Catholics around the diocese were encouraged to fast, pray and give alms during Mass and prayer services on Ash Wednesday Feb. 22 — the start of Lent. The dark ashes imposed on their foreheads served as a reminder of mortality and mortification at the start of the liturgical period of preparation for Easter.
At a morning Mass at St. Mary of Sorrows Church in Fairfax, Deacon Nicholas J. LaDuca suggested that during Lent, Catholics could attend daily Mass more often, pray the rosary, go to confession and meditate on the sorrows of Mary, which are colorfully depicted in the stained-glass windows high above the tabernacle.
At noon Mass at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge asked Massgoers to rejoice even in this penitential season. “On this Ash Wednesday, Jesus tells us in the Gospel not to be ‘gloomy.’ This sacred season is indeed a time to rejoice as we embark on our Lenten journey and respond to the invitation to grow closer to Jesus, to grow in holiness, to repent and to be faithful to the Gospel,” he said.
Bishop Burbidge encouraged attendees to give prayer the priority in their lives and to support parish ministries that serve those in need. He asked that they identify the things Jesus is asking them to be detached from. “There’ll be no void. It is in that fasting that we allow more space for God and for others in our lives,” he said. “May he abundantly bless you with his love and mercy throughout this sacred season so that this will be your best Lent ever.”
