The Ancient and Future Catholics Blog
We are almost finished with Advent and the Christmas season is upon us soon. I am not sure how many days left until Christmas, but just pull aside the nearest child, and they can tell you!
Today is the third Sunday of Advent, which is also called Gaudete Sunday. The liturgical color is rose (pink), and many Catholics wonder what has changed during this third week of Lent.
Be sure to check out the article What is Gaudete Sunday for more information.
I don’t post much these days, because as a husband, father, teacher, and now moving into other ventures, I am pretty busy. However, I am always grateful for the Season of Lent (info here), which always reminds me of the importance of slowing down, and taking inventory of ways I fall short of what God desires.
Lately, I have focused on gratitude and simplicity. As one of my Lenten disciplines, every day I am faithfully listing five things (including people, events, etc) I am grateful for. I have noticed that it is hard to be angry at what you are grateful for. It also makes me appreciate what I have as opposed to desiring more and more stuff that won’t make me happy.
Since 2009, in my classroom, I have had students list things they are thankful for, in addition to prayer requests. I am amazed as I see their minds working to come up with the things in their life that are good. At first it is kind of difficult for them, but once they get started, they are reminded of the hundreds of people, places, events, and things that are blessings in their lives. All of these blessings are all around us, yet we ignore them mindlessly. If you are looking for something helpful this Lent, try listing things you are grateful for each day.
To all of our American readers, you know that today is Memorial Day. Join me in praying for the United States, for those in the military, and for the souls of those who died serving our country.
Today is the optional Memorial of St. Frances of Rome.
Prayer:
Saint Frances of Rome, help us to see the difference between what we want to do and what God wants us to do. Help us to discern what comes from our will and what comes from God’s desire. Amen
Today, Holy Mother Church celebrates the lives of two holy, Christian women: Perpetua and Felicity
Saint Perpetua is said to have written one of the earliest pieces of writing by a Christian woman. The account of her martyrdom, which Perpetua herself wrote, is mostly written in Latin. Here is a link to The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity
Lent encourages us to let the Word of God penetrate our life and thus to know the fundamental truth: who we are, where we come from, where we must go, what road to take in life. And thus, the Season of Lent offers us an ascetic and liturgical route which, while helping us to open our eyes to our weakness, opens our hearts to the merciful love of Christ. BENEDICT XVI, GENERAL AUDIENCE, 1st March 2006.
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
The liturgical season of Lent is fast approaching. The Lord is giving us yet one more opportunity to work on ourselves, on our souls. For this, I thank Him!
As you are well aware we are living in a very tumultuous time; a time of financial distress, war, and a time in which radical politicians –and presidents–boldly undermine the sanctity of life. This time in which we live demands conversion, a radical turning away from sin to God. But unless we ourselves begin this conversion process, the world will continue getting worse and worse by the minute.
I warmly encourage each and everyone reading this post to take advantage of Lent, to make it the best Lent you ever had, the most spiritually fruitful. Let us enter into this holy season with a deep desire “to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,” so that we “may be filled with all the fullnes of God” (Ephesians 3:19).
Please realize that God has given us everything we need to experience the conversion of our own hearts and minds, if we but humbly accept His Divine Grace. Let us ask our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, to plead our cause before the Lord, to teach us how to be good sons and daughters of the Most High, to protect us from all harm. Let us also ask our Brothers and Sisters who dedicated their lives to the fulfilment of the Christian vocation, and who now enjoy the Beatific Vision, to come to our aid in times of temptation so that we may be strengthened and may come off unharmed after the battle. Finally, let us be mindful that, through Baptism, we are members of the Mystical Body of Christ, and so we all have the responsibility to look out for one another, especially for the poor (Philipians 2:4; Matthew 25:40). Let us, then, pray for one another during Lent!
Lenten Resources:
For Veterans:
Heavenly Father,
we thank you for the selfless service
of those who gave their lives to protect our nation,
preserve our freedoms,
and restore peace in the face of brutal aggressors.
Grant relief to those who continue
to experience emotional or physical agony
from their days of combat.
Give us a sense of responsibility for their welfare.
Comfort those who mourn
for loved ones who died
while performing their duty to our country.
Enlist all who are in our military forces
into your church militant,
that they may pledge eternal loyalty to Christ,
our King, and know his peace. Amen (from wels.net)
For Deceased Veterans:
O God,
by whose mercy the faithful departed find rest,
look kindly on your departed veterans
who gave their lives in the service of their country.
Grant that through the passion, death, and resurrection
of your Son they may share in the joy of your heavenly kingdom
and rejoice in you with your saints forever.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen (from catholic.org)
To all of our American readers, a blessed Memorial Day to all of you. Many of us have the day off, and will be spending time with family.
I think today is a good time for Americans to contemplate our freedom, the sacrifices many of our friends, relatives, and ancestors have made for our freedom, and to pray for the peace of the world.
Image taken by me