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Bishop Parkes Invites Catholics to the Holy Door of the Confessional This Lent
“We are all sinners, yet we all have hope.”
“We are all sinners, yet we all have hope.”
March 5th is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of Lent, a six-week period of penance and spiritual preparation for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection at Easter. Bishop Parkes shares a Lenten message and invitation to all Catholics below:
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This Lent, I invite you to seek and receive God’s forgiveness. The ashes we receive on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday remind us that we are all sinners and yet we all have hope. Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation so that nothing would keep us from God's love. No sin is greater than God’s love and mercy.
During this Jubilee Year, the Holy Door is the door of the confessional. This is where you will encounter God’s love and mercy in a profound way.
Jesus is calling out to you as a beloved son and daughter, and He is waiting to meet you in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This is where you find healing and restoration – and where you can focus on what is truly life-giving. May you have a blessed Lenten Season!
Additional Information:
Everyone is welcome to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday, and it is one of the most attended church services of the year. During services on Ash Wednesday, the minister dips his or her thumb into black ashes and traces a cross on each person’s forehead. This gesture calls the participants to humility and conversion, reminding them of their mortality. The ashes used on Ash Wednesday are made by burning the palm leaves that were blessed on Palm Sunday during the previous year. To find a local Catholic church, visit www.parishnearme.org.
To view a video of the bishop's Lenten message, click below.