Greetings!
How is everyone after gone through a week of Lent season? How is your journey last week? Was it easy for you? Entering into Lent season is not that easy, I presume. By knowledge, yes, so easy, but by heart? hmmm…
Reading the gospel today (Mat 7: 7-12) telling me how the word of God truly alive in my life last week. I would like to invite you to journey with me through my experienced last week. I was motivated to write this reflection every night after attending the Mass last Wednesday. Can we start? Are you ready? It’s quite long but bear with me ok..ok..let’s go back day by day from Wednesday until today (Wednesday) ok..let’s begin.. J
March 9, 2011 (Ash Wednesday)
I woke up very early and prepared myself for the Eucharist Celebration. The feeling was not so different from other day though I knew that today was the start of a Lent season. No extraordinary feeling.
I went for Mass at 6 am. The sermon was beautiful. There were 3 points pointed out from the readings by Fr. Rolando Tuazon, the main presider of the Mass this morning.
1. Lent is about building relationship with others. (Mat 6:1-4)
By giving alms to others, we are building relationship with them. Building relationship is more important than the alms itself.
2. Lent is about deepening our relationship and be reconciled to God. (2 Corinth 5:20)
3. Lent is about fasting. (Mat 6:16-18)
I started my “Lent Journey” with these points. It was not that easy. Questions rose as I gone through my daily life. Knowing that building relationship is not so easy for me, how can I do this? My relationship with God? And now, fasting? Why do I have to fast? For what reason? Fuh! What a very challenging questions I have today.
March 10, 2011 (Thursday)
What was the color of my life today?
Recalling the first point and my question yesterday, can I break the ‘not so easy’ in me in building relationship? Can I throw away my pride? This is another challenge i encountered today.
The reading today was about the first prediction of the passion. Jesus telling his disciple how he must suffer(Luke 9: 22) and continue saying “ If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me”. This verse struck me most. What is my daily cross? Am I ready to take up my cross daily?
As I pondered my life, there are crosses that I need not to carry anymore, but I still insisted to carry it. On the other hand, there are crosses that I need to carry but I don’t want to carry.
March 11, 2011 (Friday)
The question about fasting kept on playing in mind the whole day. Perhaps it was because today is Friday. J
I went to church in St. Nicholas together with my friend Judith to join the Mass before the Station of the Cross at 6 pm. The experienced was nice. Seeing the journey of Jesus in his station of life, I felt blessed. Question raised in me. What will be the face of my journey in my own station?
After went back home, I felt I wanted to read the gospel for today. But I could not understand it even I read it many times. So I closed my bible and just be silence with myself. My heart telling me to read the first reading from Isaiah 58:9b-14. And I was amazed because through the reading I found out the meaning of fasting. It says “this, rather, is the fasting that I wish; releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own.” (Isaiah 58:6-7). Wow! So wonderful! My question was answered.
Now I can sleep peacefully. J
March 12, 2011 (Saturday)
What is so nice about today?
Today my health was not so good. I felt weak so I slept almost the whole day.
The earthquake happened to Japan yesterday, still remain in me. I watched it live through internet and watching how people in Japan suffered from that made me feel sad. Deep inside me now is praying for them. I believe right now I am not the only one praying for them. Many people out there are also praying for them.
As I continue my journey in this path, I believe many people out there are willing to pray for me. The only thing that I need to do is to invite them to journey with me.
March 13, 2011 (Sunday)
First Sunday of Lent.
What do I want to write? There are many things in my mind. I don’t really understand what had happened to me today. I found it difficult to understand things. It’s meaning. Despite of this difficulty, I still put my personal theme for today which is to focus on my daily life. It was not easy. There was a time where I really wanted to give up. With many things inside my mind and to focus only on one thing was a struggle.
Today’s reading helped me to win this difficulty. The reading empowered me to hold on to my faith. Jesus was able to make the evil left him because he still holds on to his faith.
In our life, I believe there are many temptations we will encounter along the way. We have the choice to hold on to our faith or to let it go. What will be my choice? What will be yours?
March 14, 2011 (Monday)
What is my guide for the day?
Motivated by yesterdays’ reflection, I chose to continue to focus on my daily life. By putting this guide I began to appreciate my daily life. I woke up, said a prayer, washing my clothes, took bath, hanged my clothes, smile with the mothers who are fetching their children from kinder garden, preparing food for lunch, had a meeting, lunch etc..this simple life I had, become meaningful when I really put myself into it. Through this I found the meaning of deepening relationship with God. Listening to our simple life is important. Through this simple life we will find the characteristics of Jesus. And our relationship with Jesus will tell us the kind of relationship we have with God.
What is the characteristic of Jesus I encountered today? The gospel today revealed his characteristics and it is alive in my day today. As I preparing food for lunch I realize that Jesus gave food to those who are hungry, gave drink to those who are thirsty (Matthew 25:35). As I smile with the mothers whom I don’t know, I remember Jesus welcome those strangers (Matthew 25:35). As I hang my clothes this morning it remind me that Jesus gave cloth to those who are naked, cared to those who are sick and visited those who are in prison (Matthew 25:35-36). Imagine how beautiful it is to recognize His characteristics by our simple daily life.
But, is that enough just by knowing it? What is my respond to this? Can I also give food to those who are hungry? Drink to those who are thirsty? Welcome the strangers? Gave clothes to those who are naked? Care to those who are sick? Visit those who are in prison?
March 15, 2011 (Tuesday)
What do I want to achieve today?
Today I was planning to finish all my work. That was my focus of the day. I guess I did achieve it. Yes! What helped me? Reminding myself, again and again to focus helped a lot.
We had a beautiful community prayer this afternoon. It gave me opportunity to be reconciled to God and to others. It was the time to let go of my pride, my fear and to let God lead me in my relationship not only with Him but also with others. I thank God for this grace I received today. I was reminded again to really empty myself and put my trust on Him.
March 16, 2011 (Wednesday)
Today was a tiring day. Sitting in front of computer the whole day doing my task made my eyes tired. But, I am satisfied because I finished my task J
I took rest at around 5pm just to let my eyes free from the computer. While resting, my eyes were caught by a sentence written on a paper on my table “unless we let the Word of God affect our attitudes and our daily lives, all our effort will have been wasted.” I was astonished by the power of this sentence. Did I let His Word affect my attitudes?
I carried this question since then. But because I had to finish another task, I put it aside first and finished my task. Just before I was about to sleep, I was disturbed by the sentence again. So I decided to read the gospel reading for tomorrow and recall what had happened to me the whole day. And I realize that it is already one week since the Lent started last Wednesday. Time is very fast. What is this ‘Lent’ for me these days?
I started to check again my “Lent Journey” from last Wednesday. Looking back at my journey, I was amazed of how God journey with me with the question I carried. His word today is so real “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Mat 7:7) what an amazed journey I had this week. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and now Wednesday again. This seven day journey of me reveals that God gives what he promised to give. “For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks; the door will be opened.” (Mat 7:8)
So, did I let His Word affect my attitudes? Looking back at my previous days I would say that I am moving toward this. Thanks to the previous days. And most specially thanks to God for letting me experience His Word. His WORD is ALIVE, truly!
End of the week. Are you still with me? J
Friends,
Lent season is our Journey to enter into deeper relationship with Jesus. For some, this is the time to rebuild this relationship with him. Whatever reason we have, let us not miss each day of our journey with Jesus. whatever work we have everyday day, remember that through our daily life, Jesus is always there accompany us.
I would like also to invite each one of us to always look behind. Perhaps we are too fast and leave Jesus behind. Let us not let him walk behind. Let us journey with Him side by side and experience His passion. We will see that His Word is ALIVE!
Last but not the least,
I believe you also have a beautiful experience of Lent season. Let us share this precious experience to each other and JOURNEY TOGETHER into His Kingdom!
Love.
Roselinah Francis,
March 16, 2011
