TESTING… TRIALS… TRIUMPH.

Lent is early this year, though occasionally, it can even begin as early as February 4th. For many, the month of February is associated with Valentine’s Day and not with Ash Wednesday nor Lent. Last week on Valentine’s Day, roses and chocolates were tokens of love and affection. On that day of love, did you notice a hint of Lent hiding in Valentine’s Day?  Close on the heels of heart day, having crossed the threshold into Lent, we focus on a different kind of love during the next forty days. 

Even a cursory read of the Bible makes one notice the significance of the number 40. The Israelites wandered 40 years in the wilderness before they entered the Promised Land (Deut. 8:2). And Jesus was tested in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights (Mt. 4:2). Likewise, for us, Lent may well be a time of forty days in the desert. Figuratively speaking, these days many parts of our world resemble a wilderness or desert. Even just glancing at the headlines of a newspaper brings home the state of our world. In the Ukraine, Turkey, Syria, and many other places in our world a calm oasis in this ‘desert’ can be hard to find. At times, it can be equally hard to find an oasis in our busy lives. So, I wonder whether, instead of viewing this season of Lent merely as a time of fasting, abstinence, and almsgiving, we could approach it in a different way.  

Yes, there certainly is room for mortification. However, might there also be room to find beauty in our ‘desert’? For Jesus, the time in the desert was filled with testing and trials. So, he prayed, fasted, and triumphed. This may be sheer conjecture but if Jesus did not have an eye for the beauty of nature, including the desert, would he have said: “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these” (Mt. 6:28-29).

The forty days in the desert were a huge challenge for Jesus, as perhaps this Lent will be for us too. Yet, looking with the eyes of the heart, can we not also find and focus on the beauty in our ‘desert’? In her recent blog, How Does Your Best Self Feel?  Sr. Nancy Wales wrote, “Thinking of one’s best self could engender a desire for creating concrete ways needed to experience your YOU - only BETTER!”

Central to Pope Francis’ message for Lent this year, is the Transfiguration. While he invites us to ponder on Jesus being transfigured, might this also be an invitation for us during this Lent to transform our lives, bringing out the beautiful and best in us? There may well be times of testing and trials. However, with the grace of God we can transform the trials and pain into prayer. Perhaps, as Max Lucado suggests,

““Our prayers may be awkward [and] our attempts feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the One who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers make a difference.” ”
— Max Lucado

In his Lenten message, Pope Francis points out that, "We rarely connect Lent and beauty,” but this is what he invites us to do.  During these forty days, let us set aside time to spend in a place of beauty, there to listen to God with the ears of our hearts and be transformed. “Lent is a time of grace to the extent that we listen to him as he speaks to us” writes Pope Francis.  With the grace of God, may we experience our better selves during these Lenten days, and as God’s beloved, joyfully celebrate and welcome the Easter message, “Peace be with you.”        

-Sister Magdalena Vogt, cps      

The Spiritual Path of Lent

Lent is that annual time of year when I am challenged to examine the spiritual path I’m walking on.

Am I even walking on a SPIRITUAL PATH?

To walk a spiritual path presumes there have been choices along the way which keep me focused on what I cannot see.  Here is one example.

Why are the leaves on my philodendron plant all facing toward my window?  If I turn the plant, then over time the leaves again all face toward the window.  Do they have a longing to be outside growing beside that tree in the backyard?  Or do they have some inner awareness that their life depends on the light energy coming from outside my window?  I am a witness, not of the energy my plant is using for its life but I am a witness of the effect the invisible energy is having on the actions of my plant.

I think our lives are more complicated because we have to CHOOSE to face the direction of the energy we need for our lives.  Am I even facing in the direction of the energy I need to walk on a spiritual path?  Love is that energy.  Life is about experiencing being loved and respected and giving love and respect to another.  Life is about relationships, about receiving and about giving.  The way I receive and give love energy is a choice I make. 

During LENT we witness the life of Jesus; we witness all his loving relationships no matter what the hardships he suffered.  His primary gaze was loving obedience to the will of the Father and then actively sharing that love with his followers.  In examining my life, I ask myself, “Am I even on that spiritual path with Jesus?”

This Lent, go home and let your plants teach you how to follow the energy you need for saving the life of your soul. 

 -Sister Elaine Cole, CSJ

...a Time of Healing

ASH WEDNESDAY….a Time of Healing

Restoring right relationships with self, God, one another, and creation is an act of love that is central in all faith traditions however it is expressed; it is the work of a lifetime and essential to peace and harmony in all creation.  

For Christians, Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, is an invitation to rethink our relationships with a renewed desire to transcend our ego and live more lovingly with one another. Traditionally the practices of prayer, self-denial, and support of the poor and marginalized seeking justice mark this sacred season. These 40 days are observed in commemoration of the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing for his public ministry and for us they are a preparation for the celebration of the great feast of Easter, the living out of our mission of love.

For Jews, the ten days of Awe culminating in Yom Kippur are the holiest days of the year, a time of fasting, prayer and reflection focusing on the sins of the past year and seeking forgiveness.

Imam Johari Abdul-Malik describes the 5 steps to forgiveness: admit your wrongdoing, detest it in your heart, commit to turning away from it, make restitution and finally ask for God’s forgiveness. Self-forgiveness is an important part of this process of atonement.

Sweat lodge ceremonies, spiritual practices of Indigenous people, are sources of healing, wisdom and gratitude where one purifies the mind, body and soul in order to restore right relationships with creation, our brothers and sisters and the Creator.

Lent is a time to strengthen your relationship with the God of Jesus, a time to reflect on where you are and where your heart is calling you to grow.  God loves you just the way you are but loves you too much to leave you there. The choice is yours.

-Sister Ann Marshall, csj

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Shrove Tuesday - Pancake Tuesday

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As a child, I was unfamiliar with Pancake/Shrove Tuesday and the traditions surrounding it, but my best friend and her family invited me to their church for supper, where I was able to experience the festivities firsthand. Of course, there were the pancakes but beyond the food, was the sense of community and camaraderie that comes with sharing a meal together.

Events like this can provide us with an opportunity to come together and celebrate our shared values, while also acknowledging the importance of reflection and repentance. And, you experience firsthand a chance to form connections with others in the community. As a child I did not understand the significance of “Pancake Tuesday” only that it was a lot of fun and delicious! Many friends I know still ask - WHAT IS SHROVE TUESDAY?

Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Day, is a significant day in the Christian faith, marking the start of the Lenten season. It is a day of celebration and preparation, where people indulge in rich and indulgent foods before the start of a period of fasting and sacrifice.

The origin of Shrove Tuesday can be traced back to medieval times when people would confess their sins and receive absolution, or "shrive" themselves before the start of Lent. It was a time of preparation for the penitential season, where Christians would make sacrifices, give alms, and focus on their relationship with God.

As the custom of confessing one's sins before Lent waned, the focus shifted to food, and Shrove Tuesday became associated with indulging in rich foods. Pancakes, in particular, became a traditional food as they were a way of using up ingredients like sugar, butter, and eggs that would be forbidden during Lent. Pancakes were also seen as a symbol of unity, as they could be made easily and quickly, bringing people together to celebrate and enjoy each other's company.

From a faith perspective, Shrove Tuesday is an important reminder that we need to take the time to reflect on our relationship with God and prepare ourselves for the Lenten season. It is a time to confess our sins, seek forgiveness, and commit to making positive changes in our lives. The indulgent foods we enjoy on this day should not distract us from this central message; rather, they should serve as a reminder that we need to make sacrifices and give up our worldly desires in order to focus on our spiritual well-being.

Shrove Tuesday is a day of celebration and joy, but it is also a time for reflection and repentance. As we indulge in our pancakes and other treats, let us take the opportunity to reflect on our relationship with God and commit to making positive changes in our lives. Let us remember the true meaning of this day and the importance of preparing ourselves for the Lenten season.

-Connie Rodgers, Guest Blog