Dear Parishioners,

St. Paul tells us, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." "For scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame."

My friends, such a faith as described by St. Paul must truly be rooted in one's heart. A heartfelt faith is more than a willingness to say that you believe in this or in that. A heartfelt faith is part of one's every day life. On Ash Wednesday, we heard other words from St. Paul that reminded us that we are "ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us." Therefore, words and deeds would be an important ingredient to be an ambassador who lives life with integrity.

On this first Sunday of Lent, each one of us has yet another opportunity to make a fresh choice to represent Christ in our everyday world – to be His ambassador. During this forty-day season of grace, God is asking us to take a close look at how well our daily lives match up to our stated faith. Lent is a season to reflect on how well our lives mirror the image of Christ in all that we say and do. It is a time to ask God for the grace to be honest with ourselves and with our failings. Further, it is a time to make new decisions that will result in a closer relationship with Christ and with His followers – the Church.

I encourage you to decide to do something positive during these next weeks that can help make a difference in your faith life that will last well beyond Lent. Only you can decide to make the season count. God will definitely grant you the grace to grow closer to His Holy Presence and grow closer to His Holy People.

May the prayer of the Psalmist be always with you.

"You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, say to the Lord,
"My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust."

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Father Tarantino
Pastor