By Fr. Justin Fulton
Well everyone Lent is upon us. Yes. Good ole’ Lent. I love the Collect (or in other terms the “Opening Prayer”) of the Mass for Ash Wednesday. It gives us our proper compass and tenor in which to approach our Lenten journey with our Lord Jesus:
“Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting this campaign of Christian service, so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.”
During Lent we seek to allow Jesus deeper into our hearts and lives. We recognize that we oftentimes fall short in our relationship with Him and with our neighbor. We can worship ‘false gods’ like money, power, work, food, toys, vacations, lust, anger and a host of other items.
For this writer, Lent reminds me that Cheez-Its and Fig Newtons are not gods—but they are gifts from the Almighty God, and any joy that comes from consuming them ultimately comes from the author of all goodness—Almighty God.
Our call is to continually turn away from evil and turn towards Good—God. We realize the gift of the Incarnation in which God Himself took on our human flesh so that we may participate in His life, His Sacraments, and His Church so that we can live eternally. Lent is not a time for us to “lose weight” so we can get into our summer clothes. It is a time to be clothed by Christ Himself. It is a time to turn away from ourselves and a time to turn towards Him and our neighbor. Lent is an opportunity of saying “Yes” to love, to love God and our neighbor.
Lent is a beautiful time of year to allow joy into our lives through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Please remember to pray for and support the poor. And thank you for deepening your faith and your relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here is some good advice attributed to Pope Francis. God bless you and yours during this Lenten Season. Thank you for your support and prayers for Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska!
Do You Want to Fast this Lent?
Fast from hurting words and say kind words,
Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude,
Fast from anger and be filled with patience,
Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope,
Fast from worries and trust in God,
Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity,
Fast from pressures and be prayerful,
Fast from bitterness and fill your heart with joy,
Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others,
Fast from grudges and be reconciled,
Fast from words and be silent, so you can listen.
Attributed to Pope Francis
