Brokenness

Lent is a great time to slow down and consider what we truly believe.  I attended a reconciliation service, and as we entered the church, we were given a piece of a tree branch (pictured below).  We were told that the branch came from the tree branch in the sanctuary.  The piece was to remind us that in our sinfulness we are broken, and our brokenness affects those around us.  But together, all of our pieces unite as the Body of Christ.  

Father commented that he wouldn't make us find the pieces that fit on either side of our piece, but that got me thinking.

Thankful Thursday 3/27/14

I am thankful for Lenten devotionals.  I'm not always the most faithful about reading them, but when I do, my soul is always nourished.  I'm especially enjoying the Little Black Book (link here) this year.  It walks through the Passion according to Matthew, and asks some tough questions.  If I stop and honestly answer, I learn something about myself and my journey.  Worth the time, for sure.

Side note - the little books are made for Easter, Advent, and a few other times, so check them out.  I also, quite happily, just discovered that they can be purchased in electronic format as well!  Yay!

Prayer - Lord, thank you for the wonderful resources in my life that can guide me when I'm lost.  Help me to take advantage of only the best books, magazines, and websites so that I may continue to journey closer and closer to You.

The Spirit is leading me . . . into Daylight Savings Time?

Today, I heard the following idea.  Jesus gets the concept of Daylight Savings time; after all, He was in the desert without any way to tell time.  And today, everyone is fighting the clocks, trying to adjust to a 'new' time.  I think it's interesting that today's Gospel (see readings & reflection here) falls on the day we move our clocks.  It's a hassle, it messes our schedules up, it confuses things, and generally makes people cranky.  Or maybe it's just me.  Either way, it got me to thinking:  Maybe the we need to take a page out of the Gospel and let the Spirit lead us into a place (gasp) without clocks!

Thankful Thursday 3/6/14

I am thankful for liturgical music.  I enjoy most music, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to praise God through music.  It is always exciting for me when we are studying the Sunday scriptures, and I read something that triggers a song.  Sometimes, though I get to ponder a bit on the message because there are several songs that convey the theme.  And since composers keep composing, I'm not sure that I will ever catch up with all of the possible combinations.  Regardless, I'm enjoying the challenge.

For example, in the Gospel for the first Sunday of Lent, we hear about Jesus being led by the spirit.  Guess what?!  There is a song called, "Led By the Spirit".  If you take a moment to listen to an excerpt here, you see the parallel made between Jesus' time in the desert and our Lenten journey.  So, not only do we get to sing a song at Mass that reminds us of the Gospel, we can also proclaim our unity with Jesus if we sing the song with conviction.

Bottom line, I truly agree with St. Augustine, "He who sings well prays twice."  Amen.

1st Sunday of Lent - Temptation

http://usccb.org/bible/readings/030914.cfm 

Quick recap:
1st Reading - Genesis - eating the fruit of the forbidden tree
Psalm - 51 - Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Epistle - Romans - comparison of Adam and Jesus
Gospel - Matt hew 4 - Jesus is tempted.

Temptations come in many sizes.  Some seem small and others seem overwhelming.  We might think that giving in to a temptation is 'okay' or 'the norm'.  Indulging in a piece of chocolate or glass of wine isn't a crime, is it?  Well, that depends.  Fruit certainly seems harmless enough.  It's good for you, it's natural, what could be wrong with it?  If you are in the Garden of Eden and have been forbidden to eat that particular fruit, it would be a big no-no.  Thus, temptation enters.  The devil appeals to human desires and weaknesses and sin enters the world through disobedience to God.

Ash Wednesday 2014

The beginning of Lent as arrived.  A season of renewal, a time for alms-giving, prayer, and fasting.  Most people think of it as the period of no-meat (at least on Fridays).  I've had many various attitudes towards Lent, but I think I'm getting closer to the real meaning.