Sporting hearts on their clothing and ashes on their foreheads, diocesan Catholics marked the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday Feb. 14 also St. Valentine’s Day.
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge celebrated Mass in Burke Hall at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington. In his homily, Bishop Burbidge encouraged the faithful to reconsider their approach to Lent. “What will make this Lent different from others? What will make this Lent our best Lent ever?” he asked. “I think it’s important to resist the tendency on Ash Wednesday to begin by telling the Lord all that we are going to do for him these next 40 days.”
Bishop Burbidge encouraged people to begin their Lenten journey by reflecting on God’s promises of mercy and forgiveness. “He longs to forgive us of our sins, to bestow his mercy upon us, to allow us to begin anew, to become a new creation. The Lord promises us to give us that gift that we need, that gift of holy perseverance,” he said.
Acts of prayer, fasting and almsgiving are important during Lent but can only be done with God’s grace, Bishop Burbidge said. “Rely totally and completely on his grace and his mercy and abundant spiritual blessings,” he said. “If this is the way we will carry out the sacred journey, then this Lent will be different from all others, and with God’s grace, our best Lent ever.”
