The Lenten Parish Mission: An Opportunity to Prioritize Your Faith

For Catholics, there are many things that come to mind when thinking of the season of Lent — from ashes on your forehead, to fish on Fridays, to fasting and making other acts of penance. While Lent this year will still be quite a bit different from normal, it is still an opportunity to refocus on what really matters — our relationship with Christ and His Church.

This year, St. Michael hopes to encourage this pursuit with our Lenten Mission, which will take place Monday, March 8, and Tuesday, March 9, at 7:00 PM.

“The intention of the mission is to really help people to have a spiritual experience, a spiritual revival,” says Tracy Gomes, Chair of the Stewardship Council. “In this time of pandemic and isolation, that is something we could all use, not just our parishioners, but the broader community as well. We hope this mission will awaken Christ’s spirit of hope, mercy and love in those Catholics who have fallen away or those who may be thinking about the Catholic faith.”

Our special guest speaker for the Lenten mission will be Chris Padgett. Chris will share a unique perspective on the faith, helping us to go deeper into what it means to receive God’s love and live as part of His family, as well as what it looks like to be part of a human family, living your vocation at home.

“Chris is a dynamic speaker and is able to speak to a variety of folks,” Tracy says. “He’s well-founded in his Catholic faith and for those who may be a little more doctrinal, there will be nuggets there for them, while for others who may be exploring the faith, we think he’ll have a message that resonates with them, as well.”

Lent is the perfect time to step out of our typical routine and go deeper in our faith, in preparation for the celebration of Easter. Although life is still not “back to normal” for many of us, it can still be challenging to prioritize our faith in the midst of our everyday lives, even if our “everyday” has changed. The Church gives us the season of Lent as an intentional opportunity to step back and make changes, where necessary.

“We are bombarded — even in this isolation,” Tracy says. “To be able to step away and hear someone different can be refreshing and enlivening, energizing and renewing.”

Tracy encourages fellow parishioners to make a priority of attending the mission and hopes that they will encourage others, whether parishioners or not, to take advantage of this opportunity to grow in faith.

“Open your lives to the message of God and the salvation that awaits, as we go through the suffering, death and resurrection, to new life,” Tracy says.

Visit our website, www.smcchurch.org/parish-mission, for more information on our Lenten Parish Mission, or contact parishioner Mary Morehead at marymorehead@outlook.com. You can also learn more about Chris Padgett and his ministry at www.chrispadgett.com.

Chris Padgett will be presenting our Lenten Mission.