Preparing our Hearts during Lent

In the blink of an eye, we are already one week through our Lenten journey.  After seven days, we can reflect on our purpose and commitment during this 40-day retreat. 

Even though Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation for Catholics, it is a day that draws so many of us to Mass every year.  The solemnity of the Mass reflects on the faces of the community and prepares each of us to humble ourselves before God this Lent.  We receive our ashes as a visible reminder that we are human with a propensity to sin, but lovingly God created us in His image. It is never to late for us to turn away from sin and reconcile ourselves with God. 

Lent is our opportunity to focus intensely on God’s love, to focus on our relationship with Him and to dedicate or rededicate our lives to His only son.  And, at the end of our 40-day retreat, we are given the best reward, New Life in Jesus Christ on Easter.

Knowing our reward, how do we best observe Lent, to prepare our hearts for Easter?  The Church instructs us to fast, give alms and pray during Lent to rededicate our lives and journey to God.  These pillars of Lent are not just for our own benefit, but for the benefit of others.  As Jesus sacrificed for the sake of the world, we humble ourselves and offer our fast, alms and prayer for those suffering in the world. 

It is this promise of New Life that draws Christians to the observance of Lent.  We are all sinners, but God loves us.  Loves us so much, He gave us His only son.  During Lent, we prepare our hearts to more fully receive the risen Christ on Easter morning.  Lent is our spiritual retreat to repent from sin, repair our relationship with Christ and open ourselves more fully to God. 

Every year I look to Lent with anticipation of beginning this 40-day journey to the risen Lord. With reflection, repentance and prayer, I dedicate my Lenten retreat and sacrifices to allowing God to move more deeply in my life so that I am not the same person on Easter Sunday as I am today. 

How do you observe Lent?  Do you attempt to choose sacrifices that will benefit others in some way?

Glory awaits us at the end of a difficult journey

A few short weeks after returning to work from my long maternity leave, I changed jobs. The new job comes with a long commute, so in the interest of establishing a positive habit to help me cope with this new stress, I committed myself to praying the rosary daily.

The church actually designates certain days of the week to meditate on one of the four mysteries of the rosary during prayer: the Sorrowful Mysteries on Tuesday and Friday; the Joyful Mysteries on Monday and Saturday; and the Luminous Mysteries on Thursday. The Glorious Mysteries fall on Wednesday, allowing you to focus on the Resurrection of Jesus, the Ascension into Heaven, the Descent of the Holy Spirit, The Assumption of Mary into Heaven and the Coronation of Mary.

This past Wednesday I turned on my Rosary Army podcast to pray the Glorious Mysteries when it occured to me that this is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. It felt wrong to be focused on the Resurrection instead on the Passion of Christ. But if you’re supposed to meditate on a different mystery for Ash Wednesday, I am unfamiliar with the practice. Then I considered that maybe this happens on purpose. After all, Ash Wednesday always comes on Wednesday, which is traditionally assigned to the Glorious Mysteries.

Yet as I prayed, I became very aware that I am entering this solemn season of introspection, preparation, and repentance, focused not on the sorrowful sufferings of Christ, but instead looking ahead to the reward that awaits us at the end of the journey. I’m facing this season of challenge knowing full well what’s promised to us: the new life and new hope that springs forth from Christ’s Resurrection. We know that our prayers and sacrifice during this Lenten season will mean something. We know what will come – that glorious resurrection and ascension into Heaven – opens the way for us to follow.

But what about the other areas of our life where we face challenges, where we experience suffering? Do we have faith that we will emerge from that time of our life in a better place? Do we allow ourselves to grow from the experience? Do we hold true to Christ’s promise that we will see glory at the end of suffering?

Lent is a season of conversion and self-examination. Use this time to make new promises, change behavior, and embrace good habits. Take yourself a little bit more out of “this world." Turn away from corruption and misdirection, in search of something better. Surrender to the difficult challenges that will help you to be worthy of the promises and sacrifices of Christ.

Even though Lent is a time to be sorrowful and repentant, don’t lose sight that the Glory of the Risen Christ awaits us on the other side.

Carrying the Gospel with you

The daily Mass readings arrive in my email inbox via Flocknote every morning. Some days the readings really stand out to me in the morning, but I find it difficult to remember them during the busy day that follows.

Today will not be one of those days.

Read today's Gospel from Mark 8:34-9:1

Jesus called the people and his disciples to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. What gain, then, is it for a man to win the whole world and ruin his life? And indeed what can a man offer in exchange for his life? For if anyone in this adulterous and sinful generation is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’ And he said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.’

Now enjoy the musical stylings of TobyMac, the award-winning Christian rapper. You'll find yourself singing this catchy tune all morning. What a great way to carry today's Gospel with you throughout the day.

Inspiration from "The Little Flower"

The Story of a Soul

Listening to many friends talk of their devotion to The Little Flower and their love of her “little ways” over the years led me to pick up a copy of the writings and biography of St. Therese of Lisieux to discover the beauty for myself. Upon reading “The Story of a Soul,” I was unprepared for the depth of faith and devotion shared by The Little Flower.  Written in a loving, personal tone, her writings begin by explaining her complete devotion to Jesus and Our Lady from a very young age and reflect her experiences, thoughts and feelings throughout her life and years of illness until her death at age 24.

Not knowing what to expect picking up the book, I was immediately struck by the humbleness of her writing; that someone of such great faith would be so humble.  Her personal thoughts reveal a real, flawed woman who worked diligently through her little ways to bring herself closer to God.  St. Therese longed to sacrifice all she could for God, offering up her physical and emotional suffering to Jesus throughout her short life, praying that it would bring her closer to heaven.

St. Therese of Lisieux

I am stunned by the simpleness of her faith. And it was simple, as she even states, and beautiful.  “…I just act like a child who can’t read; I tell God quite simply all that I want to say and He always understands.”  Reading her words, you do not wonder how someone who died so young became a Doctor of the Church.  God graced her with the amazing gift of pure faith.

“Prayer, for me, is simply a raising of the heart, a simple glance toward Heaven, an expression of love and gratitude in the midst of trial, as well as in times of joy; in a word, it is something noble and supernatural expanding my soul and uniting it to God.”

If she lived today, I can only imagine what the media or popular culture would say about a young girl wanting so desperately to dedicate her life to God.  With such determination to join a cloister at age 15, that she personally petitioned the Pope during a visitation in Rome. I don’t imagine they would be very kind to her or understand her devotion, much as many around her failed to truly comprehend her at the time.

The Little Flower

This book inspires me and spoke to my soul like none other.  No wonder so many have a devotion to The Little Flower.  She speaks with such clarity on very serious matters of faith.  Her little way of turning small things into an opportunity to worship and sacrifice, will bring you closer to God on a path you didn’t expect. St. Therese gives us exactly what she wanted to find for herself. “I will find a little way to Heaven, very short and direct, an entirely new way.”

“The Story of a Soul” changed a part of how I view my love for God. This book, for me, is a perfect example of why we read and study the Saints.  Her amazing example of devotion, sacrifice and her “little way to Heaven” brought me a step closer to Jesus, deepening my own faith.  I predict this book will be one I read again and again throughout my life as I attempt to emulate her simple faith and devotion to an ever-present, loving God.

MagnifiKid! - Supporting Kids Living the Faith

MagnifiKid! - weekly spiritual guide & missal

As parents of young children, we struggle weekly to keep our children attentive to the Mass in a reverent, age appropriate manner.  Late last year I discovered MagnifiKid!, a weekly spiritual guide and missal for elementary age kids from the Magnificat family. 

Containing the Sunday readings and prayers of the Mass, this 16-page full color booklet engages my 8 year old son and 5 year old daughter during Mass.  With easy to follow color-coded speaking parts reflected in the missal, they follow along intently, always surprised to find the booklet containing almost word for word the contents of our Mass.  I absolutely love that my children are focused more attentively at Mass by following the missal.  Reading the words, rather than mumbling along, and having explanations, highlights and definitions at their fingertips gives them a greater depth of understanding as they participate more fully in the life of the Church. 

                               

The creators of MagnifiKid! have placed games, crafts, a comic and activities in each copy to help children learn about Christian life, culture, and meaning of the Mass. We commonly use the morning and evening prayers in the booklet, based on Liturgy of the Hours, as our family prayers to start and end the day.  The activities in each copy are short and focused on the liturgical readings for the week. On the pages with the missal and readings, the editors include explanations of difficult words and an insight into the meaning of many Mass rituals.

My only problem with MagnifiKid! is I have one subscription, and two kids who love it.    I foresee a second yearly subscription arriving soon in my mailbox.  MagnifiKid! is an essential aid for my younger kids that faithfully engages them at Sunday Mass and supports them living out their Catholic faith during the week.

2 Timothy 1:7 & Pinterest

One of the lovely things I found over on Pinterest over the weekend.  As you may have guessed, 2 Timothy 1:7 was the inspiration for the name of our blog.  Isn't it just perfect for us!

2 Timothy 1:7