Lent starts before this lesson is actually scheduled, but if you haven’t quite made your Lenten plans, go ahead and do the lesson early – it’s full of great ideas to help you grow in holiness over the next few weeks.  If you do have a firm plan and it’s going well so far, not only is this lesson a valuable overview/review on why we do these things, but you may just find an idea or two that will help you tweak things just a bit if you’d like.

Either way, it’s a timely lesson that’s going to get your family off on a solid start to Lent.

I do want to mention one of the suggestions in a more specific way; that of attending one additional Mass each week as a way to focus on prayer. In a way, the Mass schedule at Church of Saint Paul makes that possible for people with all sorts of schedules.

1. Monday Mass – 7:30 a.m. (typically about 1/2 hour long)
2. Tuesday – 9:00 a.m.
3. Wednesday – 6:00 p.m.
4. Thursday – no Masses scheduled (Father’s day off)
5. Friday – 9:00 a.m.
6. Saturday – 8:00 a.m. (also about 30 minutes)
7. Sunday – 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.

Chances are, one of those will fit into your schedule.

If you’re interested in a more regular schedule, Epiphany has Masses on weekdays at 8:00 a.m. and Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6:30.    St. Peter’s in Forest Lake offers Mass at 8:30 a.m. on Monday through Saturday.

St. Patrick’s in Cedar has weekday Masses on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8:00 a.m., 6:15 on Tuesdays, and 8:00 a.m. on the first Saturday of the month.