 Fr.
Tom's Tomes March 5, 2006
The First Sunday of Lent's Gospel is taken from the first chapter of Mark. Mark recounts the story of the Spirit driving Jesus into the desert to pray for 40 days. During Lent we are encouraged to deepen the disciplines of prayer, fasting and giving alms. the season of Lent gives us the opportunity to stop and examine our relationship with Jesus. The discipline of prayer opens us to God. Prayer is the time we spend in turning our entire attention to God. Prayer is the way a person communicates with God. There is no one best place or way for each and every person to pray. Each one of us must discover the best time and place for us to open our entire self to God. This Sunday's Gospel demonstrates the importance for us to understand we need quiet and a distraction free surrounding to focus our attention to God in prayer. We are a busy people. Phones, pagers, television, internet name just a few things which can disturb the quiet we need in our lives for prayer. Even Jesus found it necessary to take time away from the crowds to pray. In this weekend's Gospel Jesus began his public ministry by being driven out into the desert to pray. The desert is very much a place of quiet and being alone with oneself. In individual quietness we are able to discover God in our lives. In this quietness we are able to come face to face with God. Even Jesus recognized the need to be in quietness and solitude with God. Prayer opens our hearts and minds to God. Through prayer we can be transformed into the people God wants us to be. Transformation takes time. It can challenge us to change to love more as Jesus did. Transformation is the surrendering of our selfish individuality to the openness of God's presence. A reminder to adults who work with youth either through the school, Early Learning Center or through parish ministries that if you have not taken the training of Protecting All God's Children there will be another one at St. Columban's Parish on Monday, April 3, 2006. You will need to call either the parish office or the school office to register for this training. God bless you and have a good week. |