Blog Post - Lenten Journey - 3/07/2022

Our Lenten Journey - 3/07/2022

The parable of the murderous tenants: “ . . . the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.”  According to a Native American legend, the chief of a certain tribe lay dying. He called his three sons to him.

“My sons, I am dying. Soon one of you will succeed me as chief. I want each of you to climb our ancestors’ holy mountain and bring back something beautiful. The one whose gift is most precious will become chief.”  Several days later the three returned from their journeys.  The first brought back a flower that was extremely rare and beautiful.  The second son brought back a stone of precious gold.

But the third son said, “Father, I have brought nothing back. As I stood at the top of the holy mountain, I saw that on the other side was a land of fertile green pastures and crystal waters. I could imagine our people settling there and establishing a better life. I was so taken by what I saw that I had to return here before I could find something to bring back.”  The old chief smiled and said to his third son, “You will be our chief for you have brought us the gift of a vision for a better future.”

God has given us a wonderful “vineyard” that we often take for granted, that we mar and destroy by our ignorance, greed and intolerance. Christ, the Son of the vineyard owner, comes with a new vision for the vineyard we only “lease” from his Father: a vision of love rather than desire, of peace rather than hostility, of forgiveness rather than vengeance.

May we welcome Christ into this vineyard of ours, aware that he calls us to the demanding conversion of the Gospel but determined to sow and reap the blessings of God’s reign.

O Lord of the vineyard, you gave us this earth as a place of peace to seek you and grow in your love. By your grace that enables us to do what we don’t think we can do, by your wisdom that shows us the way through the most treacherous passes, by your light that illuminates the darkest places, may we transform the villages and vineyards you have given us into places where your justice abounds and your peace reigns.

 

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, intercede for us.

St. Irenaeus, ask God to help Ukrainians.

May God Be Praised and your day be Blessed.

May God’s love for you become more apparent this Lent and may your love for God grow ever deeper this Lent.  Allow St. Brendan’s advice to guide you this Lent, "Help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown. Give me the faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with You."

 

Blog Post 3/06/2022 – Our Lenten Journey

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."

Blog Post - 3/05/2022 - Homily Cycle II 3/04/2022 [Friday After Ash Wednesday]

 

Homily Cycle II 3/04/2022 [Friday After Ash Wednesday]

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030422.cfm

  

In Jesus time the Jewish people held 3 great works of religious life: almsgiving, prayer and fasting. 

1.     Fasting is beneficial for our health, physical & spiritual.

2.     Promotes self-discipline & doing without some things

3.     Helps us appreciate what we have

Lent reminds us to practice those same religious works.  In Jesus time a Wedding was a time of rejoicing, joy and plenty; the bride & groom were treated like a king and a queen for a week to celebrate their Wedding.  Some of you may remember Fr. Cletus, he told us that in Nigeria when he was growing up the Baptism of a baby was a grand occasion for a great celebration in his village.  On that occasion the children could eat as much rice as they wanted, and they looked forward to a Baptism.

In today’s Gospel Jesus said that His disciples are not fasting because they are with the Bridegroom.  That means they cannot fast while Jesus is with them.  Being a disciple of Jesus is a feast to be enjoyed and celebrated, but Jesus, also said, there will be times of suffering.

Christian life has a Great Ending because that End is the Great Beginning of Eternal Life with Jesus.  Lent is a time to remember to focus our life through the lens of Eternal Life.

 

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."

 

 

Blog Post – Our Lenten Journey - 3/04/2022

 

Our Lenten Journey 3/04/2022

 

 

Three Thoughts for Lent:

1.     Prayer opens our minds and hearts to God.

2.     Spiritual reading deepens our insights of God.

3.     Silence draws us closer to God.

All three are good during this Lent use them all, but most especially Prayer.

 

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."

 

Blog Post – Our Lenten Journey - 3/03/2022

 

Our Lenten Journey

 

Begin by returning God to first place in our minds, hearts and actions, “Turn our hearts back to you, God our Savior; mold us by your heavenly Word, so that we may truly profit by our Lenten observance.”

 

Remember that “God’s delays are mysterious; sorrow is sometimes prolonged for the same reason for which it is sent. God may abstain for the moment from healing, not because Love does not love, but because Love never stops loving, and a greater good is to come from the woe. Heaven’s clock is different from ours.”  [Fulton J. Sheen’s Life of Christ, p.357]

 

Believe with all your heart and “Just trust in Him and He will continue to lead you safely through all things. Where you cannot walk, He will carry you in His arms.”  [St. Francis de Sales]

 

May your Lent be a blessing.

 

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."

 

 

Blog Post – 3/02/2022 - Ash Wednesday

 

Ash Wednesday

Today we reflect on these words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” And “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”  Lent is season given to us as a gift to reflect on the purpose of our life.

As we start our Lenten Season, let us begin by praying portions of Psalm 57.  St. Augustine said that it tells of our Lord’s passion.

Ant. Awake, lyre and harp, with praise let us awake the dawn.

Have mercy on me, God, have mercy
for in you my soul has taken refuge.
In the shadow of your wings I take refuge
till the storms of destruction pass by.

My heart is ready, O God,
my heart is ready. [Adopted from Psalm 57]

Ant. Awake, lyre and harp, with praise let us awake the dawn.

 

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."

 

 

Blog Post 3/01/2022 – Tuesday before Lent

 

St. Ignatius of Loyola offers us this prayer, "O my God, teach me to be generous, to serve you as you deserve to be served, to give without counting the cost, to fight without fear of being wounded, to work without seeking rest, and to spend myself without expecting any reward, but the knowledge that I am doing your holy will.” Amen

 

Lent begins tomorrow, so today reflect on your motivation, is pleasing God your primary motivation?  Think about something to work on during Lent.

 

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, intercede for us.

St. Irenaeus, ask God to help the Ukrainians.

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."

 May God Be Praised and your day be Blessed.

 

The baked good above are courtesy of Bob and Suzanne Fulton, many thanks.