Lenten Reflection Series – Week 1
My goodness. As I write this, officials are still investigating the mass shooting at the Super Bowl victory parade in Kansas City. We’re just getting started with the political events running up to the 2024 elections, there are two major wars raging and many other hotspots worldwide. And I have no idea what you and your family are dealing with right now.
With everything going on in our world today, in our church, in our families and in our own hearts and minds, we can all use a little spiritual first aid.
So, as we begin this season, let’s start by searching for the heart of Lent.
History is the unfolding drama of God’s creation, redemption, and salvation story. Since the beginning of this love story, God has been calling a people to be His own. Holy Scriptures tell us of all the ways God has reached out to people across time. In each chapter of this great story, we see that faith, at its core, is not about people searching for God, but rather God searching for people-heart to heart.
This heart-to-heart operation has been God’s way from the beginning. In the book of Deuteronomy Moses recounts the great acts of God’s love as He brought the people out of the land of Egypt. There are 23 references to the heart in the Old Testament book as God shares His commandments and calls on people to trust him.
God also called the Israelites to keep it simple. “This commandment that I give you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it too distant from you.” “No,” God said. “The word is very near to you, it is in your heart and in your mouth, so that you might do it.” (Deuteronomy 30: 11, 14)
The heart of God became like ours when God became human at the birth of Jesus. We learned that the heart of God feels pain when Jesus cried at the death of his friend, Lazarus (John 11: 35). And we even see an angry heart when Jesus drove out the people for turning the temple into a den of thieves. (Matthew 21:12-14)
We see an all-in heart when Jesus shared his body and blood as the new covenant. (Matthew 26: 26-27) Then we watched His heart break as Jesus bled and died on the cross. But it didn’t stop there. The story continued after the resurrection when the Lord’s heart began to beat again.
Do you remember the encounter on the Damascus Road? Jesus revealed himself as the Messiah to two disciples by connecting the dots in the Old Testament writings. The two said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24: 32) And when Jesus raised his hands to bless the food that day, the nail holes in his hands were revealed. At that moment, those present at the table recognized the Lord in the breaking of the bread.
St. Paul speaks to the heart-to-heart quality of the relationship we have with God when we fully believe the story. “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery leading to fear; rather, you received the Spirit of adoption, enabling us to cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15)
Do you see it? Faith is not an intellectual connection. It’s personal.
In his book Return: How to Draw your Child Back to the Church, (Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, 2021) Brandon Vogt writes “Most people raised in the Church are baptized. Many are catechized. But few are evangelized. Most have moved through institutional and sacramental funnels, but they have not truly encountered the Lord Jesus in a personal, profound way.” (Page 12).
This was my story. I grew up in the Church and worked my way through the funnels. I was comfortable knowing about God. But I didn’t need anyone’s help and I certainly didn’t want anyone holding me accountable for my actions. But at the age of 38, I came face to face with myself, my sin, and my need for help.
I went from not needing there to be a God who loved me to fearing that any God who did wouldn’t love me anymore after all I had done. As I sat in my car just around the corner from Grace St., a song came on the radio.
“After all I’d done, He just ran to me. Then He kissed my face. He would not let go of me. After where I’d been, He just welcomed me. I didn’t understand but He put his robe on me. It was so amazing that He still called me son.” (Still Calls Me Son by John Waller)
In that moment, I learned that not only was the story of God true, but God still loved me. He wanted to help me through my days. He also invited me into a growing assurance of his promise of eternal life. My personal encounter with God changed the way I experienced the world. Getting caught up in Christ also changed the way my world experienced me. I developed a personal awareness of God as the wonder counselor, mighty God, father forever, and prince of peace. (Isaiah 9: 6-7)
Let’s start Lent 2024 reflecting on this great truth. We have a love-sick King who longs to be close to us, heart to heart. Jesus doesn’t want to be a prayer we recite from memory. Christ wants to share in our daily tears, troubles, and triumphs just as He did with the apostles. God wants to fill our hearts and minds the same way the Holy Spirit impacted the people of the 1st century. Let’s keep this in mind the next time we are moved to confess our sin. Let’s think about this the next time we approach the altar of Holy Communion. This is what the first believers fed on. And the Church grew.
Traditionally, we focus on three spiritual disciplines during Lent. This year let’s call out to God daily and pray that He reveal Himself to us in a personal way. Instead of deciding to give up something for the entire seven-week season, declare a daily or weekly fast. Ask Jesus to help with a special project, a big decision; fast in celebration of a blessing received, or simply ask Christ to fill your tank for one more day.
As for the third discipline of almsgiving, I don’t know. But give away some of your money to prove to yourself and demonstrate to God that you want to rely on Him for your safety and security, not money.
I also invite you to draw nearer to God by studying the Bible. We’ll focus our upcoming reflections on the Book of James for practical, daily prescriptions that remain relevant for our modern experiences. Start by simply reading the words. Let the sentences draw you in. Let the paragraphs capture your thoughts. Let the books move your mind. Let the word of God change your heart.
Jesus is the heart of Lent. And He wants to make a personal connection with each of us this year, heart to heart. Next week we’ll ask ourselves this question. God desires for our faith to be personal but does He want it to be kept private?
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Biblical references are taking from the New Catholic Bible.