Inspiration for your journey to God!

Category: Lent (Page 4 of 10)

Be faithful to the Gospel!

Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel!
Ashes to ashes

Be faithful to the Gospel! Soooooo, here we are – the start of another “pilgrimage” if you will. Lent has begun and many people have thought about or are just now thinking about what they will “give up” for Lent.

my plans

I have to admit, for the past few years I’ve given up less and resolved to do more in the spiritual arena. My hope was to grow spiritually and possibly maintain the momentum even after the season was over. I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

However, I like to change things up every so often. So the past few weeks I’ve thought about how this season of Lent would be different than years past. I’ve wondered about how I could step out of my comfort zone. I have to admit, I got nothing! I mean, yes, I’m giving up social media, possibly chocolate – but I feel like that’s so juvenile. I’m not a teen anymore. Personally, I think I should do better than that. I’m not judging here, I’m just speaking for myself.

god’s plans

So I woke up this morning, at 3:15a.m. (you thought 4 am was early?!) a bit anxious about not having committed to any specific thing. I didn’t feel prepared to start the season off right. But you know how I always say: God provides a theme! I sat with my coffee and picked up my phone to read my daily reflections from Richard Rohr and World Community of Christian Meditation and there it was – one entitled: Lent Reflections 2020.

“Ugh”, I thought. Here I go. I will wake up every morning, for the next few weeks, and worry about getting through all the reflections I subscribed to. I will retain very little. You know what? I don’t want to do that this time! That’s how I’m going to change it up this year. I’m going to focus on just being – but after I read this first reflection. LAUGH OUT LOUD! Here’s where the theme comes in – man God is sooooo good! Here’s what I read:

WCCM – Lent Reflection 2020

The real mystery of the human is that we are so convinced that we have to get somewhere, failing to realize that we are already there. We wouldn’t be thinking of goals and objectives unless they were already activated in our personal consciousness. So, let’s start Lent today with the Resurrection.

Without the Resurrection, Lent would be a dull, self-centered time devoted to cultivating one’s own spiritual garden. We would be concerned only with giving things up that we like or doing difficult things that we think would be good for us. Maybe they would be, but motivation is everything. Many, Catholics especially, today will be having a conversation about what they are ‘doing for Lent’ often with a humorous tone and a little bit of religious competitiveness. “If he is giving up alcohol for Lent, maybe I should as well.” Jesus’ teaching on all this is clear. Don’t publicize your ‘good deeds’ and even ‘don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.’ If this sounds very complex and challenging, in fact it is ridiculously simple.

When spiritual practice is covertly run by the ego (and most things are) we unconsciously slip into thinking that progress, coming closer to God, is linked to suffering or voluntary discomfort. It’s like thinking that we have to do something unpleasant to make someone who already loves us continue loving us. We don’t feel worthy. We don’t trust. We hedge our bets. God must be having a good laugh at our reluctance to believe the obvious.

Like meditation, Lent isn’t about spiritual leverage over God or about taking back control of our spiritual journey. As we begin Lent, let’s decide, with the simplest motivation, whether we will do something or do nothing. (Her mother told the young Queen in the TV series The Crown that doing nothing is the most difficult thing.) The gift today is to determine to more deeply believe the gift of God’s love. This is impossible until we feel that God actually likes us.

Let’s try this Lent to shed whatever remains of our pagan, ego-colored idea of God and so prepare for the resurrection by living in the new light of Christ. The old gods died when devotion to them dried up. They looked powerful but, like celebrities, they feed off human attention and wither when it fails.

The true God is far more real and interesting and infinitely friendly. So, something or nothing? Simply being more faithful to our daily times of meditation and to the simplicity of the mantra combines both options. (As John Main said ‘prayer is the essential ascesis of the Christian life.’) – Laurence Freeman, OSB

commitment

So there you have it! Today we’re reminded to “be faithful.” This year I’m not going to worry about what I’m doing for Lent and how faithful I’m being to my commitment to “doing.” I AM going to focus on “being” for Lent – being present, being at peace, being in meditation. I will worry about how faithful I’m being to just being! What will you commit to? How will you step out of your comfort zone? I would love to hear from you. Please share your journey with us in the comment section.

May God continue to bless you during this season of Lent and may all your commitments to do something or nothing bear much fruit!

He did not come to abolish the law

After the crucifixion comes the resurrection.  Jesus gives us a reason to hope.
Jesus gives us a reason to hope!

In Matthew 5:17-19, Jesus tells us that He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it.  So what does that mean for us? 

One word that came to mind as I thought about it was: difficulty.  Our need to regularly receive the sacrament of Reconciliation is proof of how difficult it is to follow the law. If Jesus didn’t come to abolish the law, then it must mean He didn’t come to rid us of difficulty:  whether the difficulty be our inability to follow the law – a form of self-inflicted suffering or whether the difficulty is some other form of suffering like an illness or tragic loss.  Instead, He came to “carry it out” through example.

Yes, Jesus came to save us but in His infinite love and mercy He also came to show us how life is done.  He came to model for us how to see our way THROUGH suffering.  Jesus showed us what it means to accept God’s will and proved to us once and for all that beyond the suffering lies a glorious resurrection.  Jesus gave us a reason to HOPE!

Control?

We all tend to become anxious or disappointed when life doesn’t go according to plan.  Our need to control every aspect of life is probably what causes most of our suffering.  The sooner we accept the reality God is in control, the happier we’ll be.  Jesus actually gave us a prescription for happiness in the Beatitudes!  It’s certainly worth pondering.  

How we deal with suffering determines where we go from there.  Accepting it and surrendering  to God’s will allows us to see there is a light at the end of the tunnel.   We see the lesson, we grow in virtue. In choosing to avoid it at all costs we remain in darkness, constantly reliving the pain and never coming out on the other side.

WWJD?

Jesus prepared for His suffering by slipping away to pray.  When he was tempted, He relied on Scripture.  When He doubted, He trusted.  When He was in pain, He surrendered. We are called to do the same.  So how do you manage your stress, pain and suffering?  How do you prepare for a tough road ahead?  Do you follow Jesus’ example?

I recently read the following excerpt in a daily inspirational journal titled The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo:

Even in the Dark

Seldom seen, growing along the ocean floor, the white plumed anemone is a watery blossom.  It is white lace, opening under tons of black, opening as if bathed in the sun, while so far from the sun.

This is the trick to staying well, isn’t it:  to feel the sun even in the dark.  To not lose the truth of things when they go out of view.  To grow just the same.  To know there is still water even when we are thirsty.  To know there is still love, even when we are lonely.  To know there is still peace, even when we are suffering.

None of this invalidates our pain, but only strengthens our way back into the light.

Imagine the “this” in that last sentence is Jesus.  Jesus strengthens our way back into the light!  Lean on Him, trust in Him, follow Him!


« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2024 Shepherd of Faith

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑