“The Father who waits for us in order to cast off our garments of exhaustion,
of apathy, of mistrust, so He can clothe us “with the dignity which only a true
father or mother knows how to give their children, with the
garments born of tenderness and love.”—Pope Francis
Lent is a time of reflection, of attempting to grow deeper into our faith, of seeking a more intimate relationship with Christ Jesus, making it real and not just something we say we are, or do, but how we actually live and interpret life and those around us. At the center of our faith is the Heart of the Trinity, as shown to us in the face of Jesus. In Jesus we see the Father’s Mercy manifested in human form. Walking with us, breathing the same air we breathe, feeling hunger and thirst, loss and deep pain that comes from having a loving heart and a deep insight into our human condition.
What we take for freedoms are often chains keeping us from truly being free and we can often encourage each other in that illusion of freedom and being condescending to those who have or seek another way.
In Lent we learn our limitations, our weaknesses because we cannot often do the little that we say we will do. We learn that in order to have a loving and free heart, we need the grace and healing of God in our hearts. We should never give up our desert journey, in it we often feel at a loss to know where we are or where we are going….yet we continue together and in that we learn compassion and love for all…we become one in Christ Jesus and we see the face of Christ everywhere. Then we begin to understand the Thirst and Pain that resides in the Heart of Christ Jesus…it is then that our true journey truly commences.
