Lent

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

It is my honor to share a few words with you this week as we prepare to enter the most holy season of Lent. Although it is true that “Ordinary Time” is anything but “ordinary”, filled as it is with wonderful Scriptures week after week, day after day, and with celebrations of such saints as Thomas Aquinas and Francis de Sales, still it is always exciting for me to enter into the “extraordinary” season of Lent.

During Lent, we turn outward, focusing less on ourselves and more on God and others, through our increased practices of Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. Maybe we have chosen to participate in the Sacred Story program, committing to give God an extra 15 minutes every day for the next 40 weeks. Perhaps we “do without” so that others will not have to, as we donate to the CRS Rice Bowl efforts. If we are able, we might come hear Fr. Richard Clancy, in a three-day mission, speak to us of God’s Divine Mercy (March 17-19). Whatever the specific behaviors we add to or subtract from our regular routine, we are drawn to them because we desire that, in our lives, God may increase and we ourselves may decrease. We engage now in the annual Spring Cleaning of our hearts, so that, when Easter arrives, we will have room for all of the joy that comes with the Resurrection.

I love the readings for this week, with their great emphasis on God’s love and protection. He promises, “I will never forget you” (Isaiah 49:15), and we respond with gratitude, “Only in God is my soul at rest” (Psalm 62:2). In the Gospel, Jesus reminds us not to worry and promises to provide all that we need if we only “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). This brings to mind another of my favorite Scripture verses: “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

May this Lenten season be a great time of growth and renewal as we continue to seek God’s kingdom, and may He grant us His surpassing peace as we learn to rest in Him.

In Christ,

Monica Rodrigues