Lenten Message
03-10-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. James AboyiThank You
I would like to thank all those who participated in the Family Service event last weekend. Special thanks to the organizers and those who donated different items for the event. I was so happy to see how much we were able to reach out to hundreds of people who are in need around the state and beyond. What is special about the event is that the items were not just donated from our surplus, but they were hand-made by us, "fruits of our labor and work of our hands." Some significant items made and donated during the event include 2,550 sandwiches, 92 blankets, 85 art works, 300 laundry kits, approximately 100 pet toys and more.
Lenten Message
In this year's Lenten Message, Pope Francis invites believers to prepare to celebrate the Paschal Mystery with mind and heart renewed, warning that, "Sin leads man to consider himself the god of creation, to see himself as its absolute master and to use it, not for the purpose willed by the Creator, but for his own interests." The theme chosen this year is: "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God" (Rom 8:19). The full text of the Lenten Message is available at https://zenit.org/articles/popesmessage-for-lent-2019.
On this First Sunday of Lent, the Church invites us to refection the three temptations of Jesus Christ in the desert. In the Gospel reading today, we hear that Jesus went to the desert and fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. This 40 days of fasting and prayer reminds us of the 40 days of Lent when we are invited to make a personal, inward journey into our lives. This inward journey is meant to examine what has been going well, and what we may need to change, in order to deepen our relationship with God.
The tradition of making Lenten promises helps us to keep up with our personal disciplines during the season of Lent. I encourage you to consider including the three pillars of Lent (prayer, fasting and almsgiving) in your Lenten promises this year. When we include these three pillars of Lent we recognize that Lent means for us a period of "giving up, taking up, and lifting up." In fasting, we give up attachment to bodily needs like food and material things. By setting aside quality times for personal prayers, we take up new habit to strengthen our relationship with God. When we give alms, we are lifting up our brothers and sisters who are in need our love, prayers and support. May God give us His grace and strengthen us to be able to carry out our Lenten promises faithfully.
Thank you and Remain Blessed.
Fr. James