The Gospel of Matthew records the last earthly words of Jesus before his Ascension as He gives the disciples (and us) the Great Commission: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

Someone once asked how a priest decides the penance he gives in confession.

Most priests do not necessarily use a formula or a precise method. Sometimes it’s just the standard “three Hail Marys.” Other times the penance may be a little more involved. A lot depends on the needs of the penitent.

On one of those cold, gray afternoons this past February, I ran into a friend at a coffee shop who greeted me with a warning of her sour mood and explained that she was tired of the gloom.  It was the perfect word for those weeks leading up to Lent.  The darkness and cold of the season seeps into our collective psyche and a pervasive gloom seems to settle into our daily lives.

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Bishop Golka's Reflection on the Second Week of Lent