Our Lenten Journey
March Reflection
Deacon Kevin Reid
We as Catholics begin our 40 day Lenten Journey on Ash Wednesday and we end it on Easter Sunday.
Out of the ashes the Phoenix will rise, but our journey that starts out with the acknowledgment of our own sinfulness, ends in the reality of Christ's victory over Sin and Death. We are given the gift of eternal salvation.
We mark our time in the "Desert" with Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.
As Advent was a journey outward from Darkness to meet Christ. Lent is an inner journey into our relationship with the same Emanuel that we encountered at Christmas.
During the time of Lent, we are able to see the reality of our own limitations with out Christ and each other and also the Hope that we together can bring to the world by our going the "Extra Mile" during these 40 days.
We like Christ must turn and set our eyes firmly on "Jerusalem" to the promise of the Resurrection. My Brothers and Sisters along the way we will be tempted as Christ was, tempted to give up, to turn away to think that we can't on own possibly ever make a difference. And on our own it is difficult but in Christ all things are possible.
The presence of Evil in our World is very real and it must be confronted with faith, hope and with love. Not with fear, hate or indifference, but with forgiveness and understanding. We need not fear the Evil one but we must always be aware of his intent and his methods.
The dreaded Cross once the brutal symbol of Death that the Romans used to keep their occupation intact was turned by Christ into the tree of Life, each of us must have our own Resurrection experience to get through the fears that hold us back. We must die to ourselves and "Live" within him.
We are confronted by a Secular World that tries to minimize all that we hold Sacred.
The value of life, the obligation to be children of the light, rather then a people held hostage by fear, greed and prejudices.
Jesus was tempted in his own Desert experience, his perseverance was and continues to be an example of how Satan is always there trying to chip away at our "truths" with his lies.
He knows our individual weaknesses and uses them to divide us rather then to let us unite us, remember the example of the rope and how the individual strands easily broke, but when joined together formed something that could not be broken.
When we Knights give up hope, we stop being Knights and we no longer are the example to others that we were originally Knighted to be. Our Prayer to Mary our Queen should be prayed frequently and with renewed fidelity.
Our Almsgiving can take the form of giving something up or by doing something extra, but it should cause a feeling of sacrifice a giving not from our excess but rather from our needs.
Our prayers can be one with Christ in his journey, perhaps along the FridayStations of the Cross, or in the encounter of Reconciliation with the "Light being left on" for us on Wednesday nights at our Parishes.
It can also be a quiet time each day where we ask for help, as we confront the World but do not give in to it.
Finally our fasting can be a renewed effort to by our doing with out increase our dependence on the one who truly gives us sustenance. Perhaps if possible we should make a renewed effort to attend daily Mass for the more frequent reception of "The Bread of Life".
Or perhaps in those times of Hunger of o our feeling empty we can fill ourselves up with some quiet time in the Chapel at Immaculate Conception in Eucharistic Adoration.
We will be filled a and satisfied by either of those experiences, and will also be given the strength that we need to continue in our Journey to the Light of the Risen Christ. As we too continue toward Jerusalem and the Kingdom of God.
I pray that Almighty God will continue to walk with us in our Lenten Journey as we go forth as Knights of Columbus. All for the greater glory of God.
Deacon Kevin
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