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My brothers and sisters in Christ,
Prayers for a blessed Lent! On Ash Wednesday, we heard the Prophet Joel in the first reading for the day’s liturgy call us to “return to the Lord with your whole heart!” How we need to do that this year as we seek to rest in Our Lord’s merciful Sacred Heart as we watch on television the horrific situation in the Ukraine with more than two million women and children fleeing their homes and homeland to Poland and other neighboring countries. Our hearts are indeed broken as we call out in prayer to our loving Father for all Ukrainians even as we assist them financially and in so many other ways.
This unsettling time also occurs as we are just coming to a new and better place with the terrible worldwide pandemic which has turned our lives upside down and has created so much suffering and loss for so many. Others of us are still recovering from the damaging effects of Hurricane Ida. These situations and others have made us feel isolated and disconnected at times as we also see the fragility of life and peace, which can be unsettling too.
So yes, now is the time to return to the Lord and to draw closer to Him, clinging to Him with our whole heart. I encourage all of us to embrace more prayer this Lent which will sustain us and guide us. In addition to Sunday Mass, consider attending daily Mass when you are able to during Lent, or to stop in our churches for a visit with the Blessed Sacrament and our mother, Mary.
Another prayerful opportunity we have is to attend the Stations of the Cross on Fridays. It is a wonderful Lenten prayer that immerses us in the Lord’s paschal mystery. Pray as a family, even before meals if you do not normally do so. Take a moment, too, as you begin your day to ask the Lord to guide you throughout the day, and at the end of it, reflect on how God might have guided you during the day, and thank Him for the graces you received. As you know, for our 40th anniversary, in my recent Pastoral Letter, I asked us all to increase our prayer during this anniversary year, deepening our friendship with Jesus, and Lent is an opportune time to do so.
I also encourage you to embrace another priority of this anniversary year, the 40 Works of Mercy, so that we put our faith into action, for as St. James reminds us “faith without works is dead.” There are many opportunities for us to do spiritual and corporal works of mercy that take place during this Lenten season. Pray for others in need, participate in operation Rice Bowl and Friday Fish Fries, and don’t forget to contribute to collections, like the one we recently had that supported Ukrainian relief efforts. These are just some of the ways we can help those in need of food, housing, or other necessities of life, and assist those who are sick or in prison. Of course, wouldn’t it be wonderful if each household supported the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, which reaches out to so many in need of physical, pastoral, and spiritual support throughout our diocese. You do a wonderful act of mercy by supporting this diocesan wide effort to assist those in need.
These past days during the beginning of Lent, I have been so encouraged by my visits to our parishes and schools, and by my conversations with many of you about the large number of people who came for Ash Wednesday Masses and services. Thanks be to God!
Hopefully this Lent becomes a time of recommitment to attending Sunday Mass, increased prayer and works of mercy. Why shouldn’t it be as the words of the prophet Joel on Ash Wednesday hit home, “return to me with your whole heart!” It is by resting in the Lord, that we find our source of Peace and Love which does not change, and it is the place where our hearts are made more unto like Our Lord’s Sacred Heart, beating in love for others.
I am thinking about you each day during Lent, offering prayers and sacrifices for you. I am praying for a blessed Lent for you all. May it truly be a time of more fully returning to the Lord for all of us.
Know of my appreciation for your commitment to the faith and your good witness during these challenging, sometimes confusing, and scary times. God always awaits us, and so desires our further turning to Him each day. Know of my love and prayers for you, and I ask for a remembrance of me in your prayers too; I need them as I strive to serve you as best as I am able.
Most Reverend James F. Checchio, JCD, MBA
Bishop of Metuchen
