On Wednesday, February 26th the students of St. Joseph School began observing the season of Lent by receiving ashes during a special Ash Wednesday “Buddy” Mass. Ash Wednesday is one of the most important holy days in the liturgical calendar because it helps Catholics prepare for Easter and better appreciate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Ash Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday and begins a season of prayer, fasting, and giving alms in order to grow closer to Jesus.
At St. Joseph School, the students are encouraged to persevere – not give up in making loving sacrifices and doing good deeds for Jesus. During the Ash Wednesday Mass, middle school students lovingly accompanied their Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade buddies to the Basilica and received ashes together. Prior to receiving their ashes, Fr. Charles Borowski spoke to the students and encouraged them to work together for the good of the community. He explained how every student can be compared to a LEGO block. Individually, each of us is small, but when you assemble multiple LEGO’s, you become bigger and stronger.
Two days later, the students returned to the Basilica to pray the Stations of the Cross. During Lent, the students pray the Stations of the Cross each Friday afternoon at 1:00 PM. The Stations are a 14-step Catholic devotion commemorating Jesus Christ’s last day on Earth. It’s a tradition at St. Joseph School that 7th and 8th grade students carry a large wooden cross through the Basilica, stopping at each station, as others read and reflect on specific events from Christ’s crucifixion.
Finally, during the Season of Lent, “Buddy” classes return to Mass each Sunday morning at 9:00AM and lead the congregation in the Liturgy of the Word and Prayer of the Faithful. Members of each “Buddy Class,” are also responsible for the Offertory and encouraged to turn their loving sacrifices and good deeds into “Flowers for Jesus.” To do so, the students are asked to reflect on the Corporal Works of Mercy which are acts of love that help us care for the physical and material needs of others. They are also asked to reflect on the Spiritual Works of Mercy which are acts of love that help us care for the needs of people’s hearts, minds, and souls. After reflection, each student arrives at Mass and places a written description of their “good deed” in the offertory basket. When they do so, they receive a beautiful flower that will be delivered to the altar and placed at the base of the cross. This is how the students’ loving sacrifices and good deeds become “Flowers for Jesus.”
At St. Joseph School, the Season of Lent is a special opportunity to help strengthen each student’s relationship with God by providing a strong academic and spiritual foundation. The goal of instilling these experiences in the students is that they will not only look to this wisdom to celebrate their accomplishments and successes, but it will also make them stronger when navigating any tumultuous times in their lives.
The public is invited to join the students at St. Joseph Basilica at 1:00PM each Friday as well as 9:00AM each Sunday morning during Lent as they continue their preparation for Easter.
