CATHOLIC APOSTOLIC CHURCH OF ANTIOCH

Office of the Presiding Bishop

March 05, 2025

Dear Friends and Faithful of the Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch,

 Once again, the Church begins the season of Lent, a time set aside for reflection, renewal, and spiritual growth. It is a journey of forty days that invites us to examine our lives in the light of Christ’s call to holiness. During this season, we are given the opportunity to deepen our relationship with God by discerning the obstacles that hinder our spiritual growth, and taking intentional steps to remove those barriers.

Through prayer, we seek a closer communion with God. Through sacrifice, we cultivate discipline and detachment from worldly distractions. Through almsgiving and acts of charity, we turn our hearts outward in love and service to others. These Lenten practices are not meant to be empty rituals but transformative disciplines that open us to God’s grace and lead us toward a more faithful Christian life.

 While giving up something superficial—like candy, movies, or a favorite food—during Lent can serve as a small act of discipline, it often lacks the deeper spiritual transformation that Lent calls us to. True Lenten sacrifice should not just be about momentary deprivation but about reordering our hearts toward God. The purpose of fasting or giving something up is to create space for deeper reflection, prayer, and spiritual renewal. If we simply return to those things that we’ve given up as “Lenten sacrifices” as soon as Easter arrives, unchanged in heart and spirit, then the practice has been little more than a temporary inconvenience rather than a meaningful step toward holiness. If we give up a favorite indulgence but do not use that sacrifice to grow in virtue, detach from sin, or draw closer to Christ, then we risk missing the true purpose of Lent.

Instead of focusing on minor, surface-level sacrifices, perhaps we should ask ourselves: What in my life is truly keeping me from a deeper relationship with God? Is it pride, selfishness, gossip, impatience, or a habit that distances me from love and holiness? Lent invites us to examine these deeper struggles and make lasting changes, not just temporary ones. It calls us to sacrifice in a way that transforms our hearts—not just our habits—so that when Easter comes, we are renewed, not just relieved that our sacrifice is over.

 As we journey through this season of Lent, may it be a time of true renewal and transformation for each of us. May our sacrifices, prayers, and acts of charity draw us ever closer to Christ, deepening our love for Him and our desire to follow Him more faithfully. May this season also strengthen our bonds with one another, helping us to see Christ in our neighbors, in the poor, in the suffering, and in all those in need of compassion and mercy.

And may our Lenten journey open our hearts to a world that is longing for peace, justice, and the love of Christ. In a time marked by division, suffering, and uncertainty, may our lives be a witness to His grace, His healing, and His infinite love. May this holy season lead us to Easter not only with joy but with hearts transformed, ready to share Christ’s light with the world.

 Lenten blessings,

 +Mark Elliott Newman