Lent always begins with a packed Ash Wednesday mass and a surge of good intentions to make this the best Lent ever. We had overflowing pews at our noon mass, and our supply of ashes is greatly diminished. The same is true of every parish around the world. I'm ever encouraged by the signs of a true thirst for God that we experience as Lent begins.
Often I see the original fervor begin to wane as the cost of keeping to our resolutions for six weeks begins to make itself felt. The habits of the 46 other weeks of the year bear down on us. We must renew the determination of Ash Wednesday each day of Lent, pushing against the indifference to spiritual things that never completely goes away. I invite you to join with me in making each day of Lent count for itself. Jesus wants to make himself known to us personally throughout these forty days.
At our last pastoral council meeting, I reported on a safety assessment that an officer from the Southfield police conducted for our parish. Three of us from the parish staff spent most of an afternoon walking through the building and around the property with Officer Buckberry. She had many suggestions to make about improving our security, not only on weekends, but also in the normal course of conducting weekly ministry at the parish. I will periodically report back to you and the pastoral council as we implement her recommendations.