Beginning with the feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple and ending with the feast of the Chair of St Peter, the month of February is filled with many beautiful celebrations and saints’ days.
And among these many other feast days this month, we remember especially Our Lady of Lourdes on Tuesday February 11. This is also the Day of Prayer for the Sick. And we pray for our own Diocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage which, is well on in preparation.
In Rome, the Jubilee Year begins to unfold…
· February 8/9: Jubilee of the Armed Forces, Police and Security Personnel. All members of the armed forces and police, municipal police, security operators, veterans, military associations, military academies, chaplaincies and military ordinariates are especially invited to this jubilee event, together with their families.
· February 15/18: Jubilee of Artists and the World of Culture
· February 21/23: Jubilee of Deacons
In the garden and in the fields, February is always a month of preparation. Although it can seem a “dead” month, if you are not careful, without preparation, you can miss the opportunity for abundance later on.
That is also true spiritually. Think of all the preparation that went into the celebration of Christmas. Just around the corner we will begin the season of Lent and the preparation for the celebration of Holy Week and Easter.
Ash Wednesday is on March 5. Don’t let it take you by surprise; think about it now. How will you spend Lent this year, this Jubilee Year?
On Friday March 28 we have “24 Hours for the Lord”, when we are encouraged to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Again, don’t let these opportunities slip by you.
Carpe diem – seize the moment!
In this way we will be ready to celebrate Holy Week and Easter in a new and committed way. We will be ready to receive all the blessings this Jubilee Year can bring us.
In blessed hope,
Bishop Terry+