FatherRon.com » Lent

The Man Born Blind 4-3-11

mike — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 00:44:07 +0000

There is a subtle but important difference between being cured and healed. To be cured of something means it will never come back, never haunt one’s life again. To be healed is something much deeper and broader. Healing is a process that takes place over time, and it brings about a transformation of body and soul. We usually see the story of Jesus and the man born blind as one of physical blindness and its cure. But it is really a story of healing, of restoration of physical sight, yes, but, more importantly, of the beginning of spiritual vision.

You see, we are all like the blind man – we are all born spiritually blind. And we stumble in the spiritual darkness, hurting ourselves and one another. It is only through our encounter with Jesus, the Light of the World, that we begin to see. Jesus heals the blind man—and all of us—from living our lives in the dark. Jesus opens up new worlds for all of us who want to be free from the prison of darkness.

We sometimes do not really see the gift of life that God lays before us. Jesus opens up new worlds for all of us who feel trapped by sin, addictions, hate, anger, hopelessness, self-loathing, past choices, illness, loneliness, and fear of life.

This profound story of restoration is not about just one individual’s physical sight, but more importantly, a birth of insight. Many people are never cured of their afflictions. But Jesus offers the promise of healing so that our afflictions will not consume us and win the day. It is a gift offered to all through the grace of faith.

On this Fourth Sunday of Lent, we join with our RCIA candidates and elect in taking a closer look at ourselves. Let us pray silently for a moment, that all of us will be given a sense of sin, a spirit of repentance, and true freedom as children of God.

Let us all ask ourselves:

• Where is darkness in our minds and hearts?

• How can we be more open to receive the healing that Jesus promises?

• How have we grown in seeing more clearly on our journey of faith?

Let us pray:

Christ Jesus,
come and open our eyes,
our minds,
and our hearts
to receive the healing
that we so desperately need.

We believe beyond believing
that you are new sight
and new life for us
when we trust in you
and relinquish our lives
to your care and protection.

Come now,
heal the darkness of our lives.

Amen.

The Woman At The Well 3-27-11

mike — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 22:43:46 +0000

“All who drink the water I give will never thirst, the water I give will be a fountain within you, giving life!”

These words are from the story of the Samaritan woman who goes to the well to draw water. She ends up receiving something completely unexpected. Jesus exposes every single demon and flaw in her life, and she goes against type—she feels anything but shame. She experiences liberation and freedom. She announces to everyone the amazing and paradoxical experience of being found out, and praises God!

Far too often we drown in the waters of guilt, embarrassment, secrecy, and shame. Deep down, we all long for a fountain that will wash away our shame and send us on a current of healing and hope. In spite of any attempt on our part to hide, Jesus finds us. He sees us completely and remains totally in love with us. If that were not more than enough, this amazing love increases beyond anything imaginable.

This is exactly what makes Jesus different. He does not operate according to our rules or patterns. His love is deeper and flowers beyond any love we can ever hope to experience. The love of Christ is a fountain that never goes dry: it is eternal, without conditions, always faithful. No strings attached.

We are being called to join Jesus at the well and receive a shower of grace that will never go dry. We are invited to drink of this water and share its abundance with each other.

On this Third Sunday of Lent, we join with our RCIA candidates and elect in taking a closer look at ourselves.

• What personal or national shame do we hold that cries out for cleansing?
• How can we be part of the fountain of life that Jesus offers to others?

• Where do we find fountains of life that nurture us spiritually?

Let us pray:

Christ Jesus,
we thirst for so many things:
love, community,
security, self-worth,
wholeness, peace,
dignity, friendship,
and so much more.

In you we can find these things.
In you we can be made clean
by the fountain
of your love and compassion.

Come and lead us
to your well of grace and mercy,
so that we may never thirst again.

Amen.

Do We Need Lent 3-13-2011

mike — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 22:22:03 +0000

Someone asked me, do we need Lent? A good question.
There was a time, of course, when all Christians thought they didn’t need Lent. After all, they had been baptized; they were filled with the Holy Spirit and lived life quite differently from the pagans. The first real Lenten people were not Christians, but those preparing to become Christians. But all of that changed when the old-timers in the Christian community noticed something remarkable at the Easter baptism. They were struck by the joy and the radiant faces of those just baptized. They realized that they had become too ho-hum in their faith and decided to do something about it. And so, the next year, some Christians began to join the catechumens in their preparation for baptism at Easter. They did this so that they could feel once again the joy of rebirth at Easter. And that’s how Lent gradually came to the church, out of need.
The liturgy for this First Sunday of Lent focuses on a need that Jesus had before he began to save the world. Even though he had just been baptized and was “full of the Holy Spirit,” he felt a need to go into the desert. In the desert Jesus realized who he was and what he was called to do. But in the desert, Jesus learned that God cannot be bought and that life is more than bread or fleeting moments of magic and glory. One Ash Wednesday, a few years ago, while I was wondering how to face another Lent, I received a phone call from a former player I coached. He was now a struggling graduate student. The young man was crying out for help. When I got to his apartment, I found a tortured person, filled with self-doubt and booze. Eventually, I got him to go to his first AA meeting. But even though he was an alcoholic, he told me that he couldn’t go back to another AA meeting because, “I’m not like those people.” I’ve never forgotten that line, “I’m not like those people.” It taught me that the first temptation to avoid is to convince yourself that somehow you are different, that you don’t share the pain of life, that you don’t need to go into the desert.
The early Christians, even though they were baptized and convinced of their importance, learned from the desert experience of Lent that they too were in need of renewal and of finding out who they were and who God was calling them to be. Jesus, just baptized by John and “full of the Holy Spirit,” went into the desert and came out with a gospel and a firm faith in his Father that he would take to Cavalry.
My young friend was wrong. We are like those people who share a common struggle and a common pain. We are all driven by some doubts. We sometimes make choices about the most important events of our lives without reflection, without faith, without prayer, without God. We cannot force Lent upon ourselves. Each of us must find a need for it, a need to go into the desert and face both our gifts and our limits, a need to face ourselves, our demons, our God. For those who ask the question, do we need Lent? Trust me – we do! Let’s go into the desert together and see what we find.