Get ready to grow in your faith life as we prepare to enter the Lenten season on Ash Wednesday, February 22.  On this and every Wednesday of Lent, we will, once again, have our popular soup and sandwich gathering at 5:00 p.m., followed by a presentation on our Catholic faith starting with some videos by Michael Cumby, a Catholic Lay Evangelist who is a former Evangelical minister.  We will then offer Mass at 6:15 p.m. each Wednesday during Lent.  Please also mark your calendar for Saturday, March 3, as we will have a Lenten Day of Reflection by Father Herold Brock, a missionary priest who will inspire with reflections on the life of Pope John Paul II.  We will continue the tradition of the Stations of the Cross every Friday in Lent at 6:15 p.m.  I urge you to take seriously these and other opportunities that will be offered during Lent, 2012.  The blessings for your life and the lives that you touch may be many.

Those who participated in Mass this past Sunday can, I hope, testify to the passion that came from me as I talked about the terrible threat to religious liberty that is happening in our country, especially through the mandate of health care reform that demands that Catholics and Catholic institutions be forced to violate our consciences and beliefs against such practices as artificial contraception, sterilizations and abortifacients.  For those who participated in the 4:00 p.m. Mass, you did not hear my homily because I only decided to preach after reading the bishop's letter on this subject and hearing the Gospel about "authority" proclaimed during that Mass.  I strongly urge EVERY parishioner to respond actively to this threat to religious liberty in our country through ongoing prayer and action to let our elected officials know how wrong this is for Catholics and all people of faith.  Please use the help of the insert in this week's bulletin to fashion a message and send it to some or all those who are listed on the insert (and maybe others) in whatever way you wish to communicate with them.  If we don't take action to try to reverse these efforts to restrict our religious liberty, both we, and others in future generations might suffer from the results.

Next weekend will mark the beginning of this year's Catholic Arkansas Sharing Appeal (CASA).  I rejoice that last year we had over 30 more families give a financial gift to CASA than the year before (a total of 333 families).  I hope and pray that all of these families, and more, will give generously to CASA this year.  So many people, from babies to senior citizens, receive needed help from those who give to this yearly appeal.

Please be open and attentive to our bishop, Anthony Taylor, as he speaks to all Catholics next weekend through a recorded message about the need to support the ministries and activities that are funded by CASA including the new House of Formation for our seminarians.  I am confident that many of you will once again, respond with loving and generous hearts.