Father Alex Zenthoefer, right, rector of St. Benedict Cathedral and diocesan Vicar General, distributes ashes to Deacon Dave Rice March 5, Ash Wednesday, during the 9 a.m. Mass at St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville. Ash Wednesday begins the annual observance of Lent.
During his homily, Father Alex told those present, including St. Benedict Cathedral students, “As we start this Lenten journey, I want you to think about, in your life, what stops you from choosing what’s good? What keeps you in slavery? Because those are the things that we need to let go of, and that’s why this whole season of Lent is given to us.”
Ash Wednesday is an important day in the Catholic Church, Father Alex said, when we mark ourselves with ashes as a reminder of the path we’re walking towards, the season of Easter.
“Lent is a season of preparation, so we move from this kind of slavery to freedom asking the Lord to just fill our lives with grace and leaving behind all the stuff that we need to let go of,” he said.
Lent concludes with the beginning of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on the evening of April 17, Holy Thursday. Easter Sunday is April 20.
The Message photo by Megan Erbacher