Lenten Reflection – week 4

“Forgive me, Lord. I'm just a stupid man.”

Do you know that line from the movie 'Jesus of Nazareth'?

It is one of my favorite moments in the movie. Let me set up the story for you.

Peter, the fisherman, and Matthew, the tax collector, are bitter enemies. Jesus is preaching at Simon's home when Matthew walks in. Simon kicks him out of his house. Jesus asks Matthew where he lives and invites himself to his house for dinner. Mathew accepts and leaves.

Everyone is in turmoil. A rabbi like Jesus, let alone any Jew, can't enter the house of a sinner. If he does so he defiles himself, he becomes a sinner himself. But Jesus is determined to visit Matthew in his own house. He arrives for supper and is welcomed into Matthew's home, while his new followers, Peter, Philip, James, John, and other Jews, stay outside the door. Here they stay afraid to enter and be defiled.

Jesus is asked to speak to the crowd gathered in Matthew's house. He tells the parable of the prodigal son. The music crescendos, and the lighting is superb. Jesus ends the story and there is an awkward pause. Then Peter steps into Mathew's home and says, “Forgive me, Lord. I'm just a stupid man.”

Peter, after confessing his sinful nature to Jesus, has a moment with the Lord of mercy. Then the camera pans back and you see both Peter and Matthew in the picture together. Then, being forgivin by Jesus, Peter walks to Matthew and puts his hand upon Matthews shoulder in a sign of companionship and forgiveness. Both men realize that they are each sinners in their own way, and both need the love and friendship of each other.

It is such a powerful moment. We all are sinners. We all need each other even in our sinfulness. We all need to admit we don't know it all and need forgiveness for our mistakes.

Do you yearn to reconcile with an enemy or just someone you disagree with? Or do you stand outside and distance yourself from others not willing to face the difficult task of forgiveness. If we just stay away maybe the pain will disappear. Maybe if we turn on the TV or the internet we can distract ourselves and forget about it. How often do we try to busy ourselves so we don't have to face up to the difficulties of life?

This week we are going to reassess our Lenten journeys. We are about halfway through this Lenten season. Let's look back on where we have come from and then look forward to where we might be going. All the while focusing on what we have right now in the present moment.

Let us pray:

Oh, good and loving God, we began this 40 day journey several weeks ago

with a hope to grow in our faith life. We have a sincere desire to grow deeper

and deeper in love with you and our fellow man. We want to pick up our crosses

and follow you. We knew that the journey would be difficult but we began with

determination to see it through. Lord, we need your help on this journey. Please

send your Holy Spirit down and help us to finish what we started. Amen

Let's look at where we've been in our Lenten Journey. I am going to recap some of the stuff that has been in this blog, but I encourage each of you to take some time in quiet reflection. Look back at your lenten resolutions and see where you have had success and where you have failed. Spend time with this and assess your progress. Remember each baby step adds up to a big step as you grow in your faith journey. Even if you have failed in your observances of lent, you have tried. Reassess where you are and try again. Lent isn't over yet.

God has forgotten about your lenten promises and doesn't really care if you have been successful or failed. What he wants is that you have spent more time with him this lent. More time in community helping others. More time in prayer. More time in sacrifice. More time thinking about him and getting to know him through prayer and service of others.

Here is where we have been in this blog. We started by trying to get our priorities in line. God doesn't just want a little bit of our time each day. God wants it all. Bring him with you. Invite him into your work, play, meals, and sleep. He already knows what you are doing and can see you. Why don't you personally invite him in to be there with you? He is waiting for your permission to be a special part of your life. God loves you so much he isn't going to force himself upon you. He wants you to open up and let him in.

The second week we looked at sin and how we choose to separate ourselves from God's love. But God is full of mercy and comes running out to meet us if we but turn back toward him. This turning back is what the Greek word metenoia is all about. In English we translate metanoia as repent. It means to change our lives and keep changing our lives. Turn back to God and receive his forgiveness. Again, God is not going to force you to turn back to him. He may allow obstacles to come into your life that cause you to pause and take reflection but ultimately it is up to you to turn around and come back home.

Then last week we reflected on relationships. Our life is all about relationships. This is how we find God in the everyday. Through our relationships with others. In service and in friendship. In love and in hardship. God is a relationship. The Holy Trinity is a relationship. Our lives are a participation in the love of the Trinity. Our lives are relationship. God has shone great mercy to us, we must show great mercy to others. God has helped us to discover the truth, we must help others discover the truth. God has died for us in the person of Jesus Christ, we must be prepared to die for others. And we must also be prepared to live for each other.

That is the main point of this reflection. We must be prepared to live for each other.

This is not an easy task. Jesus lived for us. God became a human in every way save original sin. He lived in Mary's womb as an unborn baby for 9 months. He was born into the world in a foreign place made for animals. He was forced to move to a foreign country with his parents to escape an early death. He gave up his divinity and humbly sat at the feet of Mary and Joseph and learned to read the Torah. Can you imagine. The living word of God humbled himself so much that he learned the word of God in scriptures through humans. This is a God of the people. This is a God so in love with his people he would do anything. Even so much in love with them that he would never force them to worship and follow him. He leaves that all up to us. And guided and inspired by the Holy Spirit he invites us to call him Abba, Father. God wants to be our daddy.

This love has consequences. As Jesus tells us in Mark's gospel, “..repent, and believe in the gospel.” Turn from your sinful ways and trust in Jesus Christ, the Good News. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

As Christians we must live out this message of hope and love. We must bring this gift that we have received to others. We must not keep it to ourselves. We are each called as disciples of Jesus to 'go out to all the world and share the good news'.

This is the heart of Lent. Sharing our lives with others. Let's look at the 3 practices of lent this week as ways to follow Jesus. Ways to walk with him. Ways to grow into his image and likeness as we were created to do.

Prayer

Have you prayed every day during Lent?

The scriptures tell us that Jesus spent much time in prayer. He could have talked to God anywhere and at anytime, but scripture tell us that a lot of the time Jesus would go off to a quiet place and spend time in prayer.

Do you set aside time each day for a conversation with God?

Lent isn't an easy journey. You will have a very difficult lenten journey if you try and do it all by yourself and all for yourself. Get some help. Read the scriptures and/or pray more. Ask for help. Find stories about the apostles and read about their own failures and difficulties in understanding Jesus.

Watch a great movie like 'Jesus of Nazareth' and see the ongoing conversion of St. Peter. It is brilliantly acted out. From his first meeting with Jesus to his denial of even knowing him on the night before his death. In Peter we have someone who we can relate to. Jesus praises him for his faith one moment and the next calls him 'satan'. Peter is a sinful man, but through Jesus's life and the Holy Spirit he comes to be a great man.

This is our journey as well. To go from sinful humanity to everlasting divinity. God calls us out of darkness and into the light. From death into life.

Are you ready for a life of constant upheaval and conversion?

We will all need a life of prayer to be able to persevere in this world. Thank God, that he is always there to turn to when we decide to.

Fasting

I have failed a couple of times in my lenten fasts this year. There have been days I just kinda lost focus and drifted off into my own world, forgetting my intended sacrificial fasts. I've realized it takes a lot of work to stay focused. It takes effort. It is not easy.

This may or may not be your story as well, but I'm sure we can all relate. Sometimes the best of intentions just aren't carried through to the end.

This week marks the halfway point to our lent and as stated earlier, it is a great time to reflect on our journey so far and make changes as necessary. We need to forget about what we have done , or haven't done, so far this lent, and focus on what we are doing right now and what we will do in the future.

I suggest going back and looking at previous blogs I have written. Or go back and think of other ideas you've had during lent that you wanted to live out but for some reason or another you just haven't done it. I remember having a meager dinner one week and talking about poor children and families in Kenya. It was a good experience. I have not done it again with my family since.

This week we should all set aside a little extra time and spend it in silence, reflecting on what God may be calling us to in these last few weeks of lent. How many of us actually have ever asked God to help us figure out what we need to fast from in our lives? Give him some time to help you figure out how to make the most of the rest of lent.

Alms Giving

Back in week one I mentioned taking inventory of all your excess stuff, and of your talents. This week would be a great time to figure out how to share these gifts with others. God gave them to you but are you doing anything with them. Give them to someone who needs them.

One of the things my wife has been doing this lent is helping us to de-clutter our house. Each week we have been sifting through stuff and boxing most of it up to give away to area charities. This week in Dekalb the local chapter of St. Vincent DePaul Society is having a spring/summer clothing drive. They will use these clothes to give away to people of need in our community. Guess what? This week we are focusing on de-cluttering our drawers and closets.

Parishes and various charities throughout your own community are in need of something. Look for someone or some organization in need and share from your abundance.

Also, if you planned on giving a donation of money to help the poor and hungry in another part of the world during lent, this week would be a great time to get it all together and mail it away. Easter isn't quite as busy and commercialized as Christmas, but it is fast approaching. Also with the weather turning warmer you will be getting outside a little more and before you know it, lent will be over. Take a moment and write that check today. I would also encourage you to pray for the people to whom you are sending the check. Both for the volunteers/missionaries that run the charity and for the people your money will help. This is a little more personal than just cutting them a check.

Closing

Let us walk these last few weeks of lent with Jesus. Let us intensify our efforts in preparation for the celebration of his death and resurrection. Let us leave our selfish notions behind. Let us pick up our cross and follow him. Let us trust that this is the way to eternal life with him.

Lord, I need your help. I am weighed down by worldly concerns.

I wish to be transformed by you and your love for me.

Help me each day to grow closer to you.

I Love You.

Amen

Lenten Journeys – Week 3 – How we Love, Relationships

Let us start with a prayer:

O my God, I love you above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because you are all good and worthy of all my love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of you. I forgive all who have injured me and I ask pardon of all whom I have injured.

Amen

Love, it is an integral part of the human experience. It is a feeling and yet it is so much more. We use it to describe our favorite foods and it also describes how we feel about our children. We also use it to describe our God. Are these all equal things? No! So before we begin I want to clarify that for this reflection we are talking about agape love, total self gift to another. The Greeks used several different terms to describe love. Agape is a love that gives everything to the other and leaves the self behind. This is what Jesus did for us through his crucifixion. He gave himself in total self gift to repair the damage of our sins.

Most of us experience this type of love with our children and/or our spouse. Some of us feel this way about our relationship with a few close friends. But how many of us feel this way about our relationship with God? How about with our neighbors and co-workers? How about the mailman or the clerk at Walmart? What about our enemies and those who think quite differently than we do?

Jesus offers several teachings about relationships and love in the scriptures, here are just a few:

...but whoever would be great among you must be your servant,

and whoever would be first among you must be your slave;

even as the son of man came not to be served but to serve,

and give his life as a ransom for many.    Mt 20:26-28

But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to

those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you..

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love

 those who love them. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Luke 6: 27,28,32,36

Do you know what I have done for you? You call me Teacher and Lord; 

and you are right. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, 

you also ought to wash one another's feet. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives

 any one whom I send receives me; and he who receives me receives him

who sent me.    John 13:12b-14,20

These are not easy sayings. I believe I can say accurately that all of us have failed to live out these teachings. I for one can say that I truly don't deserve His love if this is what it costs because I can't live out these teachings. It is only in and through Him that I can carry out these teachings.

We live out Christ's teachings in how we treat and act with others. In seeing the Christ in them and caring for them like they are the only person on the planet that existed. Our life depends on others.

That is the heart of my reflection this week so I'll repeat it:

Our life depends on others, without others we are nothing.

Without others we can not carry out what Jesus's teaches. Have you ever thought about it that way? That everyone you meet is a gift from God. Without them there is no way for you to live out your calling as a disciple. Your neighbor is a gift to you. Your boss is a gift to you. Your mother-in-law is a gift to you. Your children are a gift from God. Your wife is a gift from God. You don't own them, they are not your possession, but instead they are a gift for you to love and care for. They are there for your salvation.

Let me share a recent story from my own life about the power and need for relationships.

I am a cancer survivor. In January of 2013 I successfully went through a bone marrow transplant and have remained cancer free since. Praise be to God! But there are many ongoing complications post transplant. After a bone marrow transplant, your body will sometimes reject the new cells. In my case, my body is the same cells but I now have my sisters immune system in me. When the body reacts to these cells as foreign there is a reaction. Doctors call this Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD). In some cases it's a mild irritation, for others it leads to further complications and sometimes death. Each body reacts differently and the direct cause of rejection is unknown. I have chronic GVHD. It is ongoing and could last a long time. Some times the medications keep it under control and other times it rages out of control.

The week before lent started the GVHD acted up again. This time it was effecting my eyes. Severe dry eyes is one of the most common effects of GVHD. It was a Tuesday and I had a long day at work. That night I had a ministry formation class to attend in Aurora, IL. About 25 miles from my home. I went to class and soon was having trouble with my eyes. I had not brought any eye drops with me. I hoped that it would go away but as the night wore on it was getting worse. I knew it was getting worse but I stayed at class and thought I would be OK.

When class got out at 9:30 pm I was having trouble keeping my eyes open. I was blinking every second or two and the only relief I got was when I closed my eyes. Not a good idea to get behind the wheel of my 18' box truck, but that's just what I did. I should have asked a classmate for help but I was too stubborn and thought I could do it. Walgreens was a block away and they had eye drops. If I could just get there and buy some I would be OK and then drive home. God protected me and I got to the drug store safely, but the eyes were getting worse fast. I could hardly see. Walking through the aisles I couldn't find the eye care section. I remember asking the pharmacist where the eye drops were. I was blinking constantly or keeping my eyes closed. It took about 5 minutes to sort through the endless packages and find the right eye drops. I found my way to the counter and asked the girl to scan my credit card for me because I really couldn't keep my eyes open.

The pain was increasing and closing my eyes tight was the only comfort I received and it was only a slight comfort. As I exited the store the harsh cold (it was below 0 that night) blew in my face and that was it. My right eye closed shut and I couldn't open it. The left was so blurry I could only see about 5 feet. I slowly made my way to the truck and felt my way into the drivers seat with eyes closed. I was terrified and frozen. The keys were in my pocket and I started the truck for some warmth. I couldn't see a thing.

I fumbled through the bag and got the box of eye drops out. I couldn't get my eyes open enough to put the drops in. As drops fell on my checks and my nose I realized this wasn't going to work. I was alone and scared and blind. I paused and took a breath. The first thing to do was pray. There was no way I was going to drive home that night. I don't mean to sound over dramatic but it was a frightening experience I will never forget it. I sat there in the blackness. Time seemed to stand still.

I was frozen in time and frozen in my bones. The last phone call I had made on my phone was to my wife Holly. If I could just open my eye enough to see the screen and redial the last call. I felt around in my book bag and found my phone. I opened my left eye and couldn't see the screen, it was all a blur. After a couple of winks and another prayer I tried again and made out enough to call Holly. What a relief when she answered. An instant feeling of peace came over me. She would be able to help me. After explaining what was going on she sprung into action. Soon my sister had been called and arrived on the scene to help. Then a good friend came and drove the truck away. I stayed with my sister until Holly came and drove me home. It was after midnight and I still couldn't open my right eye.

Thank God my eye did stay closed. It is the bodies way to save the eye from permanent damage due to lack of moisture. I didn't go to work for 2 days and was putting drops in my eyes every 10 – 15 minutes just to be able to partially see. A neighbor helped when I went back to work and he drove the truck for me while I went into the stores and did my job. It took about a week till I could keep my eyes open without blinking every couple of seconds. I walked around with a strained look on my face for at least a week because my eyes wouldn't open properly. I had to stay away from computer screens and bright lights for about 10 days.

I've since seen a specialist and we are working on trying to work through the eye dryness. I will have dry eyes for the rest of my life says the doctor. We will continue to work with it and figure out what brings the most relief but I will always have some vision problems and will just need to get used to it. Why do I tell this story? My relationships with others saved me that night. When I sat in my truck blind that night I couldn't do a thing. When you've relied on your sight all your life and it's suddenly gone it is a scary thing. If I didn't have my relationships I'm not sure what I would of done. But when things were tough and I was in need I fell back on those relationships to help me. Each one of those people that helped that night saved me in my distress. I can't thank them enough. Everything seemed to be gone in those hours I couldn't see. My skills and talents, my own strength and intelligence were of very little value to me without others to help me.

Our relationships are who we are. They are really what define us. We are best defined by our love and who loves us. Without relationships your gifts, talents, and money are useless. Even if you are the greatest singer in the world what good is it unless there is someone to listen to you? If you have no relationships your money has no value because it's value comes in its exchange, and you'd have no one to exchange it with.

Think hard of all the important things in your life, they are there through relationship. You are a spouse because of a relationship. You have a college degree because someone else found you worthy of it. You have a job only because of your relationships, even if self employed like me you don't have any work unless someone else wants what you got. You are a father/mother because of your relationship with your kids. You are a Christian because of a relationship with Jesus Christ. You are alive because of a relationship with God the father and creator of all. Our relationships are who we are.

This all probably sounds a little odd to some of you, but I believe that God allowed me to have that experience of blindness so that I could really see what was important. And I want to share that with you so that if you are blind in yourself you can realize that life is relationship with others. If you are alive and reading this you have time to build your relationships. Don't wait. Don't put it off till tomorrow. Tell someone today how important they are to you. Smile at someone. Stop and listen for their answer when you ask someone how their day is going. Don't just walk through life blind, open up your heart and your eyes and see the beautiful gifts that God has put in your life, namely other people.

And don't forget about God. Tell him you love him. Tell him you need him. Tell him how important he is to you. Who knows maybe after awhile you'll even convince yourself that what you are praying is really true. I know it took me years of praying to really believe that what I was praying was true. I was so blessed that night that the Holy Spirit came to me in my darkness and fear and breathed life into me and I prayed. By his grace it was my first reaction in the difficult moment. As I sat in darkness and prayed I gained enough of my senses to call out for help, and through my relationships I was saved.

Well that's probably enough for this blog but lets take a few moments and look at some ideas to build our relationships through our Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and giving alms.

Prayer

This week I will suggest 2 different prayer paths. Both are easy and yet very powerful if followed through. Many of you may already do these things but I offer them as suggestions. Take the time and go deeper. Jesus is calling out and wants a deeper relationship with you. All it takes is your time. He gave his life for you, can you give him a little time this week?

The first suggestion for this week is private scriptural reflection. Grab your favorite bible. Find a quiet room and ask your family for some private time to talk to the Lord. Let them know what you are doing and ask them to respect your private time with God. Your witness to your family will be a strong one.

Open your bible to any passage in the Gospel of Mathew. Read a paragraph or 2. Guess what? There is a relationship in that story. Think about each person in the story. Think about how they relate to each other and how they relate to Jesus. Now sit in silence for a moment.

Reread the story, this time more slowly and out loud. Which relationship is calling out to you? Which character is the one you feel closest too? How does that person relate to you and your life? Can you relate to their situation? Focus and think about the relationships in the text, try not to let your mind wander too much.

Now comes the hard part, sit in silence for awhile. A long while. Ask Jesus to speak to you about your relationship with him and sit and listen for an answer. It may not come right away so give it some time. If you are sincere and really want to know what Jesus thinks will help build your relationship with him, chances are he will let you know, just give him enough time to give you an answer. I know he wants a stronger relationship with you, but do you want a deeper relationship with him? He's waiting for you, will you give him the time?

My second suggestion is to pray the stations of the cross. This is probably my personal favorite prayer exercise of all of them I've tried. Sometimes I am deeply pained by the thought of the nails and the cross, sometimes touched by the sincerity and love expressed by Jesus's mother or the tenderness of Veronica who wiped away Christ's tears and blood. Another time I might be caught up in my own sinfulness and the ultimate sacrifice made by God. Each time through the stations is different. Pray them by yourself or with a group. They can be easily found by search engine or in small booklets found at religious book stores. Most parishes pray through the stations on Fridays during lent, and even if they don't just walk into any Catholic Church and they should be easy enough to find on the walls or in the windows. You don't even need a book, just meditate on the images and pray some kind of prayer at each station.

In the standard stations there are 14 stopping points. Not all of them come from scriptures as some are from the apostolic tradition handed down to us through the early bishops of the church. The stations are an ancient prayer that goes back to the earliest days of Christianity. If you are looking for a scriptural stations I have found one that is very good. It is published from Liguori and is written by Robert B. Heath. It's title is 'A Scriptural Way of the Cross'. It is a little different than the traditional Catholic stations but is based solely on the scriptures and still has 14 stations.

Also of note is that most walks through the stations also have a fifteenth station which is the resurrection of Christ. During Lent it is typical to end at the fourteenth station as we are symbolically waiting till Easter for his resurrection.

Alms Giving

Alms giving, like prayer, is all about relationship. Many of us think of alms giving as just donating money and/or goods to the poor. And while that is the heart of alms giving, let's take it a step further and give our resources with love and a genuine concern for the poor.

My suggestion is to give and pray for those you are giving too. Also, whenever possible, do so in person. This could be donating used clothes for a local clothing drive and then offering to volunteer your time and help with the drive. It could be a donation to a local pregnancy care center but instead of mailing the envelope drop it off in person and talk with the volunteers. Ask them if they have any special needs and how you could help them. I know several people who have picked up a stranger or beggar and bought them a meal at a local restaurant or given them a ride somewhere. The stories they tell about the conversations they had are amazing. These are real people with real troubles just like us.

These can all be life changing moments not only for you but for those you reach out to in relationship as well. Remember Christ stopped and gave 100% of himself to everyone he met. He was a busy guy but always made time if asked. And he is still available 24/7 for any needs you may have. Are we available 24/7 to stop and see Jesus in the poor and give them a little of our time?

Fasting

How can fasting be about relationships? It's just something I do as a sacrifice. It has nothing to do with others?

Stop and think again my brother/sister in Christ. You are a part of the Body of Christ. We are all linked together in a divine supernatural way. We are linked together through time and space and everything you do has a ripple effect through the entire body. If you take the time and sacrifice a little time to do one of the above suggestions think of the others that will be effected by your decision. Also take a moment to think what would happen if you didn't do anything this week in lent and time just slipped away. What ripple effects could that have?

The next time you pass a person with a sign 'will work for food', stop and think about the ripple effect of not helping that individual or family. The next time the pastor asks for a special collection at church and the basket is being passed around think about the person on the other side and the effect your action or inaction will have in their life.

Fasting is all about sacrificing our self and giving to the other in a special way. Your fasting or lack of fasting does change things for you and for me.

This week don't just fast for yourself, offer up your fast for someone in need. When you get out of bed each day say a quick prayer and let God know that today you are fasting from _____ , for your Uncle Joe who is recovering from heart surgery. Maybe the next day offer up your sacrifice for the homeless in your own community. Another day offer up your fast for someone in the Philippines or for a person who knows someone on the missing Malaysian airliner. Each day spend a minute or two in prayer and offer up your fast for someone else in need. It will help you to persevere through the difficult times of temptation if you have a concrete idea of someone you are sacrificing for.

Don't selfishly keep your fast for yourself alone, offer it up for someone else. You are a special part of the Body of Christ. How you live your life this week will have a ripple effect across space and time. Your actions or inaction do matter. Make a difference. You probably won't change the world in a day but a ripple in the pond will eventually move through the whole body of water.

Closing

I'll need to work a little harder next week to keep the word count down. This is probably to many words to be called a blog and more approaching a small boo,.but I thank you for giving me a little extra time this week to tell a personal story. Please do something this week to build the relationships in your life. A little word or action can change a day and even a life.

Let us pray:

Lord God, healer and teacher, my strength and my hope,

I hear you calling out to me and I want to come to you and

learn from you. I want to come to you and be filled up with

all I need. Please embrace me in your merciful heart and

help me to grow in love with you and all your gifts to me,

my brothers and sisters in my hometown and the whole world.

Help me to always look for and see you in all people.

You died so I could live, help me live abundantly and allow

your love to ripple through me and into the world.

Amen

Lenten Journeys week 2 - Sin and God's Mercy

Who has greater knowledge and wisdom, God or man?

How you answer that question can make all the difference in this world and the next. And after we answer that question we need to answer another one; Do I live my life like I know more than God?

For this weeks blog I will be reflecting on sin. One of the greatest myths of our time is that sin doesn't exist and/or that there are no consequences for our sins. As we have become more monetarily wealthy as a whole, we have had much more leisure time to seek out pleasure in life. No longer do we spend our entire life just trying to provide food, shelter, and security. In that search for pleasure we often push God aside and seek out things apart from Him. We tend to think about and follow our feelings instead of asking God, listening to God in silent reflection, and following His ways.

Let's explore this reality a little deeper as it is nothing new to mankind.

When our first parents, Adam and Eve, were living in the garden, God provided for all their needs. He was the source of everything for them. He created everything for them. He provided water, food, and a safe place to live. He gave them everything that they needed, so naturally they had free time to seek out whatever their hearts desired. God gave them everything they ever needed and more. He only asked one thing of them, do not eat of the fruit of this one tree.

Why would God do this? Why would God give everything to Man and withhold this one thing from him?

I really don't have the answer. God's ways are not my ways. But I do think that we need to ponder these type of questions. Our busy culture keeps us so active that I often forget to take the time to reflect on these things. I think that one of the main reasons we have pushed the idea of sin aside as a culture is that we are too busy to take the time to think about it. Lent is a great time to reflect on the deeper things in our life.

I remember hearing a scripture passage that states; God desires our obedience more than our sacrifice. Maybe that can explain to us why God told Adam and Eve not to eat of this tree. If we are to love God with our whole heart, mind, and strength there must be present something else which we could love instead. In this simplified case it's this question, God gave me everything but this one thing, can I be satisfied with what God gave me or do I want more?

Remember our opening question, who has greater wisdom and knowledge, God or man?

We know how the story goes. Adam and Eve were tempted and choose to eat the fruit of the tree. But it was good. Eve looked upon the fruit and it was desirable. To them it appeared like the best looking fruit in the whole garden. How could something that appears so good be bad for me? God created it, it must be good. He put it here in the garden, he gave us this tree and its fruit. Why would God give me something and not let me have it for myself? Not let me use it as I see fit? Soon, this type of thinking turns into, how do I see the situation? What do I think? How do I feel about it? I do this all the time. I find ways to justify my behavior. I find ways to rationalize why I am about to do something wrong. In the end I am very good at convincing myself that a sinful course of action is not sinful at all and is just a pursuit of happiness and pleasure. I believe we all do this to some degree.

And Eve said, “but God said, you shall not eat of it or even touch it, least you shall die”.

She had full knowledge of the situation. She already knew right from wrong, what else did she need to know? Both Adam and Eve knew that they should not eat from the tree. And yet they continued to gaze on the fruit. They continued to ponder how pleasing it was to look upon on it. I'll bet they even thought about how scrumptious it would taste and how perfect it would feel in her mouth.

So Adam and Eve decided that they knew more than God and ate of the fruit.

It's a sad story. As I reflect upon it I am saddened that they didn't have the willpower to just say no. To think of all the consequences of this one little act. How sad, how tragic. I wish I could reach back in time and slap them across the face and yell at them not to do it.

Then I am compelled to think of my own life. This is my story as well. How many times have I had full knowledge of good and evil and still I choose my way over God's way. I knew full well what God thought was best and I choose my way instead. I rationalized my behavior and came up with excuses ahead of time. I already had an alibi, I was prepared to defend my position and actions. What a sad story, how tragic. I realize that on my own I don't have the will power to follow God.

And God is a just God. He is unchanging and all powerful. He must fulfill His justice. God said that Adam and Eve would die if they ate the fruit from that tree and God, being a just God, must fulfill His justice. In his mercy God fulfills his justice through his own son.

Our reflection on sin is incomplete if we do not ultimately think about Jesus Christ. God's ultimate justice. God loves each of us so much that he sent his only son into the world to take our place and die for our sins.

Adam and Eve did not deserve to live. They had full knowledge of the consequences of their disobedience and yet they still disobeyed. We have full knowledge of the repercussions of our own sin and yet we still sin. Whenever we sin we place ourselves and our own knowledge above that of God. We simply say to God, I know more than you God, I know what I need and I am going to get it!

Last week I talked about including God into everything we do and put out the idea that we prioritize our lives like a dart board with God as the entire board. When we sin we miss the dart board entirely. We are aiming for a good. We look at the object of our sin and it is desirable. We wrestle with the consequences in our mind. We throw our dart and we miss the board. We separate ourselves from God and cause permanent damage, in this case a hole in the drywall that will need to be fixed, in real life we separate ourselves from God and his mercy.

But God gives us a do over. He gives us back the dart and says try again. And like a loving Father he demonstrates a better way. He shows us how to throw the dart with more accuracy. In Jesus, God shows us a better way to live. He shows us the way of obedience. Then God gives us the dart and says try again. And we throw the dart, and we miss the board again. And God gives us another do over. We don't deserve it, but he continues to give us another chance. We don't even deserve to still be in the game and yet he keeps handing us the dart and says try again. Try again. I Love You, try again.

The definition of sin is to miss the mark. To aim for a good thing but miss it. How often have we tried and missed the mark? It happens over and over again, and every time God gives us a do over that we don't deserve.

Thanks be to Jesus Christ our Savior!

FASTING

Did you try one of the suggested 1 time fasts from last week. If not or if you tried and failed go back and read last weeks reflection and try again. You get a do over.

For me, I did the food fast. One night this last week we prepared a simple meal. We used a recipe provided by C.R.S. (Catholic Relief Services) from the country of Kenya. We said some prayers for the people of Kenya and we pulled out the globe and found were Kenya was on the map. It was a very meager dinner compared to the normal meal we have. Within an hour I was hungry again. But as that evening proceeded I kept finding myself saying little prayers every time I felt hungry. It was a rewarding experience and contrary to my daughters words at the time, 'I'm so hungry I think I could die', we all survived the evening.

Fasting can be hard. It can be difficult. We need to remember that as we empty ourselves of something, we should replace that space with God. We should always include him in our fasting. Otherwise it can become just an empty practice.

This week, in keeping with our weekly theme of sin, let us fast from an activity that brings us closer to our sin. Something or someone that leads us closer to what tempts us. Here are a few examples of what that may be:

• Do you like to gossip : this week fast from talking about other people unless it is positive or absolutely necessary. If someone asks about another person say something positive or just don't say anything. If the conversation turns negative excuse yourself and offer up a prayer for that person.
• Do you gamble on sporting events : this week is March Madness and the college basketball tournament starts. Don't fill out a bracket this year. Is it really all that important. Turn off the game and don't watch sports center. The media blitz and hype can become intoxicating.
• Are you addicted to the internet or something you find on the internet : Don't turn on your computer this week. If you need to be on computer for work it's OK but nothing else for a week. No facebook or porn sites. No you tube or blogs, except this one of course. Can you remember back to a day when we didn't even have home computers?
• Do you over eat sweets and treats : Gather them all up into a bag and give them away or throw them away. Don't have any of the junk in the house and you will have a better chance of avoiding them. Eat some fruit or a piece of cheese instead. Have substitutes on hand for those really hard moments.
• Are you always on the phone and staying connected : Try turning off your smartphone and laptop when you leave work. If it is not essential turn it off. Let work be work time but then let it go. Work will still be there tomorrow.
  This is only a one week experiment. You also need to remember to replace what you fast from with something else that is positive. That could be more time with family, or more time in prayer. It could be a little time each day in silence, listening to God. Whatever it is make sure you insert a positive practice into your fasting, not just replacing it with something else that could lead you to sin.
  Alms Giving
  Last week we looked at how much excess we have in our homes and some of the talents that we have. I did not get the chance to do this activity with my family this week but we are going to try again this week.

Know that we realize how much excess we truly do have, we need to take the focus off of us and make contact with the other. We need to know what other people need. We have so much stuff but what do we do with it? I see 3 different things we can do with that stuff: hoard it for ourselves, throw it away, or we can give it away to those in need.

But how do we know who needs it if we isolate ourselves from those in need. This week we need to get out and look for those in need. Here are some suggestions:

• In normal everyday conversation ask someone, do you need anything today? They may say no, I'm all good, but then again they may have a legitimate need that you could fill. But you have to ask.

• When you see someone at work or doing a task ask them, can I help you? You will never know what they need if you don't ask. If they need help you can chip in and effectively give them assistance.

• When someone looks sad or angry, stop and talk to them. Listen to them. Don't try and solve their problems unless they ask for your advice. Just stop what you are doing and listen, give them a little attention and it will go a long way to showing them that you really care.

• As the weather warms up and spring arrives, get out and talk with your neighbors. Make a deliberate effort to go and say hi. Ask them how they are doing. Do you know all your neighbors by name and do they know you?

These are just a few suggestions for the week. But the focus needs to be on the other person. If you are really uncomfortable start by practicing these ideas at home with family members then move out away from the comforts of home.

How can we know how best to serve others if we do not now what others needs are?

Prayer

This week I am going to suggest that we spend some extra time with the scriptures. Read the first 3 chapters of Genesis. Really ponder what sin is and where is the sin in your own life. We all have sin. We all need a savior. Let's spend some time and really think about these difficult issues.

As you read the holy scriptures try and imagine yourself in the story. What would you do in the same situation? If you read the Genesis story think about the times in your life when you made a decision based on your knowledge instead of God's.

This could be as simple as thinking that going to church on Sunday isn't that important, and thinking we can just pray at home instead. Ask yourself, is this what God's will is for me or is this my will?

It could also be something as difficult as homosexuality and same sex relationships. Really think about it and ask yourself, is this my way of thinking or is this the way God thinks?

We can apply this question to lots of subjects in our lives. The bottom line question is contained within the most common Christian prayer, the Lord's Prayer. Do I want my will to be done or do I want to follow God's will?

This is so counter cultural in America. We are trained and brought up to live our lives according to our own understanding of good and evil, or what feels good and brings us satisfaction. It takes a lot of courage to step out and be different. But do we really mean what we say when we pray the Lord's Prayer?

One way to ponder this and reflect on this is to slow down and pray the Lord's Prayer very slowly. Turn down the lights. Quiet your surroundings. Breath deeply and slowly for about 1 minute. Know begin the prayer. Think the words in your mind instead of saying them out loud. As you breath in think about one word then as you breath out think the next. Go very slowly and allow lots of silence and space between phrases. Places that God can speak into your heart. For each of us there should come a point in the prayer that we realize that we have failed to live out this prayer. Stop at this point and reflect in silence. Ask God to help you live out this part of the prayer. After a period of quiet reflection finish the prayer. When you have completed this exercise go back and pray the Lord's Prayer out loud.

This brief prayer exercise takes only about 15 minutes. It can go longer if you wish but you should make sure you take your time and spend at least 15 minutes with it. Please try it. I have found it to be very rewarding and thought provoking. Each time I do it I am left with a different result of the prayer so long as I give the proper time for God to speak to me.

Closing

Our God is a merciful and loving God. Please focus on God's love as you engage in these and other lenten practices this week. Keep him with you as you do whatever it is you wish to do on your journey. Don't just go in blind and alone but ask him to join you and keep him close by.

Last week I suggested to set an alarm on your phone to remind you to pray. I had a great experience with this this last week. I set my alarm to go off each day and labeled my alarm with this title: 'Pray – Jesus loves me'. Then one day I forgot my phone at home. I found myself praying several times throughout the day without the reminder of my phone alarm. I just kept thinking Jesus loves me. It was an awesome reminder of what is important and it made me feel good.

This is what we all need. To be reminded of God's love for us as often as possible. Next week we will look more deeply into relationships and sharing that love with others. Until then may God bless you on your Lenten Journey.

And always remember, God Loves You, and I do too. You are never alone.

Lenten Journeys - Week 1 - Prioritize

How many of us make to-do lists? I make them all the time. We prioritize that this thing needs to get done first, then this, and then that. We organize our whole day sometimes by our to-do lists. They are very useful and help us to stay focused during our very busy lives.

Most of us have probably also heard that we must prioritize our lives and put first things first. Namely, put God first, then maybe family and work, as well as many other things like; charity, vacation, retirement, savings, new car, kids, and social life, to name a few. We spend time thinking about all the things we do and we prioritize them. Usually by either our time or our money.

When we look at our life real honestly what does our prioritized time list look like? Mine kinda looks like this:

1. Sleep
2. Work
3. Spouse
4. Eating
5. Kids
6. God
7. Media (movies, TV, games)
8. Cleaning
9. Self/Relax
10. Relatives and friends
11. Charity/volunteering
    any other stuff I can fit in

Really, I want to have God at the top, that's where he belongs, but in reality it just doesn't seem to work this way. I've tried but I just seem to fail every time and it gets frustrating. And another problem with this approach is that we tend to treat our priority list as a to-do list, checking things off as we complete them. So, spend some time with my wife, done, check her off the list. God, yeah I prayed and went to mass, check him off the list.

Face it our time and money are limited things. So in the end most of us spend over 75% of our time at work, sleeping and eating. That doesn't leave much left for those who need/want us the most, God and family.

Stop and think about your own priorities and list them. Be honest, list them as you would like them, then list them as they really are.

Now throw away all those lists. We are gonna have a paradigm shift. Prioritizing your life this way just never seems to work so let's explore a new idea and way to look at it.

Give God 100% of your time or money!

Yep, that's my new wild idea and I really think it will work.

Think of it like a dart board and God is the entire board. God is involved in everything and knows everything, so why not ask him to come with you as you try to do everything you gotta do. Now you can number and rank all of your priorities and set them up on the dart board and start knocking them out. You will have have 100% of your time for them and still spend 100% with God because you have made him a part of everything you do. Anywhere you hit you have a priority and you have God. He is a part of everything you do.

Need to spend time with your kids, pray first and ask the Lord to be with you during your play time. Going to work, as you enter the car or approach your place of business ask God to be with you today at work. We may already do some of this as many of us pray before we eat and we sometimes pray before we fall asleep.

We just need to do it more, throughout the whole day. I believe that this is what it means to pray unceasingly. Prayer is nothing more than a relationship with God and spending time with him. If we ask him to be with us throughout our day and we take time to acknowledge his presence we are praying always. And we still have the time for all the other things we need to do.

Let's take some time to see how we can implement this type of prioritizing into our lives in a practical way by looking at the 3 pillars of lent; prayer, fasting, and alms giving.

Fasting

Fasting is simply denying ourselves something so to make room for something else that we wish to grow. As we are prioritizing we are naturally fasting from something to do something else. If we spend time fasting from the TV then we naturally have more time for something else, like reading scriptures or playing with the kids. If we fast from a certain type of food or a meal altogether we are emptying our bodies of food so that we can gain some extra self control of our will power.

This self control can be very powerful, because if we can't say no to a potato chip or a candy bar how can we expect to be able to say no to more serious temptations that come our way.

Many of us have probably picked something to fast from during lent. This is a very commendable practice and it helps us to build our will power. This year I am giving up salty and sweet snacks aside from meals. This is proving to be quite difficult for me already because for my job I sell cookies and crackers and they are there tempting me all day as I work.

Giving something up for a full 40 days can be quite challenging and rewarding. But I also believe that picking something for just one day or maybe a week can be equally as rewarding and effective at building self control and discipline. And for this week I am going to suggest we challenge ourselves to fasting from something important to us but not essential. This can gain us such a feeling of freedom it can be indescribable, but it can be a great challenge. Here are a few suggestions that might work for you:

• Are you a TV watcher? This week don't watch or record your favorite show but instead spend time with your spouse/kids or in prayer with scriptures.
• Do you really love to eat? This week pick one dinner meal and eat 1 bowl of soup or 1 serving of rice only. Spend time thinking about and/or talking with family about the poor and hungry in the world who have less than this meal for an enitire day.
• Are you a news junkie? This week pick one day and refrain from all news sources that day. No internet news, no TV news, no weather reports or sports talk, no political shows on TV or radio.

Think about it. It's just 1 day or 1 show. It will still be there tomorrow or the next week. Do you have enough control over yourself to really do it? Or does the other thing own you and have control of you. Remember you are only doing this 1 time or for 1 day. And if you are following our priorities principle of asking God to be with you always you are never alone in your fast. He is there with you to provide strength and comfort.

When you do this please share your experience in the comments section after this blog. Let us know what you fasted from and how it went. What were the fruits of your fast?

Alms Giving

When we share our resources/talents/gifts with others who have less we are giving alms. Traditionally we think of just the poor and hungry but in reality we are all poor and hungry for something. If you did the fasting exercise above with the dinner idea you can also use this as an alms giving exercise as well, by setting aside money for the hungry. This is the premise of C.R.S.'s (Catholic Relief Services) rice bowl campaign.

As we look into ourselves and at our lives this week we are focusing on prioritizing and inviting God into our lives in everything. We also know that in order to give something we must possess it first. In order to share our money with the poor we must have some money. In order to give food to the hungry we must have some food. In order to share love with others we first must have love in our lives. And so on... In order to give something we first must have that something.

Well, if you are anything like me and my family we have way too much. We throw away leftovers too often and other food rots away in the back of the fridge. We spend hours trying to declutter areas of the house when we never should have saved all that junk in the first place. We spend time moving it from this pile to that pile, then over to that room and then into that drawer, only to look at it 2 years later and think, what did I save this for, and eventually throw the thing away.

So this week as an alms giving practice let us look at all the extra things we have. Take a piece of paper and walk through the house and look at all the excess. Write it down. Take inventory. Look at all you got. Then sit together as a family and continue by writing down any special gifts and/or talents your family or individual members may have. Maybe your family is gifted with musical talent, or athletic talent. Maybe your family is gifted in special knowledge of computers or history or whatever. Take stock of your family talents as well and write them down.

Taking this inventory and talking about it can help us remember how many blessings we have. Then we can work to share our blessings with others and bless their lives as well.

Remember we have to know what we have before we can give it away.

Prayer

We have already introduced some ideas about prayer and prioritizing God into everything. Through prayer we keep an ongoing relationship with God. If we prioritize God into everything we have also prioritized prayer into everything. This means setting aside time to make sure we are praying.

For our prayer reflection let us meditate on the 1^st and greatest commandment.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one

Lord. And you shall love the Lord your God

with all your heart, with all your soul, and

with all your might.

Deut. 6:4-5

Our most important priority in life is this commandment. Even more so than our family and our work. Are you ready to live this out? Have you taken these words to heart?

Read the scripture passage again, but this time read it slowly and read it like you have never heard it before. Really read and ponder each word. We have heard this passage so often do we ever stop and really pay attention to it?

As we prioritize we need to think about what really moves our heart and to what do we devote our strength and energy.

I really think that we need to try and prioritize God into our entire day as we have discussed earlier. The most concrete and effective way to do this is through set times of prayer throughout the day.

Most typically people prayer at mealtimes. Many people pray at the beginning and end of the day. But there are so many opportunities to pray throughout the day. Do we take advantage of those opportunities?

This week I am suggesting that we set an alarm on our cell phones to remind us to pray. It can be anytime and any prayer. Maybe set it for 12 o’clock and pray the Angelus. Maybe set it for 3 pm and say a prayer to remember Christ's passion and death.

It doesn't need to be any big thing. It doesn't need to take a long time. It just needs to be done. Set your alarm and pray. Do it everyday for a week.

Start small and we will build upon this during lent. The key is that we start to develop a habit of prayer or if we already have a habit of prayer we do something this lent to strengthen it and deepen it.

Conclusion

Most of us make to-do lists. Most of us try and prioritize our lives. I believe that all of us want to bring some order and stability into our lives. I believe these suggestions may help us to get our focus right as we begin our lenten journey.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, you wandered into the desert and there spent 40 days of fasting and prayer. You spent time alone with your Father. Help us as we attempt to live out our own 40 day journey of growing closer to God, our Father. Help us to find ways to include him in our entire lives. Help us to remember that he is always present and available for us at anytime and anyplace. Please lead us on our lenten journeys. Amen

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday - The beginning of our Lenten Journey

Today we begin the liturgical season of lent. 40 days of prayer, fasting, and alms giving. 40 days of journeying through the wilderness and exploring our life in a new way. 40 days of preparing for celebrating fully Holy week. 40 days of doing the things we should be doing all year round but have failed to follow through on. We have before us 40 days, not all that long really, to enter into the desert with Jesus and face our temptations and sins. 40 days of repentance, metanoia in the Greek, meaning to turn away from something and toward something else. In this case to turn away from sin and turn towards God.

We spend this 40 days in imitation of Jesus who spend 40 days in the wilderness in preparation for his public ministry and his eventual death and resurrection. Like Jesus, we hope to someday rise again in new life into a reality that 'eye has not seen and ear has not heard'. God has something in store for us that our human words just can not describe. Are you ready to receive this awesome gift? Are you ready, at this very moment, for your salvation?

This is what lent is all about. To get ready for our own salvation. We hear from the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians; 'Behold, now is a very acceptable time, now is the day of salvation'. Lent is here, what will you do with this next 40 days?

Ash Wednesday is one of the most well attended days of the year besides Sundays, Christmas, and Easter. People flood into churches all over to receive ashes on their foreheads and be reminded that 'you are dust and to dust you shall return'. I live in a college town and the practice of receiving ashes is so popular that they actually have some ministers who offer drive through blessing and ashes. I settle for the one hour of prayer and mass that is common among Catholics, but I find it fascinating that people want so badly to receive this mark of ashes upon their forehead.

Why do so many people come out for this day? Why do so many think it is important enough to leave work early or set aside time in a busy schedule to go to church?

Is it just to get marked with the ashes? Do we go so that we can say we went and prove it? Do we go to be reminded that we are nothing, just dust, without the constant love and grace of God? Maybe we want to remember that we are sinful people and that we need a savior in Jesus Christ to redeem us. Or maybe we are at a point in our lives that we realize that we need to do some self reflection and we need to repent from some behavior that has enslaved us.

I believe we go out for all of these reasons and even more, but in this reflection today I want to focus on the mark of the ashes.

Today, we wear the mark of the ashes as a badge out into the world. This mark tells everyone that we are a Christian. That we are sinful people who are in need of a redeemer and our lives are centered around Christ. When we are at work or at play today we are outwardly telling everyone that Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives.

As Christians shouldn't we be doing this everyday? Why do we come out in droves on Ash Wednesday to get these ashes, but we don't carry out our faith everyday of our lives? Other people should not need to see ashes smeared on our foreheads once a year to know that we are Christians. They should know that we are Christians by the love that we share for them and others. At work, school, play, home, vacation, and anywhere else we go, we already carry the mark of our baptism. We already carry the Holy Spirit with us.

You are a Christian inside and outside of the church service you attend on Sundays. Are you fully living out your life as a Christian in the world?

Well, if you are like me the answer is a definite no. I am in need of repentance and I am looking forward to this lenten journey to help me grow in my faith life. Well, I now have 40 days of lent to focus my efforts on living out my Christian life. And so do you.

Please take advantage of the variety of great materials available to you to enhance your lenten journey. There are lots of daily books to help you by taking a few minutes each day to pray and reflect. There are many great programs on the radio, like relevant radio (930 am in the western suburbs of Chicago or download the app and listen anywhere, available on their website). Read a book by a great Christian Author like Mathew Kelly and strive to become the best version of yourself, or tap into the great writings and homilies from Pope Francis (available at the vatican website or by downloading the pope app). Another great way to approach lent would be to open up the bible and start reading it. There are many great programs out there that will help you read the bible in a year, or in a month. There is even an app from the Archdiocese of Chicago that will walk you through reading all 4 gospels during the lenten season.

I am going to add one more idea to your list of ways to move through lent. Read my weekly blogs/reflections. I received so much positive feedback from my Advent Reflections that after careful discernment and prayer I was prompted by God to do a series of Lenten reflections. I will be posting 1 set of reflections each week on Saturday or Sunday. Each reflection will have a central theme for the week, and then have 3 separate reflections based on the 3 great themes of lent; prayer, fasting, and alms giving. Feel free to read them all in one sitting or break them up into smaller bits and pieces throughout the week. I hope to offer practical, down to earth, suggestions to help you grow in your journey of faith.

I'm just a regular guy, who works a regular job, just like most of you. But in and through Christ I am made extraordinary. I hope one day to be a saint and enjoy the gift that my God has prepared for me since the beginning of time. I pray the same for you. I pray that this special season of lent will be enriching and will help you to grow into the person that God created you to be. With my love and prayers for a great lent for you. God Bless, Amen.

Doug Teckenbrock

Please feel free to post any comments on this blog. I welcome both positive and negative feedback but do not wish to argue about the faith with anyone. This is not the forum to debate our different practices and beliefs but this is a place to celebrate our belief in Jesus Christ as the Savior and redeemer of this world. I will not respond to inappropriate or hateful comments but instead will pray for you with increased fervor; so, if you write something nasty here know that I will be praying to God on your behalf quite regularly whether you like it or not.