For this Lent, one of the things I have decided to do is to learn a new language, a love language. Not the usual romance languages of Italy or Spain, but one whose origin goes even further back in human history. I’m talking about the love Jesus spoke of in Matthew 22:37-41. “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Jesus is speaking here of agape love. Putting love of God and neighbor above ourselves. How do you go about implementing love like this in our daily living? What would ‘speaking’ this language look like? I believe it begins with making a resolution to place another’s needs before our own. Family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, those individuals who may be most reluctant to ask for our assistance. While the majority of us will not be called to literally lay down our lives for anyone, as Jesus did, our sacrificial offering of our time, talent, and treasure will be enough.
The next step in learning the lingo would consist of putting away our preconceptions of who we can help and be open to helping those that it may make us uncomfortable to be around, but need our love nonetheless. Those on the outskirts of life, those who we have failed to reconcile with, those who have hurt us. Agape love does not discriminate, and neither must we.
Lastly, we must be open to going wherever God wishes to lead us so that we may meet people where they are. The random phone call at 2 am from a struggling friend, the money you saved for a family vacation being donated to a neighbors Gofundme cancer treatment page, visiting with a sick or shut-in family member on your only off day, playing a game with your children, nieces, or nephews, although you’ll have to stay up late to catch up on work. These simple, real world examples that seem so common place are in fact opportunities that give us a chance to ‘speak the vernacular.’ How could our God who is love give us anything other than the purest of all languages, that of faith in action, Agape!
CHALLENGE: Join me in learning this ‘new’ language this Lenten season. Let us encourage one another in sacrificial, life-giving moments of love. Where we choose to love God by way of caring for His people. “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” MT 25:31-46.
Blessings to You and Yours!

“As for me and my house we will serve the Lord” Joshua 25:15. Service, a word we are very familiar with, and I daresay find so commonplace that we may not think much about it’s meaning. The Oxford English dictionary defines service as “the action of helping or doing work for someone.” In the scriptural passage from Joshua, he was referring to the later portion of the definition, ‘doing work for someone.’ Of course the work he did was evangelical as he spread the message of God to all the people. Joshua was one of MANY such individuals all throughout scripture who heard God’s call to a life of service and bravely answered that call. Scripture is often referred to as the ‘living’ word of God, meaning the lessons, messages, affirmations, and truths spoken and recorded long ago are still viable today. The message of Jesus is meant for our ears to hear, our eyes to read, and our Spirits to receive just as the holy man and women received these truths long ago. Our ‘great commission’ is to go out into the world sharing the Gospel message by way of our lives. That our words and actions may be an example to others and label us as followers of Christ. Such a calling is not easy. There will be much sacrifice and discipline required. As followers of Christ we are called to a life of service to others. Putting others needs before our own. After all Jesus was our greatest example of this as he performed his duties, according to the Father, serving Him above all others. It is this same service we are called to. To serve the Father through the daily works of our hands, hearts, and minds.
CHALLENGE: Look for ways you can be of greater service this day. Is there someone at work who could really use some help (encouragement, prayer, share in the burden of a laborious task)? Maybe someone within your family is struggling to get things done (bills paid, help around the house, assistance with daily tasks) and could benefit from a helping hand, etc. Would you be able to answer God’s invitation to serve Him by helping one of these in need? Charitable acts never go unnoticed by God and each time we make one we grow closer to the reality of becoming the person God created us to be. May the actions of our daily lives echo the words of Joshua, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Blessings to You and Yours!

Forgiveness. There’s nothing quite like it. It can soothe the soul giving wings to a heavy heart, and yet it can be one of the most challenging things to do. We know how important it is to forgive one another. It’s so important Jesus made sure to speak of it often in the Gospels. Take MT 6: 7-15 for example. Jesus tells the disciples to forgive others that offend them either in word or deed. He goes on to state the importance of this practice as it relates to God. “If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” God expects us to pass the olive branch to our neighbors and forgive them as many times as we can. God the Father will reward us for this by means of forgiving our own shortcomings and failures. Even when it seems impossible we must try. Who among us can say with full conviction that we do not need the merciful forgiveness of God? Let us not forget to forgive ourselves too. Often times we dwell on past events where we behaved or acted less than favorably. Let it go. Allow yourself to bathe in the balm of forgiveness because unless you are open to receiving it you cannot share it with others.
CHALLENGE: Make an effort to reconcile with someone this week/season. Free yourself of the burden of hurt and enjoy the transformative healing of forgiveness. For those of us who are Catholic, the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be made available several times from now until Easter. If you haven’t received this sacrament in a while I encourage you to revisit it. The graces you will receive are innumerable and will bless you with the peace of God that transcends our own understanding. May the healing power of the Father’s forgiveness touch your life this season.
Blessings to You and Yours!

I am not good enough. I am not smart enough. I am too fat. I am ugly. I will never be as successful as they are. I am unlovable. God doesn’t care about me, etc., etc. Has the Devil ever spoken one of these lies to you? Did you believe him? My guess is that at one time or another you did. I have. Maybe you are dwelling on one of these falsehoods right now. I’m here to invite you to let go of these lies this lent. While we are busy fasting from other things (chocolate, television, sugar, fast food, etc.) let us also fast from these self-destructive lies that seek to destroy us from the inside out.
CHALLENGE: As Dr. Popcak, of Catholic family counseling reknown put it, let us safeguard our “Lental Health” this year. Each time the Devil whispers a falsehood into your ear, take the necessary precautions to protect your Spirit and your mental health. For each lie impressed upon your soul, counteract it with a positive affirmation. Write it down. Instead of the lie, “God doesn’t love me,” write down an example of something positive in your life that has been a blessing from God. It could be a promotion at work, an unexpected bill that you somehow had the money to pay, or simply for a day without rain! Then thank God for the gift of his love. Proof of God’s love for us is all around us everyday, we only need to open our eyes and be made aware. Feel free to share your positive affirmations with friends and family using
#fastingfromfalsehood
Blessings to You and Yours!

Free play, free time, free parking. Generally anything beginning with the word ‘free’ gets people excited. Just 2 days ago, we received a ‘free day’ in the way of an additional day added to the month of February. Every 4 years we are gifted this additional day (Leap Year) to ensure our calendar days align with the seasons of the year, i.e. Spring. How did you spend your extra day this year? What did you do? Was it time well spent? Time seems to be the one thing we never have enough of and yet can be so careless with. How many of us find ourselves over-extended by all our commitments? Between jobs, kids, school, athletics, extra curriculars, fundraisers, charity events, family/social gatherings, church or small group, there is often more activity at the end of the day then the actual TIME needed to do them in. In a day and age where staying at home is simply impossible, what are we to do? Enter the season of Lent. The church gives us this TIME to stop and take rest, to breath and slow down, to break away from life’s maddening speed and walk beside the Lord in slow but steady strides. God reaches out to us in moments of stillness if we only make the TIME.
CHALLENGE: Choose 1 activity this week that you can get assistance with or shuffle around to get done at a later date. That being the following day, week, or an hour or two later that day. With the TIME you free up, do something for yourself or someone you love to renew your/their spirit. Just as we prepare to rid our souls of sinful stain, we need to make the room to accept God and his many graces. Giving ourselves or another the opportunity to be openly ready for receiving the miracle of the Resurrection, at the end of our Lenten journey, is TIME well spent.
Blessings to You and Yours!

First Sunday of Lent. Today our gospel selection tells the story of Jesus being tempted by the devil. Jesus dismissed each of the three temptations and was able to refute the devil by using direct quotations from the scriptures. This encounter between Jesus and the devil culminates with the famous line uttered by Jesus, “Get behind me Satan.” There is so much to be observed in this gospel. Jesus had been in the desert, fasting and praying for 40 days. As He was in the midst of a personal retreat, spending time in prayer, when He receives his visit from the devil. How often do we find ourselves dealing with great temptations just as we begin to make space for God in our lives? Jesus was able to thwart the devil at each temptation by quoting the Scriptures. Here He becomes our example, modeling for us the way to steer ourselves from temptation. Contemplating God’s word is a powerful way to refocus our attentions on what truly matters and to keep our demons at bay. Whether it is reading from Scripture, reflecting on the word of God, reciting a beloved prayer, or simply spending a few moments in quiet contemplation, those practices, which shift our focus to that of Jesus, will be all we need to keep our behaviors ‘in check’ and help us to steer clear of temptation.
CHALLENGE: As we near our first full week of Lent, continue to reflect inward to identify the root of your biggest temptation. Make a promise to yourself that you will choose to turn toward the Lord and ask his help to turn you from those things which keep you from being the best version of yourself. Gather strength from those words of Jesus, “Get behind me Satan.” The Lord will be your strength and will be glad to come to your aide, all you need is to ask.
Blessings to You and Yours!

Do you pray everyday? Every other day? Once a week? Do you pray only in moments of struggle or fear? Prayer is the simplest way of inviting God into our lives, but prayer is so often misunderstood. How do we pray? Are there words I’m supposed to say? What if I don’t know what to say? Prayer is a language, a conversation, and a conversation consists of two people sharing in the task of actively speaking AND actively listening. It’s not enough to just talk to God, we also have to take the time to listen. Prayer never was meant to be one-sided, but rather a dialogue.
CHALLENGE: Allow yourself a few moments of silence this day. Try talking to God. Don’t worry about what to say, just begin by talking to him about your day. It could be about something good that happened or something you are looking forward to. Then allow yourself to sit and be still, take some deep, cleansing breathes to help quiet your mind, and wait. While you may not hear a thunderous voice booming down from the Heavens, your Spirit will be moved. Allow yourself this quiet time each day and EXPECT to hear from God.
Blessings to You and Yours!

Be the light of Christ in the world today. Your kind word, gesture, smile, simple ‘thank you’ May be the exact thing needed to dispel the darkness of another and inspire them to bring goodness to another.
CHALLENGE: Along with bringing Christ’s light to someone today, allow yourself to be open to encountering the Lord through another. Someone saying hello as you step into the elevator, a phone call from a friend you haven’t heard from in awhile, a smile and nod from a fellow mother wrangling her rowdy children in the checkout line. These experiences are more than coincidences. They are encounters with our God who wants to encourage, reassure and inspire us, and above all, remind us that we are never alone or far from his loving and watchful eyes.
Blessings to You and Yours!

Lent is an old English word meaning spring. It is during this season of the year that we are given the opportunity to “spring clean” our souls. Removing from them anything that has made them dirty or untidy. We have an opportunity to “deep clean” ourselves and “refresh” our spirits to really transform them anew.
CHALLENGE: As we begin day 2 of Lent, take a moment to search interiorly to see if you can identify 1 area in your life that could really benefit from a spring cleaning. One addiction or vice you can let go of, or a daily practice that will renew you’re spirit and bring you closer to God.
Blessings to you and yours.

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