LENT

“Austere” is the watchword for the liturgical celebrations of the Season of Lent. The Church has proclaimed a time of fasting and self-denial, and she teaches by example. The priest is vested in violet, “the gloomy color of affliction and mortification.” During Lent the sanctuary is bereft of flowers, we use less ornate altar coverings, the Gloria is not sung and the Alleluia is entirely absent. By this penitential “fast of the senses,” Holy Mother Church prepares our hearts for a jubilant Easter renewal.

In keeping with liturgical tradition and Church guidelines, Lenten liturgies are sparser and shorter. One way we accomplish that in our parish is by distributing the Eucharist only under the species of bread, something that we’ve been doing since the COVID epidemic started. Although receiving Holy Communion under both species is more perfect from the point of view of the sign, it is important to remember the Church’s teaching that Christ is received whole and entire under either species. Thus, one’s Holy Communion is perfectly complete when it is received under the species of bread alone. One is not deprived of extra graces by not receiving from the chalice.

5 Benefits of Frequent Confession

It’s almost Lent! This season provides us as Catholics an opportunity to “repent and believe in the Gospel.” One of the ways we can best do this is by going to Confession, where we have the opportunity to accept the many graces God has in store for us through this beautiful – and often underutilized – Sacrament. But Lent isn’t the only time to make Reconciliation part of your schedule. Frequent Confession has so many benefits, including:

1. Confession helps us to better “know thyself.” St. Augustine and countless other saints and doctors of the Church talk about the importance of knowing ourselves well. Through coming to know ourselves better, we realized how fallen we are, and how badly we need God’s help and grace to get through life. Frequent Confession helps remind us to rely on God to help rid us of our sins.
2. Confession helps us to overcome sin and vice. The grace we receive from the Sacrament of Confession helps us combat our faults and failings and break our habits of vice much more easily and expediently than we could otherwise do without the sacramental grace.
3. Confession brings us peace. Guilt from the sins we commit can make us feel all mixed up inside and cause us to lose our peace and joy. When we hear God’s forgiving words to us from the lips of the priest in Confession, a burden is lifted off our shoulders. Sins weigh us down and enslave us, often giving our passions power over us, instead of us having control over our passions. With the healing power of the Sacrament of Confession, we can again feel the peace of heart and soul that comes from being in a good relationship with God.
4. Confession helps us become more saintly, more like Jesus! Jesus was perfectly humble, perfectly generous, perfectly patient, perfectly loving – perfectly everything! Don’t you wish you could be as humble, generous, patient, and loving as Jesus? Saints throughout history have felt that way too, and they have frequented the Sacrament of Confession to help transform them into people who are more like Christ. Little images of Christ – that’s what saints are!
5. Confession strengthens our will. Every time we experience the Sacrament of Confession, God strengthens our will and our self-control to be able to resist the temptations that confront us in our lives. We become more resolute to follow God’s will and not our own whims.

The words of absolution in the Confessional are beautiful: “I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus is waiting to forgive you – all you have to do is ask! Don’t miss out any longer on the healing power of Confession…go to Confession this week, and invite someone else too, as part of this “Year of Mercy” called for by Pope Francis.

Also, consider sharing this article or our Good Confession.com site with someone in your life whom you believe would benefit from the graces of Sacramental Reconciliation!

World Day of the Sick on February 11, 2026

In his recent message, Pope Leo invites us to contemplate one of the best-known and, we might say, most challenging parables for humanity: that of the Good Samaritan. Jesus, as a true teacher and guide, shows us that loving our neighbor is not a matter of theory, but rather charity put into practice, which breaks down cultural, religious, and social barriers. It is loving
to share in the suffering of others, helping to bear the burden of the fragility broken by illness, which prevents them from living in peace and with dignity. The World Day of the Sick calls for prayer and closeness towards those who suffer. Yet it also aims to raise the awareness of God’s people, healthcare institutions and civil society with regard to a new way of moving forward together. The prophecy of Ezekiel judges harshly the priorities of those who wield economic, cultural, and political power over others: “You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings; but you do not feed the sheep. You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them” (34:3-4). God’s word is always illuminating and timely; not only in what it denounces, but also in what it proposes. Indeed, the conclusion of the parable of the Good Samaritan suggests how the exercise of fraternity, which began as a face-to-face encounter, can be expanded into organized care. The elements of the inn, the innkeeper, the money and the promise to remain informed of the situation (cf. Lk 10:34-35) all point to the commitment of healthcare and social workers, family members and volunteers, through whom good stands up in the face of evil every day, in every part of the world.”

Holy Father’s Prayer Intentions

February 2026

For children with incurable diseases
Let us pray that children suffering from incurable diseases and their families receive the necessary medical care and support, never losing strength and hope.

Please pray for the intentions of the Holy Father!