Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
Recently, a national study of teenager and religion came to a profound conclusion that was counter cultural. The survey found that when it comes to faith most teenagers do not rebel against their parents. The survey showed that teenagers in fact follow the model of their parent’s actions. Thus if parents say we need to go to Church every Sunday but in fact only physically go to Mass once a month, then their children understand going to church regularly means once a month.
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Today’s readings lead up to the Annunciation to Mary that she will conceive and bear Jesus. The first reading from Isaiah foretells that the child will be called Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” The reading from the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that salvation comes not from our sacrifices and actions but from the saving love of Christ on the cross. This message seems appropriate as we continue our Lenten journeys; it reminds us that it is not our actions or abstentions themselves but that toward which they are pointed--the Passion of Christ--that matters. Finally, the Gospel reading is familiar, so familiar that we might miss how wonderful it is.
Monday of the Third Week of Lent
Most of us have probably experienced a time in our lives when someone said something or did something to us that caused us to feel rejected. The pain is even more intense when the people that we love and care about are the very people that cannot accept us. How do we deal with these challenging circumstances?
Third Sunday of Lent
Last Tuesday, every parish in the archdiocese was open from 7 - 9pm for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It was called the “Light is on for You,” program. I began with our First Holy Communion kids at 6:30. By the time the last person made it out of the confessional, it was a little after 10 pm. Let me first talk about the kids. Many of them came a little unsure and apprehensive about what to expect from the Sacrament. But by the time they were finished, most of them were thrilled at having accomplished something wonderful. Most of them left the confessional with the usual childlike dance. As far as the adults were concerned, there were many people who had not been to the Sacrament in years. It seems to me that many people had a genuine encountered the ‘mercy’ of Christ that Pope Francis has been talking about.
Saturday of the Second Week of Lent
Think about the things that we celebrate in our lives. We celebrate birthdays, promotions, weddings, etc. We gather and throw tremendous parties for these events. Undoubtedly, (especially at a wedding) we are bound to hear Kool & the Gang's “Celebration”. I'm certain that song was played at every wedding I've ever attended. There is always one line that stands out to me, “Celebrate good times.” As Christians, especially Christians in Lent, we are challenged to fast now so that we can more fully celebrate and feast at Easter. But what exactly are we celebrating at Easter? We are celebrating good times! We are celebrating God's mercy, a homecoming, and our inheritance.
Friday of the Second Week of Lent
Thursday of the Second Week of Lent
Today we have the familiar and challenging gospel passage (Luke 16: 19-31) of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. I find that it’s easy to judge the rich man in the story and dismiss any personal association with him. After all, I’m not a rich man in purple robes dining on sumptuous feasts. But taking some time to reflect, I have to ask myself: Do I live selfishly, ignoring the needs of the poor? In my own pursuit of comfort, clothes to look good in, the pleasure of good food and a nice home, am I blind to those in need? Yes, we have some awareness of the homeless and those living in poverty, but what about the poor people in China and developing countries that are working for very little pay, often in unsafe or unhealthy working conditions to make the clothes we wear and the trinkets we buy? “More for less” the stores convince us, but at what cost? What injustices am I benefitting from?
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Pope Francis added to the Eucharist Prayers this year. The change added Blessed Joseph Mary’s Spouse. Certainly Joseph has always had a place of honor in the Church so why now. Perhaps there are many reasons for this addition. First of all, it was suggested by John the XXIII, over fifty years ago. Secondly, there is a crisis in morality and moral thinking and having another excellent model of faith can help us identify ourselves through Joseph to Christ.
Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent
Quite often, it takes considerable reflection to discern the message of the daily readings. Today is not one of those days. Direct and convicting, today’s passages challenge us to shed our hypocrisy and live as God would have us live. This is not to say that today’s passages ignore the difficulties and mistakes we make along the way. Instead, they help us understand that these difficulties and mistakes are in fact difficulties and mistakes. They are not just the normal way of things. In turn, our response ought not be a simple shrug and wink at the impossibility of perfection. As the poet Samuel Beckett once wrote: Every try? Every fail? No Matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Monday of the Second Week in Lent
In these last days of winter it is so difficult not to feel ‘weather worn’ from so many months of harsh weather. I am so ready for spring! But knowing that whatever snow, ice, or freezing temperatures come this month is the last gasp of winter brings me great solace. I keep looking outside for a tiny hint of green. Even though I know we are on the verge of Spring, I really like actually seeing the hard evidence. While I was reflecting on today’s readings, I kept thinking how Spring carries such a promise of abundance, just as every promise that God has ever made to us always carries the promise of abundance. But, unlike the Spring I cannot will to appear, God’s promises of great abundance are offered to me at every moment.
Second Sunday of Lent
It is almost two weeks since Lent began and I wonder how you are doing. My personal experience thus far has been very positive. Both in the external abstinence that I am practicing and in the internal disposition that I want to have, things are surprisingly well. Now that I have said that, I am sure next week will be rough; but right now, I feel steeped in the Lenten spirit. I hope it is the same with you. But if it is not, seek Christ’s help as you are at mass today. As we heard in today’s gospel, Christ is decidedly moving toward his impending death. The plot is thickening, the conspiracy is getting more intricate and Christ is preparing his disciples for the unexpected twists and turn. In the midst of all this, God’s presence also becomes more real and concrete. The story of the transfiguration of Jesus is a sign of God’s very real presence in human lives.
Saturday of the First Week of Lent
Let’s face it, Catholics are odd. We bless nearly anything with holy water. We often retain the bodily remains of our human heroes- the hand of Saint Teresa of Avila or the head of Saint Catherine of Siena to name a few. Even the sign by which we identify ourselves is unmistakably odd- the image of a man subjected to an ancient Roman form of execution. That’s pretty odd! Our oddness only seems to intensify during the current season of Lent. We put ashes on our forehead, we willingly participate in acts of self-denial, and we eat fish- lots and lots of fish. Now, obviously my examples are a bit tongue-in-cheek, as there are good reasons and tremendous beauty behind these practices. But my point remains the same: Catholics are odd.
Friday of the First Week of Lent
Thursday of the First Week in Lent
“Now help me, who am alone and have no one but You.” This is Queen Esther's prayer in today's first reading.
Wednesday of the First Week in Lent
Over the years many articles have been written about changing habits. Many of the resources I have found suggest that consistent behavior for three weeks give us a fairly good chance of breaking a habit. This of course is not fool proof, especially when we don’t really want to change. This is why lent is as important to us as Catholics, because we understand, perhaps subconsciously that we are in need of change. Lent signals and calls us to a change where we turn away from sin and are faithful to the Gospel. Often it is our own self that gets in the way of allowing a change to occur.
Tuesday of the First Week of Lent
Read through Christian eyes, the words of the prophet Isaiah in today’s readings are immensely powerful. Through Isaiah, the Lord says that the Word is sent like rain and snow, not returning to the heavens until they have fundamentally changed not only the earth but also its harvest, and thereby, the people who eat its produce. Creation is different because of a raindrop. And in a real way, creation is sustained by it. So too, Isaiah tells us, is the Word of God. From the Gospel of John, we know that Jesus is the Word made flesh. This means that God’s Word does not return to the Father before he nourishes the world.
Monday of the First Week of Lent
I believe that as Christians we are called to find Christ and His message in all things- even in every day experiences. Recently I went to see the Disney movie Frozen. The animation was visually beautiful and the musical score was fabulous including the Oscar winning song “Let It Go”. But what struck me most about the movie was the story line and how it spoke about what love really means- particularly the love that Christ calls us to live. One character in the movie professes love and devotion, but acts in a completely different way. Another character shows love through acts of kindness to a stranger. Finally, one character shows immense love as she gives of herself completely in love for another. And because of this love there is redemption and healing. In today’s reading, Jesus calls us to go beyond words to love through our actions. In loving others, not only are we able to minister to their needs, but we demonstrate our love for Christ whose presence is in every person we encounter. When we act in love, not only do we profess our devotion to the Lord, but we can also be instrumental in allowing His healing and redemptive love to become a part of this troubled world. It is Christ’s love within us that allows us to share what we can with others, so we should not hold onto this love, but “Let It Go.”
First Sunday of Lent
Lent did not begin well for me. I decided that I would abstain from meat all the fourty days Lent. So on Monday before Lent I decided that my fat Tuesday would indeed be fat. Since Monday was my day off, I decided to cook the most sumptuous lamb shank. In fact, my fat Tuesday began in earnest on Monday night as I dug into my delightful culinary creation. I am not sure what went wrong but by Tuesday morning I was sicker than a sick dog. My fat Tuesday was anything but fat. I spent most of fat Tuesday in bed. In fact, fat Tuesday seemed like Ash Wednesday. I think that for my sins God struck me a day earlier than everybody else.
Saturday after Ash Wednesday
So there I was, walking around a bookstore that I used to work for. I just had a thrilling time poking around their Catholic section (yes, bookstores are thrilling for me). I found a couple of gems that I was excited about, but based on their covers, titles, and authors were far from subtle about being Catholic books. At this point I didn't have a care in the world as I meandered around the bookstore with my little pile of theological goodies. Then as I approached the checkout counter I saw an old manager of mine. My carefree attitude dissipated and before I knew what I was doing, I had all the books tucked under one arm, covers facing inward so he couldn't see them. I just experienced one of the first collisions between my old self and new self and I'm pretty sure my old self won. This experience has stuck with me for over a year and a half now, and I'm constantly struck by how much I struggled with encountering someone who only knew me prior to my conversion, or in other words Before Christ. Not only did that experience stick with me, but it came back to me today as I read the Gospel.
Friday after Ash Wednesday
My husband Joel and I have a cookbook titled "The Joyful Fast." It is a holdover from the days when we attended an Eastern Rite Catholic parish, which has different fasting rules than the ones we use in our Western Roman Catholic tradition (for more about this, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Catholic_Churches#.22Rite.22). I am always struck by the cookbook's title: how can fasting, indeed how can Lent itself, be joyful? The reflection we do on our sins throughout this season makes the tone seem somber and gloomy.