Lenten Reflection
Here is a wonderful reflection for your lenten journey. I urge you to maybe get a pen and paper to write down some of your answers. We will try to have more of these throughout Lent.
Thanks to Heather for finding this!
Also check out the website under "Catholic 101" for a more general reflection on the season of Lent.
Taken from There Is a Season: Living the Liturgical Year by Dennis J. Billy, C.SS.R. (2001) Liguori, MO: Liguori, 55-72.
The Way of Conversion“An easy way to remember these forms of penance is to think of each one in context of the simple prayer known as the ‘sign of the cross.’”
1. In Prayer. “We begin the sign of the cross by bringing the tips of our right hand to our forehead and saying, “In the name of the Father.” This first movement of the sign of the cross corresponds to the very activity of prayer itself…To lift our hearts and minds to God is another way of saying that we must orient our intellect and will to the Lord.”
What thoughts/distractions keep you focusing on God? Acknowledge them,
so that you can place God in the forefront of your mind and will.
2. In Fasting. “We continue the sign of the cross by extending the tips of our right hand down to our stomachs and saying, “…and of the Son.” Touching this part of our anatomy during our prayer highlights the physical, animal aspect of our human nature.” Many believe that it is from the depths of our stomachs that our emotions and urges spring forth. “The Word of God assumed our human nature. In doing so, he took on not only our capacity to think and choose but also to feel emotions and to experience the world through the bodily senses.” Fasting does not simply refer to only food and beverage, it also challenges us to “temper our bodily and emotional lives so that they will give honor and glory to God.”
· What emotions are dominating your life lately?
· What urges have you been struggling with lately?
· What needs tempering in your life during this Lenten season?
· How will you sustain your fast/control your urges?
3. In Almsgiving. “We continue the sign of the cross by extending the tips of our right hand over to our left should saying “…and of the Holy.” This part moves towards our relationship with others, our brothers/sisters, our neighbors. “It is appropriate that the penitential action associated with this aspect of the prayer would be ‘almsgiving.’” Almsgiving is a way of lifting up the inherent human dignity of all people. “As followers, we understand that we can express love for God in and through our love for our neighbors…When we give to others, we should give beyond our capacity, not merely from our excess wealth (Mk 12: 41-44). We should do so not only to our friends and family but also to strangers in need, the poor and needy—and even to our enemies (Mt 5: 43-48)…We should be conscious, moreover, not only of how much and to whom we give but also how we give to others. We must not give sadly or grudgingly, but with great joy (2Cor 9:7; Rom 12:8).”
· Who in your community needs to be lifted up?
· How will you give alms this Lenten season?
· How would you describe your attitude of giving? How does almsgiving stretch you?
4. In Watching. We complete the sign of the cross by extending the tips of our right hand in one sweeping motion across our chest to our right should and saying the word ‘Spirit.’ This action corresponds to our fourth Lenten practice of ‘watchfulness in the Spirit.’ Vigilance is a necessary part of the spiritual life…As far as we are concerned, it is important for us to be on the lookout for those subtle ways in which we deceive ourselves…Lent is a time to take a good look at our lives and to identify any attitudes and behaviors having a negative effect on us…A lack of vigilance in our lives often results in a breakdown of our ability to defend ourselves against threats to our well being and to discover new venues for developing our deepest potential…If we are not vigilant in maintaining these relationships, they can easily become dysfunctional. As a result, they can do great harm. Lent is a time for examining the social dimension of our lives and to root out whatever harmful attitudes or ways of relating have entered into them. It is also a time for finding and implementing new ways of relating that will improve the quality of our lives in community…we have to ask ourselves if we have allowed any false images of God to take hold of us and to influence our attitudes and behaviors.”
· What attitudes and behaviors are having a negative effect upon you?
· What relationships in your life have become dysfunctional? In what ways?
· How can you change ways you relate to others both personally and within your faith community that will improve your quality of life and that of the group?
· What false idols have arisen in your life?
Spiritual Exercise
· Find a quite place where you can be alone with God. Get in a comfortable yet prayerful position, one that you sustain for a few minutes.
· When you are ready, open your heart and mind to God with the sign of the cross. Perform this prayer very slowly. Say the words out loud or quietly to yourself: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
· When you have finished, pause a moment and then start over. This time, be conscious of the parts of the body that you are touching as you say the prayer:
· your head, the seat of your rational powers;
· your stomach, the part of you which bears physical burdens and performs daily labor.
· When you have finished, pause a moment and say the prayer once more.
· When you touch your head and say the words, “In the name of the Father,” ask the Lord to make your reason and your will completely centered on love.
· When you touch your stomach and say the words, “…and of the Son,” ask the Lord to heal your emotions so that you will be able to feel God’s love and express it to others in appropriate ways.
· When you touch your shoulders and say the words, “…and of the Holy Spirit,” ask the Lord to bless your body and to help you to rid yourself of any physical attachments that may be getting in the way of your relationship with him.
· When you have finished, pause a moment and say the prayer one last time. As you say the prayer, be conscious of the vertical and the horizontal motion of your hands.
· When you touch your head, ask the Lord to help you to be a prayerful person.
· When you touch your stomach, ask the Lord to help you to be a temperate person.
· When you touch your left shoulder, ask the Lord to help you to be a generous person.
· When you touch your right shoulder, ask the Lord to help you to be watchful person.
· When you say, “Amen,” ask the Lord to help you to express your love for him in and through your love for others.
Prayer
Lord, during this season of the Lenten cross, help me to turn my life entirely over to you so that I might become a devoted disciple and follower of your way.
Enable me to look beneath the external trappings of the season and to ponder its deep spiritual significance.
Change me, Lord. Convert me, Lord. Guide me along the way of repentance.
Show me my sins and give me the courage to confess them.
Teach me how to pray, Lord. Help me to make sacrifices for you.
Enable me to be generous with others.
Help me to keep watch over my relationship with you and not allow anyone or anything to interfere with it.
Reveal my weaknesses to me, Lord. Steer me clear of temptation.
Help me to let go of the unnecessary attachments that have gotten in the way and have kept me from you.
Help me to turn to you always, in good times as well as in bad.
I love you, Lord. Help me to love you more.
Thanks to Heather for finding this!
Also check out the website under "Catholic 101" for a more general reflection on the season of Lent.
Taken from There Is a Season: Living the Liturgical Year by Dennis J. Billy, C.SS.R. (2001) Liguori, MO: Liguori, 55-72.
The Way of Conversion“An easy way to remember these forms of penance is to think of each one in context of the simple prayer known as the ‘sign of the cross.’”
1. In Prayer. “We begin the sign of the cross by bringing the tips of our right hand to our forehead and saying, “In the name of the Father.” This first movement of the sign of the cross corresponds to the very activity of prayer itself…To lift our hearts and minds to God is another way of saying that we must orient our intellect and will to the Lord.”
What thoughts/distractions keep you focusing on God? Acknowledge them,
so that you can place God in the forefront of your mind and will.
2. In Fasting. “We continue the sign of the cross by extending the tips of our right hand down to our stomachs and saying, “…and of the Son.” Touching this part of our anatomy during our prayer highlights the physical, animal aspect of our human nature.” Many believe that it is from the depths of our stomachs that our emotions and urges spring forth. “The Word of God assumed our human nature. In doing so, he took on not only our capacity to think and choose but also to feel emotions and to experience the world through the bodily senses.” Fasting does not simply refer to only food and beverage, it also challenges us to “temper our bodily and emotional lives so that they will give honor and glory to God.”
· What emotions are dominating your life lately?
· What urges have you been struggling with lately?
· What needs tempering in your life during this Lenten season?
· How will you sustain your fast/control your urges?
3. In Almsgiving. “We continue the sign of the cross by extending the tips of our right hand over to our left should saying “…and of the Holy.” This part moves towards our relationship with others, our brothers/sisters, our neighbors. “It is appropriate that the penitential action associated with this aspect of the prayer would be ‘almsgiving.’” Almsgiving is a way of lifting up the inherent human dignity of all people. “As followers, we understand that we can express love for God in and through our love for our neighbors…When we give to others, we should give beyond our capacity, not merely from our excess wealth (Mk 12: 41-44). We should do so not only to our friends and family but also to strangers in need, the poor and needy—and even to our enemies (Mt 5: 43-48)…We should be conscious, moreover, not only of how much and to whom we give but also how we give to others. We must not give sadly or grudgingly, but with great joy (2Cor 9:7; Rom 12:8).”
· Who in your community needs to be lifted up?
· How will you give alms this Lenten season?
· How would you describe your attitude of giving? How does almsgiving stretch you?
4. In Watching. We complete the sign of the cross by extending the tips of our right hand in one sweeping motion across our chest to our right should and saying the word ‘Spirit.’ This action corresponds to our fourth Lenten practice of ‘watchfulness in the Spirit.’ Vigilance is a necessary part of the spiritual life…As far as we are concerned, it is important for us to be on the lookout for those subtle ways in which we deceive ourselves…Lent is a time to take a good look at our lives and to identify any attitudes and behaviors having a negative effect on us…A lack of vigilance in our lives often results in a breakdown of our ability to defend ourselves against threats to our well being and to discover new venues for developing our deepest potential…If we are not vigilant in maintaining these relationships, they can easily become dysfunctional. As a result, they can do great harm. Lent is a time for examining the social dimension of our lives and to root out whatever harmful attitudes or ways of relating have entered into them. It is also a time for finding and implementing new ways of relating that will improve the quality of our lives in community…we have to ask ourselves if we have allowed any false images of God to take hold of us and to influence our attitudes and behaviors.”
· What attitudes and behaviors are having a negative effect upon you?
· What relationships in your life have become dysfunctional? In what ways?
· How can you change ways you relate to others both personally and within your faith community that will improve your quality of life and that of the group?
· What false idols have arisen in your life?
Spiritual Exercise
· Find a quite place where you can be alone with God. Get in a comfortable yet prayerful position, one that you sustain for a few minutes.
· When you are ready, open your heart and mind to God with the sign of the cross. Perform this prayer very slowly. Say the words out loud or quietly to yourself: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
· When you have finished, pause a moment and then start over. This time, be conscious of the parts of the body that you are touching as you say the prayer:
· your head, the seat of your rational powers;
· your stomach, the part of you which bears physical burdens and performs daily labor.
· When you have finished, pause a moment and say the prayer once more.
· When you touch your head and say the words, “In the name of the Father,” ask the Lord to make your reason and your will completely centered on love.
· When you touch your stomach and say the words, “…and of the Son,” ask the Lord to heal your emotions so that you will be able to feel God’s love and express it to others in appropriate ways.
· When you touch your shoulders and say the words, “…and of the Holy Spirit,” ask the Lord to bless your body and to help you to rid yourself of any physical attachments that may be getting in the way of your relationship with him.
· When you have finished, pause a moment and say the prayer one last time. As you say the prayer, be conscious of the vertical and the horizontal motion of your hands.
· When you touch your head, ask the Lord to help you to be a prayerful person.
· When you touch your stomach, ask the Lord to help you to be a temperate person.
· When you touch your left shoulder, ask the Lord to help you to be a generous person.
· When you touch your right shoulder, ask the Lord to help you to be watchful person.
· When you say, “Amen,” ask the Lord to help you to express your love for him in and through your love for others.
Prayer
Lord, during this season of the Lenten cross, help me to turn my life entirely over to you so that I might become a devoted disciple and follower of your way.
Enable me to look beneath the external trappings of the season and to ponder its deep spiritual significance.
Change me, Lord. Convert me, Lord. Guide me along the way of repentance.
Show me my sins and give me the courage to confess them.
Teach me how to pray, Lord. Help me to make sacrifices for you.
Enable me to be generous with others.
Help me to keep watch over my relationship with you and not allow anyone or anything to interfere with it.
Reveal my weaknesses to me, Lord. Steer me clear of temptation.
Help me to let go of the unnecessary attachments that have gotten in the way and have kept me from you.
Help me to turn to you always, in good times as well as in bad.
I love you, Lord. Help me to love you more.
posted by Erin at 2:34 PM
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