Daily Lenten Reflections

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.; March 5, 2014 at 1:29 PM
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.; March 6, 2014 at 3:16 PM
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; March 6, 2014 at 7:18 PM
Elizabeth Kendall said...: Thank you for the kind words, Anna and Joe!; March 7, 2014 at 5:28 PM

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Mission of Edmundite Campus Ministry

The Mission of Edmundite Campus Ministry at Saint Michael’s College is to share the Good News of the Gospel with the College community by facilitating encounter with Jesus Christ. We do this through the celebration of the Church’s Liturgy, in programs promoting knowledge of the Catholic faith, by developing ecumenical and interreligious relationships, and providing retreats and other opportunities for personal spiritual growth.

The Catholic and Edmundite tradition upon which the College was founded is grounded in the conviction that all women and men are created in the image and likeness of God providing a special dignity unique to each person. Such dignity requires human life to be respected in all of its stages recognizing that we are all children of God.

Therefore, in its pursuit of furthering the Reign of God, the Edmundite Campus Ministry staff seeks to interact with and support every member of the College community in their search for Truth, contributing to the “enhancement of the human person and to the advancement of human culture in light of the Catholic faith.”