Week of February 15, 2026

My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

This weekend marks the close of Shrovetide, the traditional period of preparation that leads into Lent on Ash Wednesday. While largely absent from many modern calendars, Shrovetide played an important role in the historic Western tradition. It served as a time to take stock of one’s life before entering the more demanding disciplines of Lent.

As I was reflecting on this transition, an unexpected experience gave the season a very concrete image. One of our dogs was sprayed—indirectly and seemingly mildly—by a skunk. At first, it didn’t seem like much. By morning, however, the odor had spread through the bedroom and into the sheets. What appeared insignificant had quietly permeated everything.

Sin works much the same way.  The dog was drawn in by curiosity, barking at what caught its attention, and ended up marked by something foul. Sin often attracts us in small, seemingly manageable ways. Yet its effects do not remain contained. It clings, stains, and spreads into places we did not intend.

Lent exists because God knows this about us.  The season of Lent is not about punishment or earning God’s favor. It is about restoration. Just as our dog needed to be washed so the smell would lose its power, we need renewal so that the effects of sin no longer define us. Lent calls us back to our baptism—not as a past memory, but as a living reality.

Through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we open ourselves to transformation. These practices are not ends in themselves. They form us into people who bear lasting fruit and whose lives witness to God’s Kingdom rather than the spirit of the age.

This weekend we also released a short video on the liturgical year, using the modern Roman Catholic calendar as a familiar reference point. The purpose is simple: to help us rediscover how the Church teaches us to sanctify time and allow it to shape our lives.

As we prepare to enter Lent, may we honestly confront what clings to us, repent of our sins, and seek God’s Kingdom above all things.
Peace,
Rev. Ben