Dear Friends,
Lent is upon us and the call to conversion and change is made a new. Hopefully, you attended Mass on Ash Wednesday and were reminded of the need to "return to the Lord" through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. These three attitudes (prayer, fasting and almsgiving) are the meat and potatoes of conversion. The Lenten season provides an opportunity to strengthen these spiritual attitudes and pray for a conviction to live them out every day. None of them are easy to consistently live out, but neither are they impossible to develop and incorporate into our daily living.
Prayer is the most important of these spiritual attitudes. Prayer, simply put, is intimacy with our Lord. Intimacy can have a twisted understanding these days. It can even conjure up a false emotionalism. Prayer is not about feelings or emotions. It is about focus built on trust and humility. A realization that God will only make sense and be a clearer reality if we communicate with Him regularly and consistently. In every case, the goal is the same: ask Him to show you HIS will and plan, don't beat him up with YOUR will and plan. So, this Lent, pray more or strengthen your prayer life more.
Fasting is another spiritual attitude that needs development, especially during Lent. Fasting is a mind-set, not a diet program. It is a spiritual rigor and discipline. Through fasting we temper our consumption of food and drink, and even our consumption of television or other habits. We make a commitment before the Lord that we will forgo meat, meals, smoking, drinking, candy or anything else. Whatever we save from such a fast should be given IN charity FOR charity. Lent is a great time to work on this discipline.
The last spiritual attitude is almsgiving. This is an acknowledgment that all we have comes from God and we desire to give a portion (tithe) back to God, to charitable groups, especially your parish. To assist the poor, the ministries of the Church, the confused or marginalized is a constant call to those in tune with Jesus Christ. Almsgiving is intimately connected to fasting and its natural conclusion. This Lent, take a moment to increase your giving to your parish and/or a charity that is of the same mind as Christ's. It will come back to you as blessings in PLENTITUDE.
May this Lenten season draw you closer to Christ and make the path to Heaven a clearer hope and promise.
Yours in Christ,
M. Heinz, Pastor