Lent Reflections

Week 1

The merciful love of God is his gratuitous gift to us. With the first sin in the Garden of Eden, we see the grasping after the gifts God bestows upon us. In the account of Christ’s overcoming temptations in the desert, we see the total trust the Son has in the Father to provide what the Son needs. The clean heart and steadfast spirit that God may create and renew in us are not to be grasped at but to be received with complete trust in his merciful love.

Week 2

St. Paul encourages us, “Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.” This is the strength of the God of Abraham, who was made father of a great nation. It is the strength of the God of Moses who led the people of Israel from slavery into the freedom of the promised land. This is the strength of the God of Elijah, who was taken up into the heavens to be with God forever. The strength that comes from God is mighty indeed; in it we place our hope for the life of the world to come.

Week 3

The woman at the well comes to draw water at noon, the hottest, most undesirable part of the day. She expects no one to be there; she is rejected by everyone in town due to her poor reputation. However, she leaves that well completely changed. Forgetting her bucket, she has unexpectedly received from the Lord himself that living water which she desired in the depths of her heart. Do I believe Jesus can provide me with living water at any moment? Has he already shown up this Lent—through a warm affirmation, an intentional conversation, a hug from a loved one—to remind me of his love and constant care?

Week 4

The world claims the past dictates the future. Since kings had been chosen from the first-born in the past, Jesse’s oldest son in the first reading “needed” to be the King of Israel, but God chose the youngest son. Since his parents had sinned, the man in the Gospel “needed” to suffer those consequences and so be blind his whole life, but Jesus chose to heal him. The only future that is bright and true is guided by God. It is this light, Jesus, who leads us to a life that is fulfilling, meaningful, and surprising in the best way. In big ways and small, how am I allowing Christ or the world to guide my future?