Lent is time spent with Jesus

Open the door! Jesus is waiting to come in and spend these next forty days with us in a special way. He calls us in the first reading today to Choose life."

On this day, forty-eight years ago, I was on the eve of my final Profession in Rome. We had made a thirty-day retreat, a deepening of the retreat I made in August at the Trinita dei Monti, our convent at the top of the Spanish Steps. Pere Gaston Fournier came from France to give this retreat and it was a powerful one stressing that the only thing necessary is to do "what God wants, when He wants it, and how He wants it." As I was leaving right after final Profession to go from Rome straight to Chile, I added, and "where He wants it"
I did not know any Spanish, but that did not seem to bother anyone; I kept hearing Jesus say to me, " Fear not; it is I." I knew Jesus was with me and have never doubted his presence in my life.

The Little Black Book with six minute mediations that was given to us at Church for Lent has this for today on the left side (right side is always a commentary on the Passion from John's Gospel):
"There is nothing tricky about prayer. It's simply tuning in to God's presence-and God is always present. Not simply alongside us, but within us at the deepest part of who we are.
We never have to make an appointment with God. We're "first on the list". Our appointment is "right now".
When we call God, we never get voice mail. It's direct.
To draw near to God, we don't have to travel anywhere. God does all the traveling.
We don't have to figure out the right words to get started. God is already speaking to us. All we have to do is turn off the "mute" button.
The reason we pray is to become more who we are. We're made in the image and likeness of God. When we pray, we become more and more like God.
Try it. Use words if you wish. But you can also just sit quietly with God. It's a fine way to spend a few minutes."
This book is dedicated to Bishop Ken Untener (1937-2004) who was inspired to create "Little Books" - this is based on his writings and put together by the editor of "Little Books", Catherine Haven, with the help of Sister Nancy Ayotte, IHM.

Ash Wednesday

I had saved two pictures to post today for Ash Wednesday, but the browse button is not working for me so I cannot find them. Maybe that is a sign that I am to start Lent in a very simple way. This prayer came to mind as a good way to begin:
Here I am Lord. This is my church.
It is composed of people like me.
We make it what it is.

It will be friendly, if I am.
Its pews will be filled, if I help to fill them.
It will be filled with music, if I sing.
It will radiate Christ's love, if I do.
It will pass on the faith, if I share mine.
It will involve many people, if I become involved in its work.
It will make generous gifts to many causes, if I am a generous giver.
It will bring other people to worship, if I invite them.
It will be a Church of loyalty and love, fearlessness and faith;
a church with a noble spirit, if I, who make it what it is, am filled with these.

Therefore, with the help of God, I shall dedicate myself to the task of being all the things I want my church to be.

I guess it all begins with my union with Christ and how I reveal his love to others.
May this Lent be a time of transformation for all of us. Courage! Let us begin!

Jesus, lonely in the desert

I just discovered this painting by a British artist, Briton Riviere. It speaks to me of a Jesus who is tired, lonely, and waiting for nightfall. It is an image that will help me to stay with Jesus this Lent.
Well, to go back to Lenten Resolutions as today is "Mardi Gras" or "Fat Tuesday" and a day that often leads to an excess of eating and drinking. I told you that my resolutions would be based on three Scripture passages; actually, the third is taken from the first Lenten Preface. Here they are:
"Not by bread alone doth man live, but by every word that cometh forth from the mouth of God." From the Gospel, 1st Sunday of Lent.
I am taking this to help fast from bread and sweets during Lent and concentrate on reading the Word of God.

"When you pray, enter into your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret." Gospel for Ash Wednesday.
This will, I hope, make me more faithful to find the time for quiet prayer each afternoon.

"Each year you give us this joyful season when we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery with mind and heart renewed. You give us a spirit of loving reverence for you, our Father, and of willing service to our neighbor." Lenten Preface
I am concentrating on joyful, willing service; I was happy to read that this is a joyful season and think that when we do things for others we should do them with joy!

I read yesterday that "we need Lent. In the midst of our busy lives, with worldly forces and temptations working hard to distract us from the call of Christ, the weeks of Lent are a gift. As we fast, pray, extend out hands to the poor, we are imitating Christ, joining ourselves more closely to him. He suffered and sacrificed; so do we. He lives in eternal joy; so will we, as we follow him in hope."

Preparing for Lent

Today is a day to think about Lent and all the needs of the world. I am using this picture of Jesus as a copy was given me when I was still in high school and, when hung in my room, Jesus always seemed to be looking at me with love no matter where I was in the room. I still feel that no matter where I am, Jesus is looking at me with love.
Lent is a time to make a special effort to please Jesus. It is not what I want to do for these forty days, but what Jesus wants of me. I spent time praying about it and think Jesus told me something about prayer, fasting, and service and all in joy. Lent is a time of transformation and therefore can be a time of joy as we are preparing to celebrate the joy of the Resurrection. I am not called to be gloomy, but to give God's love and joy to others during this time.
Now I am late and must stop here, but will probably share my Lenten resolutions at some point as each is based on a Scripture passage that came in prayer.
Now, spend some time with Jesus today and ask him to show you what he wants for Lent.

Mount of the Beatitudes

Here is the scene where Jesus preached the heart of his message: Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for justice, the merciful, the clean of heart, the peacemakers, and, finally, blessed are they who are persecuted, and insulted...Rejoice and be glad, for your reward witll be great in heaven.

The homily I heard for this Sunday began with the fact that to become a Christian is a long process. We are never fully there but on the way. Each of us can always live each of these Beatitudes more deeply; we are on a journey into the Heart of God. We must "Rejoice and be glad" as we are promised the kingdom of heaven.

The second reading from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians tells us that God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, the weak of the world to shame the strong, and the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God. Well, I can rejoice in the fact that I know myself to be chosen by God; I know that I am foolish, weak, a nothing, and have nothing to boast about except that God loves me. When I was a novice and the Mistress of Novices had quite convinced me that I was Nothing, the Reverend Mother Vicar arrived for a visit. I tried to tell her how I was learning that I counted for nothing. She said to me with a twinkle in her eye, "Yes, dear, but you will soon be a consecrated nothing and that makes all the difference in the world." I have never forgotten that and it has helped me immensely at various moments in my life so I guess I am passing it on now.
We can do nothing without Christ, but with Him we can do all things!"

We have three days to prepare for Lent, such a special forty days. Which beatitude is Jesus calling me to strive for now?

The Presentation of the Lord

This Feast officially marked the end of the Christmas season for years as it was a known fact that, according to the Mosaic law, Mary and Joseph would go to the Temple in Jerusalem for both the purification of the new mother and to present the son forty days after the birth. Mary would have entered the temple with Jesus and would have brought an offering of a lamb or a dove or two doves or even pigeons. Luke gives us the details in today's Gospel, but I found that this feast began to be celebrated in the 4th century in Jerusalem and, in the Eastern Church, it is called "The Meeting of Jesus and Mary with Simeon and Ann, representatives of the Old Covenant."
In the Middle Ages, the feast was called Candlemas and the candles were blessed. My mother always brought home two blessed candles on this feast and would light them during the year whenever there was a severe thunder storm. She believed that blessed candles protected the home from danger.

Luke tells us that "When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord ...

Then Luke introduces both Simeon and Anna. Simeon was waiting as the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ. He came, then, and took Jesus into his arms and blessed God saying:
"Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for the revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory for your people Israel."

Mary and Joseph were amazed at what was said about him. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, "Behold this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted; you yourself a sword will pierce so the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

There was also a prophetess, Anna, who was 84 and worshiped in the temple night and day. She came forward and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

This is a feast that gives us much to reflect upon and we may be sure that Mary pondered all these words in her heart.

February - A month of contrasts

Today is the first of February, a month full of contrasts. Today is my oldest grand-nephew's 12th birthday; he is up in Oregon now so I have not seen him but know he is being Confirmed in the next week; his grandmother, my sister, also has a birthday coming up in February. We also celebrate Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday next week; then Valentine's Day and Presidents' Day where we combine a celebration of two great presidents: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Snow is falling over much of the country during February. To take to the ski slopes is one of the delights of the month. Lent will give its own atmosphere to this short month. The world is in such need of Lenten prayer and conversion.
I read this in Richard Rohr's ""Hidden Things: Scripture As Spirituality" this morning:"You can only transform people to the degree that you have been transformed. You can only lead others as far as you yourself have gone. You have no ability to affirm or to communicate to another person that they are good or special until you know it strongly yourself...Only beloved people can pass on belovedness."

May this month of February be a transforming one for each of us and may we then transform others!

The Gospel has the parable of the mustard seed. I remember looking up over a door of a Church in a small town in Chile and seeing this huge mustard tree that had grown on the ledge from a small seed that had found enough dirt on the ledge to root and grow. The image has never left me.