Fr. Jacques Philippe

Fr. Jacques Philippe was in town last week speaking at the Aquinas Forum on the Dominican Campus which is home to Overbrook School, St. Cecilia Academy and Aquinas College. All of his books are wonderful and would be great during this Lenten Season or any other season for all that matter. Highly recommend!

What We Choose for 40 Days

There are many, many great titles we can choose to accompany us on our journey through the Lenten Season. There are many, many authors with wonderful reflections teaching us to take time, to meditate, to find ways to love more fully, to show mercy, to imitate the Saints or the Fathers of the Church or Pope Francis. There are those of us who will choose more than one book and there are those of us who will choose nothing. There are those of us who will give up something and there are those of us who will add something for another and there are those who will do both. Our children may ask others what they are doing for Lent. Adults tend to keep those questions more to themselves even though we may be curious. We are human. We do like other people's ideas, sometimes better than our own. We love good recommendations. We love partnership.

The point is that regardless of all of the above, today we celebrate Ash Wednesday. We acknowledge the beginning of Lent, of 40 days to do something. We acknowledge the truth that we are to blow the trumpet and proclaim a fast. We are to be ambassadors for Christ and we are to reconcile. We are to go to our inner rooms, to close the door and to pray. We are not to look gloomy or neglect our appearance. We are reminded that we are dust and to dust we shall return. The point is that today we are called to begin a 40 day journey to change, a journey toward God, a journey for something more.

Let's go. Together. And if along the way, you need a little encouragement, a push, a small reminder, stop by. I'm sure we could use the same. That's a large part of what we're here for!