Pastor's Notes
Welcome Lent!
Sound strange? Perhaps — until we see God's purpose for Lent.
Our own designs rarely favor an idea of fast and sacrifice; of doing without and of penance.
Welcome Lent!
It is God's desire to renew us in this time and space; to again fashion us in his image and likeness; to forget the past and call us to a new beginning of goodness and holiness. It is God's design that during this time, we may again seek to love as God loves.
Welcome Lent!
It is a time of healing heart, mind, and soul; a time of rejuvenation of faith that moves us to realize that salvation is not an automatic; that our absolute desire is essential to understand and accept the gift given through the sacrifice of Jesus and the
resurrection of Christ, acknowledged as Savior.
Welcome Lent!
Six weeks is not a long period of time. Actually, when you look at a lifetime, say of 80 years, its only .0014 of the weeks we live on this earth. And considering that Lent should be adhered to
for 66 of those years (from the age of 14), that would only total 396 weeks — .95 of the amount of time God gives us to "get it right." We'll not spend one-tenth of our life in Lent, of completely focusing on God.
That's why it's so important that we look at Lent in a new way. Instead of "giving up" something, it is most imperative that we seek "to become" that which we are meant to be, but so often struggle with all the other 99.05 percent of our lives — more than 72 years to be exact. If not for Lent, what pitiable people we could be.
If we can't move to get it right during this minutely small amount of time, how will we survive in a world that proves to be so devastatingly against God? We're told by the prophet Isaiah that God came to"make it right," that is, to again point us in the right direction. As he did with his chosen people in the time of Isaiah, so too he does today. As we hear these prophetic words, we must recognize what God desires to do in our lives. Ours is to see how he provides the grace necessary to return to true life, lost through ignorance, disobedience, and sin, failure to love God and others before ourselves.
This is exactly what Jesus confronts in today's gospel — a failure of the people to have hearts and minds renewed. They have failed to see God's call to live in his love, and therefore, love with total concern for the other, rather than the ever-increasing societal expectation of gaining whatever possible for the glorified "Me" before anyone else. History repeats itself.
Harsh? Real? Perhaps. But before a decision is made, we must assure ourselves that we are not viewing the world with rose-colored glasses — that is, seeing it as society wants but rather, clearly as God does. There's a big difference. And only prayer can provide the necessary — truthful — answer.
Welcome Lent...
...you are not here soon enough. We need this time to reaffirm our beliefs; to re-establish our priorities; to again be
humbled in the Lord's presence. We need the gift of humility that
enables us to take the cruel thoughts, words, and actions of unbelievers as if they were a blessing. We need again to define our lives in accordance with our Lord's. We need you, O Lord, to forgive us, strengthen us, and guide us. We need your power to overcome the evil we confront each day. We need everything that you are to truly seek forgiveness of what we have done against your law of love, and for what we have failed to do to make your love manifested to the world by our lives.
Welcome Lent!
Let us take this opportunity to be "convicted," that is, to be firm in our desire and belief, in our prayer, and in our action; to be poor in spirit, pure of heart, thirsty and hungry for righteousness as taught through the Beatitudes. Only then, can we be worthy of Easter, a sharing in the divine reality offered in, with, and through Christ.
I encourage the reading of scripture each day — and of allowing time for God to speak through those words as he has done for centuries. I encourage action that is befitting a follower of Jesus
Christ, especially concerning today's confrontation with our
freedom of religion so much on the line (see the inserts today
for what needs done by all of us).
I encourage a review of "what I believe and practice" to see if it follows what Christ has taught, especially concerning the dignity of life where the dying and rising of Christ is most present.
Welcome Lent!
You are needed by us.
Love, and prayers,
Fr. Tom