by Kathleen Beckman
Lent’s forty days of prayer and fasting offer a process of healing and liberation. In Lent we place ourselves nearer to the suffering servant, Jesus Christ. We ponder the Redeemer’s suffering. We remember that Christ’s Passion sanctified all human suffering. We relate to His pain because we are touched by the corporate weight of sin and evil in the world. It rubs against us in ordinary life. The Christian is called to push back the tsunami of sin and evil.
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February 25
"It is good when a soul loves solitude; it's a sign that it takes delight in God and enjoys speaking with Him."
-St. Jane Frances de Chantal
For Reflection:
How do I respond to solitude? Do I embrace it or flee from it? What does this tell me about my interior life and my relationship with God?
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February 24
"God said: 'Why do you never stop asking to taste of My delights, yet you refuse the tribulations?'"
-St. Margaret of Cortona
For Reflection:
This is a good question to ask myself. What is my response?
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February 23
Feast of St. Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr (D. 155)
"Leave me as I am. The one who gives me strength to endure the fire will also give me strength to stay quite still on the pyre, even without the precaution of your nails."
-St. Polycarp at his martyrdom
For Reflection:
How is God giving me the strength of endurance today?
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February 22
Chair of St. Peter
"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it."
-Matthew 16:18
For Reflection:
How have I seen the truth of this statement in light of the history of the Church? How does this speak to the fact that the Catholic Church is the
Church Jesus founded?
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February 21
Feast of St. Peter Damien, Bishop and Doctor (1007 - 1072)
"In serenity, look forward to the joy that follows sadness. Hope leads you to that joy and love enkindles your zeal."
-St. Peter Damien
For Reflection:
The letter to the Hebrews tells us that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (11:1). How does this help me live out the advice of St. Peter Damien?
(Quote from Graceful Living)
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February 20
"He did not say: You will not be troubled; you will not be tempted; you will not be distressed. But He said: You will not be overcome."
-St. Julian of Norwich
For Reflection:
Dear Lord, So often I feel all but swallowed up by the events of every day life--not to mention those difficult moments of struggle, confusion, and doubt. It is Your grace and Your grace alone that gets me through these moments. Help me to remember that in the midst of every circumstance, You are there. In the midst of every reversal, You are there. In my deepest pain, in my worst distress, in my greatest temptation, You are there. Help me to hold on to this truth, and in You I will overcome. Amen.
(Quote from Graceful Living)
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February 19
"For I will only your well-being, and whatever I give, I give it so that you may reach the goal for which I created you."
-Our Lord to St. Catherine of Siena
For Reflection:
It is easy to see God's hand in the good things of our lives, but it is often a struggle to see it in the difficult. How do these words of Our Lord to St. Catherine of Siena give me deeper insight? In what way does this help me to reexamine past events or a current situation?
(Quote from Graceful Living)
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February 18
"The love of talk distracts all the powers of our soul from God and fills them with earthly objects and impressions like a vessel of water which cannot be clear and settled while you are continually stirring the earthly particles
from the bottom."
- St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
For Reflection:
The powers of the soul are will, reason, and emotion. How can the "love of talk" draw these away from God? To what extent have I seen this to be true in myself? What practical strategies can I use to purge myself of this tendency?
(Quote from Graceful Living)
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February 17
Feast of the Seven Founders of the Order of Servites
"In the beginning Our Lady was the chief architect of this new order which was founded on the humility of its members, built up by their mutual love, and preserved by their poverty."
-Legenda de Origine of the Order of Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary
For Reflection:
Is the Blessed Mother the "architect" of my hopes and dreams, my plans and my way of life? How can I entrust everything to her?
(Quote from Graceful Living)
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