Another
year- another time to journey from sin to repentance and to redemption. Since our departure from Eden, God has been
trying to restore us to bring us back to Him.
During Lent we as Catholics get to live out this process of
restoration more devoutly. Lent challenges us to leave
behind our old selves and to make a journey that will lead us to better versions
of ourselves, but more importantly closer to God spiritually. This Lenten pilgrimage challenges us to
dispose of habits and things that keep us from God through fasting and abstinence. It reminds me of the Oregon Trail migration
when pioneers migrated to the western United States. The challenging conditions of the trail made
the settlers travel with only bare necessities; yet, as light as their packing
consisted it was very common during the journey to dispose of many possessions
to ease the weight and conserve the energy of their horses. Lent is our own personal Oregon Trail we
begin with what we consider bare necessities, but during the course God continues
to challenge us to leave behind everything that keeps us from Him. That’s one of the beauties of Catholicism it
challenges to never ending conversion this side of Heaven. Just when we begin to get comfortable
thinking we are becoming holy, God shows us that we are works in progress. Just recently, God showed me an area of
weakness in my person. He showed me that
when someone hurts me instead of turning the other cheek I am usually more
likely to retaliate. I want to defend
myself, to justify my position… Can you imagine if Jesus would have retaliated
every time someone hurt Him? There
wouldn’t have been an Easter Sunday nor a path to Heaven. However, He came to restore us to God by any
means necessary even suffering on the cross.
In modern times suffering is extremely unpopular, all the media focuses
on making us feel good on speaking to our desire for pleasure. During Lent God challenges us to suffer for a
greater good - to fast and abstain when it causes us discomfort and to offer
that suffering to Him. I know that my
moments of greatest growth have been also my most painful. It is when we are hurting that our pride is
no longer an issue, when we are truly in grave hurt we have nothing to lose and this
nothingness makes us perfect vessels to receive God. That’s why we want to challenge ourselves to
a bit of discomfort during Lent and to purge ourselves of things, and inner
baggage to make room for more of Him.
Today we fast united as one church and it will get uncomfortable, but
when we see the big picture, our need to empty ourselves and our lives to
become better receptors to the gifts that God wants to bestow - the discomfort will no
longer be an issue. See you in the Eucharist and may this Lent be a period of great
conversion (smile)…
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