A popular parlor game, starting with the letter "J", involves building a small tabletop tower out of wood sticks. Then each player removes wooden sticks, trying to keep the tower intact. Eventually, someone will pull one of the sticks out and the tower will collapse-that poor soul loses the game.

Our spiritual life works the other way around. We need to keep removing faults and failings so that our spiritual lives do not collapse. The longer those faults and failings remain, the greater the chance that we will fail and lose out on a better life here and life everlasting. With the parlor game, we start strong and become weak-with Lent, we start weak and try to become strong. Since there is a danger of collapse, we need to take Lent seriously and use our time wisely.

Let us keep up the good works we have begun. One suggestion is to join us & Bishop Matt Elshoff on Sunday, March 30. At 2:30pm, he will offer a bilingual reflection, perfect for our Lenten journey.   

Fr. Mike Ronayne