Getting ready to get ready for Easter

No, the image above is not of the blessing of the new fire at the Easter Vigil!

Some readers will remember the term Septuagesima Sunday, the name given to the third from the last Sunday before Lent and approximately 70 days before Easter. Such a Sunday is no longer found on the Church's calendar but it's always good to remember that Lent is around the corner lest it catch us by surprise. Although Lent is a season of preparation for Easter, it's a good thing to prepare for the preparatory season!

In my parish and many others, old palm branches are being collected now to be burned to make ashes for Ash Wednesday, just ahead on February 6. If your parish is collecting palm, take a minute now to remove any pieces you have tucked behind a crucifix or another place in your home and put them in a place (your car!) where you'll remember them this coming weekend.