Lent is that concentrated time each year, when we intentionally and deliberately choose to be LED by the HOLY SPIRIT into the DESERT of Renewal & Restoration. (“…I will allure her; I will lead her into the desert and SPEAK TO HER HEART” Hosea 2:16 NAB)

It is a different kind of desert than the one Jesus entered. His desert experience was preparing him for his public ministry, which would culminate in his death, Resurrection, Ascension and Sending of his Spirit.  Our desert experience is preparing us to CONSCIOUSLY PARTICIPATE and LIVE more fully NOW our RELATIONSHIP with the INDWELLING PRESENCE of GOD, that was begun at our BAPTISM. “Jesus answered and said…. 'my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him’” John 14:23

St Paul writes in Romans: Romans 8:5  “For those who live according to the flesh are concerned with the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit with the things of the spirit……” (9) “But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”

In Ephesians the author reminds us: “and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;” Ephesians 3:17

In the past, Lent was about, what I was going to “Give Up” so “I” could demonstrate MY appreciation for all Jesus did for “ME”!!!!! NOW, Lent involves inviting the same Spirit that LED Jesus through his 40 days, to LEAD US into a DEEPER AWARENESS OF GOD’S LOVE and PRESENCE in our DAILY lives, so we in return can Love God, self and others more unconditionally.

The conclusion of our 40 days is not an END but marks the beginning of a new chapter we write regarding our growing and maturing Baptismal relationship with the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

What are the three main skills we learned in school? They are called the three R’s. You would think each word would begin with an R? Instead, only the first word begins with R, and the other two have an R in its name: Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic.

In the spiritual life, in the INTERIOR Life, there are also three skills that are just as VALUABLE. Many people think these three skills are only used during LENT because that is when they are emphasized.

Because they are BASIC SKILLS; you and I need to use them year-round in our interior Spiritual life; for they help us grow and deepen our personal relationship with God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

These three skills are: Praying, Fasting and Alms Giving. They are MEANS and not meant to be ENDS in themselves. Through the daily exercise of these 3 REGULAR Spiritual Skills, we are able to be more ATTENTIVE to God’s Loving Presence within us.

❤️ Prayer is MUCH MORE than just reciting our favorite prayers or devotions. It is ALSO a time for prayer of the heart, which is dialogical and not monological.

❤️❤️ Fasting is not an excuse to diet and lose weight. Fasting is a time for “emptying” ourselves of the temporal to make room for the Eternal. Fasting from or “giving up” of food, drink, entertainment or discretionary spending, is a METAPHOR for what TEMPORAL things we TRULY need to FAST FROM or GIVE UP! During my FASTING, any uncomfortability is to be offered up for the Person or INSTITUTION I will be sharing my ALMS. 

The essence of this discipline of FASTING is “giving up”. The act of giving something up is normally painful. The alternative to “giving up” is to stay in one place and not journey through your Lenten Desert.

❤️❤️❤️Almsgiving, is not taken from our Tithe, but is usually generated by our Fasting, our “giving up” of food, drink, entertainment or discretionary spending. It is an INTENTIONAL response to God’s generosity to us. Alms specifically are financial in nature. Physical acts of Charity are technically not Alms since Charitable Acts are expressions of either the Corporal works of Mercy or the sharing of our Time, Talent and Treasure.

It is IMPERATIVE for us to realize, that through a daily Prayer Time, I am invited into an actual Dialogue with God. It is in this time of dialogue; I experience the depth and breadth of the Trinity’s love.

It is in this particular Lenten desert of Renewal and Restoration that I am encouraged to EMPTY myself of ANYTHING that has previously gotten in the way of my relationship with God. Fasting becomes a real “letting go” of WHATEVER in my past kept me from a closer relationship with God. Fasting from a particular food and drink becomes a concrete METAPHOR, for what I need to ABSTAIN from, that can or has led me in the past into temptation and sin and weakened my relationship with God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

In this Lenten desert I become more aware of how much God desires for me not to sin and to make full use of his Love and Mercy in seeking forgiveness of all my unconfessed sins. God also desires to heal my “damaged memories” by building bridges over my wounded sinned stained past. Instead of reviewing your ABSOLVED sins, seek out their root causes and ask Jesus the master gardener to pullout their ROOTS.

Almsgiving gives me the necessary outlet I need to express my gratitude and thankfulness to God for extending to me unconditional love and acceptance. Through genuine acts of financial charity, I am able to “pass on” to others what God has so graciously given me.

These 3 skills; Praying, Fasting and Almsgiving, working in harmony and guided by the Holy Spirit, are my invaluable companions throughout the day, month, year.

These three basic skills are crucial for our interior spiritual life. 

❤️ PRAYING is our connection with God. 

❤️❤️ FASTING helps us empty ourselves of that which gets in the way of our relationship with God. 

❤️❤️❤️ALMSGIVING, is done as a response to God’s Outrageous Love and Generosity to us.

You and I are supposed to be exercising all three year-round. During Lent we usually increase them; not to win brownie points from God, but to help us CONCENTRATE on our Interior Spiritual Life; so we can grow and deepen our Relationship with God: Father; Son and Holy Spirit.

In the past we have often done special Praying, Fasting and Alms Giving during Lent but then we’re glad that Lent is over and we can go back to the things we gave up. This year I would like to challenge you to focus on these three interior-spiritual skills and continue them even when Lent is over, but not as intensely. Lent, like Advent is a time of Preparation. We are preparing ourselves to RENEW our commitment on Easter Sunday to live our Baptismal Covenant with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” –C.S. Lewis