Newsletter

February 19, 2026

The Season of Lent

The holy season of Lent has begun. Lent is originally from the Old English word from which we also get our word “lengthen.” After the darkest days of Winter, the days start to lengthen, and this time corresponds to our Church calendar. For winter is the time of coldness and death; the flowers wither and the leaves fall. The whole world is waiting expectantly for Spring. But then, the days lengthen during Lent and life returns. In the same way, the human race waited for the Spring of Christ’s coming and His resurrection. Our season of Lent allows us to participate in living, sacred history.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

Midweek Services (Wednesdays)

• Wednesday, 2/18 (Ash Wednesday)
• Wednesday, 2/25
• Wednesday, 3/4
• Wednesday, 3/11
• Wednesday, 3/18
• Wednesday, 3/25 (Annunciation)

Soup supper is each of these Wednesdays at 6 pm (see signup in narthex) and the service of evening prayer starts at 7 PM. The theme is
“Lent with the Poets.” The following poets will be presented: Gregory Nazianzus (c. 380 A.D. - “On God and Christ”), Prudentius (c. 400 A.D. -
“Psychomachia”), Kassia (c. 850 A.D. - “Hymn for Holy Wednesday”), Giles Fletcher (c. 1615 - “Christ’s Triumph after Death”), Christina Rossetti (c. 1875 - “Beneath Thy Cross”), and Scott Cairns (contemporary - selected poems).

3/25 is a special feast day as it is the Feast of the Annunciation of the angel Gabriel to Mary the virgin, exactly 9 months before Christmas. This will be marked by a special celebration and the holy communion.

Lent Services (Sundays)
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• Sunday, 2/22 (Invocabit - “He will call…” from Psalm 91)
• Sunday, 3/1 (Reminiscere - “Remember…” from Psalm 25:6)
• Sunday, 3/8 (Oculi - “My eyes…” from Psalm 25:15)
• Sunday, 3/15 (Laetare - “Rejoice!” From Isaiah 66:10)
• Sunday, 3/22 (Judica - “Judge [me]…” from Psalm 43:1).

Laetare is also “Mothering Sunday” and a celebration of the coming Spring; it is marked by a lightness and joy, often celebrated with cakes and roses.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

​Psalm 87:4

Holy Week Services​

• Sunday, 3/29 (10 AM Palm Sunday Divine Service)
• Monday, 3/30
• Tuesday, 3/31
• Wednesday, 4/1 (9 AM daily morning prayer)
• Thursday, 4/2 (7 PM Maundy Thursday Divine Service)
• Friday, 4/3 (12-3 PM Tre Ore, “Three Hours,” and 7 PM Tenebrae, “Darkness”)
• Saturday, 4/4 (9 AM Service of Readings, 8 PM Great Vigil of Easter)
• Sunday, 4/5 (7:30 AM Matins, 10 AM Divine Service)

Lenten Practices
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Lenten practices include:

• Fasting (either from certain meals or on certain days, in order to devote yourself to prayer, to conquer gluttony, and to give money and attention to others)
• Abstinence (from screen time, alcohol, sweets, television, soda, etc)
• Almsgiving (which means giving money to the poor or to causes/ organizations, such as crisis pregnancy centers or homeless shelters)
• Prayer and worship (which includes Wednesday and Sunday corporate prayer at church, as well as private prayer)
• Reading (of especially God’s Word, but also of spiritual authors and poets, such as the poets we’re listening to during Lent)
• Repentance and confession (corporately in the Divine Service, also privately before a pastor, also in one’s own family or circles of friends)

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 John 5:4

Book Club

Book Club meets on Wednesday 4/15 and 4/22 at 7 PM at the parsonage. The first meeting is to discuss Dante’s Inferno; the second meeting is to discuss both his Purgatorio and Paridiso. These three works make up the Divine Comedy, which is one of the most significant works of all time and has permanently impacted Western culture.