Lent is here. This great penitential season is here. This season is here to help us to grow ever more in love with God. Yes, that is correct, you have read correctly, this season is here to help us to be lovers of God. God is pure love and He loves each of us purely, and lent allows for us to grow ever more in love with Him. It is like this, if a husband spent 24 hours a day watching the stock market, do we think that he would be showing his love to his wife? Some might argue yes, because he wants his wife to be cared for. In a way that might be true, but do we think his wife would feel his emotional and spiritual support? Well if this same man approached God to say that he loved him, do we think the evidence would be there? No, the evidence is not there. Each of us has areas in our lives that are not focused on loving God. These areas are areas of attachment to things: honors, wealth, pleasure…. I could go on, but that is not the point. God wants us to love Him with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength and with all our being. Lent is a Season for focusing on what is not bringing us closer to the Lord so that we can, with the grace that God provides, get rid of it. Maybe it is a big thing, maybe it is something small. I know that Lent has begun, but maybe God is calling us to something totally different than we planned on this Lent.
Remember, we gave out prayer cards, with a picture of the Sacred Heart on them, with the intention to use them, as a parish, for prayer time during this Lent. Take some time each day to slowly pray the prayer, and if something sticks out, spend some time with it. Ask God to deepen what is sticking out, and to give what He wants to give. Spend some time looking at the Sacred Heart on the front of the card too. Let God just love you!
Fr. Thomas P. Galarneault