The Valley Catholic March 19, 2019 | Page 13

tvc.dsj.org | March 19, 2019 13 COMMENTARY The Radical Call of Lent By Tony Magliano Internationally syndicated social jus- tice and peace columnist [email protected] Imagine you’re sitting in front of your doctor, and he says that your health defi nitely needs to improve. He then looks you square in the eyes and says, “If you wish to live a healthy long life, you must stop eating junk food and living a sedentary lifestyle, and start eating plenty of healthy foods and exercise every day.” Your doctor’s wakeup call to you here would de- mand a radical physical lifestyle change. That is, if you wish to live a healthy long life. At Lent’s beginning on Ash Wednesday, many of us were signed on our foreheads with a cross of ashes and told to “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.” That sign, and those words, from the Divine Physi- cian are a radical spiritual wakeup call to all of us who wish to live healthy spiritual lives now in this world and to prepare well for the next world in eternity. Being crossed with ashes is meant to alert us that our bodies will soon be much like the ashes on our foreheads. It should be a sober reminder that this life is coming to a quick close and that we have no time to lose in turning away from the evil of sin, that is, all that hurts and separates us from God, others, creation and ourselves. And to be faithful to the Gospel! In t his year’s papal Lenten message (see: https://bit.ly/2EfkGyc), Pope Francis warns us that “Once God’s law, the law of love, is forsaken, then the law of the strong over the weak takes over. The sin that lurks in the human heart (Mk 7:20-23) takes the shape of greed and unbridled pursuit of comfort, lack of concern for the good of others and even of oneself. “Prayer, which teaches us to abandon idolatry and the self- suffi ciency of our ego, and to acknowledge our need of the Lord and his mercy.” It leads to the exploitation of creation, both persons and the environment, due to that insatiable covetous- ness which sees every desire as a right and sooner or later destroys all those in its grip.” But more than any other time, Lent is the season for conversion – a radical change of mind and heart, a time to walk out of the darkness of sin and into the Reverse Mortgage FHA Enjoying the Best Of Life By Father Eugene Hemrick, Catholic News Service Has the news, weather or unexpected disappointments gotten you down? St. Ignatius of Loyola’s spiritual exercise of the “examen” prayer may contain just the lift you need. The “examen” helps us to get into spiritual action through fi ve practices with which to start each morning: 1. Ask for the help of the Holy Spirit. 2. Be thankful. 3. Notice the presence of God. 4. Notice the lack of the presence of God. 5. Look to the future. It is often diffi cult to see God’s pres- ence in everyday life due to daily vio- lence and the faith-shaking trials many people endure. Their darkness shuts out life-giving light needed to be positive and joyful. A closer look at the practice of thank- fulness through the eyes of St. Gregory Nazianzen reveals how thankfulness can merciful, peaceful, joyful, loving light of Christ Jesus! And the sacrament of reconciliation (confession) is a wonderful heavenly gift to help us advance along the lifelong process of conversion. Additionally, the three holy practices of fasting, prayer and almsgiving –especially stressed during Lent – are indispensible to our growth in the life of the Spirit – which is the Kingdom of God. “Fasting,” Pope Francis astutely says, is about “learning to change our attitude towards others and all creation, turning away from the temptation to ‘devour’ everything to satisfy our voracity and being ready to suff er for love, which can fi ll the emptiness of our hearts. “Prayer, which teaches us to abandon idolatry and the self-suffi ciency of our ego, and to acknowledge our need of the Lord and his mercy. “Almsgiving, whereby we escape from the insanity of hoarding everything for ourselves” Every day several thousand children die from hun- ger and hunger related diseases. This is completely preventable. The anti-hunger/anti- poverty Christian organization Bread for the World is asking us to email and call (capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121) our two U.S. senators and representative urging them to sup- port $250 million for global malnutrition programs. And please consider a Lenten donation to our starving brothers and sisters in South Sudan (see: https://bit.ly/2H7wt5w). “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel!” counter this and make our spirit soar. “What benefactor,” St. Gregory asks, “has enabled you to look out upon the beauty of sky, the sun in its course, the circle of the moon, the countless number of stars, with the harmony and order that are theirs, like music of a harp? Who has blessed you with rain, with the art of husbandry, with diff erent kinds of food, with the arts, with houses, with laws, with states, with a life of humanity and culture, with friendship and the easy familiarity of kinship? “Is it not God who asks you now in your turn to show yourself generous above all other creatures and for the sake of all other creatures? Because we have received from him so many wonderful gifts, will we not be ashamed to refuse him this one thing only, our generosity?” Three common denominators are found in the wisdom of Ignatius and Gregory: Get outside your own little world, take global notice of your bless- ings and, in gratitude, pledge to enhance the world of those who need support and uplifting. C M Y CM MY CY CMY NE Lending Limit is NOW $726,525! W! Our Jumbo Reverse Mortgage Program may offer you a loan amount up to $4,000,000! CALL Me! 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