Lenten Spiritual Reflections

There are 7 corporal works of mercy and 7 spiritual works of mercy that we Catholics are supposed to be practicing in our daily lives …… 

1. Feed the hungry,  2.) Give drink to the thirsty,  3.) Clothe the naked,  4.) Shelter the homeless, 5.) Visit those in prison, 6.) Comfort the sick, 7.)  Bury the dead

1. Instruct the ignorant, 2.) Counsel the doubtful, 3.) Admonish sinners,  4.) Bear wrongs patiently,  5.) Forgive willingly, 6.) Comfort the afflicted,  7.) Pray for the living and the dead.

 So – I ask you this week as we make our way through Holy Week, please reflect on the 7 SPIRITUAL works of mercy, listed below and how you can apply them in your daily isolation as we approach the Holy Triduum.

So, You’re Finally On a Spiritual Retreat!
This period of isolation and social distancing can have all the right elements of a spiritual retreat ….. if we will just use it that way.
A good spiritual retreat involves secluding ourselves from all the busyness of life that prevents us from experiencing God.  It would also include some spiritual enrichment (usually scripture, lectures, reading), and also quiet time for private prayer and reflection ….. so that we can discern what God is saying to us through His inspiration of our intellects and spirit.
I encourage you to use this time of isolation wisely to deepen your faith and spirituality, because once we get through all this we’re going to be probably busier and more distracted than ever as we try to come back to a normal state of being.
Try to find some time each day for praying the rosary, or for reading Scripture, or books by or about the saints.  Go to some good Catholic YouTube resources and learn more about your faith, and then spend some time reflecting, meditating (thinking) about what you have read or watched …. And be open to what God is inspiring you toward.
Go to YouTube and type in a search for the following, and see where it takes you.
 
YouTube Channel Presenters
Brian Holdsworth
Matt Fradd
Michael Matt
Taylor Marshall
Patrick Coffin
Bishop Robert Barron  
 
Website Resources
New Advent                        http://www.newadvent.org/
New St. Thomas Institute    https://newsaintthomas.com/
LifeSite News                      https://lifesitenews.com
Lepanto Institute                  https://lepantoin.org
Word on Fire                      https://wordonfire.org

This message is for all Fathers and Heads of Households in the parish, whether men or women. In this time when we are unable to participate in the sacramental life of the Church YOU have a big role to play in maintaining the spirituality of your family.

The parish is doing its part to help, but you must also lead in your families …. You can do that by :

1. Watching and participating in the recorded video Masses – you know the prayers, respond to them.

2. Pray the rosary as a family sometime during the day Sunday – if you’re not comfortable with it, there are helps on the website.

3. Discuss the homilies from the recorded Masses, as well as the reflections from our parish website.

We have to remember what Cardinal DiNardo said about remembering that Sunday remains the Lord’s Day and we need to keep it holy.

We may not have the sacraments for a while – but God is NOT limited to His sacraments.
 

Corona Virus Self-Isolation – Deacon John C. Evanoff

The Best Lent I Ever Spent?

If you are like me, the penitential season of Lent always seems to arrive before I’m ready for it and is almost over before I really get into it. Not so this year!

It seems that with the emergence of the COVID-19 virus the entire world has been fully immersed in the spirit of Lent – the challenge for us Catholics is to recognize this fact and appreciate it for what it appears to be.

First of all, the timing of events is eerily supernatural – the onset for the West was near the beginning of Lent and is expected to peak during Holy Week or Easter. “Whoever has ears, let them hear” (Mt 11:15)

Secondly, the panic buying of items I think I cannot live without has made me realize that most of what I have in life is not within my power to create, produce or acquire. “Every good and perfect thing is from above” (James 1:17 and 4:13)

Thirdly, self-isolation has become an intentional act of self-deprivation which has the effect of making me appreciate all the more what I am “giving up” and gives me an opportunity to spend my time wisely and distinguish the good from the bad. “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil..” (Mt 4:1)

Lastly, knowing that everyone else is in the same situation can create a more charitable heart in me and greater solidarity with those whose lives I couldn’t relate to before. “If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart …” (1Jn 3:17)

God has given me the conditions to experience the best Lent I ever spent – will I realize it?