Ave Maria! The Houston Chronicle Web site has a gallery of photos
here from yesterday's celebration of Ash Wednesday. This one, captioned "Punk-Rock Penance," caught my eye when I viewed these photos last night. It made me think of the wide variety of individuals who came to the nine Ash Wednesday Masses celebrated yesterday in my parish,
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. I served at four of these Masses and assisted in distributing the ashes. What moved me most and filled me with such joy was seeing how eagerly and happily people came forward to receive the blessed sign of the cross on their foreheads. I like to think that the beginning of this "acceptable time" of Lent gave them increased joy in the salvation that is ours through the Cross of Christ and also renewed hope to continue on the road to conversion for the praise of His glory. That is what I prayed for each individual, and for myself, too. The joy and hope of this Lenten season is the joy and hope of Christ Himself, crucified in love and risen in glory. Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!
Whoever loses his life for my sake,
he will save it. ~Luke 9:24
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