Visitation Lenten Reflections

 Jonah 3:1-10 Luke 11:29-32 Today’s readings focus on trust and how it is the backbone of faith. To have trust is to have confidence that the path you are on is the right one, the one chosen by God. Without trust there is no faith. Without faith there is no love…and God is Love, so there has to be trust. The King of Nineveh and his people all had trust in the Lord. They believed and did as was asked of them and lived. Jesus is asking us to believe, from our trust and understanding of His love, that we will survive. Not only will we survive, we will thrive. We will blossom from His word and love. There is no greater love than that of the Lord and he has the power to forgive. In this forgiveness you are open to feel the unconditional love of God. He is asking us to trust in Him. With this hope you are open to live a life filled with peace, grace, kindness and love. When you trust in God, you are freeing your heart of worry and opening it to the possibility of love that comes with ful...

 Isaiah 55:10-11 Matthew 6:7-15 Upon reading this passage from the prophet Isaiah, lyrics from The Servant Song came to mind.  Especially the second verse: “We are pilgrims on a journey. Fellow travelers on the road. We are here to help each other. Walk the mile and bear the load.” Isaiah mentions “from the heavens, the rain and snow come down. And do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful.” The rain and snow represent us, and the watering of the earth represents the journey of faith we go through in our lives in service to The Lord. Part of the journey we go through every year is during Lent. For forty days, we make sacrifices to help us follow Christ more faithfully. Once Easter arrives, the sacrifices I have made for Lent are tossed to the side and I revert to my old ways pre-Lent. As I am reflecting on Isaiah and The Servant Song, I am asking myself “How can I continue the sacrifices or self-improvements I make during Lent contin...

 Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18 Matthew 25:31-46 In the Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius teaches us to insert ourselves into the gospel scene. By doing so we become a part of the story. Where are we and what do we hear and see? How are the people reacting to what Jesus is saying? As I contemplate today’s gospel, I see myself sitting close to Jesus on a grassy hill overlooking the sea of Galilee. It’s a sunny, mild day. Others near me question when they have seen Jesus naked, hungry, thirsty or in jail. We are perplexed and voices are raised until Jesus raises his hand, asking for quiet. In a gentle voice he teaches us to be aware of our surroundings and urges us to be sensitive to opportunities where we can offer a helping hand. This reminds me of a time when my wife, Karen, and I were in NYC in December. It was cold and snow was falling. As we walked down the crowded sidewalk after dinner, we were suddenly face to face with a woman walking past us with no clothes or shoes. The only prot...

Genesis 2: 7-9; 3:1-7 Romans 5:12, 17-19 Matthew 4: 1-1 As I reflect on today’s readings, I am reminded that every human carries the breath of God – not just physically, but also spiritually. We live because God wills it, and each of us can experience real life through his Son, Jesus Christ.  These readings also demonstrate the spiritual battle of temptation. The Oxford Dictionary defines “temptation” as “the desire to do something, especially something wrong or unwise.” When faced with temptation, how often do we rely on God’s word and trust that it’s for our own goodness, just as Jesus did in today’s Gospel? Or instead, do we choose to hide from God and make decisions based on temptation or what we feel is right? I think about how often I am faced with daily temptations and the desire to choose what I feel is right (or easy), rather than leaning on Scripture and God’s will for me. Today I’m reminded of the strength the Word of God gives us during moments of temptation. Building s...

 Isaiah 58:9b-14 Luke 5:27-32 “…If you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; Then light shall rise for you in the darkness and the gloom shall become for you like midday.”  When I was a young child, I would always become emotional when I would see the homeless on the street. The image of a person holding up a sign asking for money or food and not understanding why someone cannot simply have shelter whenever they needed it was difficult for a young boy to comprehend. One day I saw a young woman and her child on the street, and I asked my Mom to stop the car and give them money. She obliged, but I also remember to this day the words she told me. “Nick, money certainly helps people in these situations. But sometimes even just a smile or a simple ‘hello’ to them means just as much.” As I’ve gotten older, the passage above from Isaiah speaks to me a little differently than it would have 30 years ago. While there are certainly people who need bread to fulfill th...

Isaiah 58:1-9a Matthew 9:14-15 “This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly... sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless... Then your light shall break forth like the dawn.” For many the focus in Lent is fasting from food, drink, or other possible vices. As a child, I grew up abstaining from popcorn or chocolate during Lent. While this method of preparing for the Lord’s Resurrection helped instill in me a sense of performing a daily “sacrifice,” it fell short in nurturing spiritual growth. As my age and my faith matured over the years, I chose to “give up” and “give back.” Giving back strengthens prayer life and enhances outreach to God’s community. This intentional method of stewardship takes form for me with more disciplined prayer time, participating in extra volunteer activities with my children, and attending Triduum Masses. While the focus is on the forty days, it can easily extend beyond the Lent season and create ...

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Luke 9:22-25 I really enjoyed reflecting on this reading. This passage in Deuteronomy made me think of a clear simple rule - “Be kind, be an example.”  As a mom of three young daughters, we constantly say, ‘make sure you’re being kind’; to each other (because we know three girls have lots of emotions!), to friends, and to classmates. Scripture tells us to love God, to walk in God’s way, to keep God’s commandments, statutes and judgements. This sounds simple enough but we know it’s not always that easy. We are all faced with many worldly influences that lead us to daily disobedience. The end of the scripture tells us to hear God’s voice and cling to God. Choosing God and choosing kindness teaches us how to worship God and helps us lead a faithful lifestyle. In the reading Moses says that this obedience leads to prosperity and life; and disobedience leads to adversity and death. This statement is a heavy one to teach and for young ones to understand. But if we ca...

 Joel 2:12-18 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Today’s readings confirm for me who we are and how we are to live our lives. In the second reading, Paul tells us that we “are ambassadors for Christ.” The original “ambassadors” were the Apostles who were called by Jesus to spread the gospel message. These “ambassadors” left behind everything to preach the Word of God at great personal peril and with no fanfare. Paul reminds us that we, too, are Apostles and that we are God’s eyes, ears, and hands on this earth. We should remember our unique and special role in our everyday interactions with others. Do good and be good! In the first reading, Joel reminds us that practicing our faith, as ambassadors for Christ, is not a passive activity. Instead, Joel instructs us to “blow the trumpet!” “call an assembly” and to take other affirmative action to offer ourselves to God. In other words, we shouldn’t sit back and expect others to carry the faith. It is our job, as ambassadors fo...