Tag: lent

Fourth and Fifth Weeks of Lent:

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The Fourth Sunday of Lent is Laetare Sunday or the half way point of the season of Lent. Typically, this is a celebration day even though we are in Lent: thinking ahead and anticipating Easter. The Gospel today is about the man who is born blind whom Jesus healed from his darkness to light. This symbolizes that Jesus is the “light of the world”. We are asked to turn from our own darkness, however that manifests itself in our lives, and return to the light of Jesus.

This past Sunday was the fifth Sunday of Lent, or Passion Sunday, and the theme is waiting…from Father John Tapp’s sermon. As he said, ‘waiting stinks’. I like that analogy. Most of us spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, waiting and more waiting…….in lines for shopping, at the gas station, for our children to get their chores done, for special birthdays and anniversaries, to get well, etc. The waiting scenarios are endless. In today’s Gospel, Martha and Mary are waiting for Jesus to show up to help their brother Lazarus. He is sick and then he dies. WHOA….and they are ‘Where are you Jesus’. But the waiting is over and Jesus is literally moved to tears when He experiences Lazarus’s death. Jesus if human and Divine. He felt the emotion of deep loss and through his Divinity from the Father, He raises Lazarus to life.

What we fail to realize and reflect on is that God gives us waiting for a reason…..no not to test our patience. He gives us this time so that He can do what He needs to do to prepare us for what He has next for us, our next task for Him here on earth. He is always at work behind the scenes, so to speak. Waiting is active not passive. Waiting, if we can use it well, can bear much fruit.

So, as we continue our last two weeks of Lent, let us double down on our efforts to pray, fast, and give alms while we wait.

PJP

First Three Weeks of Lent:

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The various podcasts and sermons I have been listening to tell me that is it a time for ‘check in’ with myself about how I am doing with my Lenten disciplines. They also have mentioned that Lent starts to feel ‘hard’ about this time, as we are half way there.

Sometimes, I think I try to do too many different things. When I start on Ash Wednesday, it seems ‘oh, wow this podcast, or this Lenten program, and oh, yes, this looks like good spiritual reading too’. Then I realize that while they are all good and my intentions are good, I need to just pick a couple of things and keep it simple, so I can be consistent. As Father John Tap, our parish priest says: “We engage in these practices in order to grow closer to Christ, during this holy season and for the rest of our lives. So, if you have already fallen short with your Lenten commitments, then simply start over again.’ Good advice.

On the second Sunday of Lent, we reflect on the Transfiguration of Jesus. While Jesus is up on the Mountain with Peter, James and John, the Lord shares with us a little bit of the Kingdom and his affirmation of His Son and the role He will play in salvation history. I can only imagine that the apostles must have been overwhelmed by this experience of Jesus being transfigured and hearing the Lord’s voice.

This past Sunday, the third of Lent, we reflect on the story of the woman at the well. Jesus not only meets her where she is and for the reasons that she is there in the middle of the day, but He also tells her of her sin and explains the ‘Living Water’ to her. She was not afraid to approach Jesus; she listened; and she acted by running straight to her community and sharing with them what she now knew and understood; Jesus is the Messiah they have been waiting for. Just like the woman at the well, understanding and developing our faith takes a life time and it doesn’t happen over night. It’s all those little encounters we experience through prayer, people, things we read and all the other things we see and do in life that bring the fulfillment of faith to us.

May you be blessed as you continue your Lenten journey.

PJP

ASH WEDNESDAY:

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FEBRUARY 18, 2026

Here we are in the first day of the Lenten Season. It seems that we just finished with ADVENT, so how can it be Lent already? I say this but yet it is one of my favorite, if not my number one favorite liturgical season. The ashes received today remind us that this earth is not our home and we will return “dust to dust” one day. They remind us of the solemness of this season and the outward sign to do penance, fast, pray, and give alms.

Let’s talk about fasting. Years ago, fasting was related pretty much to fasting from your favorite foods, snacks or beverages. This is still true; however, there is much more emphasis on alternative ways to fast that are just as much penance in their own way. Here are some thoughts I have come across: fasting from harsh words, swearing, complaining, talking about others. Replace those things with kind words, praying to God, using positive talk in conversation and just plain don’t moan about all the things we don’t like.

Other fasts could be limiting social media, movies (I love NETFLIX), or other forms of entertainment that you enjoy. This may not mean a full fast from these things, but maybe a few days a week which is replaced with more time to reflect on the real meaning of this season and why we need to do penance.

Here are some Lenten Resources I have found and used over the years. First, the ones that are free:

DYNAMIC CATHOLIC , MATTHEW KELLY, offers BEST LENT EVER with one thought each day reflecting on various topics. Today’s was on Miracles.

RELEVANT RADIO with Father Rocky offers a reflection each day and this season’s theme is the Mass. Today he talked about why we use Holy Water as we enter the church.

CHRIS STEFANICK gives a reflection each day on his site. Today he talked about paper clips that will outlive you.

There are also a multitude of sites that provide good Lenten material but they do have a small cost. Some of these are:

HALLOW …..this is truly one amazing app. For the 40 day Lenten Challenge this year Johnathan Roumie, Sr. Miriam, Chris Pratt, Mark Wahlburg, Jeff Cavins, Lauren Daigle, Gwen Stefani, Father John Burns, and Father Mike Schmitz are the speakers for the The Brothers Karamazov and the Return of the Prodigal Son. The title of the program is THE RETURN.

A second app that I often use is ASCENSION. The topic this year is CRUX: Daily Surrender Reflections. Father Columba Jordan leads this program.

Here are a couple of books that I have ordered to use as reflections:

In the School of the Holy Spirit by Jacques Philippe and Aquinas’s Lenten Mediations 40 Days with the Angelic Doctor, translated by Father Philip Hughes, Sophia Institute Press, Manchester, New Hampshire.

May your Lenten Journey be unique for you and fruitful, filled with the Holy Spirit guiding you.

PJP