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Those little chocolate covered mint patties are hard to beat.

I am a black jelly bean man from way back! Glad to know I am not alone.

The beginning of Lent is Ash Wednesday.

Karen and I just got home from our Ash Wednesday Vigil Mass at our parish, Christ the King Catholic Church, near Milwaukie, Oregon.

Please bear in mind that Christ the King is simply a tiny, tiny little neighborhood Catholic church. A wonderful refuge for we believers, but little in the scheme of things.

Christ the King is very SPECIAL to Karen and me. The folks are our family, our Brothers and Sisters in Christ and they have supported us during the tough times .... they were SO THERE when Karen had her stroke and we love each and every one of them.

This evenings Ash Wednesday Vigil Mass was unreal.

We are tiny, but have room for about 800 worshippers in our pews.

This evening, every pew was full and there were folks lined up against every wall and there were perhaps another 150 folks in the vestibule and a few standing outside. I believe that somewhere between 1,100 and 1,200 folks were at Christ the King this evening, celebrating the wonderful Ash WednesdayVigil Mass.

It was so wonderful.

The readings of the Mass are the same worldwide, so if you attended Mass today, you heard them ... and they were SUPER. The hymns wre fantastic. And Father Dave's Homily was really GREAT

I always read Saint Thomas Aquinas' Thanksgiving Before Receiving the Eucharist. This is such a GREAT preparation before receiving The Lamb upon my tongue and the Precious blood of Our Saviour. And, of course, I again read Saint Thomas' Thanksgiving After Receiving The Eucharist after receiving.

Karen does the same. And our wonderful friends, Kathy and Mike, were with us this evening. Karen was overwhelmed with emotion at receiving The Lamb, as was I.

If this Ash Wednesday is any indicator, our Catholic Lent is off to a GREAT START. A full house of the devout .... how much greater does it get??? (Hint: It's GREAT!!)

I'm busy studying for my next presentation to my group of Lenten Studies. Last week's presentation went really, really well. Hopefully, I can keep that rolling. It really helps to have done a bunch of pilgrimages to Rome, Assisi and the Holy Land ... I can give my little group of pilgrims a personal tour of those special places that were especially touched by Our Lord.

May God Bless All of You and Lead You Along Your OWN Very Special Lenten Journey.

Your Brother In Christ ... Steve

Friend Steve, it might gladden your heart a bit to know that even the 0700 Mass at Sacred Heart in Punta Gorda was a full of people Mass and we have seating for 1200! Not sure about the other ones (we did the 4 Mass Sunday schedule) but the first Mass turn out was impressive.

It was a GREAT way to start the day and the Lenten Season.

Ours was standing room only as well Steve and and always a great humble reminder....
Peace.

I give up okra and eggplant every year.

Jim

brussel sprouts.





I make it easy to keep.

Being raised Baptist and in an area of very few Catholics, I had no idea what Lent was, until I was in High School. I was friends with a young lady from another part of Kentucky, where there was a very large Catholic demographic, and in fact, she was Catholic. I went to visit her during Lent, and got my crash course in it.

It isn't my way of worshipping, but I can appreciate devotion in more forms than one.

I hope that each of the members of the campfire who participate in the Lenten Season are blessed by their experience.

How refreshing.... and from a Bama fan no less.

Good crowd at he 7:00 o'clock last night. I'm not really gonna binge on candy during Lent, just kidding about that, but I do love the Easter season and all the good things it brings.

BTW, it's nearly impossible to find plain old jelly beans anymore. Bummer.

Absolutely!!! Thank you, Crimson Tide for that wonderful and civil contribution. You're a good guy in my book.

Interestingly, I live very close to a Presbyterian church and a Lutheran church. Both of these local congregations had Ash Wednesday services. Historically, both congregations also particpate in Lent by having Soup Suppers every Friday evening.

Stations of the Cross is always a wonderful tradition at every Catholic Parish. This year, we will have my friend Donna Cori Gibson presenting the first Stations of the Cross at our parish, Christ the King

http://www.youtube.com/user/donnacorigibson#p/u.

Here's something I truly cherish; BOTH of our local Presbyterian and Lutheran communities will be doing Stations of the Cross this year.

Good for them .... we are so much stronger when we are together. And an appreciation of each other's worship can only make our own much stronger.

God Bless You All,

Steve

I declare to give up on the Tom264/Steelhead chainjank -

I henceforth put the

Man with the Indiana Stupid Law defying Rifle

and the

Father of the most bestest coast cuttingest Coast Guard Cutter

to ignore.

I pledge to break this lent as soon as I get notice by all you other good folk, that these two have stopped their sillyness.

I do mean to keep my lent on starchy stuff, white sugar & pipe tobacco.

Well said! As a son of a Baptist Pastor, a Bible College Student, and husband to a Catholic lady, I couldn't agree more!

Not my way of worship either. But to all who find comfort, peace and fulfillment in the observation of the lenten season I wish you well. I am glad for you that you rejoice in your cherished tradition.

I'll say it again.... bless her heart! She's a saint!

THANK YOU CT, my sister is hard core Southern Baptist and after have many conversation with her she was amazed at all the common ground we have!

I wish my Catholic friends well with their path.

I get out of it by believing Christ who went before us was the perfect sacrifice He shares Himself with us, therefore canceling our need to duplicate sacrifice.
He also said He came that we may have life in abundance, which does not sound to my ears that He said we need to sacrifice.

To each his own good luck with your quest.

Terry,

I think we all have more in common than we think. It is the slight differences that cause us so much heartache, but NONE of it matters to GOD!

I, too, am not Roman Catholic, but wish the very best, and most Blessed Lenten season on my brothers and sisters who do follow it.

Ed

I usually have a good beer or two each night. That is what I am giving up this Lent. Going to save the money saved on buying the beer and give it to the poor. Seriously.

You are welcome, brother.