My love, my life I've given, to One who is divine,
For His great love is boundless,
It has captured all of mine.
He is my my Lord and Saviour, the Son of God made man.
He said to me, "Come follow Me,"
The Son of God made man.
Hearing His voice, I made my choice,
The Son of God made man.
Few people know the secret that when one's love is pure,
The peace and joy that Christ gives
Are beyond all dreams for sure.
No greater love than His then,
in all the world I'll find,
He is my King, everything,
The Son Of God made man,
King He shall be eternally,
The Son of God made man
The King of Glory, the Son of God made man.
For some reason, the very old hymn above keeps playing in my head lately. Quite appropriate, really, for somehow, the invitation to me this Lenten season is to follow Jesus in a more radical manner: to sell everything I have, take up my cross and follow Him.
I have been reading all kinds of reflections and tips on how to make this Lenten season a more enriching one and the message really is not one of privation as suggested by the ideas of repentance, fasting, praying and alms-giving. Rather, it is about a call to return to what is essential: a dynamic, loving relationship with the Father and His Son, by meditating on the life of Jesus, and following Him as closely as His disciples did when He walked the earth.
To repent is to turn back, to rediscover what we have forgotten or have taken for granted, this gift of love from the Father who stayed the hand of Abraham from killing his son Isaac, and yet turned around and offered his own son as a sacrifice to save us. Then there is Jesus, who is our advocate and mediator to the Father and the Father's saving grace. He leads us to His Father in the best way possible.
Besides being our champion, Jesus also leads by example. He never put a foot wrong for He was so attuned to the Father's will and He was able to carry out His Father's ministry of love perfectly. Jesus was able to accomplish all this only because prayer, fasting, and giving to the poor were very much a part of his life. He was the supreme servant leader.
Thus if we are serious about rejuvenating our faith life during Lent, the practices of Jesus come highly recommended for these are the spaces we can create within our inner worlds, inviting Him to enter and move us in His Spirit.
Naturally there are many caveats about fasting. Whatever we decide to fast from, besides the traditional form, we need to ensure we are fasting the "right" way, that is, for the right reasons. Our intent must be pure. If we decide on a traditional fast from food, it should not be our annual bid to lose unwanted weight. Neither is Lent meant to kick-start a self-improvement project, not that that is a bad thing in itself.
One of the tips I read mentioned not placing too much emphasis on any one thing we give up. Ah yes, don't get too caught up by my own goodness and become overly rigid so that I can't see the forest for the trees. Plus, I must keep trying to top any previous act of goodness, not just settling for good enough.
As prescribed by Blessed Mother Teresa, give until it hurts. So whatever I fast from, if it points me back to Jesus without me getting too self-congratulatory about it, then I have succeeded in becoming a little more Christ-like than usual, especially if others benefit or find my behaviour edifying. I find there is a quiet joy in offering up the hunger pangs of a fast when interceding for someone for it lends weight to my prayer.
We all know we must pray. Constantly. But like anything that is good for you, it can be perceived as a chore. Never mind that I can see the merits of it, and even testify to the awesomeness of having moved mountains through prayer, it is still a struggle for me to make time for it every day, even though I know it grounds me and helps me make good decisions.
Today's Gospel helps give me added purpose to keep on praying for the only way I can love my enemies is through prayer. As Father Thomas shared prayer helps to purify my vision so that I am able to see God in my enemies (or merely people who rub me the wrong way) Thus, I am able to view them as brothers and sisters in Christ, even those who persecute me.
Given my current low energy levels, my first inclination is to ignore everyone in need and tend to myself only. Lent gives me the much needed kick in the pants to come out of myself and offer daily the gift of presence: listening to others' stories with openness and interest when I am feeling most apathetic, and asking Jesus what should I do when I feel the urge to respond.
I thank Mother Church for the opportunity to come back to the fundamentals of my faith, to inspire me to keep the fire burning, and to say to Jesus thank you for dying for me. I say yes to the peace and joy that only you, my Lord, can give. I will follow you.
For His great love is boundless,
It has captured all of mine.
He is my my Lord and Saviour, the Son of God made man.
He said to me, "Come follow Me,"
The Son of God made man.
Hearing His voice, I made my choice,
The Son of God made man.
Few people know the secret that when one's love is pure,
The peace and joy that Christ gives
Are beyond all dreams for sure.
No greater love than His then,
in all the world I'll find,
He is my King, everything,
The Son Of God made man,
King He shall be eternally,
The Son of God made man
The King of Glory, the Son of God made man.
For some reason, the very old hymn above keeps playing in my head lately. Quite appropriate, really, for somehow, the invitation to me this Lenten season is to follow Jesus in a more radical manner: to sell everything I have, take up my cross and follow Him.
I have been reading all kinds of reflections and tips on how to make this Lenten season a more enriching one and the message really is not one of privation as suggested by the ideas of repentance, fasting, praying and alms-giving. Rather, it is about a call to return to what is essential: a dynamic, loving relationship with the Father and His Son, by meditating on the life of Jesus, and following Him as closely as His disciples did when He walked the earth.
To repent is to turn back, to rediscover what we have forgotten or have taken for granted, this gift of love from the Father who stayed the hand of Abraham from killing his son Isaac, and yet turned around and offered his own son as a sacrifice to save us. Then there is Jesus, who is our advocate and mediator to the Father and the Father's saving grace. He leads us to His Father in the best way possible.
Besides being our champion, Jesus also leads by example. He never put a foot wrong for He was so attuned to the Father's will and He was able to carry out His Father's ministry of love perfectly. Jesus was able to accomplish all this only because prayer, fasting, and giving to the poor were very much a part of his life. He was the supreme servant leader.
Thus if we are serious about rejuvenating our faith life during Lent, the practices of Jesus come highly recommended for these are the spaces we can create within our inner worlds, inviting Him to enter and move us in His Spirit.
Naturally there are many caveats about fasting. Whatever we decide to fast from, besides the traditional form, we need to ensure we are fasting the "right" way, that is, for the right reasons. Our intent must be pure. If we decide on a traditional fast from food, it should not be our annual bid to lose unwanted weight. Neither is Lent meant to kick-start a self-improvement project, not that that is a bad thing in itself.
One of the tips I read mentioned not placing too much emphasis on any one thing we give up. Ah yes, don't get too caught up by my own goodness and become overly rigid so that I can't see the forest for the trees. Plus, I must keep trying to top any previous act of goodness, not just settling for good enough.
As prescribed by Blessed Mother Teresa, give until it hurts. So whatever I fast from, if it points me back to Jesus without me getting too self-congratulatory about it, then I have succeeded in becoming a little more Christ-like than usual, especially if others benefit or find my behaviour edifying. I find there is a quiet joy in offering up the hunger pangs of a fast when interceding for someone for it lends weight to my prayer.
We all know we must pray. Constantly. But like anything that is good for you, it can be perceived as a chore. Never mind that I can see the merits of it, and even testify to the awesomeness of having moved mountains through prayer, it is still a struggle for me to make time for it every day, even though I know it grounds me and helps me make good decisions.
Today's Gospel helps give me added purpose to keep on praying for the only way I can love my enemies is through prayer. As Father Thomas shared prayer helps to purify my vision so that I am able to see God in my enemies (or merely people who rub me the wrong way) Thus, I am able to view them as brothers and sisters in Christ, even those who persecute me.
Given my current low energy levels, my first inclination is to ignore everyone in need and tend to myself only. Lent gives me the much needed kick in the pants to come out of myself and offer daily the gift of presence: listening to others' stories with openness and interest when I am feeling most apathetic, and asking Jesus what should I do when I feel the urge to respond.
I thank Mother Church for the opportunity to come back to the fundamentals of my faith, to inspire me to keep the fire burning, and to say to Jesus thank you for dying for me. I say yes to the peace and joy that only you, my Lord, can give. I will follow you.
