View from atop Mt. Tabor in Lower Galilee, Israel -Photo Credit: Fr. Daniel

Dear Friends,

As you can imagine, my pilgrimage to the Holy Land was packed full of blessings. Traveling with the diocesan choir was quite the experience: we were able to celebrate Masses in many of the most important holy sites with due reverence and beauty.

One of the most important aspects of the pilgrimage for me was to keep you in prayer as I walked in the footsteps of Jesus. You were close to my heart as I contemplated a first-century synagogue in Magdala, kissed the place of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, and celebrated Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. As I connected more personally with Christ, my love for you (his love for you at work in me!) was further inflamed.

Thank you for the warm welcome home you have extended to me. I look forward to sharing the experience and insights of my pilgrimage with you in the weeks and months ahead.

We’re back to business here, and I’m looking forward to a fruitful Lent. I’m pretty heavy on fasting as far as my Lenten practices go, but I’m eager also to keep my eye on prayer and almsgiving. Lent has us focus on the three traditional disciplines because they have us grow in love of God (prayer), neighbor (almsgiving), and self (fasting).

In summary form, our Lenten practices are meant to make us more Christlike. This is a big challenge, but through and with and in Jesus I think we’re up for it!

In the Peace of Christ,
Father Daniel
δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ