The Grace within Lent

Lent is a time of renewal. It is a time of grace.

During Lent we need to hear again the prophets who cry out at injustice at any level. Lent is a good time to trouble our conscience.

We remind ourselves that God is not indifferent to our world; he so loves it that he gave his Son for our salvation. In the Incarnation, in the earthly life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God is our salvation.

Lent is a time for letting Christ serve us so that we in turn may become more like him. This happens whenever we hear the word of God and receive the sacraments, especially the Eucharist.

 Lent is a favorable time for showing this concern for others by small yet concrete signs of our belonging to the one human family. We can pray in communion with the Church on earth and in heaven. Let us not underestimate the power of so many voices united in prayer! Second, we can help by acts of charity, reaching out to both those near and far through the Church’s many charitable organizations.

Third, the suffering of others is a call to conversion, since their need reminds me of the uncertainty of my own life and my dependence on God and my brothers and sisters. If we humbly implore God’s grace and accept our own limitations, we will trust in the infinite possibilities which God’s love holds out to us. As a way of overcoming indifference and our pretensions to self-sufficiency, I would invite everyone to live this

Lent as an opportunity for formation of the heart. From stony to merciful. And a merciful heart does not mean a weak heart for anyone wishing to be merciful must have a strong and have a steadfast heart.

At Lent let our hearts be pierced by the Spirit. The Spirit guide us as we bring love  to our brothers and sisters.

And, ultimately, a poor heart, one which realizes its own poverty and gives itself freely for others.