Week of February 22, 2026

My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,
Lent begins each year by inviting us into the desert with Jesus. The Gospel reminds us that before his public ministry began, Christ entered a time of prayer, fasting, and temptation. The desert was not a place of abandonment but a place of preparation. In the same way, Lent is not meant to be merely a season of giving things up; it is a sacred opportunity to walk more intentionally with Christ.

As we spiritually join Jesus in the desert, we might reflect on a few simple realities from this Sunday’s Gospel. We are often tempted, as Jesus was, to choose what is easy rather than what is true. Sometimes a convenient lie feels safer than honesty. Sometimes we seek comfort when we are tired or hungry instead of turning toward God. At other times, we are tempted to take shortcuts rather than patiently trusting in God’s timing. Lent invites us to slow down, to recognize these moments honestly, and to allow Christ’s example—and his grace—to reshape our choices. Jesus not only models faithful living; he strengthens us so that we may resist what diminishes our spiritual lives.

One of the greatest gifts available to us during Lent is the nourishment of the sacraments. The Christian life was never meant to be lived alone or sustained by willpower. God meets us concretely through sacramental grace—through Eucharist, prayer, anointing, and especially reconciliation. If you feel drawn to confession or spiritual conversation but do not feel comfortable approaching your own minister or parish community, please know that I am happy to make myself available. Lent is a season of healing and return, and no one should feel excluded from God’s mercy or hesitant to seek reconciliation.

As we begin this holy season, we have also released a new video introduction to Holy Week, which I encourage you to watch over the coming weeks as part of your spiritual preparation. The video explains Holy Week as the Church’s “Great Week,” the sacred journey that interprets all other weeks of the Christian year. Holy Week is not simply a remembrance of past events; it is a participatory reenactment of Christ’s saving work. From Palm Sunday’s joyful procession that quickly turns toward the Passion, through the growing tension of Holy Monday, Tuesday, and Spy Wednesday, we are drawn into the unfolding mystery of salvation. The Sacred Triduum—Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday culminating in the Easter Vigil—is presented as one continuous liturgy, inviting us to move step by step with Christ from the Last Supper to the Cross, through silence and waiting, and finally into the light of the Resurrection.

The heart of Lent, therefore, is preparation—not only personal preparation but communal participation. We are invited to pray more deeply, reconcile with God and one another, immerse ourselves in Scripture, and physically participate in the liturgies that shape Christian faith. Even if attending every celebration is not possible, entering intentionally into this journey allows Holy Week to become more than an observance; it becomes an encounter.

May this Lent be a time when we courageously enter the desert with Christ, allow ourselves to be nourished by sacramental grace, and prepare our hearts to fully live the mystery of Holy Week and the joy of Easter.
Peace,
​Rev. Ben