those less fortunate, are blessed by our "giving up and giving away". Our charity enables us to live as those who know that our lives are only lent to us. The journey of Lent leads us through a spiritual desert of our own choosing so that we can grow toward the Great Passover of the Lord Jesus: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter. It begins with a simple commitment: a cross of ashes - a reminder that life in this world is only temporary. We can be more, our lives can mean more, our temporary stay in this world can make a difference. So we turn away from sin through fasting, prayer and charity. We seek to grow in Christ and the promise of the Gospel. + ASH WEDNESDAY IS FEB. 14 + A Newsletter of St. Mary Magdalen Parish 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF ST. MARY MAGDALEN PARISH On Sat., Jan 13th we opened our 25th year with a celebration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist with Bishop Boyea and a magnificent reception afterwards. Thanks to all who made it so special! COMING: NEW CHURCH FAMILY PHOTO DIRECTORY! Universal Church Directory will be coming to our parish April 24 through May 5 to photograph our families/parishioners and help us create our 25th Anniversary Church Directory! Watch for sign ups in the Gathering Area! PHOTOS AND STORIES! If you have photos you took at parish events, ministries in action, etc., please email them to: photos@saintmarymagdalen.org. We are also looking for stories of how the parish has been important to you and your family. You can email your story to Skip Dorrington: maskip25@gmail.com. Please send us your stories and pictures to use throughout 2018 as a way of celebrating our anniversary between the scheduled events. Phone: (810) 229-8624 Fax (810) 229-6471 On the Web: www.saintmarymagdalen.org

LENT A JOURNEY OF FAITH For Christians, Lent is a journey. The prayer, fasting, penance and reflection of these forty days is meant to prepare us to live the life of Christ more fully. Catechumen, candidates and the whole Church seek the fullness of Christ's life. Beyond our personal lenten practices and the small faith sharing groups, our parish community offers the following ways for our members to be nourished and grow through these days of Lent: MORNING LITURGY: Daily Eucharist, being fed on the Word of God and the Bread of Life, has been a part of our lenten observance since the early Middle Ages. Weekday morning Liturgies are celebrated in Holy Cross Chapel at 9 am on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday. MONDAY EVENING PRAYER: Since the days when we were still a part of the synagogue, the community of believers joined together to pray in the evening. Using the Scriptures, we gather to raise our voices in prayer. This short service (approximately 30 minutes) will include a reflection on the themes of Lent. Evening Prayer will be celebrated at 7 pm on Mondays in Holy Cross Chapel. WEDNESDAY EVENING LITURGY: Many cannot participate in the morning Liturgy during the week. This evening Liturgy offers these folks the opportunity to feed on the Word and the Bread of Life. The Evening Liturgy will be celebrated on Wednesdays at 7 pm in Holy Cross Chapel. FRIDAY: THE WAY OF THE CROSS: St. Francis of Assisi set up the first Stations of the Cross in Jerusalem and created the prayer service that would help pilgrims commemorate that last journey of the Lord. He re-created these stations in parish churches so that all the faithful might also walk those last miles with Christ. Our celebration of the Way of the Cross will include a reflection on the meaning of one of the stations. The Way of the Cross will be prayed on Fridays at 7 pm. ON FAST AND ABSTENANCE DURING LENT No one is obligated to fast or abstain during Lent as a matter of Church law except on Ash Wednesday & Good Friday. Abstaining from meat on the Fridays of Lent is strongly recommended for all those who have made their First Communion. Fasting during all of Lent (except on Sundays - when we always celebrate the resurrection) is also recommended for all those who are Confirmed. Any one whose health would be adversely affected by the traditional fast or abstinence should, of course, choose another form of penance during Lent. THANKS AND PRAISE from Sr. Maryetta Churches We would like to thank Lori Aranguren, Harold Allen, Mary Clark, Rob Carpenter, Arnold Nietzke, the youth from our parish and from St. Pat s for all the hard work they did to assemble the Christmas trees and put on the lights this past Christmas season. We would also like to thank Dick and Mary Walker, Kathy Reichardt, Dan Tuthill, Kathleen Gehring, and Mark Wolf, for putting up the wreaths, garland, lights, banners and flags and all of the ongoing work that they do to maintain our space. You made the Christmas Environment so beautiful! COUNCIL COMMENDATIONS The Pastoral Council would like to commend all those who worked on our 25th year opening celebration! What a wonderful way to begin the year; The Liturgy, the great music,, the elegant reception and our community! Thanks to all who made this a lasting memory! Alpha was brought to St. Mary Magdalen through the efforts of the Alpha Core Team; Sandi Phillips, Jo Hofsess, Sr. Joyce Hoile, Kathleen Wyeth, Deacons Gary Prise and Devon Wolfe, Roxanne Hundsrucker, Margaret Callaghan, Stasia Eisenhut, and Erin Wolfe. The Pastoral Council commends the team for bringing the Alpha program to our parish and for their continued efforts and dedication to it s success. 2

RELIGIOUS FORMATION from Roxanne Hundsrucker LENT It is amazing how we move right out of the Christmas season and just as we begin to settle into the dark cold season of winter, the season of Lent appears. Can you believe Lent is here? Are you ready to make a change in your spiritual life right now? Every year (for the last few anyway) about this time I begin my preparation. If I do not take time to prepare for my Lenten spiritual journey it creeps up on me and I miss a window of opportunity February 14 is Ash Wednesday, the opening of the season of Lent. The ashes symbolize the dust from which God made us, and we are also reminded to repent. The outward sign of the ashes we Christians wear on Ash Wednesday is not only for our own faith life but for the faith life of other Christians. This is not required of course, but every bit of help we get from sacramental to strengthen our faith is a bonus. So my challenge would be to attend the Ash Wednesday service or Liturgy and go out shopping that evening, or other activities you can wearing your ashes to maximize the opportunity to share your commitment to Christ with others. Make a plan today, it is not too soon to plan your Ash Wednesday experience and your own personal Lenten journey. IMPORTANT DATES FOR PARENTS / FAMILIES Ash Wednesday We do not have religious formation classes on Ash Wednesday. All children of the religious formation program are encouraged to attend one of the Ash Wednesday services on February 14. There will be an Evening Prayer service at 5 pm and a Liturgy at 7 pm. Solemn Penance (4 th grade): Saturday, February 17 is our Solemn Penance Retreat 8:45 am noon. This retreat is for all 4th grade children and their parents. They will then participate in a Family Solemn Penance service February 22 or 24. Sixth Grade Temple Trip: All 6th grade students are encourage to attend the Temple trip in March. Watch for more information soon! 9 th grade Confirmation Candidates: Alpha for Youth Food has a way of bringing people together and building community. So even if it s a light snack, sweets or a full meal, Alpha always starts with food. Faith talks that tackle core questions about life and faith from a Christian perspective. Fun All of this is done in a young adult/youth led setting. This is an environment where anyone is welcome. Journey with Jesus: We are in early planning stages for this summer s Journey with Jesus Vacation Bible School. If you are interested in being a part of our leadership team, please contact me for more information. We are looking for 3-4 new people to join our team. Parents, mark your calendar for July 30 - August 3. Religious Formation Registration for the 2018-2019 School Year In early April, right after Easter, we will begin registration for fall classes for kindergarten through grade 10. Watch for registration information in the bulletin. The reason for early registration is two-fold. Since we do all registration in person, it provides an opportunity for parents to register who know that a specific night and time will continue to work for them. This early registration also provides the opportunity to see if additional catechists will be needed for specific grades. 3

THE JOURNEY OF LENT ON THE JOURNEY from Erin Wolfe As we head into Lent, we are entering into the busiest time for our RCIA participants. On March 5 TH, we will celebrate the Rite of Election with Bishop Boyea. This is where Jesus, through the Church, calls each of them to enter fully into the life of the Church through the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist on Holy Saturday night. At the Rite of Election, they answer this call affirmatively. In preparation for this, St. Mary Magdalen Parish will send them to the Bishop with prayer and blessing. Please join our community in this by participating in the Rite of Sending on Sunday, February 26 at the 9am Mass. Also, please continue to pray for our Catechumen and Candidates as they journey through the desert of Lent, looking to the Living Water that is Jesus. LENT - A TIME OF CHANGE from Diane Kubus Lent is an opportunity for the whole community to reflect on the meaning of Jesus' life, death and resurrection -- as that core reality touches and transforms all of our lives. Conversion is the change that happens not only during Lent but throughout our lives when we allow God to love us, reform us and refashion us into men and women who value each other and our relationships - in self-sacrificing love. It is that experience of putting on Christ over a lifetime, appropriating his vision and values, thinking and feeling with him, recognizing his pierced heart in the pierced heart of humanity --in a word, transformation. Pastor... Fr. David F. Howell pastor1@saintmarymagdalen.org Deacon... Dave Scharf deacon1@saintmarymagdalen.org Deacom... Jim Chevalier deacon2@saintmarymagdalen.org Deacon... Gary Prise deacon3@saintmarymagdalen.org Deacon... Devon Wolfe deacon4@saintmarymagdalen.org Formation Adults.....Sr. Joyce Hoile pastmin1@saintmarymagdalen.org PASTORAL STAFF Pastoral Minister Sr. Maryetta Churches pastmin2@saintmarymagdalen.org Youth Ministry...Margaret Callaghan yminister1@gmail.com Faith FormationRoxanne Hundsrucker dre1@saintmarymagdalen.org R.C.I.A. & Infant Baptism.. Erin Wolfe baptisms@saintmarymagdalen.org Liturgist/IT Specialist... Diane Kubus liturgist@saintmarymagdalen.org Pastoral Musician... Steve Schulte steve@colleengleason.com Ash Wednesday, February 14, the entire Church enters into this annual retreat called, Lent a fortyday period; the time to take that deeper look into ourselves and our lives, focusing especially on the areas where we need to change and grow. Through prayer and reflection we encounter God with a deeper awareness of His grace. We move through and experience a time of preparation and enlightenment toward the Great Vigil. If you have never celebrated the Easter Vigil, you have missed out on a night like no other. Celebrated over the three days of the great Triduum, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. It is one great Liturgy spread over three days. You will want to come back every year. I guarantee it. Preschool... Kathie Anderer preschool1@saintmarymagdalen.org Bookkeeper...Dave Wisniewski bookkeeper@saintmarymagdalen.org Form. Admin. Asst. Karen MacDonald sect2@saintmarymagdalen.org Admin. Asst.... Gayle Zawisa sect3@saintmarymagdalen.org Admin. Asst.... Sandi Phillips sect4@saintmarymagdalen.org Admin. Asst.... Diane Whiton sect5@saintmarymagdalen.org Maintenance... Dan Tuthill maint1@saintmarymagdalen.org 4

OF FAITH & SERVICE from Sr. Joyce Hoile OSF Evangelization / Inviting Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10: 13. How can they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How can they believe in Him of whom they have not heard - correctly? How can they hear without someone to speak to them and to show them? And how can they know unless they are approached or invited? During the Lent and Easter seasons, the Parish offers a variety of activities, so consider coming and bringing a friend with you. Come and Dance at St. Mary Magdalen Since Valentine s Day lands on Ash Wednesday this year, mark your calendars for Saturday, February 10, 7-9 pm for a dance at St. Mary Magdalen. Invite your sweetheart or come alone to enjoy the music and the people. Teens and adults are welcome. Invite your friends. Consider bringing an elderly person or someone who would not drive at nighttime. We ask you to sign up at the Activity Board so we know how to prepare. Adult Confirmation Classes Any Adult or High School Student who would like to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on Pentecost Sunday, May 20, at the 11am Mass is invited to attend 6 preparatory classes. They will be here at St. Mary Magdalen, Tuesday evenings, April 10 May 15 from 7-9pm. High School Students must have permission from their Pastor. Please contact Sr. Joyce if interested. OPPORTUNITIES DURING LENT BREAD AND SOUP SUPPERS Again this year we will have a Lenten Soup Supper at 6 pm on Fridays during Lent prior to the Stations of the Cross at 7 pm. The ALMS received from the meals will go to Magdalen s Kitchen. Families, couples, singles, take the opportunity at least once, to refrain from cooking and come to enjoy a simple meal together in the name of Christ s poor. Please sign up if you are coming and/or can bring meatless soup or breads. PALM CRAFTS The weekend of March 24, 25 is Palm Sunday when we will participate a bit more by participating with Palm Crafts after each of the Masses in the Community Room. Children and adults who know how to create a cross, a crown of thorns, a flower, a spray of wheat, or any other, please share your skill with others after the Mass you attend that weekend. Please sign up if you can do this task so we know how many tables to reserve. 50 + SENIORS ANNUAL LENTEN RETREAT St. Agnes Parish in Fowlerville will host our Retreat this year and provide lunch on Wednesday, February 21. Father David Rosenberg from St. Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt will give two talks: Praying as Jesus Taught us: Prayers of Adoration and secondly, Prayers of Mission and Petition. Tickets are required for $9, which covers lunch and Speaker. Tickets are limited so please see Sr. Joyce soon to reserve or get your ticket. Cash is accepted and if writing a check, make it payable to LCCC = Livingston County Catholic Charities. ANUAL SEDER MEAL Wed., March 28, 6:30 pm Wednesday, March 28, 6:30 pm for school age children and Adults. Catholics celebrate the Seder Meal in recognition of our Jewish faith on the eve before Holy Thursday. Father Dave will lead us in the Haggadah Ritual and Meal. Please see Bulletin Board in the Gathering Space to sign up and/or bring a dish for the potluck meal. 5

YOUTH MINISTRY NEWS from Margaret Callaghan NATIONAL CATHOLIC YOUTH CONFERENCE (NCYC) In January I held an information meeting for our annual week-long work service trip with the National Relief Network. The trip is scheduled for July 29-Aug 3. If you are interested in participating this year and would like more information contact Margaret Callaghan via email. We will be selling Dearborn Meats during Lent to help offset the $550 cost of the trip. Forms for this fundraiser were handed out. The Passion on Good Friday We will begin the Passion Reenactment rehearsals on Sunday, Feb. 18th and every Sunday thereafter through Palm Sunday from 3-5pm in the worship space. Contact Margaret Callaghan at yminster1@gmail.com to volunteer as a participant. Any students in 8-12 grades are encouraged to be a part of it. Youth Alpha I am excited to begin the Youth Alpha sessions this month with the 9th grade Confirmation prep students. Sessions begin Sunday Feb 11 and run every Sunday evening from 6:30-8:30pm, w/optional participation till 9pm in the open gym and youth room through April. Registration is necessary for all 10-12 grade high school students. We will provide a simple dinner every week. Regular participation is expected to create trust and real friendship within each small group. Our group will meet February 11th and 18th for the Youth Alpha and then on March 4th, 11th and 18th. Plan to be a part of the Youth Alpha program. Think about spending the season of Lent growing in friendship with one another and deepening your relationship with Jesus. Lent Opportunities Time goes by so fast these days and if we don t take the time to slow down and just be, we miss the little things in life; we miss special moments with loved ones or quiet conversations that last for hours. Lent begins this month exactly on Valentines Day! A day full of love, hearts and flowers. Take this opportunity to quiet your thoughts and revisit any resolutions you declared for 2018 and be with God. Ask him to help you, to be with you and to give you strength. Dive head first into the season of Lent and take a time out with God to rekindle your relationship with Him. Our middle school youth group meets the second and fourth Monday of every month from 7-8:30pm in the youth room. All students in 6-8th grade are welcome! We gather for hot topics, active games, food and friendship. We will meet on Feb. 12th and 26th. In March we will only meet once on Monday the 12th. Saturday March 10th the Diocese holds a Middle School Rally that we plan to participate in. Mark your calendars now and look for registration material to come soon via email and as handouts at our meetings. See the MiddleSchoolRallyFlyer.pdf from the Diocese. EDGE (for 6, 7 8 Grades) 6

CHARITY AND JUSTICE from Ken Kuna Charity is the response to an immediate need; justice seeks to end the need. So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2:17 The recent holidays were a busy time for Charity and Justice, as it is every year. And the organizations we supported were very grateful for the support from all of you. 736 tags were taken from the Advent Tree, led by Jeanne Penneau, which is a record in recent history. Thanks to the leadership of Leo Hanifin and Doug Fekete, clients at Catholic Charities of Genesee and Shiawassee Counties continue to benefit from your generous support of Faith in Flint from HOPE in a Box. We also sold out of items supporting Right To Life, a project organized by Jan Carpenter. Through the efforts of Ginny McMullen and Joan Brown, we provided personal items and Bibles for victims of human trafficking in Detroit. SENIOR TREE OF LIFE During Lent, we will renew the Senior Tree of Life, benefitting senior clients at Livingston County Catholic Charities, the Senior Centers in Brighton, Hartland and Howell, and Medilodge of Howell. Please take a tag or two. SEVERE WEATHER NETWORK We are also looking for volunteers to help with the Severe Weather Network; overnight sleeping accommodations for homeless coordinated by Love INC. Volunteers are needed in a number of roles from Feb. 25 to Mar. 3. There are a variety of opportunities so look for the signup sheets on the Charity and Justice table in the Gathering Area. ON THE RISE BAKERY, an effort by the Franciscans in Detroit to provide jobs for parolees, will return to the Parish on April 14 and 15. The last time they visited, they sold out of their baked goods, so come early. WELCOME New Members DECEMBER / JANUARY Janet & Mike Hack Fowlerville Sarah & Brent Johnson Howell Sofija Nikic & Tony Ivezaj Anna & Aleks Milford Kelly & Brett Karwowski Brett, Bryce, Brynn & Brody Howell Dianne & John Kritzman Howell Drita & Lou Lucaj Gabriella, Emma, Nico, & Olivia Milford Roy Mantay Milford, MI Angie & Brett Ronzi Marisa & Ethan Highland David Eric Scharf Hartland Ellen & Greg Walega Howell Kyle & Heather Richardson Avery, Andrew & Amelia Howell Geoff & Rachel Yelen Carter & Graeme Brighton Finally, about two years ago, groups from the parish took part in small group meetings to discuss the encyclical Laudato Si. Many good suggestions for projects to benefit our environment came from those groups. We took those suggestions and, this year, based on those ideas, we are planning a project at Kensington Metro Park. Charity & Justice is working with the park administration to pick a project and a Saturday in April. Keep an eye on the bulletin for more details. 7

MAGDALEN S PRESCHOOL from Kathie Anderer Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 We are very busy at preschool working on our Valentine celebration, our Open House for enrollment for the 2018-2019 school year (Open House is Sat., Feb. 10-5:30-6:30pm and Sunday, Feb. 11-10:30am- 1pm), and of course for the highlight of our school year our VIP night. We do not have daytime school on March 5th and instead we will bring some very special guests to night school that evening to show them what a day in the life of a preschooler is all about. We have such fun!! (there will not be school on Tuesday, March 6th.) We are starting to work on enrollment for next school year. You can download an application from www.saintmarymagdalen.org and go under Preschool. The preschool phone line is 810.229.0010. If you or someone you know is looking for a spot for next year, we would love to have you join us. We offer classes for 3, 4, and 5 year olds. We offer a Young 5 class and also an Older 3 class. This is to accommodate those children that are affected by the new state guidelines. All children must be 5 by September 1st now to be able to go to kindergarten. Give us a call or come in and talk to us and we can give you all the details. If you feel that your child is not quite ready for a full day of school and would benefit from another year of growth please feel free to talk with one of our teachers and find out how you might benefit from our Early 5 s program. Mrs. Sue Abraham runs that class and she would be happy to fill you in. We have a field trip planned for the Ann Arbor Hands on Museum; always such a fun place to go. Easter comes early this year. I hope that we are running out of cold weather and that it will be a little warmer anyway. Have a wonderful Easter and God s blessings to you and your families. KNIGHTS CORNER from Ryan Bosn, St. Mary Magdalen Council 12295 gk12295@mikofc.org The Domestic Church is a term nearly as old as Christianity. The term refers to the family, the smallest body of gathered believers in Christ. Your family mirrors the larger Church. A great way to think of it is by picturing the Church as an organization having four levels. There is the Universal Church led by the pope and all bishops in union with him. There is the local diocesan church, led by its local bishop. There is our parish church here at St. Mary Magdalen, led by Father Dave. Finally there is this fourth and most important layer of Church: your family, the Domestic Church. The family, led by the parents, is the first place we are introduced to God. The family is where we first learn to love, to sacrifice, to pray, to forgive and ask forgiveness, and to serve others on a daily basis. The Knights of Columbus can help you to strengthen your domestic church. We can help you to keep the promises you made for your children at their Baptism. Fathers are the key determinant in the practice of the faith by their children. As a member of our Knights of Columbus council, your children will see an example of service to others and involvement with the parish. An introduction to God and an example of service are the greatest gifts you can give them. This gift will stay with them as they begin to make their own way in life. Men, I implore you join us as a member of our Knights of Columbus council. Your domestic church will be enriched by your example. Please contact me or any other Knight at Saint Mary Magdalen if you are interested in joining! Here are the events on our council calendar from Lent through the beginning of Easter: Pancake Breakfast (w/ Blue Mass) 2/11/18 Spaghetti Dinner 2/24/18 Pancake Breakfast 3/11/18 Tootsie Roll Drive 3/23 3/25/18 Major Degree 4/07/18 Hosted at St Mary Magdalen Mom to Mom Sale 4/14/18 Pancake Breakfast (w/ Blood Drive) 4/15/18 8

HOLY WEEK THE DAYS OF OUR SALVATION In March we celebrate a time like no other in the Church year: Holy Week. Unlike all other days of the year, these not only celebrate, but invite us to enter into the experience of the saving event of Jesus' Passover through death to life. The whole year leads up to and away from the last three days of Holy Week, called the Triduum. These three days stand as the pinnacle of our life and our hope! On PASSION (PALM) SUNDAY we go back in time and enter Jerusalem, a city filled with expectation. We welcome Christ with shouts of "hosannah"! Then, tragically; we stand with the same crowd and cry "crucify"! The Liturgies from Monday through Wednesday recall the quiet events leading up to the Triduum. On Wednesday evening, our parish will join together for a Jewish Seder meal, the same ritual meal which was the Last Supper of the Lord. Our sharing in this meal will help us to better understand Jesus, the new Lamb of the new Passover. Holy Week culminates with the Triduum (which means three days ). It is really a single Liturgy stretched over three days and three Liturgies. The pauses between these Liturgies enable us to go home and ponder what we have witnessed. On HOLY THURSDAY, we gather as the Lord's disciples around the table of His passover. Through the symbolic washing of feet or hands, we understand the love that led the Lord to endure such a humiliating death. Then we go with Him to the garden to watch and pray until midnight, the time of His arrest. On GOOD FRIDAY, through the Gospel of the Lord's Passion, we walk with Jesus in His final hours and stand at the foot of the cross to mourn the death brought about by sin. In the second part of the service, the assembly is invited to come before the cross to venerate and ponder its meaning. Finally, to show that the Lord of all compassion is with us in our suffering, we conclude with a simple Communion service. On HOLY SATURDAY, we celebrate the greatest of all Liturgies, the Great Mass of the Resurrection. In our darkened worship area which was stripped the day before as it became the tomb, now we light a new fire to symbolize Christ's victory over sin and darkness. Then through a series of readings we recount how God saved us through the promise and gift of His Son. After this extended Liturgy of the Word, we receive adults and youths into the Church and finally we share with them our most sacred gift, the Bread of Eternal Life. EASTER SUNDAY We continue the celebration from the evening before. The Masses include the renewal of Baptismal promises as we strive to live the new life Christ has given us through His death and resurrection. 9

THE DEACONS BENCH from Dave Scharf THE DEACONS PAGE Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: - Knowing when to come in out of the rain - Why the early bird gets the worm - Life is not always fair - And maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (do not spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-meaning but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further, when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. Common Sense lost the will to live, as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims did. Common Sense took a beating when you could not defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason. His four stepbrothers survive him: I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame, I am A Victim Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing, THE OTHER BENCH from Jim Chevalier Are we ready for the beginning of Lent, a time of penance and interior renewal to enable us to prepare for Easter? The Church s liturgy unceasingly invites us to begin again. Yet, even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful. But remember people that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Also, remember that despite this reminder we sometimes forget that without God we are nothing. Without God, all that remains of our accomplishments is that little pile of dust, in a dish, on the baptismal fount on Ash Wednesday. It is what the Church marks us with on our forehead, as though with our own substance. God wants us to detach ourselves from the things of the earth and return to him. He wants us to abandon sin, which makes us grow old and die, and for us to return to the fount of life and joy. Jesus Christ himself is the most sublime grace of the whole of lent. It is he who presents himself to us in all the wonderful simplicity of the Gospel. To turn our hearts towards God, to be converted, means that we must be prepared to use all our means to live as He expects us to live. We must be absolutely sincere with ourselves. We must try not to serve two masters. We must love God with our whole heart and soul, and flee from any deliberate sin in our lives. Each of us must do this whatever our personal circumstances may be as regards work, health, family, age and so on. 10

SERVANT OF MANY from Gary Prise THE DEACONS PAGE I ve always thought to change my behavior I must begin by changing my thinking. I may have put the cart before the horse. It seems when I have a new experience, I look at life from a slightly different perspective; often unlearning something rather than learning something. Before experiencing the new experience, new thinking is extremely challenging and unlikely. After experiencing the new experience, new behavior and new thinking comes more naturally and often becomes necessary. I also thought change begins and ends with me; I can change myself, all by myself. But change, the real work of change, is God s to do and mine to accept. Change comes by realizing my union with God and with others. Union with God involves prayer. Prayer has a way of bringing my thinking from a head activity to reflective activity in my heart. Prayer is about changing me, not changing God. It definitely involves far more listening than speaking on my part. Lord, lead me to new places with you, with life, and with others. Happy Lent! P.S. Let me know what you think; maybe I m all wet! OF FATITH, HOPE, AND LOVE from Devon Wolfe Lent is the time when we examine our relationship with Christ and allow him to show us how we can know him better. Since Christ is also supposed to be at the center of sacramental marriage relationships, it only makes sense that Lent is a perfect time to examine our life with our spouse as well, and to allow Christ and our spouse to show us how we can be better husbands or wives. But how do we do that? I d suggest that we can adapt the time-honored Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to our marriage relationships. First, let s look at prayer. Can I pray more frequently or fervently for my spouse? Even better, can I pray together with my spouse to allow us to place our needs before Christ as a couple? Erin and I have found that it s amazing how much we learn about each other just by hearing what the other asks God for. Second, there s fasting. We fast to remind us of our hunger for God. We can also fast in our lives from those things that we do individually that divert our attention from quality time together with our spouse. Maybe it s a good idea to turn off the TV or step away from the Internet and devote the time we gain back to quality time with the person we love the most. Third, we can give alms. Almsgiving is our practice of giving to those whose needs are not met. Which of my spouse s needs aren t being met? Is there pain in my spouse s life that I can help to alleviate? Does my spouse simply need me to listen to them with my heart without interrupting or commenting? It s amazing how much we can give just by being present and being attentive to our spouse s needs. And, sometimes it s the little things that we can do to make our spouse s day brighter that can go a long way toward a stronger relationship. Whatever you choose to do, I invite you to look at Lent as an opportunity to grow in your marriage relationship with Christ at the center. 11

ST MARY MAGDALEN PARISH 2201 S. Old U.S. 23 Highway Brighton, MI 48114-7609 (810) 229-8624 Fax (810) 229-6471 www.saintmarymagdalen.org Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Brighton, MI Permit #75 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED MARKING THE CALENDAR February 14 ASH WEDNESDAY - A day of fast & abstinence Morning Prayer with Ashes at 7 am Liturgy and Ashes at 9 am Evening Prayer with Ashes at 5 pm Liturgy and Ashes at 7 pm Feb. 18 (First Sunday of Lent) DAY OF ADORATION & PRAYER After the 11 am Liturgy, the Eucharist will be in the Day Chapel until 4 pm, when we will end our day with Evening Prayer. March 26 (Monday) COMMUNAL PENANCE SERVICE -- 7pm March 28 (Wednesday) SEDER MEAL -- 6:30pm Seating is limited! Sign up in the gathering area! March 29 (Holy Thursday) MASS OF THE LORD'S SUPPER -- 7:30pm Our celebration of Holy Thursday will begin with Morning Prayer at 8 AM. In the evening, after the Mass of the Lord's Supper, we will watch and pray with the Lord in Holy Cross Chapel from 9 pm until Tenebrae at 11:30. The night watch will end at midnight. March 30 (Good Friday) LITURGY OF THE LORD'S PASSION -- 7:30 pm 9 am Our celebration of Good Friday will begin with Morning Prayer. 1:00 pm A special Way of the Cross will commemorate the Lord's Passion and Death. 7:30 pm The traditional Good Friday Service, with the re-enactment of the Passion. March 31 (Holy Saturday) SOLEMN CELEBRATION OF EASTER -- 8 pm Our celebration of Holy Saturday will begin with Morning Prayer at 9 AM. In the evening we will celebrate the most important Liturgy of the year and the completion of the Lord's Passover through death to life! It is a Celebration of the Resurrection, rich in ancient symbolism. During the Liturgy new members are initiated into the Church through Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. We who have made the journey of Lent renew our Baptismal commitment as we strive to live the new life Christ has given us through His death and resurrection.