Fr. Todd 3/22/26

Dear Sacred Heart and St. Mary on the Lake,

                 The 18^th grandbaby (a little girl) for the Koenigsknecht clan is due anytime now.  Having failed in the family betting pool regarding the right day and time 17 times previously, I have the evidentiary misguided hope that I will win this time!  I have been gone for Mary’s feast day, the Annunciation on the 25^th so hopefully I will be able to celebrate two things that day.

 It is hard to believe how quickly this season of Lent has flown by.  We need to try to slow down and see the graces that have been at work in our lives.  How have I become more aware of Jesus’ presence?  What are ways that the Holy Spirit has been nudging me and because of the greater silence in my life due to my Lenten practices I have been able to hear Him?  Is there a new habit/virtue that has begun to take root in my life that I want to continue to foster that it may grow and bear fruit.  Through attending the Lenten Mission led Fr. Matthew did God stir up a desire for more in life that I want to say “Yes” to?

  Next weekend is Palm Sunday which leads directly into Holy Week.  Holy Week provides a great opportunity to examine these graces and also to ask the Lord to really protect them, to give us the strength to live them.  There are great moments of silence for prayer built into the Triduum liturgies where this can take place.  The time of prayer from 8pm-10pm at St. Mary on the Lake following the Mass of the Last Supper.  The times before and after the 3pm Good Friday service or 8pm Tenebrae service.  Opportunities for confession following the Mass of the Last Supper on Holy Thursday and following the 3pm Good Friday service. 

 These are all great times to walk with the Lord, to be with Him in His Passion.  They are great times where we can examine the ways we want to live Easter.  We are excellent at preparing for Lent.  It is a common question I both asked many people and was asked by many people- “What are you planning on doing for Lent?”.  It is always inspiring to hear the different things people do to grow closer to God.

 But it is also ironic that we don’t ask the same question about the Easter Season- which Lent after all has been preparing us for!  What are you planning on doing for Easter?  A better way to phrase the question of course is this way- What is Jesus asking me to do for Easter?  A great question to bring into Holy Week.  For many of us the answer will be continuing the graces of Lent.  But there may be the reality that the Lord has brought us greater freedom during Lent and in that new space it provides is calling us to do something more during Easter.  Because of that new freedom we can say Yes.

So, I would like us to ponder those two questions as we prepare to enter Holy Week.  What have been the graces of Lent?  What might the Lord be asking you to do for Easter?

God Bless, Fr. Todd