is upon us

As we enter this period in our Church calendar, it is a good time to consider what Lent means to us personally. How will you prepare yourself to renew your baptismal promises at Easter? What will you do or not do to more closely follow Christ? 

One way to reflect is to ponder upon the three traditional practices of Lent; prayer, fasting and works of charity.

Prayer: Many Catholics practice prayer as a talking to God through recitation of memorized prayers and devotions. These are good. I challenge you to go deeper into prayer by entering a dialogue with God. To do so means we have to quiet ourselves, a daunting task in our modern, fast-paced lifestyle. God already knows our needs and our weaknesses. By taking time to talk to God and listen for an inner response, we can better come to understand what God has in store for us and how much God waits for our turning even more to him. Devote a little more time each day that you normally do to sit with God in silence. You may begin by reading scripture or some spiritual writing. Then just ponder what you have read and ask God to speak to you. God will respond if we just quiet ourselves to hear.

Fasting: Self discipline is another lost art in today's world. The Lenten practice of fasting should include more than just "giving up" something. If the denying of a hunger for food or drink helps call to mind the need to simplify our life in order to follow Christ more closely, then it is god. Don't limit your fasting to food and drink. You can fast from practices that draw you away from companionship with God and God-in-others. For instance, a person may choose to fast from gossip, from criticism and or from mindless TV or internet use and instead use the time to build relationships with family, friends and community. Fasting from an activity that is not in keeping with the two great commandments of love for God and neighbor will help us be more prepared to fully celebrate Easter.

Alms-giving or works of charity: Do you remember the idea of "paying it forward?" This is the practice of performing random acts of kindness without notice, recognition or reward. The whole idea is to do something helpful for another to make their life better in some way. This could be as simple as an anonymous note of greeting to someone you know is alone or paying for a stranger's coffee without them knowing who is responsible. Of course, outward charity must be part of a softening of our hearts, particularly toward those less fortunate than ourselves. Remember the scripture passage; "Whatever you do for these least among you, you do for me." Giving of your time and energy to efforts to better our community, feed the hungry, help out a neighbor are all good ways to express our belief in the divine light in each of God's children.
Of course, giving funds to charity and to the church is good too. It should cause you to reflect on all the good that God has done for you and be a part of your giving back to the Lord.

Be creative  Only you can decide what will help you turn even more toward Christ. May your Lenten devotions lead you ever closer to our savior so you may share fully in his resurrection.

Change is Going to Come

The dog days of Summer are past and there is a morning chill in the air that tells us that Autumn is just about upon us. Soon the trees will begin to dress themselves for the season and eventually drop their foliage.
Many families have put away their warm weather fun equipment and began to settle into another routine.


What will the changes in the season mean for you? Will it be another routine time?

Here is an idea and a challenge! Use this changing of the seasons to make some changes in your way of life. Add a time for family prayer. Make a date with yourself for a retreat or new time for prayer.
Commit to a healthier lifestyle. Take time to reflect on the beauty that our loving God has placed all around us, both in nature and the wonderful and interesting people who cross our path.

Life is a gift from God who wants to be in passionate relationship with us. It would be a terrible waste if this turns out to be another "routine" time in our relationship with the Lord. What will you do to demonstrate your appreciation of God's many gifts?

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer!
Those words from a Nat King Cole song speak about the way Summer affects people's outlook and activities. For some, summertime is about a more relaxed pace. For others, the extra daylight and warm weather allows for more activities, especially outdoors.
Unfortunately, summertime for some people means a lessening of their commitment to prayer and time with God. Sunday Mass is less attended.
Make a pledge to yourself to renew your time with God. This is a good opportunity to find and commune with God in nature, to use the season of Summer to try new prayer forms or resume one we may have neglected. Use the magnificent gift of this season to open yourself more to God, to follow Christ more closely, to unclutter and refocus on what really matters - our relationship with our Creator.
Have a happy and blessed Summertime and may your living be easy!

Christ has Risen. Alleluia!

On the great Easter Vigil, 31 adults and older children were fully initiated. Their journey to the font was not always easy. It took time, effort and dedication.

I wonder how many Catholics, as they witnessed this great event, reflected on their own faith journey. I'm sure there were difficult times, times of struggle with some teaching or practice of the Church and times when keeping faithful took dedication and effort.

Think about your own faith path. Where has the Spirit taken you? Where have you wandered onto a different road, only to find your way back? How are you equipping yourself for the rest of your journey to God's Eternal Easter.
Let us hear your comments on Easter, journeying in faith and the path to the heavenly banquet.