Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Ash Wednesday
Reflection
The beginning of Lent brings the reminder that our security in and love for our Lord causes a need for reflection, attention to faithfulness, prayer, and realization of the gifts God has granted us. It is during Lent that we turn to prayer and sacrifice, trusting in our God to place us in His hands and heart. It is through the faithfulness we gain through prayer and reflection that we allow ourselves to surrender to our Lord and give of ourselves to others during Lent. Arguably the most challenging and somber time of year for Christians, Lent provides the reminder that through God’s goodness and love, we can always be redeemed, forgiven, and loved. Today’s Gospel focuses too on our continued need for humbleness, a trait especially challenging to practice and important to remember in today’s world of social media, where a platform is provided for all forms of self-promotion. The notion of humbleness and thoughtfulness for others brings to mind a Mother Teresa quote, “If you are humble, nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are.” It is through sharing our faith quietly and humbly, and shielding our accomplishments in favor of serving another through constant humbleness that we reach peace.


Prayer
Lord, keep our hearts humble, our faithfulness strong, our sins forgiven, and our love for others abundant as we begin our Lenten journey.

Liz Kendall, ‘14


Scripture
First Reading: Joel 2:12-18
Psalm 51:3-6a, 12-14, 17
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2
Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

4 comments:

Jello said...

Looking forward to your daily reflections during this Lent.

Anna said...

Liz, thanks for your beautiful reflection to start us off this Lenten season. Your reminder that "through God's goodness and love, we can always be redeemed, forgiven and loved" is a something that is so important and yet often forgotten. The trust, faithfulness and humility that you spoke of are beautiful things to reflect on as we start this Lenten season.

Unknown said...

Liz, to echo Anna's comments, this was beautifully written. A great piece to read to start Lent. Though the message is humility, it made me proud to be a SMC Alum after reading this. Thank you for sharing as it helps me in my reflection.

--Joe Passanisi '07

Elizabeth Kendall said...

Thank you for the kind words, Anna and Joe!