A Note From Fr. LeRoy
We are in the Fourth Week of Lent and so are more than half way through Lent observance, or as I sometimes like to see is as, “the seventh inning stretch” those last innings as we look forward to the final outcome of Christ’ contest against sin and death which will happen during Holy Week.
This 4th Sunday in Lent is often called “Laetare Sunday” which in Latin means: “Rejoice…” It’s an imperative statement taken from the Entrance Antiphon for the current Sunday: “Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were mourning; exult and be satisfied at her consoling breast.” Because of this nurturing image, the Church sometimes calls this “Mothering Sunday” as well. It’s a reminder that soon we will rejoice in the victory of our salvation in Christ who loves us. It’s a reminder that our Lenten penance is also coming closer to an end and so this is something to celebrate!
Speaking of Lenten observance and penance at this point, I hope you have been able to keep up with your Lenten promises and so deepen your relationship with God. As often happens, sometimes we fail at this time, yet rather than give up, we should be willing to pick up our cross and begin all over again. Remember Jesus also fell, not once, but three times while he carried his cross! And, although it was through his physical and spiritual exhaustion caused by our sins that he fell, He certainly knew what it also means to be human. This said, I would like to leave you with a quote from Henri Nouwen on prayer, which is an important part of our desert journey in Christ.
“Praying means being constantly ready to let go of your certainty and to move on further than you now are. It demands that you take to the road again and again, leaving your house and looking forward to a new “l” for yourself and your fellow man. This is why praying demands poverty, that is, the readiness to live a life in which you have nothing to lose so that you always begin brand new. Whenever you willingly choose this poverty you make yourself vulnerable, but you also become free to see the world and to let the world be seen in its true form. For (in prayer) you have no need to defend yourself and you can tell loudly what you know through your intimate contact with Him who is the source of all life….” (Henri Nouwen)
Words to Live by: “The important part of praying is a willingness to become part of the answer.” (Nona Baker, Indiana) Let’s keep praying now and throughout these final days to Holy Week!
Fr. LeRoy Scheierl
Opmerkingen