March 3rd Fast

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JMJ

"If we wish to serve God and love our neighbor well, we must manifest our joy in the service we render to Him and them.  Let us open wide our hearts.  It is joy that invites us. Press forward and fear nothing." (St. Katharine Drexel)

Lents presents the perfect opportunity to purge one's heart of the weeds of selfishness that threaten to choke the budding flowers of virtue.  Christ said,"I came to serve, not to be served," and if one professes Christian discipleship he must desire, and pray for, a servant's heart.  Yet, too often, one thinks,"I am here to serve but I better receive notice and gratitude."

Egocentrism is so entrenched in our being that it often goes unnoticed.  The Tempter expertly deceives man into believing that selfish people are only those self-absorbed narcissists.  The devil frequently reminds a person of the selfless actions he does every day, touting his sacrifices and cleverly enshrining his magnanimous martyrdom in his mind.  This "scorecard" mentality of tallying sacrifices and harboring grievances is hardly the recipe for a heart fashioned after the Savior's Sacred One.

What are the traits, then, of a true servant?  He is prompt, reliable, eager to do his master's bidding, knows how to hold his tongue, and of course, humble.  A servant is not vexed when called unexpectedly, thinking his spare time has been stolen by an intruder; rather, his reply is always prompt , and never reveals any sign of disturbance.  Eager to do his master's bidding, he is never reluctant to perform a task, thinking not of his own inconvenience, but only of the other's happiness.

A servant never uses his tongue to lick his wounds, nor as a vent for his frustration, nor even to solicit notice for a job well done; instead, he accepts the peace that comes with silent servitude and accepts any misunderstandings or criticisms with humble resignation as His Heavenly Master did.

Above all, a servant is content because he loves those he serves, and ardently desires their happiness, not his own comfort.  The day before he died Venerable Solanus Casey said to a friend:

"I looked on my whole life as giving, and I want to give until there is nothing left of me to give.  So I prayed that, when I come to die, I might be perfectly conscious, so that with a deliberate act I can give my last breath to God."

Strong and stable union can only exist when each member desires the good of the other before the satisfaction of himself.  Seize this Lenten retreat with a firm purpose to mold a generous heart and a joyful spirit.

February 3rd Fast

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JMJ

"In short, for God's glory yield to His will completely, and never suppose that you could be serving Him better in any other way; the best way to serve Him is to fall in with His will for us.   

He wants you to serve Him without joy, without feeling, without repugnance and revulsion of spirit.  Such service gives you no satisfaction, but it pleases Him; it is not according to your liking, but according to His.

Imagine that you are never going to be delivered of your anguish: what would you do? You would say to God: I am yours; if my miseries are agreeable to you, give me more and let them last longer.  I have confidence in Our Lord that this is what you would say; then you would stop thinking about the matter, at least you would stop struggling.

Well, do this now, and make friends with your trial, as though the two of you were always to live together.  You will see that when you have stopped taking thought for your deliverance, God will think of it, and when you stop worrying, God will come swiftly your help."   (St. Francis deSales) 

January 6th Fast

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JMJ

“Therefore, the Church professes and proclaims conversion. Conversion to God always consists in discovering his mercy, that is, in discovering that love which is patient and kind (cf. 1 Cor 13:4) as only the Creator and Father can be; the love to which the ‘God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (2 Cor 1:3) is faithful to the uttermost consequences in the history of his covenant with man: even to the Cross and to the death and resurrection of the Son. Conversion to God is always the fruit of the ‘rediscovery’ of this Father, who is rich in mercy.” 

(St. John Paul II, Dives in Misericordia)

The advent of a New Year always presents an excellent opportunity for fresh resolutions and the renewed vigor that accompanies them.  Often, healthy living habits are the targeted focus, which, indeed, offer worthy goals.  Yet, as humans, creatures composed of bodies and souls, one must not limit his energies and thoughts to only his physical welfare, but to his spiritual as well.

Usually, a person decides to change course after stepping on a scale or smarting after the cinching sensation of his lately snug wardrobe.  In determining his spiritual health, a person must check the weight of his sins by examining which ones constrict his ability to love God and others.  What vice has become so constant a companion that we are blind to its very existence?  It is imperative to ask Our Lord to identify the weed that threatens the garden that grows in our soul, and then have the humility to hear and accept His answer.  

Then, we must look at the challenge as an arduous but achievable climb.  It will be tempting to claim victory the first moment we overcome an occasion to commit that particular vice, thinking we have quelled our rebellious spirit with one decisive blow.  Not so.  For if we take this approach and fail, which will most certainly happen, then we will think it foolish to have ever begun in the first place and quickly surrender.  Instead, we must be mindful each day of our goal and prayerfully seek to steadily conquer the temptation that is our nemesis.

Our Father in Heaven wants us to succeed and will give us the grace to do so! The call to conversion need not wait for the beginning of Lent.  Let us tackle it with perseverance and ardor.  To have healthier marriages and families, we need to have healthier spouses and children. As St. John Paul II said:

"Do not be satisfied with mediocrity. The kingdom of heaven is for those who are determined to enter it . . . Do not be afraid to be holy! Have the courage and humility to present yourselves to the world determined to be holy, since full, true freedom is born from holiness. This aspiration will help you discover genuine love, untainted by selfish and alienating permissiveness. . ."

December 2nd Fast

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JMJ

"While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her first born Son. She wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn." (Lk. 2: 6-7)

The great mystery of our Faith is that God chose to become Man to die for our sins and to reopen the gates of heaven.  If one sincerely adheres to this truth, then the manner in which Christ entered the world must truly astound him.  Far from the picturesque tableau that is permanently etched into one's mind, the night of the first Christmas was certainly bereft of any sentimentality.  Here was an omnipotent majesty, deliberately being born into abject poverty.  

Choosing privation over comfort, He did not even allow himself the consolation of nestling upon the warm breast of His tender mother, but elected, instead, to rest his newborn head on the jagged points of the manger straw.  For from the first moments of His earthly life, Our Lord forsook, not only His desires but His basic needs, in order to give Himself to others.  He lay there, in the bitter cold, defenseless against the barbs of the biting wind so that the humble shepherds could adore the Savior that loved them to the point of suffering with them.  

His entire life was marked with sacrifice, not of begrudging duty, but one of joyful surrender.  How providential it is that He is born into a family, the very community that must be marked by sacrificial love if it is to thrive!  This denying of self comes more easily if it is voluntarily practiced through fasting, and accepting of small privations and inconveniences.  It is not virtuous to do something when it comes naturally or when we are forced to, but rather when it is difficult and unnecessary.  Our Lord's tremendous love for us is revealed in the fact that He freely chose the Cross.  One, too, can show his love for others by patiently accepting daily disruptions and freely choosing to serve, rather than be served.    

November 4 Fast

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JMJ

"The ways of holiness are many, according to the vocation of each individual.  . . The time has come to re-propose wholeheartedly to everyone this high standard of ordinary Christian living: the whole life of the Christian community and of Christian families must lead in this direction. " (Novo Millenio Ineunte, St. John Paul II)

What are we living for?  What is our life's ambition?  There must and need be only one answer: to be a saint.  If we yearn for heaven, then this is only pathway leading to it. This purpose must inform all that one does; it must direct his thoughts, words, and actions.  It gives us pause, and should prompt us to pray, before we impetuously proceed.  When first arising, does one dread the inevitable burdens which will be thrust upon him throughout the day? Or rather, does he see his day as one that offers numerous opportunities to practice the many virtues needed to reach his ultimate destination- heaven.  Does one grumble in those difficult moments or does he think to thank God that He affords him many occasions to chink away at the hardness of his heart.

The vocation to sanctity is shared by all the baptized and God generously calls each person to a specific vocation to attain this goal.  In marriage, a man is not only given his wife so that he may become a saint, but equally important, he is given to her so that she may become a saint.  The same truth holds for his children as well.  The frigidity of selfishness melts away in the fiery zeal of those- united in the same pursuit, joyously compete in their sacrificial acts for the other.  In aspiring to holiness, one patterns his whole life, and puts his whole being into achieving his goal.  He, of course, will fall often in this quest, but being mindful of Mother Theresa's saying that a "saint is a sinner who keeps trying", he will not only persevere, but will also lift those around him to the same noble pursuit.