LENT 2010
Midwest District Reflections
Dear Lasallians of the Midwest District,
If you had the opportunity to use the Midwest District Lenten Reflection booklet last year, I hope you found it helpful to your prayer. It was well-received and Brother Larry had numerous requests to repeat the project in 2010.
We think that, with the readings of each day of Lent and a reflection thoughtfully prepared by someone in our District, you have a good start on giving focus to following the days of Lent in a uniquely Lasallian way with students, teachers, Lasallian animators, administrators, Brothers, Lasallian Volunteers, and board members of one of our ministries. I sincerely hope that the following pages generate a faith-filled and hope-filled Lenten experience rooted in the Scriptures, thanks to those who wrote reflections.
I pray for God’s blessings for all of you as we pray our way towards the Resurrection of Jesus at Easter.
Brother Francis Carr, FSC, Visitor
Dear Lasallians,
Once again, a huge THANKS to all who participated in this project—the writers, of course, but also all of you who helped choose writers as well as encouraging---and urging---them to complete their reflection. Thanks also to both Rafael De La Isla for sharing his artistic talents with us on the cover as well as his teacher, Linda Matonich.
Our vast and diverse Midwest District is well represented in this project, which will take you through the 46 days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday. Feel free to download this or use it on-line. Don’t hesitate to make it available to anyone who might benefit from it.
May each day of the rich Lenten season bring you closer to Jesus, who lives in our hearts.
Brother Larry Schatz, FSC, Auxiliary Visitor
February 17, ASH WEDNESDAY
Joel 2:12-18; 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2; Matthew 6:1-6,16-18
Is Ash Wednesday becoming another New Year’s? At the beginning of a new year, we are encouraged to make resolutions: lose weight, exercise more, be more generous. Those are good efforts, but the call of Lent is less self-absorbed and more about giving our Christian life greater depth and more seriousness of purpose. It is about our relationship with God. Lent is a time of reflection on what needs to change in our lives,and ongetting our lives centered, our priorities straight, and our hearts clean.
We don’t talk about sin and penance much anymore, but both are part of our lives.
St. John Baptist de La Salle, our Founder, encouraged the early Brothers to involve themselves in facing the challenges of Lent. In the meditation for this feast, he wrote:
“The effect that the reception of the ashes should produce in you is to make penance a part of all your behavior, to make you fast with your eyes, your tongue, and your heart: your eyes, by great recollection and a turning aside from whatever might distract you; your tongue, by an exact silence which will cut you off from creatures, in order to attach yourself only to God during this holy season; your heart, by renouncing entirely all thoughts which might distract you, draw you away, and interrupt your communing with God.”
Lent is a time to work through the chaos of our sometimes frenetic lives to discover what is essential. But remember that Lent is also a season of hope and with ashes on our foreheads and hope in our hearts, we can better love and serve. For by God’s grace, we do not have to stay the way we are.
What we decide to do for Lent needs to be much more than a New Year’s resolution; it requires a wholehearted commitment from each of us to deepen our relationship with God.
What resolution can I make that urges me to ask myself each week of Lent if I am “getting my life centered, my priorities straight, and my heart clean?”
Br. Francis Carr, FSC, Visitor
Midwest District
Thursday, February 18
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 and Luke 9:22-25
With the readings today, we take the first steps on our journey through Lent to Easter. A journey of self-sacrifice, self -denial and reflection that began with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, progressed with Luke and continues with us today. Our first steps on this journey should be ones of self-reflection and examination. How do we take up our cross and follow God?
Many of us have the gift of a blessed life. Our crosses are small and simple. Sacrifice is not something that touches us. Where do we go to find a cross or trial in our lives that are worthy of true sacrifice? Self-denial can be lack of self and ego and advocacy for someone else. Advocacy can be speaking for the voiceless, standing up for the small and vision for the invisible. Who in our lives has no voice, no stature or walks invisibly among us? The student, who because of a lack of social skills has no friends, and drives us crazy on a daily basis? The parent whose child struggles and who puts the blame on our teaching skills? The co-worker who never steps up to anything? Can we be a friend, a compassionate listening ear or the quiet person who is there to take care of things that no one else wants to do?
To follow Jesus, to take up our cross, these are things that we are ready to do but we must be willing to seek the cross, to find the sacrifice and to truly deny our self. We must search for the cross.
Anne Edwards, Principal
San Miguel School, Tulsa, OK
Friday, February 19
Isaiah 58:1-9a; Matthew 9:14-15
Do you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?
We need to constantly and consistently evaluate ourselves objectively. While we cannot achieve the perspective of our LORD, we have the opportunity to improve ourselves daily. Take a step back, ask yourself “Am I doing all I can to dedicate myself to the LORD?” That is, essentially, what fasting is - a concentration on one’s dedication to the LORD. Once you find this answer, step back into yourself, and preach it, live it.
Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own.
If you have ever visited the city of Chicago, you have come across a person clenching a Styrofoam cup asking the simple question, “Can you spare any change?” For most, this question sets off a series of unspoken, unanswered questions: “What will he do with my money? Will he buy food or use it to get his fix? Why is he on the streets? More importantly, will my small contribution even make a difference?” My response: Never doubt that even a small helping hand can change the world. Even if you make a difference in one human’s life, you made a difference. Don’t turn your back on injustice; ignoring the problem doesn’t make it go away.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn.
I can visualize light bursting forth. All will know that I am the light of God. They will know who I am and whom I love.
Undergraduate Peer Ministers
Lewis University Romeoville, IL
Saturday,February 20
Isaiah 58:9b-14; Luke 5:27-32
I remember many years ago a good friend advised me to figure out a way to “reach out and serve others” in the days and weeks following the death of a very close mutual friend. She said to me, “When I am suffering, I help others. That gets me outside of myself.” That was hard for me to do at the time, because I could barely look beyond the confines of my own grief. However, the gift I received from my friend’s sage advice was to discover that whenever I look outside of myself—whether it is in circumstances at work, at home, or in community or church life—I am able torestore and renew my own spirit. When Jesus invites us each to follow Him, He asks us to not just believe in Him and love Him but to accept the responsibility of reaching out to and serving and loving others, especially those in greatest need. “. . .if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness, and your gloom be like the noonday.” Isaiah 58:10.
The season of Lent provides us with abundant opportunity to renew our love for God by demonstrating service to others. There are so many acts of kindness—we just need to look outside ourselves! Even if we haven’t hadthe experience of a caring friend who calls us to task in our thinking and acting, we can make the Christian practice of serving others become a part of who we are as a person. I cannot think of a greater blessing. May we each be blessed this Holy season with the goodness of generosity, placing us in service to those who need our help the most and ultimately bringing us closer to God.
Will I accept God’s invitation to follow Him? What one step can I take during this season of Lent to reach out to others who need my help?
Bev DeGeorge , Vice President for Mission
Saint Mary’s Press Winona, MN
First Sunday of Lent, February 21
Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13
I have a friend who always says that the longest and hardest 18 inches is the distance it takes your faith to travel from your head to you heart. Romans 10: 9 says that if we will be saved if we not only confess with our mouth, but believe in our hearts that Jesus is the Lord. One does not necessarily follow the other.
Have you ever wondered if you really believe what you say you believe? Satan puts these thoughts in all our heads at one time or another. If Jesus was not immune form them then why should we assume that we would be. Have you ever had a revelation that reaffirms your faith? At one time I questioned my belief in a life after this life on earth. Needless to say if I found that I did not believe in a heaven then nothing else made sense either. Doubt in that one thing could have destroyed the entire basis of my faith.
Then I realized something that turned around my doubt. My dad was killed in Korea when I was 11 months old. I do not remember him at all. I realized that at the very core of my being I believe I will meet him again in heaven. When I realized how strongly I believed that, I knew at least part of my faith had made the journey from head to heart.
The revelations do not have to be complicated or explosive. They can be simple connections that lead you to the faith in your own heart. Ask God to give you the Grace to overcome Satan’s temptations to see again and again the faith that is really there.
Debby Feist, Board of Directors
Dunrovin Retreat Center, Marine, MN
Monday, February 22
Leviticus 19:1-2,11-18; Matthew 25:31-46
Commentary 0n Matthew 25:31-46
There is question about whether Matthew was speaking of the world’s poor or whether he was referring to the disciples. In light of the recent disaster in Haiti I am not at all conflicted to feel Jesus, through Matthew, is speaking to me and asking, “What are you going to do?”
And the king will answer them, “Truly I will tell you, just as you did it to the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Are we not, in this parable, told to take care of those who thirst, who are hungry, who are naked. When we ask “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick in prison.” We can answer the question of when watching any recent news broadcast.
God is telling us that if we choose to ignore the suffering we are choosing to ignore Him. “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to the least of these, you did not do it to me.” Desmond Tutu stated that in this story Jesus declared that “it would be whether we fed or did not feed the hungry, whether we clothed or did not clothe the naked, whether we visited the imprisoned or did not, which would say what our final destination was going to be.”
Whether you believe you get to heaven by your earthly works or not, doesn’t the parable tells us to take care of those who are least among us? And who is more “least” than the people of Haiti?
Neal Wedum, Principal
De La Salle Blackfeet School, Browning, MT
Tuesday, February 23
Isaiah 55:10-11; Matthew 6:7-15
It’s safe to say that, at some point, most of us have struggled to find meaning in God’s words spoken to us through the scriptures. Don’t feel too bad. The sometimes enigmatic, but, nevertheless, beautiful writing of the Old Testament in particular can be difficult to grasp for anyone. But like everything, God has it covered.
In Isaiah, God reassures us that His word is not simply going in one of our ears and out the other, whether we realize it or not. Isaiah 55, verse 11 says, “So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void…” We can take comfort in this. Whether we are spiritually keen enough to realize it or not, God’s word is working within us constantly, whether or not we totally grasp it. No, this is not a free invitation to zone out during the Liturgy of the Word. However, is God’s word is working within, whether or not we are aware of It, as Isaiah says, imagine how we could grow spiritually if we truly concentrated on the word and grasping its true message.
God wants us to contemplate His word strongly. Jesus literally commands the disciples to in Matthew 6. In this verse, Jesus is teaching them how to pray, and recites the “Lord’s Prayer.” He is careful to warn them about mindlessly rattling off the prayer. Yet, this is exactly what we do. Believe me, I’m guilty.
So next time, let’s stop, reflect on the words we are saying, and do our best to carry out God’s will on earth, as the prayer commands. We can take comfort in knowing that His will is being done, even if we don’t understand it.
Are you doing His will in your daily life?
Brian Quinn, Senior
Christian Brothers High School, Memphis, TN
Wednesday, February 24
Jonah 3:1-10; Luke 11:29-32
Each day, I often pray “Let us remember that we are in the Holy Presence of God.” As I reflected on today’s gospel that prayer came to mind.
Too often when my mind is busy and I’m not focused, I miss God’s signs that are all around me. I often spend lots of time trying to find God’s signs with Google and Bing, and the prayer brings me back—calls me to a mindfulness that makes the signs more visible to me. I try to be gentle with myself and live a life of a smile sharing what I have. I don’t think I need more signs of God’s love and presence—I just need to be aware of the ones that are given.
- The peacefulness of the lake
- The gift of sobriety
- The plumage of the cardinal or the chickadee or the nuthatch on my birdfeeders
- The call from a friend
- The person who lets me have the parking place
- The hope in a child’s eyes
- The respect in an aging friend’s wisdom
- The trees with old leaves aging and new sprouts coming
- Ice melting and spring just around the corner with new life
God, create a clean heart in me that I am able to remember that I am in the holy presence of God. God, grant me the serenity to accept the signs that are given, the courage to change my focus when necessary and the wisdom to know when to be gentle with myself. Live Jesus in our hearts, forever.
This prayer assures me that whenever I am in God’s presence that I am linked with all the other Lasallians.
Bill Coughlan AFSC, Retired Volunteer
San Miguel Middle School Minneapolis, MN
Thursday, February 25
Esther C:12,14-16,23-25; Matthew 7:7-12
There are times in all of our lives when we feel alone, abandoned, rejected. We cry out to God for help, for strength, for compassion. During these “deserts” of our lives we are overcome with fear and anxiety, yet like Esther in today’s reading we too have “recourse to the Lord.”
It is during times such as these that my prayer becomes a series of questions. Have I not given of myself enough? Have I not been faithful? Do I deserve to feel this way? I find myself asking God why . . . why me, why now? I want answers and I want then now! “My Lord, you alone are God. Help me, who am alone and have no help but you.”
In my need to find answers, in my crying out for help, I sometimes become deaf to the voice of God within. Getting beyond the questioning, and simply taking the time to listen, allows me to hear God saying “you are loved and therefore not alone! I hear your cry, I feel your fear, I am here.”