Hope to Dispel the Darkness
St. Luke presents Cleopas and his companion fleeing Jerusalem after the death and burial of Jesus and, although they had heard the testimony of the women that Jesus had been raised from the dead, their disappointment and grief would not allow them to believe such an amazing story. Their despair is captured in one simple but profound statement: “We had hoped…”
Despite the Locked Doors
John tells us that Jesus shows himself to the apostles, “despite the locked doors.” John is not just referring here to the heavy wooden doors of their hiding place. He is talking about the closed doors of their hearts. Jesus doesn’t wait until they calm down or get perspective on the situation. Rather, he breaks through the door of their fear announcing the good news that he is alive.
Not Death but Eternal Life
St. Irenaeus of Lyons says that, “The business of the Christian is nothing else than to be ever preparing for death.” Monastic spirituality has embraced this preparation in many concrete ways because of the understanding that death is not a finality, but rather a passageway into eternal life!
God’s Loving Plan
This Lent, we’ve been called to give up far more than most had planned. We’ve been called to renew our hope and trust in God, who sees beyond earthly suffering not as a spectator, but as the one who took on flesh to feel deeply the pangs of human suffering, in order to redeem us. We are realizing God’s plans were not our plans, and His plans will bear so much more fruit.
Trust in His Promises
Feeling anxious when someone we love becomes ill is normal. Turning to Jesus for help is wise. Waiting for an answer can be difficult. It must have seemed so confusing to Mary and Martha, knowing how much Jesus cared for their brother, that he would delay coming to his assistance. Yet, He had an even greater plan in mind.
What Do You Mean I Can’t See?
Seeing is much more than just a function of our eyes. We can look at something with clear vision but not really see it. Often what we think we see is colored by our prejudices, assumptions and our needs. We think we are seeing clearly but we are not. Allowing God to restore our sight so that we can truly see is a worthy goal for our Lenten journey.
Remember and Be Transformed
If we keep the themes of Baptism and discipleship in mind as we consider the value of fasting and sacrifice, we quickly realize that fasting isn’t about just giving up something we enjoy. The point of fasting is that we give up something that we enjoy to help us pay better attention to our deeper hungers and desires.
Transfiguring Our Spiritual Lives
In the Gospel account of the Transfiguration we discover how we progress in the spiritual life: by embracing adversity, by looking upon the glorified face of Christ, and by going down the mountain to proclaim what we have seen to others.
An Anatomy of Sin
The wisdom of the Church gives us six weeks to reflect on how we have this tendency to prefer the fleeting pleasure or power of sin over the goodness and mercy of the Father. This is where sin is a mystery to us: why, when given the choice to pursue goodness and virtue, do we instead choose pleasure and vice?
Live a Life of Mercy
God has shown that mercy is one of His greatest attributes. This mission of mercy is also given to all of His followers. It isn’t simply enough to say we want to be like Christ. Instead, a true disciple is called to be a living witness of his love and mercy to all those they encounter — whether in person, online, or in passing.
The Law of the Lord
Jesus didn’t come to abolish God’s law but to fulfill it. He prompts us to ponder our behavior and challenges us to make necessary changes in any of the areas where we lack or struggle to abide by God’s commandments. We need to pay more attention to the details of our lives and ask ourselves how we want to be considered in heaven.
We Are the Salt and Light
Jesus says we are salt and light of the earth and must allow the joy of our faith to spill over into the lives of others. We need to put our faith into action, being Christ for others and extending the same mercy and compassion as Christ. A good teacher knows what his students can handle. Do we see in ourselves what God sees in us?