Visitation Lenten Reflections

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 John 18:1-19:32 When I was only fifteen, as I was eating a bowl of cheerios for breakfast, my dad asked, “does your mind ever wander during mass?” I chortled so hard that milk came out of my nose. “Yes, occasionally,” I replied. “That’s ok, me too,” he said. He continued, “I think that when our mind is wandering during mass, we might actually be in a meditative state that is drawing us closer to God. After that, my dad covered the tuition for a meditation class that would become one of the foundations of my spiritual life. In today’s Gospel Jesus enters Jerusalem for the last time and anticipates his own death. As we continue through Lent I think of Jesus’ final words.  “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” These words also came to me at the moment before I was to die. It was July. I was 22. I was on a five-day float trip down the Congo River retracing the journey depicted in the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. From the mouth of the river we hi...

Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 John 13:1-15 In today’s Gospel, Jesus is distributing the bread and wine to his fellow apostles. He is giving His body and blood on this holy day. This made me realize that I have a gift to share with others. Sometimes I can be selfish, and not want to share, or be the total opposite and be too scared. Then I remember that Jesus gave me this gift for a reason. Q: Think of a gift that you have, and how you can share it for the well-being of others.  We see Jesus fully aware of what is about to happen, yet remaining calm and trusting in God. Then he goes forth to set an example for his apostles to follow when they need to carry out His work. All God asks is that we trust in him and act accordingly, which should be a goal for all of us to strive for. We are called to set the example of what a Christian should be. Q: How many times have I not done God’s will when I am scared? How many times have I not set a good example just because something...