Our Lenten Journey
Homily Cycle C – Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030622.cfm
Casey found an abandoned plot of land on the outskirts of Dublin, filled with old tires, bricks, stones and pieces of wood. He spent several months clearing the area, putting soil and fertilizer down to enrich the soil. Then Casey planted his garden and cared for it every day.
On evening Fr. O’Reilly was walking and he spotted a Casey’s beautiful garden. At the time Casey was working in the garden and Fr. O’Reilly complimented Casey on the beautiful garden, he said “Casey God and you have created a beautiful garden.” Casey replied, “Father you should have seen it when God had it on His own.”
Our spiritual garden needs attention and God will enrich our spiritual life if we take the time to get the soil of our souls ready. We have several signs on our kitchen wall, one that reads, “I have been on a diet for two weeks and all I have lost is 14 days.”
Worthwhile changes, especially spiritual ones are never easy to do. I hope and pray that at the end of this Lent you can say my 40 days of preparation this Lent have been a great spiritual gift from God.
In Deuteronomy, the Israelites cried out to God and in our Psalm, we pleaded with Lord to “Be with us, Lord, when I am in trouble … knowing that God will be with us in distress.” [Psalm 91]
And in the Verse before the Gospel we hear, “One does not live on bread alone, but on every Word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” Are you living on God’s Word? Is God’s Word the center of your life and of your decisions?
When former British prime minister, Tony Blair, was running for office, his political philosophy was often called the “Third Way,” it was described as a global movement focused on modernizing progressive politics in the information age. In May 1999, Blair was in Washington to attend a summit on Third Way policies, he entered the building unsure of which way to go in the building.
He asked a janitor, “In which room is the Third Way meeting?” The janitor replied, “There is no third way, sir; there is but one way, and it’s straight ahead.” [Adopted from Proclaim Sermons – Lent 1, 2022]
The one way, the best way to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ is to be fully committed, it is The Way. Jesus went into the desert and fasted for 40 days, faced temptation and declared that God’s Will be done.
There are many kinds of hunger, glory and power when we end hunger, offer glory and cede power to God our lives will be richer, and more peace filled. As the Russian invasion into Ukraine continues, pray that the hunger of Ukrainians for food and freedom is satisfied. And pray the President Putin’s pursuit for glory and power are thwarted by the prayers and sacrifices of Ukraine and of the world.
Earlier I shared with you this sign for our kitchen. Maybe this story can aid us in preserving with our Lenten Sacrifices.
If you decide that this Lent, you’re going to drop the 20 pounds…. Good for you. Now comes the hard part: How do you do it? Eating less, of course. But how do you go about “eating less”? Change your eating habits and plan to have healthy meals; eating less requires a change in life style. [Connections, 3/05/2022]
Our Lenten sacrifices takes more than “stop doing” and “giving up” — it means rethinking how we live and what we are committed too. Lent is a beautiful gift, a wonderful opportunity for each of us to take stock our lives, and the place that Jesus Christ is in our daily life.
We have another sign in our kitchen, given to me by a great friend. It has three words: thankful, grateful, blessed.
May your Lent prepare your heart, your mind and your soul to greet the Lord on Easter Sunday recognizing that you are blessed because you are thankful and grateful.
Thankful and grateful that the Lord loves you and that you love the Lord a little more because of your Lenten preparation.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, intercede for us.
St. Irenaeus, ask God to help the Ukrainians.
May God Be Praised and your day be Blessed.
And with St. Francis de Sales let us remember, "We shall steer safely through every storm, so long as our heart is right, our intention fervent, our courage steadfast, and our trust fixed on God."
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