Lenten Reflection for March 4th

Arnold Lobel is the author of a series of popular children’s books featuring two friends, Frog and Toad. In one of his books, Days with Frog and Toad, Frog expresses gratitude for little things in his life,  “I am happy. I am very happy. This morning when I woke up I felt good because the sun was shining. I felt good because I was a frog. And I felt good because I have you as a friend. I wanted to be alone. I wanted to think about how fine everything is.” He seems very content in these moments.

Sometimes when I think of being at ‘peace’ in my life, I think of it as contentment.

In regard to our faith, I would consider the difference between contentment and Peace to be comparable to the difference between happiness and Joy. One is like a thermometer reading, it can go up and down at different points in our lives. We can be content at one moment and quite discontented at the next.

Saint Paul put his faith, trust and life in God’s hands. He felt Peace when he leaned on the Lord’s understanding rather than on his own. He writes to the Corinthians, “Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)

Peace is more deeply rooted in our heart than contentment. When we are suffering, hurting or facing uncertainties, we likely aren’t ‘content’ in those moments, but we can still have Peace in our heart when we rely on the Lord and learn to trust in Him more fully. Saint Paul also encourages us by saying, “...the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

In the midst of trials and troubles, let’s remember to call on the Lord first, praying for His Peace to reside in our heart.

For our younger brothers and sisters in Christ:

There was a series of books written about the friendship between two characters, Frog and Toad. In one of the books, Frog talks to Toad, expressing gratitude for little things in his life,  “I am happy. I am very happy. This morning when I woke up I felt good because the sun was shining. I felt good because I was a frog. And I felt good because I have you as a friend. I wanted to be alone. I wanted to think about how fine everything is.” It sounds like Frog had a very peaceful morning and he sounds very content in this moment.

In our faith, there is a difference between feeling content and feeling Peace. Just as there is a difference between happiness and Joy. Contentment and happiness can come and go. There will be times in life when we don’t feel content or happy. Where do we find Peace and Joy in those times?In Saint Paul’s letters to the Philippians we read, “God’s peace will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The peace that God gives is so great that we cannot understand it.” (Philippians 4:7 ICB Translation)

In those times we can pray and ask God to help us when we are going through difficulties, He can give us a grace of Understanding and a Peace in our heart that won’t go away. The closer our relationship is with God, the more Peace and Understanding we will feel.

God bless you!

Lenten Reflection for March 3rd

Before I became a Catholic, I came across a book of Catholic prayers and in it was a simple prayer that has remained with me since I first read it. It’s from Saint Teresa of Avila’s notes in her Breviary. She writes,

‘Let nothing disturb you, 

Let nothing frighten you, 

All things are passing away: 

God never changes. 

Patience endurance obtains all things

Whoever has God lacks nothing; 

God alone suffices.’

There’s an interesting phenomenon that seems to happen when we pray for more patience. If after you pray for an increase in patience it seems like there are more situations you encounter which are testing your patience, it’s likely not your imagination. It might be God sending you gentle exercises to grow in that particular Fruit. 

When we pray for the Holy Spirit’s Gift of Understanding, we can grow in patience as we start to see how the Lord is working throughout our lives. Saint Paul writes to the church in Rome, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.” (Romans 12:12) As we grow in our trust of Him we will be able to better work through times of challenge and uncertainty with ‘patient endurance’ as we await answers from the Lord. Remain faithful!

For our younger brothers and sisters in Christ: Waiting for just about anything can be difficult, especially the really good things we wait for. Birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Summer holidays. For a new book, movie or game to be released. It’s easy to feel impatient for these times and events to arrive. 

There will be times in life when we are waiting for answers to more serious questions and prayers. It may feel like we’re waiting forever and we may be tempted to just give up. 

Saint Teresa of Avila wrote many prayers, one encouraging prayer she wrote has the line, ‘patient endurance obtains all things’, endurance means to be strong in continuing on as we wait. 

We see also that Saint Paul wrote this in the Bible, “Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes. Pray at all times.” (Romans 12:12 ICB Translation)

When we feel impatient, it can be good to continue to pray and ask God for help in Understanding and to help us to be patient for anything we might be waiting for.

God bless you!

Lenten Reflection for March 2nd

Many of us are familiar with the concepts of the ‘ripple effect’ or the ‘butterfly effect’, where one small event that seems inconsequential has the ability to create and affect other matters down the line in the future. Sometimes we might witness the initial cause and not the effect, other times we see the result of the initial cause but not where it started.

Norton Juster is the author of a children’s book called The Phantom Tollbooth, in it there is a line that says, ‘...whatever we do affects everything and everyone else, if even in the tiniest way. Why, when a housefly flaps his wings, a breeze goes round the world’. What would our world look like if we were to think of acts of kindness in this way?

Kindness is a Fruit of the Spirit that I can see branching from the Gift of Understanding. God can give us the grace to Understand and appreciate the love that He has shown to us even though we are far from deserving that Kindness.

In Saint Paul’s letter to Titus he writes, “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:4-5)

When we recognise and have gratitude for the Lord’s saving grace, it can encourage us to extend that kindness to others in turn. Saint Paul continues in his letter saying he insists on being mindful of the above so that, “...those who have come to believe in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works; these things are excellent and profitable to everyone.” (Titus 3:8)

Let’s pray that the Lord will help us to have gratitude for His Loving-Kindness to us and to be attentive to where we can extend His grace to those around us.

For our younger brothers and sisters in Christ:

There’s a certain saying that goes, ‘somewhere a butterfly is fluttering its wings and causing a hurricane in another part of the world.’ Now, this seems silly, but one thing it can make us think about is how all of our words and actions have an effect on people around us. Are we treating people kindly or are we sometimes acting unkind toward others?

Through God’s love, He has taught us how to be kind to others. Saint Paul reminds us in the Bible, “...those who believe in God will be careful to use their lives for doing good. These things are good and will help all people.” (Titus 3:8)

And as helpful as it is to reflect and think on this idea of kindness, it’s best to find ways to actually put the ideas into practice. To do this, we can try to look for ways to show a bit of extra kindness to friends and family during your week.

Perhaps that means offering extra help with chores or doing something helpful without having to be asked. Offering a genuine compliment to someone, perhaps congratulating a friend who you noticed did well in a sport or on a school assignment. Perhaps it’s just being available to listen to someone when they are feeling down.

Let’s pray for God’s gift of Kindness and keep our eyes open for ways we can show kindness to others!

God bless you!