Lenten do’s and don’ts... what will bring you closer to Christ? Lent comes every year. Even so, Ash Wednesday sneaks up on us and we are caught in a panic doing last-minute planning for those quicklyapproaching forty days. What will we give up, take up, or offer up? It’s easy to fall back to the same thing we did last year, or the same thing we did the last ten years. While those things are probably good and might have been difficult the first time or two, have they now lost their effectiveness? Is unplugging the TV still a challenge for you? Does giving up chocolate continue
to bring you closer to God? This Lent, challenge yourself to try something new. In his list of “10 Things to Remember for Lent”, Bishop David L. Ricken of Green Bay, Wisconsin, reminds us that Lent is about dying to oneself. Bishop Ricken says that “the more serious side of Lenten discipline is that it’s about more than selfcontrol – it’s about finding aspects of yourself that are less than Christ-like and letting them die.” Lent is a perfect opportunity to make needed changes in our lives.
By reflecting on how we need to grow, we can decide to step out of our comfort zone and make a stride towards greater holiness. If the music you listen to in the car isn’t bringing you closer to God, keep your dial set to Relevant Radio. Maybe you aren’t a morning person—make a commitment to jump out of bed the second your alarm rings. Feeling ambitious? Sleep without a pillow for 40 days or take cold showers. Denying yourself of daily comforts that most people take for granted will increase
your appreciation for your blessings and generosity towards those who have less. Bishop Ricken also warns us that it may be “tempting to make Lent some ambitious period of personal reinvention, but it’s best to keep it simple and focused.” Choose one area to focus on this Lent. If you spread yourself thin, you won’t be as successful. Challenge yourself, but don’t try to achieve the impossible. Remember that we are called to continual, life-long growth in holiness.
Pope Francis puts the emphasis on practicing Evangelical Poverty In his 2014 Lenten Message, the Holy Father emphasized the need for the faithful to live evangelical poverty. Weakness and poverty, says Pope Francis, is how God reveals himself to us. In letting go of worldly things, we allow God to enter into our lives and also become a witness of Christ’s love to the world. This Lent, the Holy Father challenges all to “bear witness to all those who live in material, moral and spiritual destitution the Gospel
message of the merciful love of God our Father.” The ways in which the faithful may fulfill this call are endless, including financial or prayerful contributions to Catholic charities, speaking up for truth in daily conversations, and living a joyful Christian life that will draw others to Christ. As seen in the example of Pope Francis, one of the best ways to bring the Gospel to those in need is through our daily expressions of joy and
love. In embracing a life of evangelical poverty, he says that we are set free, as “What gives us true freedom, true salvation and true happiness is the compassion, tenderness and solidarity of [Christ’s] love.”
“It has been said that the only real regret lies in not being a saint (L. Bloy); we could also say that there is only one real kind of poverty: not living as children of God and brothers and sisters of Christ.” - Pope Francis, Lenten Message of Our Holy Father Francis 2014
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What’s on your Lenten List? By: Lindsey Kettner Programming/Marketing Sometimes the best thing to give up/ take up/offer up for Lent is the thing that sounds the most dreadful. If you sleep with four pillows like I do, maybe giving those up will bring you closer to God. Choose what will make you holier. Only you know what is best for your own spiritual growth—challenge yourself but don’t overwhelm yourself.
• Take cold showers. • Sleep without a pillow. • Exercise more. • Park at the very back of the parking lot. • Don’t use the dishwasher. • Go to confession once a week. • Don’t eat out at restaurants. • Give up hitting the ‘snooze’ button. • Drink water instead of juice or coffee. • Write a list of 40 prayer intentions and pray for one each day of Lent. • Tune out distractions and tune in to Relevant Radio!
Meat-Free Meal: Two-Bean Tomale Pie Ingredients 1 cup chopped green sweet pepper 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon cooking oil 1 15 ounce can kidney beans or black beans, rinsed, drained, and slightly mashed 1 15 ounce can pinto beans, rinsed, drained, and slightly mashed 1 6 ounce can vegetable juice (2/3 cup) 1 4 ounce can diced green chile peppers, undrained
Mission Message Dear Relevant Radio Family, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” Luke 9:23. This call of the Lord that we heard at the beginning of Lent is a plea for conversion because He really wants us to follow Him and be His disciple! If you look closely, you’ll notice this is a three step process and requires a deliberate choice. It’s not passive, as in letting things just happen to us as if we were all victims to chance. It’s a deliberate choice we are given at each step. 1. Deny yourself – “You first.” This doesn’t mean deny just the body, but also the intelligence and the will. You can deliberately choose to deny yourself by saying, “You first,” at meals, in traffic, at work, “You first.” Denying self automatically
1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1 8 1/2 ounce package corn muffin mix 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 ounces) 1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro or parsley Directions Grease a 2-quart square baking dish or 10-inch quiche dish; set aside. In a medium skillet cook sweet pepper, onion, and garlic in hot oil until tender. Stir in kidney beans, pinto
puts God and others in the first place. “You first.” You empty yourself of your own concerns and fill yourself with God and His concerns about others. 2. Take up your cross – “Name your cross.” Everybody has a cross, from the old to the young. You can even tell your kids, “That’s your cross.” It’s helpful to name your cross, so that we know what it is in order to deliberately choose to carry it. Notice that Our Lord says to “take up” your cross. That doesn’t mean unwillingly drag it behind us, hoping it’ll go away. It means to deliberately face it and embrace it, and believe it or not, you’ll find that it becomes lighter in doing so. So many people try to forget or drown their crosses in pleasures and even sin, and they forget about God as a result. But these temporary fixes don’t solve anything, they actually make the cross heavier. Jesus is telling us the way to overcome: “Take up your cross.” 3. Follow me – “Keep your eyes on Jesus.” To follow Him, you have to keep your eyes
beans, vegetable juice, chile peppers, chili powder, and cumin; heat through. Spoon bean mixture into the prepared dish. Prepare corn muffin mix according to package directions. Add cheese and cilantro to muffin mix, stirring just until combined. Spoon cornbread mixture evenly over top of bean mixture. Bake, uncovered, in a 400 degree F oven about 25 minutes or until golden. If desired, serve with salsa and sour cream. Enjoy! Makes 6 main-dish servings
on Him. Look at the crucifix and see how He embraced the cross to the very end! He will give you the strength to embrace your cross and triumph over it, just as He did. In the end, the cross disappears and the Risen Lord triumphs. So keep your eyes on Him. You can do this! You’ll find yourself closer to Jesus and conquering with Him. And that’s something to really look forward to. May God bless you and your families during this Lenten Season! With prayers and best wishes,
Rev. Francis J. Hoffman, JCD Executive Director
Listen Online to Father Rocky’s “TIPS FOR A HOLY LENT” www.relevantradio.com Keyword: LENT