Cycle A - Cycle B - Cycle C
Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Psalm 91
Romans 10:8-13
Luke 4:1-13
-Saint Paul
Lent will come and go quickly and with that passing, the seasons will change. Spring flowers will emerge from the mud and melting snows. Signs of hope will begin to appear. Many changes will occur around us. But will they occur within?
We are called to mirror nature by changing our ways and coming to life, to live the words we hear in scripture, and to give thanks to God for the gift of Hope we ahve in Jesus Christ. We are called to renew our Baptismal Vocation. What does that mean? It means that we recognize the presence of God in our lives through our Baptism, through our gathering for Eucharist as a parish family, and through each of the events - good and bad - of our daily lives. In recognizing God's presence, we are called to bring that presence to others in the way we live and in our very identities as priests, single people, married people and vowed religious men and women. How do we identify ourselves? Are we aware of God's presence (of Grace) in moments of trial?
Jesus is our model. We join him in a retreat into the desert. We seek a simple nature as a Church family this Lent. We recognize that we are not perfect, that we can be tempted, and that we do fall into sin. But in our model, in Christ Jesus, we have a hope, we have a grace, and we have a love that will walk with us and even at times carry us through the crosses, which loom over us, into Easter joy. When we recognize this, we will begin to share in the Resurrection.
As we stand as the Elect (and with the Elect of our RCIA group), as those called by God to share in God's life, let us offer God everything. Let us offer God our sins, our weaknesses, our trials, our joys and triumphs mindful that Jesus will accept everything that we offer and transform it just as the Father's love transformed Jesus and all of Creation in the Resurrection. Hope lies ahead for all who journey with the Lord Jesus.
Peace, Shaun Lowery