MONDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF LENT
In today’s
gospel reading, we are reminded yet again of the “eternal punishment” or
“eternal life” that await us at the end of our earthly life. For many this can
be a source of fear and constant worry. But fear not! The Lord is jealous for
us; He wants and craves to spend eternity with us in Heaven. Lucky for us,
Jesus gives us graces to help us reach this ultimate goal in the forms of
commandments and Sacraments. “The decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving
wisdom to the simple.” (PS 19:8) We are given these decrees to help us become more like
God, to reach pure union with Him.
This time
of Lent is a journey. It’s a difficult journey on which we are all called to sacrifice,
fast, and give alms in order to purify ourselves so that we can fully
participate in the joy that is Easter. Psalm 19: 9 says, “The precepts of the
Lord are right, rejoicing the heart…” The Lord wants us to be joyous. Lent is a
time of anticipation, of remembrance, of gratitude. Though it is not always an
easy journey, we can delight knowing that Easter is approaching. And more than
that, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is anxiously waiting to share in
eternal life with us. During times of preparation, it is easy to only see the
negative in ourselves and others, to become so wrapped up in the stuff of Lent
that we forget the most important things of all: that there is no joy without the Cross.
Zoe Myers is a senior studying Communication Sciences and Disorders and is a facilitator in the Christian Life Community (CLC) program.
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