LENT
I have had a wonderful Lent, and I hope you did too. I managed to keep my rules well, and this has been to my spiritual benefit. The question always is - will I continue with finding more time for reading and reflection? I read some good books, and know that you all appreciated the book of daily devotions. I have already picked the book for 2008!!

One of the real positives this year was the hour of silent prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament on Saturday nights. Silent prayer is not easy - but those of us who attended were very glad we did. It certainly had a calming effect on me. Another highlight was the excellent Sunday attendances (50-60 at 8 am). On the other hand, we could have had more people at the Wednesday night Mass and study groups, and at the Friday Stations of the Cross. Perhaps it is the time of 6 pm? Traffic can be heavy at that time - maybe 7 pm is a better time. As with the Triduum Services - please let me know your thoughts.

READING
As mentioned, I did some good reading - especially when I was on retreat. Reading is an important discipline for a priest - but I do not find it easy. 2 books I read last year really engaged me, and I want to recommend them to you. They are noted on
page 9.

On page 10 is a note about a new adult confirmation study group. We had a wonderful Confirmation celebration in January and a number of people have expressed interest in the next one. So a study/discussion group will be starting towards the end of summer. Please feel free to talk to me about this if you are interested or have questions.