Looking at Lent in a positive way

My beloved sisters and brothers in Christ, I know the word Lent always creates a negative sensation because we associate it with “giving up” something for Lent. But, of course, there is much more to Lent than that! Some years ago, I read a great article in an Irish Jesuit magazine (where else!) challenging us to look at Lent in a very positive way. It helped me enormously and I hope it will now help you to look beyond the negative and advance to Easter with hope and peace in your heart.

Let’s Eliminate Negative Thoughts (LENT)! Now there’s a very different take on this holy season. Lent is the season in the church year when we review our human attitude to God, ourselves and our world. The three main tools for this are simple and age old: Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving!

Simply put, how is my prayer life this Lent? Am I giving more space to God in conversation or meditation or devotional prayer than I was before Lent? Remember, God does not require me to pray in a particular manner, but to give him time to hear me and respond with the grace I need just for today! Of course, especially in this year of Eucharistic Revival, our most powerful prayer is the Mass itself, in which we re-enact our Savior’s offering of himself to his Father for our sins and those of all the world. Even now, it’s not too late to try and go to Mass once or twice more than I usually do; nothing brings more joy to Christ than our offering our very selves to God with and in him at developing world countries. Even if you cannot offer any alms, look up their site and see the great work they do, in our name, overseas! Or you could offer to spend a few hours a week in the local food bank, or St. Vincent de Paul Society, or Knights of Columbus! There are endless ways to reach out to others, conscious that our Eucharist sharing is a sharing of Christ himself!

Mass. But the Divine Mercy Chaplet is also a very simple and rhythmic prayer which can be prayed literally in any circumstance!

Fasting simply requires that I look at my food and drink consumption and choose to cut back where I know it will be beneficial, but also bring grace if offered for the good of others, especially those who have little or no food today. It also reminds me to reverence my own body as a temple of the Holy Spirit!

Happy Lent and Happy Easter, as we pray with great joy our Eucharistic Prayer: O sacred banquet, in which Christ is received, the memory of his passion is celebrated, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us. Lord Jesus, present to us in the Eucharist, we place our trust in you; make us a sign of your presence!

A New Shepherd

Most of you will have heard by now that our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has named Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, auxiliary bishop of Washington, D.C., as our new bishop. He will be installed on Wednesday, March 29 at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma by Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans, in the presence of Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Almsgiving flows from fasting as we offer what money we save to a good cause or human relief agency. There are many, and I strongly recommend Catholic Relief Services, which is the U.S. Catholic Church’s agency for development and other aid to the

Please keep Bishop Dorsonville in your prayers as we await his arrival with great hope and joy! There will be much more about our new bishop in this and the next issue of Bayou Catholic magazine. Meanwhile, I pray you have a beautiful, positive Lent and a blessed and joyous Easter. BC