A Fruitful Lent

Well here we are again in another holy season of Lent. I must admit, it is one of my favorite seasons. To me, it is a reminder that our sufferings are not in vain. Be they great or small, physical or spiritual, each and every one is of great value. I often think of Simon helping Jesus to carry His cross. At first, Simon was reluctant wanting to avoid the humility and burden of the cross, much like we often do with our crosses in life. I believe in the moment Simon was carrying the cross is when he felt the intense love Jesus had for him. We can see this in our own lives; once we are through kicking, screaming and running from our cross and finally surrender, it is then that we feel the peace and love of God that penetrates in us like a burst of sun.

This brings me to my theme for lent this year, which is Surrender. I am going to do everything I can to surrender completely to Jesus. I have been putting Him off for far too long and He has been ever patient as only He can be. To do this, I must prepare - first with fervent prayer. Without prayer, we are helpless. It is His grace that allows us to perform our daily tasks and face our enemies, and we can obtain this grace through prayer. I will also make good use of the Sacraments by frequenting mass and confession, allowing for more grace and thus giving more glory to God.

This lent coincides with the year of the priest. I feel compelled to offer my sacrifices and good works for those priests that God has blessed us with, as well as those he is calling to the priesthood. A priest recently said, "there is not a vocation crisis, but a prayer crisis!" This is so true. We sit and chatter about there not being enough priests and some of them not being holy, when instead of chattering, we should be praying! We understimate the power of prayer. The scriptures tell us to pray without ceasing. At times, it can become burdensome or seem to be fruitless. There are times when only God knows the fruit of our prayers, but we mustn't let that stop us. There is so much to pray for in our own lives, let alone the lives of others. The devil is running rampant and is right in our face - seemingly even moreso these days. If we do not pray for our priests, we face the possibility of living without them, leaving us without the ability to receive the Sacraments, that we so often take for granted. How many times do we put off confession as if we have all the time in the world. While God is a God of second, third and several chances, we can never assume that tomorrow is a guarantee. This is why if, heaven forbid, we are in the state of mortal sin, we should get to confession at once and not to be afraid. God gave us the Sacraments as a gift not as something to fear. It is actually so simple, yet would be impossible without the priest. We need to take our roles seriously and offer ample prayers and sacrifices for them.

So, let's make this Lent the best ever. If you've been away, please, PLEASE come back. You have no idea how much you're missed. If you've been lukewarm, let the Holy Spirit set your heart on fire. There is no material luxury that can compare to the fire of the Holy Spirit. Leave the luxuries behind, find your true comfort in the Lord and rest your heart in the One who loves you more than any living being ever could. This is the time, the season; you are being called to a new day. Use these days of penance and almsgiving well, so that when you wake in the dawn of Easter, you will experience the joy and hope of the Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.