Learning to be Quick to Listen

The Friday before Palm Sunday serves as a crucial threshold, a day to intentionally shift our hearts and minds as we approach the intense and emotionally charged journey of Holy Week. While our Catholic faith is rooted in truth and reason, it also acknowledges the profound impact of encountering the God who is love on our emotions. This final Friday of Lent invites us to delve into the complex emotional landscape that preceded Christ's Passion, preparing us to more fully accompany him through the triumphs of Palm Sunday and the agonizing events that follow. By consciously engaging our feelings, we can better place ourselves within the narrative, recognizing our own human desires for a savior, our capacity for both adoration and betrayal, and our need for redemption. As we stand on the edge of Holy Week , let us heed the call to emotional engagement. If we cannot recognize our own "confused desires for a savior," those moments when we seek deliverance in fleeting comfo...

As we journey through Lent, a season of repentance and renewal, we encounter St. John the Baptist, a figure who bridges the Old Testament prophets and the New Covenant, and a powerful example for our own spiritual preparation. While often associated with Advent, his message of repentance resonates deeply with the Lenten call to metanoia , a transformative change of heart. Like Lent itself, John's ministry was preparatory, a herald announcing the imminent arrival of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. His cry, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" ( Matthew 3:2 ), echoes through the ages, reminding us that true encounter with Christ demands a turning away from sin and a turning towards God. John's message was not one of mere ritual or external observance, but a radical call to moral reform. He challenged the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees, demanding fruits worthy of repentance. His practical advice to the crowds – to share, to be just, to avoid corruption ...

Lent , a sacred season of forty days, is a pilgrimage of the soul, a time of preparation for the glorious celebration of Easter. It's an invitation to journey with Jesus through His Passion, death, and resurrection, allowing His transformative love to reshape our hearts. Our fasting, prayer, and almsgiving during this period are not mere external acts, but profound spiritual exercises that draw us closer to Jesus' suffering and ultimately, to the joy of His resurrection. Fasting: Sharing in Christ's Deprivation Fasting, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, is a way to "purify our hearts and dispose ourselves to a deeper encounter with God" ( CCC 1438 ). When we abstain from food or other comforts, we experience a small taste of the deprivation Jesus endured during His Passion. This physical sacrifice allows us to identify with His suffering, creating space in our lives for deeper contemplation and prayer. It reminds us that our true sustenance com...

Lent, a sacred season of reflection and renewal, is more than just a period of fasting and abstinence. It's a structured journey, a pilgrimage divided into two distinct phases, each designed to deepen our relationship with Christ. As we navigate this time, the wisdom of Pope John Paul II provides invaluable guidance, illuminating the path toward spiritual transformation. The First Phase: An Examination of Conscience The first two and a half weeks of Lent, as the sacred liturgy presents them, call us to a profound and honest examination of conscience. This is a time for introspection, a moment to ask ourselves: "What within me hinders my mission as a disciple of Christ?" Pope John Paul II, in his writings and sermons, consistently emphasized the importance of self-examination. He understood that true conversion begins with recognizing our own weaknesses and imperfections. This initial phase of Lent is not about dwelling on our shortcomings, but about identifying the ...

Lent. It's a word that evokes images of ashes, fasting, and a general sense of solemnity. But why do Catholics embrace this period of spiritual discipline? It's all about preparation. Preparation for the pinnacle of the Christian calendar: Easter, the glorious celebration of Christ's Resurrection. Easter, even above Christmas, holds the highest place in the Christian year. And the Church, recognizing its profound significance, calls us to prepare our hearts through the 40 days of Lent. As Archbishop Fulton Sheen eloquently put it, the difference lies in the approach. While some might embrace a "feast then hangover" mentality, Catholics understand the power of "fast then feast." This period of self-discipline isn't about mere deprivation; it's about creating space for spiritual growth and deeper connection with God. The Significance of 40 Days Why 40 days? This number carries deep biblical weight, representing periods of judgment and spiri...

Fasting is a form of self-discipline that purifies the soul, allowing us to focus on God rather than earthly attachments. The Catechism explains that fasting is an expression of penance and conversion, helping us grow in self-mastery and unite with Christ’s sacrifice (CCC 1434). Jesus fasted in the desert for forty days (Matthew 4:2), teaching us that fasting strengthens the spirit against temptation. St. Anthony of Padua beautifully describes the fruits of fasting:  “If you have fasted, but have not restrained your tongue, your fasting counts for nothing.”  True fasting must be accompanied by virtue—especially love and kindness toward others. In connection with Catholic Social Teaching, fasting reminds us of the suffering of the poor. By voluntarily depriving ourselves, we develop compassion for those who lack basic necessities. Pope Francis urges us not only to fast from food but also from indifference:  “Indifference to our neighbor and to God also represents a rea...

Lent is a sacred season of renewal, repentance, and preparation for the  Paschal Mystery  of Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we are invited to deepen our relationship with God, detach from worldly distractions, and practice charity. These pillars of Lent, deeply rooted in Scripture and Tradition, also align with Catholic Social Teaching, guiding us to live out our faith in justice and love. Prayer  is the foundation of the Lenten journey, allowing us to commune with God and align our will with His divine plan. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God” (CCC 2559). Through prayer, we grow in humility, recognizing our dependence on God’s grace. Jesus Himself taught us how to pray, emphasizing sincerity over showmanship: “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your...

Tomorrow, the ashes will fall, marking the beginning of our Lenten journey. But today, on the eve of this sacred season, we stand at a pivotal moment, much like the Apostles did before Jesus' final, earth-shattering revelations. It's a day of quiet anticipation, a day to reflect on how Jesus prepared his closest followers for the trials and triumphs that lay ahead. The Gospels paint a vivid picture of Jesus' final days before the Passion. He knew his time was short, and he used every precious moment to deepen the Apostles' understanding of his mission. He wasn't just a miracle worker or a captivating preacher; he was the Messiah, the Son of God, destined to suffer and rise again. Jesus' Preparatory Teachings: ·          The Prediction of His Passion: In Matthew 16:21, Mark 8:31, and Luke 9:22, we see Jesus explicitly telling his disciples about his impending suffering, death, and resurrection. This wasn't a casual mention; it was a repeated...

The affliction of wounds is an inescapable part of the human experience. We often try to hide them, deny their existence, or even parade them as a defining feature of our identity. Yet, these extremes only serve to deepen our suffering. In his insightful book, Cistercian monk Varden, drawing upon the medieval poem of Arnulf of Leuven, guides us towards a profound understanding of wounds, not as isolated afflictions, but as points of connection with the wounds of Christ. He gently encourages us to move beyond a superficial understanding, urging us to consider how our own wounds can be transformed through Christ's sacrifice, leading to a path of healing and flourishing. Varden challenges us to shift our perspective, asking how we can experience Christ’s wounds not merely as a juridical act of redemption, but as a living source of healing. He emphasizes the contextual nature of wounds, reminding us that they feed on what was once whole. This understanding allows us to see our own wo...

The season of Lent, a time of reflection and renewal, draws near. It is a sacred opportunity to turn our hearts towards God, to examine our lives, and to prepare for the glorious celebration of Easter. This preparation is not merely a ritual, but a profound journey of spiritual transformation, a pilgrimage towards eternal life with our Lord. Now is the time to begin, to ask God to illuminate the areas in our lives that need change, not just for temporal comfort, but for the sake of our eternal souls. Lent calls us to contemplate the immense sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. His suffering and death were the ultimate act of love, a victory over sin and death, opening the gates of Heaven for us. As we journey through these forty days, we must fix our gaze on the cross, meditating on the depth of His love and the magnitude of His sacrifice. This contemplation should stir within us a desire to align our lives with His, to abandon the fleeting pleasures of the world and embrace the e...

Are you living for the now or for eternal happiness and joy? If you answered the former, it is time for a U-turn. If you answered the latter, keep on heading down that path.  Our lives are supposed to be centered on joy in the Lord . Pursuing a life that revels in the world and its empty promises may bring you pleasure but the joy you are seeking is from our Father. When you are walking with the Spirit, people are attracted to you and what you have. It is the perfect opportunity to talk about Jesus and his promise of eternal life in Heaven. There are so many stories of the rich and powerful never finding fulfillment.  How many film stars have veered into a life of calamity and ended up alone and sad. Once their god of choice (money, fame, notoriety, etc.) has abandoned them, they find themselves bound by what others think of them. On the other hand, look at the people who chose to do great things, not for themselves, but for others. Through them, Jesus worked to spread his me...