Let's Journey Together

We often talk about Lent as a "giving up" time. This Lent, let us journey together during these forty days by "giving over" our words, thoughts and actions to the Lord. Lord Jesus, that we may keep you in our minds, on our lips, and in our hearts. The only way we can accomplish this is to tell Jesus we want a deeper and more personal relationship with Him.

In a personal relationship we come to know the other person more fully and we begin to see each others hearts more clearly. As we enter into His Sacred Heart, He enlightens our minds to understand more clearly His ways. He purifies our hearts to forgive those who have wounded us and to ask forgiveness for those we have wounded, "in what I have done or what I have failed to do". We begin to speak as we hear Him speaking...words of love, compassion, correction, etc. We become truly contrite as we see the gentle, tender heart of Jesus compared to our hearts.

At the end of these forty days, we will be closer to His likeness and image without ever wanting to go back to where we were before this Lenten journey began. After all, isn't that what He really asks for...not sacrifices but a "humble and contrite heart"?

During our Lenten journey, let us take time to visit Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, pray the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet, make the Stations of the Cross, or simply ask Jesus, "Lord what do you want me to do for you?" He is full of surprises!

Food For Thought

On the way to the studio the other day, I received a phone call on my cell. Although I would never dial or text while driving, I answered and spoke to the other party without a thought of wrong doing. While in conversation, I noticed a police officer pulling along side of me. I immediately dropped the phone without a thought of the person on the other end.

The patrol car passed me by without incident of course. However, it gave me food for thought. If I saw the officer when my cell phone rang, would I have answered it? Probably not! Do I really need a police officer by my side to do the right thing? Do I really need someone by my side to hold me accountable? I have long held the thought that character is doing the right thing when no one is watching. Pondering this, I thought what a better world, nation, community, and family we would be if we all had a police officer, priest/pastor, mate, or a person that we loved and respected by our side every day, all day. Theft, fighting, cursing, gossip, and cheating would cease. For some, crime of all sorts would be drastically reduced if criminals knew that they were being watched and held accountable for their actions.

However, we carry within us the sweet guest of our soul - the Holy Spirit within us. We are temples of the Holy Spirit. Shouldn't that be enough for all of us? Emmanuel, God with us! Let us each make a conscious effort to remember who is with us every day, all day. The Paraclete, who reminds us of everything Jesus said and did, our helper indeed, who loves us and believes in us more than we believe in ourselves. Jesus paid the ultimate price to send His Spirit to be with us, to help us, forgive us, strengthen us, and love us unconditionally. One day we will all have to give an accounting for our words, deeds, and actions. None of us know when or how that day will come, but we know it will. When we remember daily who we are in Christ, and grow daily in His Spirit, we will hear Him say to us, Well done, my good and faithful servant.