Lenten Reflection By Deacon Domenic Pullano - First week of Lent

REFLECTION FOR THE FIRST
WEEK OF LENT

Blessings as we enter another season of Lent.
The season of a Lent is a highlight in the
Catholic calendar. An opportunity for
"spiritual self-improvement", Lent focuses
on an increased emphasis on prayer, fasting
and almsgiving, as the Gospel for the Ash
Wednesday mass (above) reminds us. As we
embark on another Lenten journey, we
would do well to reflect on these practices of
prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. While we
engage in these practices throughout the
year, we are invited in the season of Lent to
go deeper and do more.
Almsgiving requires that we do more than
simply give a few coins to those in need. In
Lent, we need to encounter the poor and
assist them in a more personal way. In this
season of Lent, we are particularly reminded
to participate in the corporal works of
mercy. Our almsgiving should consist of
visiting the sick or imprisoned. Almsgiving is
about giving food to the hungry and drink to
the thirsty. In Lent, we remember that there
are people in our daily lives that can use our
help.
Similarly, prayer signifies more than reciting
a few words that we have memorized. In
Lent, we recall that prayer is an aspect of
Sabbath rest. In Lent, we are called to slowdown and make time for quiet and stillness.
We live in a world where we are constantly
surrounded by noise and moments of silence
are both difficult to find and are a scary
proposition. It is not easy to be alone with
only our thoughts and feelings. But we learn
who we really are in this stillness. In Lent,
we join Jesus who went into the desert for
forty days for a more focused time of
reflection. Jesus went into the desert to
reflect on those inspiring words that he heard
at his baptism, “Your are my beloved son in
whom I am well pleased.” In Lent, we take
some extra time to reflect on those special
words for our own lives, for we too are
God’s beloved children and God is also
pleased with whom we have become.
Finally, fasting requires more than just giving
up chocolate or coffee. In Lent, we try to fast
from behaviours that hurt others and try to
adopt actions that build people up. We also
try to take self-care seriously by fasting from
behaviors that hurt us.
May you have a rewarding and blessed Lent.

A New Twist to Traditional
Practices
The Ash Wednesday Gospel reading draws
attention to the three traditional Lenten
practices of fasting, prayer, and charity. Over
these weeks of Lent, we will look more
closely at these three practices of Lent in
individual reflections. As we begin the season
of Lent, for now, these practices can be
reinterpreted to mean:
FAST: Fast from…
• Overscheduling
• Multi-tasking
• Screens (technology) as these are
stimulants, not restful activities.
• The need for control and perfection
• From anything that complicates
rather than simplifies your life.
PRAYER: Prayer is…
• A Walk in the Woods
• Moments of quiet and stillness
• Reading an inspiring book
• Listening for the quiet voice of God
• Anything that renews your passion
for life, and work.
CHARITY: Giving to others includes…
• Letting go of old hurts
• Reconciling with family and friends
• Standing with those who struggle
with any infirmity
• Communicating and Compromising
• Anything that contributes to positive
relationships in your life.
Lenten Journey
As Catholics we take up the Lenten practices
of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving every
year. These practices help us to remember
the merciful love and compassion that God
shows all people. Participating in these
practices, we journey toward repentance
with our community and God and toward the
celebration of the Paschal Mystery of our
Lord. We do not make this journey
alone. The whole Church prepares for the
celebration and together, along with those
who are preparing to enter the Church at the
Easter Vigil, we try to live more faithfully to
God’s call to be merciful, loving, and
compassionate to those around us. Our acts
of love through sacrifice and prayer are a
tangible witness of God’s love to those
around us.

CLOSING PRAYER:
God of love, bring us back to You. Send Your
Spirit to make us strong in faith and active in
good works. May our acts of prayer, fasting,
and almsgiving bring us Your forgiveness,
open our hearts to Your love, and prepare us
for the coming feast of the Resurrection of
Jesus. Lord, during this Lenten Season,
nourish us with Your Word of life and make
us one with you in love and prayer. Amen.

Prepared by Deacon Dominic Pullano
St. Joseph The Worker Parish, Thornhill