2025 Lenten Newsletter

Ave Crux, Spes Unica 



I took a unique approach to my daily prayer during Lent last year (2024). I felt that every time I prayed the Stations of the Cross, only a minute or two was spent on each station before moving on quickly to the next. I wanted to dwell on each, uncover their riches, seeking a sort of spiritual deep dive. So, I decided I would spend three days on each individual station to plumb the spiritual depths. I used meditations by Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Saint John Henry Newman, Saint Josemaria Escriva, Pope Benedict XVI, and others. Each day I found myself writing down phrases and images that moved me or provided added insight. By the end of Lent, I had gained over twenty pages of notes and a greater love for Christ Crucified. 

Over the summer, a motto of the Dominican order came to mind: Contemplare et contemplata aliis tradere. The translation is “to contemplate and to give to others the fruits of contemplation.” The Lenten approach I took bore fruit in my soul, but it was time to share the fruit of my prayer with parishioners. I began to synthesize and draft meditations based on those collected notes. As I shared the draft with a few others, I was resigned to the possibility that these people might not find them helpful and ultimately suggest not sharing them, but none of them did. Their encouragement led us to pursue printing them for parishioner use this Lent (we're hopeful they will get finalized so we can pray with them at some point this Lent). 

2025 is a Jubilee Year throughout the Catholic Church, which was given the motto, “pilgrims of hope.” Because of a perpetual, rapid barrage of discouraging news (local, national, and global), as well as a widespread rejection of Christian faith, our modern world is prone to discouragement and despair. The Church, made up of the baptized making their pilgrimage toward heaven, must be witnesses of hope to others. Our hope is not mere wishful thinking or a willful naivete. Our hope is found on Calvary, where Christ takes on the full weight of sin and death and lovingly opens a pathway to grace and eternal life. Our hope is found on Calvary, in Christ Crucified. 

At Saint Louis de Montfort, we are encouraging parishioners (as pilgrims of hope) to make their way to Calvary to encounter the crucified Lord this Lent. Our parish Lenten theme is Ave crux, spes unica, which can be translated, “Hail the cross, our only hope.” This was a motto of Saint Edith Stein, and it’s the motto of the Congregation of Holy Cross.  

• We encounter the cross of Christ as a source of hope whenever we go to Holy Mass.  
• We encounter the hope of Calvary each time we courageously step into the confessional. 
• We contemplate the cross each time we pray the Stations of the Cross.
• We meditate on the cross every time we pray with the Sorrowful Mysteries of the rosary.

Would you consider choosing how you will go to the cross this Lent, and thus rekindle or discover for yourself the hope that we find on Calvary? 

Under the Mercy, 

Father Haan 

My Gratitude: I’m especially grateful for Sister Josemaria Pence, O.P., Sister Susanna Edmunds, O.P., and Jessica Hickey for their assistance in the final edition of the Stations of the Cross. Their edits and additions made the stational meditations much clearer, richer, and more conducive to public prayer. I look forward to praying them with you this lent.

A Theme for Lent 2025 at SLDM

Ave Crux, Spes Unica

This Lent, Fr. Haan, has encouraged our parish to focus on a theme to draw together many of the wonderful opportunities we have to form ourselves and build our relationship with Christ over the next 40 days. There are so many things we can do, but it’s important to ask God what He might be calling us to do so we can keep our focus on Him. Isn’t that the goal of Lent, to be closer to Christ by Easter than we are today?

Of course, we have the traditional framework of Prayer – Fasting – Almsgiving that will be a helpful guide for all of us to prepare this Lent. Our theme, Ave Crux, Spes Unica, Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope, can work with each of these disciplines as we continue to keep our gaze upon Jesus and our hearts planted on the instrument of our salvation, the cross.

As I started to review the theme, Ave Crux, Spes Unica for myself, I was led to a beautiful hymn that is often sung on Good Friday, Crux Fidelis (Faithful Cross). I share a few of the words below for your reflection:

“Faithful Cross, among all, You are the noblest tree ... 

Sweetest wood and sweetest nails, Sustaining so sweet a Load”

Here is what you can expect at SLDM this Lent to help you enter into this theme:

EVENTS (click on event for more information and/or to register):

• LENTEN PARISH MISSION – We’ve asked Fr. Clayton Thompson, Pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Noblesville to join us on March 24, 25 and 26 to present our parish mission. His series of presentations, God's Playbook: A Primer in How God Works will provide our parishioners much to pray with this lent.
• VESPERS (EVENING PRAYER) – Every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30, we will pray Vespers after the 6:00pm Mass. This is the prayer of the Church.
• STATIONS OF THE CROSS – Every Friday at 7:00 pm, one of our clergy will lead our parish in praying the Stations of the Cross. At some point, we plan to introduce the version that our pastor, Fr. Haan wrote over the past year.
• KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS FISH FRY – Every Friday, our Knights of Columbus will provide an opportunity to join with others to have a great meal. Maybe this could be paired with experiencing the Stations of the Cross in the Church after…
• LENTEN THEOLOGY OF THE BODY SERIES – Building off the Made for More event we hosted with Christopher West, our team will offer a 4-week study on the Theology of the Body.
• SOLEMNITY OF ST. JOSEPH MEN'S HOLY HOUR – This one is for the men… Be a Joseph and invest your day with WORK, FEAST, FAMILY and PRAYER like Joseph. Join up with other men at 10:00pm for a Holy Hour in our Church.
• LENTEN DAY RETREAT – Early in lent this year, a prayerful experience will be offered on Saturday, March 8 with a focus on the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Virtue of Hope.

RESOURCES

• The Magnificat Lenten Companion – In this booklet, you will find daily meditations, stations of the cross and prayers for different occasions. Take one from the Narthex for your family.
• Other Book Offering at the Kiosk in the Narthex (for a small donation) include:

o  Gospel Reflections for Lent -- from Bishop Barron and Word on Fire

o  The Art of Living – Instruction on how to live the cardinal virtues in daily life by Edward Sri

o  I Thirst – 40 days with Mother Teresa from notes of Fr. Langford.

o  The Paschal Mystery – Reflections for Lent and Easter by Word on Fire Publications.

o  The Tears of Christ – Meditations for Lent by St. John Henry Newman.

o  The Case for Jesus – Biblical and historical evidence for Christ by Brant Pitre

YOUR ONE THING?

While we can all do many things to draw closer to Christ this lent, we are encouraging every parishioner to select THE ONE THING that can be done throughout Lent to help you or your family prepare spiritually this year focusing on the cross, where we find our true hope.

A few suggestions are offered here just to get you started. All of these can be done by an individual or shared with family and friends:

-  The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass – Sundays and weekdays

o  Increase your preparation by reading the Gospel before Mass or increasing the times you attend daily Mass during the week.

-  Sacrament of Reconciliation – any time or our Penance Service

o  While we’re at it, forgiving others if we find ourselves in a state of unforgiveness or regret.

-  Stations of the Cross on Fridays

o  This is a beautiful devotional practice of the Church to reflect upon the road Jesus took to Calvary.

-  Eucharistic Adoration in our Perpetual Adoration chapel

o  Jesus awaits all day, 7 days a week, we simply need to stop by.

-  Pray a Rosary with the Sorrowful Mysteries

o  Pick a time daily or weekly to invest in this prayer to see Jesus through the eyes of our Blessed Mother.

May we all find ourselves closer to Jesus this Easter after journeying through this Lenten season focusing on our theme, Ave Crux, Spes Unica (Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope). 

God Bless!

Deacon Brian Freyberger

Director of Evangelization

ADDITIONAL IDEAS FOR A FRUITFUL LENT