Just to update you…Sam had a birthday last week and turned eleven years old. I have had him for all but the first nine months of his life when he went through two other homes! He was a wild man when I got him but has calmed down over the years and has become a wonderful and loyal companion. His health is still good except for all those fatty lumps he has. Hopefully I will have him for some time to come.

As we gather this weekend, we celebrate the First Sunday in our Lenten Season. The Gospel for this weekend is always the story of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. This year we have St. Mark’s version which is succinct and to the point. We know from the other evangelists that Jesus’ temptations were a time when he chose the mission of the Father over his own power. Each year we too are invited into the desert to contemplate our own relationship with God the Father and to renew our mission as God’s people.

We decorate our Sanctuary with cactus plants as a reminder of what this season is all about and we don purple vestments as a sign of our repentance and turning back to God. May this Lenten journey lead us to new life!