June 2nd Fast

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JMJ

"Give not over your attempts to serve God, though you see nothing come of them. Watch and pray, and obey your conscience, though you cannot perceive your own progress in holiness. Go on, and you cannot but go forward; believe it, though you do not see it. Do the duties of your calling, though they are distasteful to you. Educate your children carefully in the good way, though you cannot tell how far God's grace has touched their hearts. Let your life shine before men, and praise God by a consistent life, even though others do not seem to glorify their Father on account of it, or to be benefited by your example." (Blessed John Henry Newman)

May 5th Fast

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JMJ

"But he said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said,"Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother." (Mt. 12:48-50)

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Marriage is one of the vocations of service, and after Our Lord, no one models selfless servitude better than Our Blessed Mother. One can easily excuse himself from admiration for Mary because she cared for God, Himself, and so surely had no difficulties?    Of course Our Lady's life was filled with an abundance of blessings.  What a joy to shelter Christ inside of her for nine months!  What a privilege she enjoyed to nurse him, clothe him, feed him, speak to Him, and just adore and observe Him for thirty years! 

Yet, before Our Lady endured the sacrifice of Her Son on the cross, she first suffered their parting when He began His public ministry.  What pain her pure heart must have felt at their first separation!  She, who had so tenderly cared for all His needs now must share Him with the rest of the world.  Mary shows us that to have a true servant's heart we must be willing to serve in unexpected and uncomfortable ways.  She said, "Yes" to sharing her greatest joy with others.  She said ,"yes" to  being in the background and following at a distance.  She said, "yes" to allowing other women to minister to His needs.  After His Resurrection and Ascension, she said,"Yes" to now serving as Mother of His Apostles, guiding her Son's infant Church. Her Firstborn Son is Divine, but she has had to endure many heartaches with the imperfect sons and daughters that followed.

Our Blessed Mother knew Her Son's voice in all that was asked of her, and though one cannot hear it as distinctly as she, when he is called upon to serve in marriage and family life, he must know that it is the voice of His Savior asking Him to do this.  Many times it will go against our immediate desire, and sometimes it will require extraordinary effort, but He is always there with the supernatural grace to aid us in the daily grind.  We, too, can be models for others close to us if we serve with peaceful acceptance and gentleness.

April 7th Fast

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JMJ

"Consider the violence with which the executioners stripped Jesus. His inner garments adhered to His torn flesh, and they dragged them off so roughly that the skin came with them. Compassionate your Savior thus cruelly treated, and say to Him:

My innocent Jesus, by the merits of the torment Thou hast felt, help me to strip myself of all affection to things of earth, in order that I may place all my love in Thee, who art so worthy of my love. I love Thee, O Jesus, with my whole heart; I repent of having offended Thee. Never permit me to offend Thee again. Grant that I may love Thee always; and then do with me what Thou wilt." (Meditation on the 10th Station by St. Alphonsus Liguori)

Lent is a time to loosen our grip on the things of this earth and fasten our hearts to the things of eternity.  This penitential season not only encourages detachment but also contentment with the necessities of life and gratitude for being given them.  This spirit of contentment and detachment is a great grace that can be gained throughout the year as one faces the challenges of daily living in his vocation.  

God recognizes the weakness of His adopted children, and their tendency to fail, but also knows their great potential to succeed.  And so, knowing his child will not always seek out ways to shed his selfishness, He presents many opportunities each day for a person to choose the other, and say no to self.  In this way, God allows the slow erosion of self to take place, gently encouraging detachment from, once thought of, necessities.  

One can either accept these moments of mortification with resignation or rebuttal.  For though the opportunities will abound, and perhaps a person will still choose the other over himself, if he does not do it generously and joyfully, he has still not learned the true spirit of detachment.  

  

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)