On Lent

Lenten is a season of fellowship with the Lord. Every day should be a day of fellowship, but Lent is a time of emphasizing our relationship with God. Lent is a time of substantive change towards a better you.

This year instead of sacrificing sweets and coffee, I was moved to give up being so hard on myself. This Lenten season I am giving up harshness, negativity, and self-criticism against myself. Sometimes, I don’t even realize I am doing it, but during moments of prayer and meditation, I see that I am harsh and full of unrealistic expectations which only stress me out. This year the Lord wants me to be nicer to myself by not being so critical. Jesus said, “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Luke 11:9). This season I am asking God to help me identify the areas that need help. I am seeking a new version of me, and I am knocking on an unfamiliar door - all with God’s guidance and help.

I have no doubt that at the end of my journey instead of hearing the negative talk, I’ll find myself being more forgiving about my humanity. As much as I strive to find a “perfect place in life” the reality is that it does not exist and beating myself about not arriving there is pointless. As I embark towards freedom in Christ, “If the Son sets you free you will be free indeed,” (John 8:36), I aim to please a God in heaven who wants what is best for me. Honestly, I would never have thought to give up something unhealthy about myself, because I was focused on sacrifice when I should have been more concerned with the depth of what this season means for Catholics. In fact, it’s not too late to change what you are giving up for Lent this season. Have you considered giving up something that isn’t good for you such as anger, addiction, strife, and the ongoing long list of possibilities? Sometimes, the Spirit of God will move me to places I would never think of on my own and this is one of those times. Join me in a prayer that will ask the Holy Spirit to move our hearts this Lenten season:

Holy Spirit, please guide me this Lenten season. Help make my life what God wants it to be. Make me a faithful follower of Jesus, and an obedient child of the Church.Give me the grace to keep the commandments and to receive the sacraments worthily. Raise me to holiness in the state of life to which You have called me, and lead me through a happy death to everlasting life. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.