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Welcome to Lent!Lent is a special time of perpetration for Easter. There are a lot of rules (days of fasting, abstaining from meat on Fridays, etc.) and suggestions (give up something, re/commit to more prayer) about how to live Lent well. The best advice for Lent is to prayerfully ask God what He wants you to do (give-up or add), and commit to it! Do not make it to big or grand, but something attainable. Most importantly, how will the thing you do help prepare your heart to celebrate Easter anew this year?
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Confession times
Please use this link to plan when you'll get to Confession during this Lenten season!
Confession Times Lent 2025
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Grow this Lent
Try one of these Resources!
Foretold from Augustine Institute - Sign up to receive emails from "How to Lent" (in the two week lead up to Lent) and "Foretold" during Lent. Foretold helps weave the Old Testament prophecies into the story of Jesus' Passion, Death, and Resurrection. You'll be prepared for Holy Week like never before!
Best Lent Ever from Dynamic Catholic - Beginning on Ash Wednesday, receive a daily email from Matthew Kelly as he explores Divine Mercy!
Hallow - The Lent40 challenge looks like it is for paid subscribers or first-time users on a free trial. Hallow is a popular and well loved, intuitive audio prayer app for your phone/device that can help create and build a prayer routine. A subscription will unlock all the features of the app, but the free version works just fine for many folks.
Little Black Books from Diocese of Saginaw - grab your little black book at the entrance of Church and commit to six minutes a day in prayer this Lent.
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Our Four Marks of a Disciple - a quick examination
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How am I currently Quick to Pray? St. Paul exhorts us to pray without ceasing (1 Thes 5: 17) but we are unable to pray at all times if we are not praying at specific and set times. We want to strive for 15 minutes a day or more in prayer. If you are not yet there, start with 5 or 10 minutes. Consistency is key; schedule it. If you miss a day or a weekend, begin again as soon as you notice.
Recommendations
Beginner - Use Hallow. (see Resources above). Ask or invite a friend to do this with you!
Advanced - Use the Little Black Book or try Eucharistic Adoration during Lent (just once or weekly) - stop in for a few minute or a full Holy Hour!
Everyone- Do not say "I'll pray for you" when someone shares a difficult situation in need of prayer. Instead try asking, "can we pray for that right now?" and then lead them in a short prayer, ending with the Hail Mary or Glory Be.
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Would others be convinced that I am Joyfully Sacramental?
Do I smile during Mass? Am I habitually late for Mass? Is there calm and peace in my household as we prepare to leave for church on Sunday mornings? Do I get irritated if Mass goes a little long? Do I rush out of Church each week (without a good reason) or do I linger and help build up fellowship within the Body of Christ as an active and positive member?
Recommendations
Plan to get to Confession during Lent! If you go regularly, share with someone else how you've experienced God's mercy in your life.
Up your Sabbath practice! Is your Sunday markedly different than the rest of the week?
Prepare to be patient, hospitable & welcoming at Mass on Easter Sunday! There will be a lot of visitors and infrequent attendees - please do not give them a reason to not come back the following week.
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If you think back to your own formation, someone probably was intentional in teaching or passing on the faith to you. How are you being intentional in relationships for the sake of Jesus Christ and His Church? Do your friends and neighbors know of your faith by what you say and how you act?
Recommendations
Beginner - Are you a good friend with good human interests? What can you do this Lent to meet someone new or go a little deeper into a relationship you already have? Grab coffee or lunch with a co-worker, neighbor, or someone with whom you have something in common (ie. another hockey mom).
Advanced- Ask the Lord to reveal to you who He wants you to invest in as a good friend so that you will be better available to speak His truth into their lives when they are open to it.
- Can I be more intentional about the community with which I surround myself? Do I have a spouse or friend that we can strive to grow in faith together?
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Do I live in a manner which shows I am committed to growth in my faith? Do I readily admit I can learn more or grow more in my love for God? Or have a "plateaued" at Confirmation and have an immature, 15 year-old level education of our great faith? This mark takes great humility and please know that Fr. David, Fr. Karun, and the central office staff only want to help you grow in faith! Matthew Kelly shares about "the gap" between where we are now and how God sees us. What do I need to begin today to grow in that gap and begin to close that distance?
Recommendations
Beginner- Check out The Chosen series or log into Formed.org (create an account under the Hayward Parishes subscription with the Hayward zip, 54843) and watch a movie on the life of one of the Saints!
- Commit to and strive to follow through on daily prayer. Use one of the resources mentioned above.
- Go deeper in the Mass by reading the Sunday Gospel mid-week to prepare for Sunday! Check out the Bible a USCCB.org
Advanced - set an ambitious goal (and then realistically follow through as you are able)- Bible in a Year
- Catechism in a Year
- Rosary in a Year (began Jan. 1, 2025)
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Lent Events
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Friday, March 21, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Commit to reading and discussing the book our parishes gave away at Christmas time - The Art of Living, by Ed Sri. We'll explore virtue and and learn how God wants to help us be successful in growing as a whole human person.Read More -
Friday, March 21, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Join us for the 8th Annual St. Joseph’s Friday Night Fish Fry, a beloved community tradition in Hayward, WI! This year, the event will take place on Friday, March 21st, and Friday, April 4th, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at St. Joseph Catholic Church, located at 10586 Dakota Ave. Enjoy a delicious meal of deep-fried or baked fish, with adult meals priced at $17 and children (ages 7-12) at $9. Carry-out options are available for added convenience.Read More -
Friday, March 21, 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM
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Thursday, March 27, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
All are invited to our one night Lenten mission in which we will learn about hearing and discerning how God is peaking to us in our prayer and in our lives.Read More
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