Unique Lenten Practices
Today is Ash Wednesday, or a few days after. Not too late to make Lenten resolutions. Are you stuck in a rut when it comes to Lent? Do you find yourself making the same resolution year after year? And maybe breaking it year after year? I wonder how many people, both children and adults, give up candy for Lent every year. For your consideration this week, I offer ten somewhat different resolutions that will bolster your spiritual life.
- Once on her way to Bingo, my mother found a twenty-dollar bill on the sidewalk, which she promptly spent at the church. Leave twenty-dollar bills for others to find: in a library book, in the pocket of a dress, pants, or a coat you donate to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, or on a bus seat. Imagine the joy that will bring to the person who discovers it.
- Most of our communication these days is through emails and texting. Eventually the words disappear into thin air. I treasure handwritten letters that I received from family members long ago. Write a letter to someone, maybe even one a week.
- Go to Mass fifteen minutes early or stay fifteen minutes later and spend that time in prayer, especially for world peace.
- Invite someone (a neighbor, an estranged relative, a stranger) to share in a family meal at least once a week.
- Instead of giving up meat or dessert, and enjoying fish fries, eat something you don’t care for but that is good for you. For me, this would be kale.
- You know that person you don’t like? Maybe someone who hurt you? Go to the parish office and schedule a Mass said for him or her. (We don’t need to wait until he or she dies.)
- Bite your tongue when you are about to complain about something or say something negative. Instead put a smile on your face. This will make those around you happier and yourself too. At the end of the day you might tally how many times you caught yourself.
- Be mindful of the Guardian Angels. When you are tempted or in trouble, ask your Guardian Angel for help. Ask other people’s Guardian Angels to help them when they are in need. This may become a lifelong habit.
- Many people are very much aware of what is going on in Washington these days. Make it a point to learn about what is going on in our church. Subscribe to Zenit.com to read Pope Francis’s daily homilies and talks. Subscribe to a Catholic magazine or newspaper.
- Do something to pamper yourself throughout Lent. After all, our chief responsibility is to care for ourselves. We are to love ourselves. So take a bubble bath, get a new hairdo, sit in the sun awhile doing nothing, take a day off work, or call a friend who always lifts your spirits.
Any of these suggestions will aid you in keeping the Ash Wednesday exhortation you might have heard as your forehead was signed with a black cross: “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.” Then someday after you have returned to the dust we were made from, you may rise to a life of glory that is the Easter promise.
Can you think of any other unusual Lenten resolutions to add to this list?
(Just thought of another one: Spend ten minutes a day learning Spanish or another language.)
BOOK REVIEW “Go Teach!” And Jesus Showed Us How
Regina Alfonso, SND 154 pp., $11.95
Jesus was a master teacher who held crowds of thousands spellbound. Two thousand years later we still benefit from his teachings. In her book “Go Teach!” And Jesus Showed Us How, Sister Regina looks to Jesus for methods and tips for teachers today. She studies him as he teaches large and small groups as well as individuals. She watches him adapt to different learning styles, utilize concrete things, and engage and correct students. Then she applies the wisdom she gleaned from Jesus to today’s classrooms.
Any teacher, but in particular religion teachers and catechists, will discover in this book ways to hone their teaching skills. Because the book is Gospel-based, at the same time teachers will also be meeting Jesus in his Word and getting to know him better.
The book’s text is set in sense lines rather than block paragraphs, inviting the reader to read slowly, to reflect on the messages, and to absorb them.
Anyone, teacher or not, would profit from reading this book.
“Go Teach” was originally published by Alba House in 1986, as How Jesus Taught: Methods and Techniques of the Master. People who were disappointed when that book went out of print can now rejoice at its resurrection as a new and improved version.
Lent Lessons from a Little Known Woman
Last week I found lessons for us in the life of Zacchaeus. Because I’m so engrossed in the people of the New Testament after writing that book about them, this week I’m reflecting on another one, Salome, to see what she can teach us as we near the season of Lent. Salome was the mother of the apostles James and John. Since John is reputed to be about nineteen when he followed Jesus, Salome was likely in her thirties when she decided to follow him too. Lesson one: Give up things to draw closer to Jesus. Sure, James and John left their boats and nets, but Salome left her husband, Zebedee, and her house to wander the roads with Jesus. She was so taken with this new preacher that she wanted to be with him every day. (Of course, this way she could also be with her sons!) What can we give up this Lent in order to be with Jesus? A few minutes of sleep, rising early for morning prayers? Time in front of the TV or computer in order to go to Mass and receive Jesus in Communion? Reading novels so instead we have time to spend with Jesus as he comes in the distressing guise of the poor? (more…)
Up a Tree for Jesus’ Sake
My new book “Bible People for Young People” (“reviewed” at the end of this post) shows Zacchaeus on the cover. I thought I’d draw some lessons today from this man’s story. If you recall, Zacchaeus, who collected taxes for Rome and pocketed some for himself, was possibly the most despised man in Jericho. Perhaps as a child you sang “Zacchaeus Was a Wee Little Man.” If so, you know that he was height-challenged. Lesson one: When Zacchaeus couldn’t see over the heads of the crowd to catch a glimpse of Jesus, he climbed a tree. If you lack something, deal with it. Compensate. If you can’t do math in your head, resort to a calculator. If you can’t drive a car, become an expert in bus routes. If you weren’t gifted with good looks, be the best dresser in your family. If you can’t hit home runs, be a cheerleader. And so on.
Second lesson: Look for Jesus. Zacchaeus did a foolish thing for a town official. He went out on a limb and hid in the leaves of a tree to see the popular teacher from Nazareth. What lengths (or heights) would you go to in order to see Jesus? Wake up at an ungodly hour to meet God in the Eucharist? Befriend a homeless person? Be missionary in a foreign country? Be kind to someone you don’t like? Spend fifteen minutes a day thinking about Jesus? Obviously when Zacchaeus had the chance to see Jesus, he didn’t care what others thought or said about him.
Third lesson: Obey Jesus—quickly. What if Zacchaeus had refused to come down from the tree? He and his family might not have been saved. Sometimes Jesus speaks to our hearts, nudging us to act. “Go help that person.” “Volunteer for that job.” “Donate blood this week.” We could stay right where we are, clinging to safety. Or we could hem and haw until the opportunity has passed. Who knows what gifts we might miss then.
Fourth lesson: Ignore critics. People “grumbled” that Jesus had favored a sinner, a tax collector. At that point, Zacchaeus could have quieted them by saying, “Lord, I am not worthy. Go to someone else’s house.” But he didn’t. He delighted in being the object of Jesus’ special attention. Are people bothered by you? Are they jealous? Don’t let it get to you and prevent you from doing what is right and what is good for you. What matters is what Jesus thinks of you.
Fifth lesson: Be sorry. Face-to-face with the holiest person on earth, Zacchaeus realized he was a sinner and instantly decided to atone in an extravagant way: half his goods to the poor and fourfold restitution to those he cheated. Most of us aren’t thieves and cheaters, but all of us in some way have not lived up to the ideals God holds before us. How do we make up? Extravagantly?
I imagine that when Zacchaeus came home with Jesus, the apostles, Mary Magdalene, Salome, and the others in tow, Mrs. Zacchaeus was quite surprised. It could be that they were wealthy enough to have servants and food to feed the crowd. Or maybe Jesus, considerately, came alone. In any case, it was bound to be one happy meal.
Who is your favorite Gospel person (other than Jesus and Mary)? Why?
BOOK REVIEW Bible People for Young People
Mary Kathleen Glavich, SND
Bible People for Young People presents fifty-four people you meet in the New Testament. These include Jesus, Mary, the Holy Spirit, the apostles, deacons, women disciples, and a few unnamed souls. Each short chapter begins with a hook to grab the reader’s attention. This is followed by the story of the person’s life and anything else we know about him or her. The language is simple, not deep theology.
The Gospels were the main resource for the book, but in some instances a legend is mentioned. For saints, the feast day and what they are patron of is given. For each person, an interesting tidbit of information is highlighted as a “Factoid.” The chapter concludes with suggested activities that are related to the person.
Each chapter is accompanied by a full-color picture of the person. In almost all cases, this is an art masterpiece. As a result, the book is quite beautiful.
Writing about these Bible characters, I learned more about them. Reading this book, children of all ages will come to know better the members of their spiritual family tree. And so will adults.
The book is 118 pages. On Amazon it sells for $20.00, but bought from me it is $15.00.
Here is a song about Zacchaeus from the Medical Mission Sisters that was popular when I was a young sister.
The Importance of Using Names
This week I watched a program in which a woman was asked about a colleague, the actress Barbara Stanwyck. Her response was that Barbara was unusual in that she made a point to learn the names of everyone who was working on producing the movie, not just the cast but the whole crew. By doing so, Barbara established a relationship with them, and they all loved her. The importance of names came home to me again this week as I edited a book based on the Gospels. The author referred to the mother of James and John as just that and never used her name, Salome. I commented that this was somewhat insulting to this great disciple who supported Jesus and the apostles, stood at the cross, and was one of the first at the tomb of the risen Lord. I reminded the author that someday she might meet this woman face to face and that would be awkward. So Salome is now named in the book!
It’s said that the sound of our name is the sweetest thing we hear. We cringe when it’s mispronounced or mocked. When we forget someone’s name, we are embarrassed. At gatherings, name tags are provided so we learn others’ names. Teenagers write the name of their current loved one over and over, and older folk have their beloved’s names tattooed on them. Our names stand for us.
In the Bible God says, “I have called you by name. You are mine” (Isaiah 43:1). When God speaks to Moses from the burning bush, he first calls his name. And Moses asks to know God’s name. Mary Magdalene realized that the man she assumed was the gardener was Jesus come back from the dead instantly when he pronounced her name. At the end of time, he might call us forth from our grave by name.
Jesus knew the importance of names. That is why he changed Simon’s name to Peter, which means “rock.” It hadn’t been a name until that point. Our names were bestowed on us without our consultation. Do you know what your name means? Do you know why you were given that name?
Like Barbara Stanwyck, we might make an effort to learn the names of those who serve us: not just the waiters and waitresses in a restaurant, but the persons who deliver our mail and packages, the clerks who total our grocery bills, the mechanics who fix our cars, and the people who bring us the newspaper. Then we can add their name when we say, “Thank you.”
What good experiences have you had with names? Bad experiences?
https://youtu.be/lfFx4S-iopY
BOOK REVIEW
On the Other Side of Fear: How I Found Peace
Hallie Lord
If you are human, at certain times in your life, you experience panic. Hallie Lord has had more than her fair share of challenges—like having her utilities turned off and giving birth to her seventh child alone in the bathroom. In her autobiographical book, as Hallie recounts these scary events, she traces her journey from being fearful and worried to casting out fear by love. You might expect this to be a sad book, but no, it is a delightful read.
Hallie honestly bares her thoughts and feelings as she tells how she rises to one challenge after another. Gradually she recoups her ability to live up to her grandfather’s motto to perform “Feats of Bravery.” Her style is simple and sparked with humor. Even her acknowledgments are entertaining! Quotations and anecdotes from others bolster her main message that we can trust God in all the ups and downs of life. When we do, remarkable things occur. We need not fear.
Besides being a mother, wife, and author, Lord is a Sirius XM radio host and the co-founder of the Edel Gathering for women.
Praying with Your Feet
As an English major in college, I learned that much literature has a journey motif. Think of The Canterbury Tales where pilgrims are en route to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket and Huck Finn floating on the Mississippi with Jim. Journeys also mark our spiritual history. God sent seventy-five-year-old Abraham from Ur to Canaan and later sent his descendants on a forty-year journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. Luke built his gospel around a journey theme, following Jesus as he makes his way from Nazareth to Jerusalem. For centuries Christians have embarked on pilgrimages—spiritual journeys. The preeminent pilgrimage is the journey to Jerusalem, which saints like Ignatius and Francis of Assisi made number one on their bucket list. There the faithful walk the Way of the Cross in the footsteps of Jesus. Perhaps the second most famous pilgrimage is the Camino de Santiago de Compestelo, the one to St. James shrine in Spain. I know someone who returned from that pilgrimage a changed person. Recently Martin Sheen starred in a movie about the pilgrimage to Campestelo called appropriately “The Way.” Catholics make a pilgrimage to Rome. For our Muslim brothers and sisters, making a journey to Mecca is one of the mandatory five pillars of their faith. But we needn’t cross an ocean to pray with our feet.
Every church has the Stations of the Cross, a substitute for making the way in Jerusalem. In addition, shrines to Mary and various saints, (like our national basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.) dot our vast land, waiting to be visited. We can also make a pilgrimage in our neighborhood. I came across the idea of gathering with a group and walking together through streets praying aloud or silently for the people who live there or other intentions. Walking a labyrinth is another way to make a spiritual journey.
Today marches for a good cause, like last week’s March for Life, are modern pilgrimages. They surely are holy walks. In the same category are the walks that individuals undertake as fundraisers.
Pilgrimages can take the form of a journey of charity: going to a sick neighbor’s house with some chicken soup, visiting a hospitalized relative, driving to a funeral—even going to a sports event to support someone, when it’s the last thing you want to do.
Be sure to read this week’s book review about the Camino de Real, a national pilgrimage you can make in California or in the comfort of your home.
What pilgrimage have you undertaken? Has it changed you?
BOOK REVIEW Saint Junipero Serra’s Camino: A Pilgrimage Guide to the California Missions
by Stephen Binz
This is a fascinating book about the twenty-one California missions, the result of the faith and passion of the recently canonized St. Junipero Serra. He saw these jewels along the west coast as a holy ladder. Today, traveling an old route connecting the missions constitutes a national pilgrimage. Each mission originally was a community of Indians guided by Franciscans and protected by Spanish soldiers.
The first six chapters of the book are introductory. They cover the meaning of the pilgrimage, the life of St. Junipero, his inspiration from St. Francis’s concept of missionary discipleship, the spirituality of the native peoples, an honest appraisal of the history of the missions, and a collection of quotations from and about the saint.
The bulk of the book is chapter seven, which presents for each mission the story of its founding, information about the Indians who were served by it, a biography of its patron saint, a detailed description of the buildings, its history, the museum connected to it, and other nearby sites. The thorough explanations are obviously the product of diligent research as well as the author’s personal familiarity with each mission.
More than a history book, this book is intended to be used for a pilgrimage undertaken by the reader, either by making the journey physically in California or spiritually by “visiting” a mission each day. For this purpose, each section about a mission is followed by a prayer about a page long that includes a Scripture reading.
An appendix offers a map of the missions, a list of their founding, a prayer to be prayed by those making the pilgrimage, a glossary, and a list of references for further reading.
The book is well-written, clear and complete. It provides much insight into the early days of our country, the spread of Christianity, and our relations with the Native Americans. My only wish was that the photos of each mission were larger.
Reading this book, I learned a great deal, for example, what an enormous “city” each mission was. And for another thing, did you know that Bob Hope and his wife were buried at the San Fernando Mission? The book also kindled in me a desire to make this pilgrimage along Saint Junipero Serra’s Camino, which, no doubt, was the author’s purpose in writing it.
