LK 15:1-3, 11-32
Today, we celebrate that Lent began a little over two weeks
ago, and we have one month away until Easter. Plus, the University is returning
home from Spring Break today and tomorrow. I think today is a great time to use
today’s readings at mass to reflect upon our Spring Break adventures (even for
those who stayed on the couch for a solid week!)
The first of today’s readings come from the 20th
chapter of Jeremiah the prophet. In this passage, he begins by addressing that
all his friends have turned against him, and are ready to take him down at any
instant. Then he prays a beautiful prayer to the Lord, asking for guidance to
continue his ministry. Jeremiah says, “But the LORD is with me, like a mighty
champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.”
We must use this same prayer for ourselves, as we forge our Lenten journey. Our
peers may taunt us for what we promise for Lent, or they may tempt us to break
our Lenten promise in subtle ways, especially on Spring Break. Sadly, Spring
Break is not a vacation from our Lenten promises!
The Responsorial Psalm response says, “In my distress I
called upon the Lord, and He heard my voice”. This comes from the Psalms, and
revisits this theme found in Jeremiah’s message. My favorite part of this Psalm
is: “Praised be the LORD, I exclaim, and I am safe from my enemies.” If
you truly fall in love and trust in the Lord, people’s judgments and ridicule
won’t shake you. God’s love and mercy triumphs over all evil, all snide
remarks, and all deeds of our enemies done unto us.
The Gospel is from John, and Jesus is faced with the Jewish priests,
who are prepared to stone Jesus. They attempt to arrest Him at the end of the
passage, yet according to the Gospel “He escaped from their power”. When I read
this, I imagined a James Bond-type escape scene, where Jesus runs away, hops on
a motorcycle, and rides off into the sunset. How ever this “escape” is to be
imagined, this Gospel completes the message found in the first reading, that
God can save us from our persecutors.
Hopefully these messages can revitalize our mission towards
holiness this Lenten journey. Again, I can imagine that with the Spring Break
holidays, you may have fallen away from your promise you made just over two
weeks ago. If you “fell off the Lenten horse”, recognize that you can try
again! I know that I have suffered greatly during this Lenten season. Recently,
my grandma passed away, and my family and I have been mourning her death
greatly. Our love, support, and strength within our family has been just a
glimpse of the power God has in helping us overcome tragedy. God’s mercy is
ready and available to us, and God is on our side here. God wants us all to
keep trying, and never give up on our quest for greater holiness, no matter how
big or small.
Stephanie
Landgraf is a Junior from Chesterfield, Missouri. She studies Marketing and
Political Science, and is a modern-day pilgrim! Within Campus Ministry, she has
attended World Youth Day and MAGIS in Poland, the Ignatian Family Teach-In for
Justice Conference in Washington, D.C., as well as the most recent March for
Life and Cardinal O’Connor Conference. She is also a member of the Edmund
Campion Society and hopes to lead others towards holiness, peace, and justice!
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