Parish Bulletin for Sunday, February 5, 2012

FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Job 7:1-4, 6-7   1 Cor. 9:16-19, 22-23   Mark 1:29-39

The Breath of God

Readers who follow the Marcan Jesus through what is presented as a typical day in his ministry, may become breathless with all the activity. Jesus could certainly be called a multi-tasker as he moves from one person to the next, offering precisely what is needed in each circumstance.

Through each interchange, readers learn more and more about the person and purpose of Jesus, as well as what he will ask of his would-be followers. With the cure of Peter's mother-in-law, the evangelist makes it clear that those whom Jesus touches and heals are thereby invited to become his disciples. The only worthy response to the action of Jesus is to begin to serve others.

On the evening of that same busy day, those who were sick gathered at Peter's door to be touched and healed by Jesus. Mark's reference to those possessed by demons reflects the ancient belief that demons were at the heart of every physical and spiritual malady; therefore, to cure a person was to cast out the demon causing them harm.

The statement that Jesus did not permit the demons to speak because they knew him continues an ongoing theme of secrecy in the Marcan Gospel. Some scholars have explained the secret as a literary technique devised by the evangelist to explain why Jesus was not recognized and acclaimed as messiah during his ministry.

Others propose that Jesus himself imposed such secrecy in order to prevent a misconception of his role as messiah. His contemporaries anticipated a wonder-worker whose power would re-establish Israel and Judah in power and freedom, but Jesus' greatest work would be achieved through his salvific death on the cross.

Only at the moment of his dying would the Marcan Jesus be clearly identified: "Truly this man was the Son of God" (Mark 15:39). Until that moment, the Marcan Jesus silenced those he healed.

Ironically, the demons are never silent. Throughout the first Gospel, these evil spirits continually call Jesus by name and identify him as the Holy One of God. By allowing this continuing interchange, the Marcan evangelist repeatedly depicts Jesus doing battle with the powers of evil; in the end, on the cross, Jesus alone would be victorious. In rising from the dead, he would share that victory with all who believe. Jesus punctuated his preaching, teaching and healing with periods of prayer.

Here, as well as in other passages from Mark, the evangelist portrayed Jesus taking time to pray, particularly in those stressful moments when the character of his messiahship was being misunderstood or challenged. These pauses for prayer kept Jesus centred and focussed and enabled him to temper the enthusiasm of those who were so caught up in the wonders he worked that they did not see him for who he really was.

For 21st-century disciples, Jesus' typical day holds valuable lessons, including the need to balance work with prayer. If we are to be givers of hope to others, then our own hope must be fed at the well of the word.

In prayer, the Spirit of God breathes in us and takes away our narrowness and anxiety. We receive new breath, new freedom, new life. Prayer is God breathing in us.

That all our beloved dead, especially

Tuesday, Feb. 7

Weekday 8:30 a.m. - † Maria Braj

Wednesday, Feb. 8

Weekday 8:30 a.m. - † Diniz and Nelson Raposo

Thursday, Feb. 9

Weekday 8:30 a.m. - † Victor Theresamma

may know the refreshment, rest, and peace of God's heavenly kingdom . . . that all those who grieve may know God's comfort and consolation . . .We pray.

For the sick and the suffering, that God will bring light and strength to their spirits…We pray… . . . We pray.

A dear friend was caring for an invalid husband with no pension or insurance and working three minimum-wage jobs to support her family of six. Well-meaning friends assured her that there is no burden God does not give us the strength to bear.

Weary with such assurances, Marguerite quipped, "Well, I wonder if God has checked my load lately!"

In today's first reading, Job exhibits a similar weariness with well-meaning friends whose advice has done nothing to ease his struggle. Miserable, despondent, with no other recourse, Job cried out his lament to God, who, in the end, proved to be Job's sole support and strength.

Through the person and the story of Job, the ancient writer has taken on a perennial question: If God is good and just and caring, how could God allow someone as blameless as Job to suffer such loss? Traditionally, suffering was associated with sin, and Job's friends explored with him the possibility that he or someone in his family had sinned and brought on his troubles.

Through the several conversations with his friends, the sacred author shows Job coming to the profound realization that life, as we experience it, is a conundrum. Good people do indeed suffer. Children get cancer and die before they have a chance to enjoy a full life. Famines devastate entire populations. Calamities of nature cause immeasurable pain and loss.

Have the sins of all these people brought on their sad, untimely demise? Obviously, human suffering is a far more complex mystery that defies facile explanations. Through his dialogues with God, the character of Job came to realize that he could not understand.

Nevertheless, he willingly surrendered to the greater wisdom of God and declared, I know you are all powerful, O God. What you conceive, you can perform. . . . I have been holding forth on matters beyond my comprehension, on marvels beyond by knowledge. . . . I retract all I have said and, in dust and ashes, I repent" (Job 42:2, 3, 6).

When viewed in light of today's Marcan Gospel, Job's complaint stands juxtaposed with the healing power over suffering and sin that God revealed in Jesus. By his own innocent suffering and death, Jesus infused this mystery with new meaning. Jesus, who was fully just, suffered for the sake of the unjust. Through his willing sacrifice, the suffering of Jesus became a redemptive force, one in which he called his followers to be full participants.

Rather than be overcome with hopelessness by the human condition, believers in God and followers of Jesus are to trust as Job did and confess, I know that my redeemer lives (Job 19:25).

With Job and with Jesus, we might be inspired to declare, My footsteps have followed closely in God's; I have walked God's way without swerving (Job 23:11). With hope, we might profess, Like a father, God has reared me from my youth, guiding me even from my mother's womb (Job 31:18). Then, relying on God for strength and grace and trusting with unfailing hope, we can endure the suffering that shapes our lives and draws us into the healing and redemptive mystery of Jesus Christ.

For all who echo Job's cry, those who are struggling to survive each day, those who are fleeing war, who have no food, or who live on the streets, that in Christ they may find hope and meaning and that through our love, they may receive assistance and support . . . we pray.

Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb

The words of the priest before Holy Communion are being changed from Happy are those called to his Supper to Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

On the one hand, it is simply a more accurate translation, but it also draws out something that can easily be missed. The priest is speaking of those who are blessed because they are invited to the Supper of the Lamb. We know the Lamb is Jesus and so we can see this line to be saying something about the wonder of being invited to Jesus' Supper.

But it is important to stop and think about this supper. There are several interconnected ideas. There is: The Last Supper, the Lord's Supper and the Lamb's Supper.

The Last Supper is that meal that Jesus shared with his disciples the night before he died. During this meal, Jesus gave us the Mass and Holy Communion, commanding us to celebrate it in his memory.

The Lord's Supper is another name that can be used for The Last Supper. It can also be used as a title for the Mass itself. As we fulfill his command, we are made present to his saving work.

In recalling the words Jesus said at that Supper, we understand that we share in the offering of Jesus' life on the Cross, his sacrifice, and we are joined to his resurrection and glorious ascension.

The Lamb's Supper is connected to The Lord's Supper because our sharing in Mass makes us ready for heaven. The Book of Revelation describes The Lamb's Supper as a marriage in which we, the Church, will be the mystical bride of Christ.

The new translation highlights that the invitation said by the priest is not limited to a particular Communion given to us at a particular Mass. Communion is the foretaste and we are being invited to the banquet of heaven.

Parish Bulletin for Sunday, February 12, 2012

SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Lev. 13:1-2, 44-46   1 Cor. 10:31-11:1   Mark 1:40-45

Be Made Clean

In this Church year, the Gospel stories are told by Mark, just as they were narrated by Matthew last year. But Mark's is the most vivid of the Gospels. He is direct and uses few words. He uses many concrete details.

For instance, last week Jesus did not just cure Peter's mother-in-law, he grasped her hand, and helped her up. When Jesus stills the storm at sea, he is not just in the boat, he is at the stern of it, according to Mark; and he is not just asleep, but sleeping on a cushion.

Mark's approach helps us to get the texture of the story, to listen with our imaginations and let the life of Jesus enter in. This happens especially if you take some time before you get to Mass to understand and pray the readings spiritually.

Here are a few things to notice about this coming Sunday's Gospel. A man walks up to Jesus covered with scales and scabs. The man is thereby committing a terrible social blunder and he may be breaking the law too. According to the prescriptions found in the reading from Leviticus, he should dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp as long as the sores are on him. He should ring a bell and cry Unclean, unclean!

In spite of all this, Jesus is not repulsed or shocked. He is moved with pity. Just three words, but they tell us so much, as is Mark's way. Then comes a wonderful statement from the leper. If you want to, you can make me clean: a confession of faith in just a few words.

How did he know it? His spiritual life had already begun. Jesus answers, I do want to. Direct, honest, so revealing of our God! The whole life of Jesus consists of this desire to help people who are in trouble, even if they have only a small faith by which to receive the cure. In an extraordinary move, Jesus stretches out his hand and touches the man.

Remember, the ancients thought that this sickness was communicable, and obviously, at the very least, it was disgusting. Yet Jesus touches him with care and says, Be made clean. Look at it. Our spiritual life consists of being made clean. We must let Jesus touch us and touch our souls.

Here in the very first chapter of Mark we already see how Jesus began to extend his spiritual mercy toward the leper and toward all of us. Look for more of the same as we make our way through Mark's Gospel during this liturgical year.

New Life - Renewed Hope

Leprosy was a terrible disease in biblical times. Highly contagious, it was fatal, since there was no cure for it. The law could do nothing other than exclude lepers from participation in the life of the community. Yet, there was more to it than that.

The responsorial psalm 32 is a reminder that, in biblical times, people often regarded sin as the cause of disease. Lepers were therefore sinners, and the community excluded them from its worship. In a theocracy such as Israel, exclusion from the temple was a fate worse than death.

Jesus enters the scene as the healer of lepers. Those for whom the law offers no hope find in Jesus their saviour, their key to re-entry into the human community. We have our own 'lepers' today. They are the wretched people of the world's slums, the ones dying of AIDS, the ones sitting on death row in multiple countries across the world.

The law of society has nothing of hope to offer them. Their only hope is in the great prophet (who) has appeared among us, and in those followers of Jesus like Paul, seeking not my own advantage, but that of the many.

For a deepening realization of our unity in the human family: that we may work toward the common goals of ending suffering and sharing the blessings of the good earth with all . . . We pray.

Food for the journey . . .

A missionary in East Africa was approached by a young boy from one of the local tribes. He asked, "Was Jesus a white man or a black man?"

After thinking for a while, the missionary said that while he was on earth, Jesus lived in a very warm climate. So, she told the boy, "Jesus wasn't white or black but sort of in between the two. He was probably kind of brown." "Oh," said the little boy with delight, "then he belongs to both of us, doesn't he?"

That all our beloved dead, especially

Tuesday, Feb. 14

Weekday 8:30 a.m. - † Enid Miranda

Wednesday, Feb. 15

Weekday 8:30 a.m. - † Carino Di Luciano

Thursday, Feb. 16

Weekday 8:30 a.m. - † Winston Silva

Friday, Feb. 17

Weekday 8:30 a.m. - † Jack Williams

may know the refreshment, rest, and peace of God's heavenly kingdom . . . that all those who grieve may know God's comfort and consolation . . .We pray.

Lord, I am not worthy
that you should enter under my roof,
but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed. .

Lord, I am not worthy When we have visitors coming, we often spend time tidying up the house so that everything is presentable and in order. Imagine having a VIP guest come to stay. Such a visit might prompt us to redecorate or do some of the jobs we have been promising to do, but have never completed.

When the centurion confessed to Jesus that he was unworthy to receive him under his roof - into his house - it was not because things were a bit untidy or in need of a touch of paint. He understood his own unworthiness to receive the Lord on a visit to heal his sick servant. (Matt 8).

In the Middle Ages, when the priest brought Holy Communion to the housebound, they welcomed Jesus into their homes repeating these same words of the centurion. Again, they were not apologizing for dirty paintwork or broken furniture. They were admitting their unworthiness that the Lord should enter their house, under their roof, let alone the home of their hearts.

They recognized they did not deserve so great a guest, even as they realized they needed him and gladly welcomed him. A quite natural development included this line in the Mass for us all.

It is very appropriate that this greeting spoken as the Lord enters the dwelling of a sick person should be said by everyone receiving Jesus. We might not need a visit from the local GP, but we all rely on the one who heals our ills. The new translation retrieves this line "under my roof"' and this can help me think of how Jesus makes his home in me as I must make mine in him.

I must make him welcome, listen to him and wait upon him as Martha and Mary did when they welcomed him under their roof. It can lead me to think of how I take Christ with me as I leave Mass to bring him, in my heart, into the heart of my home. He is to be that silent, unseen guest under my roof.

I have received him in Holy Communion and I must be aware that he comes with me in my daily life. As I echo the words of the centurion about my unworthiness to welcome Jesus, I do not simply ask for forgiveness but also for healing.

I admit that I am a sinner in need of the healing touch of Jesus to mend my life so that I may amend it. In receiving him in Communion, I admit my weakness and my need, my thirst, my hunger, for the nourishment of life that it offers to each and every one of us.

Pause for a moment to reflect upon how we welcome Jesus 'under my roof'. Take time to think about those aspects of myself and my life that need healing.

Parish Bulletin for Sunday, February 19, 2012

SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Isa. 43:18-19, 21-22, 24-25   2 Cor. 1:18-22   Mark 2:1-12

Lord Heal My Soul

It is so easy to forget that we are made in the image and likeness of God. Sometimes our lives feel like a desert: dusty and dry. We try to do good and to be good, yet we often fail miserably. Our words hurt rather than heal; our actions wound rather than help; our thoughts bring us anxiety rather than comfort. With the psalmist, we cry out: Lord heal my soul!

Today's readings enfold our sagging spirits and assure us that we are loved by God. Isaiah tells us that even though the Lord has been wearied by our iniquities and burdened by our sins, he stands ready to blot out our transgressions and create something new. The psalmist proclaims that God is gracious to those who are good to the poor and always there to uphold those who suffer.

Saint Paul reminds us that God is faithful. And while all the readings reassure us, it is the Gospel story of the paralytic that testifies most strongly to the power of unconditional love. Many came to hear Jesus that day, but in this story we only hear about one.

What sets the paralytic apart from the rest? First, he recognized the necessity of community. Without the physical strength, living faith and stubborn tenacity of his friends, the paralytic never would have made it to see Jesus. The Gospel tells us that when Jesus saw their faith, he was moved to act. That being said, once he was placed before Jesus, the paralytic had the courage to stand alone.

He depended on his own faith. He is surrounded by the disbelief of the scribes, and so his silence speaks volumes. As debate swirls around him, he radiates belief. When he is told to stand, he does so without hesitation.

At our baptism, each of us was welcomed into a community of faith, yet often we do not fully embrace this gift. The paralytic was blessed with the luxury of need. Literally unable to move forward, he had to depend on others in order to reach Jesus.

True community demands just such humility. Humility is faith in action. If the door is blocked, do you have the faith - the humility - to tear up the roof? Isaiah tells us to forget our sinful past and trust in the new things God is doing today. The cure of the paralytic is just one example of how lives can be transformed in the blink of an eye.

Do you believe that God is equally as eager to heal you? This is indeed a bold leap of faith! The paralytic needed to journey toward his healing, and so must you. Just for this week, commit yourself to a nighttime prayer. Begin by saying, Lord, heal my soul.

Confess your sinfulness and feel God's healing waters cleanse you. Give thanks for the community of faith that surrounds you. Acknowledge where you need support, and have the courage to ask for what you need. Resolve to be single-hearted in the pursuit of your faith. Cultivate the courage to stand alone before God.

If you spend time each day strengthening your belief in a good and loving God, soon you will feel his healing touch on you. Then the cure of the paralytic will become not a one-time event, but rather an ongoing expression of love.

Standing on the brink of Lent, it is good for us to remember God's willingness to heal sinners, to mend the broken and to reconcile all who have grown apart from God and from one another because of human weakness. Rather than dread, joy should fill our hearts; rather than guilt, gratitude should lighten our step.

God remembers not the sins of our past. This assurance challenges us to let go of the worries that age us in order to skip like a child and experience the forgiveness that awaits us all.

That all our beloved dead, especially

Tuesday, Feb. 21

Weekday 8:30 a.m. - † Ron Carlyle

Wednesday, Feb. 22

Weekday 8:30 a.m. - † ASH WEDNESDAY

Thursday, Feb. 23

Weekday 8:30 a.m. - † Samuel Johns

,

Friday, Feb. 24

Weekday 8:30 a.m. - † Leonard Goon

may know the refreshment, rest, and peace of God's heavenly kingdom . . . that all those who grieve may know God's comfort and consolation . . .We pray.

Ash Wednesday - Lent Is Almost Here!
Mass at 8:30 A.M. and 7:00 P.M.

Lent begins this coming Wednesday, Feb. 22. This day is one of fast and abstinence - all those who are healthy and are between the ages of 7 and 65, are asked to refrain from both eating between meals and eating meat on this day to remind us of who we are and what Lent is meant to be for us.

Mass will be celebrated at 8:30 a.m. in the morning and at 7:00 p.m. in the evening. Ashes will be distributed during the celebration of Eucharist following the homily.

Fasting and the ashes on our foreheads remind us of God's call to change our hearts. Lent is a time of fasting, prayer and almsgiving. The cross of ashes is not a decoration but a declaration of our determination to mimic the life of Christ, to mime his defenceless position on a cross.

The cross of ashes is not merely a sign that we believe in the redemptive value of Christ's death, but that we intend to participate in it. The ashen cross is our profession of faith in the value of suffering, in the worth of perseverance, in the impotence of that imposter death and the invincibility of life everlasting.

For freedom of mind and heart, that we may be open to the new things God desires to do in our lives and become new creations in Christ . . . We pray.

As we come to the end of Mass, we seem to return to our roots and the reason why we are there in the first place. The word Mass comes from the words in Latin, said as people are told that the time has come to turn to the business of everyday life.

Ita missa est is simply a command to go and, in the ancient world, might have been said to a gathering of people as things wound up and it was time to leave. And also the Latin word Missa, which we translate as Mass.

We come to Mass every Sunday for several reasons: to give glory to God, to hear His Word, to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass for the living and the dead, to be nourished by the gift of Holy Communion and to be sent out into the world.

In a way, we come to Mass in order to be told it is time to go. At the heart of every Christian's vocation is the call to witness to the Gospel by a life of faithful service. The words of dismissal reflect on our vocation. To draw this out, special forms of the invitation of Go forth, the Mass is ended have been written. Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord reminds us of Jesus' command to go out and teach all nations - to spread the Good News.

Some may have the task of teaching in a public way, but all of us are called to spread Christ's message in ordinary ways. Sometimes it's not even what we say, but how we say it; it's not always what things we do, but how we do them.

People who are attracted to the Church often say that what caught their attention is the sense that a person of faith has something very special about them. It is so important that our lives reflect our beliefs. Our attitudes and the way we treat people give the most eloquent witness.

Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life tells how we give glory to God. It is by the way in which we live. Jesus said: I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. Saint Irenaeus, one of the early teachers of the Church, wrote: the glory of God is man fully alive.

As we try to live fully at one with God and our neighbour, we give him glory and we live in peace. It is the peace which Christ gives, the peace which our world needs. We go out of the church as part of the great procession as members of the Church, the Body of Christ on our pilgrim way to the glory of heaven.

Parish Bulletin for Sunday, February 26, 2012

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT

Gen. 9:8-15   1 Peter 3:18-22   Mark 1:12-15

In his Introduction to the New Testament, Werner Kümmel declares that "the aim of the Gospels is not recollection about Jesus, nor glorification of his miracles … the main concern is to evoke faith and to strengthen it … to show the early Christian church the ground of its faith" (Abingdon Press, Nashville: 1975).

Mark succeeded in accomplishing this aim with far fewer words than the other evangelists. As one who originated the literary genre of the gospel, Mark produced a faith document that featured Jesus from the beginning of his ministry to his death and resurrection.

In this very brief passage, Mark tells of the desert retreat of Jesus and his struggle against evil. When compared to the Matthean or Lucan versions, Mark's brevity is all the more remarkable. Some have suggested that Matthew and Luke had access to sources unavailable to Mark. Others, probably more correctly, suggest that Mark was merely introducing the battle with evil that Jesus would wage all through his ministry.

No doubt Jesus' struggle spoke poignantly to the experience of the believers in Rome (where the Gospel is thought to have originated). Waging their own battle with the persecution imposed by Nero, the Marcan community was encouraged by the evangelist to draw their strength from Jesus, who similarly suffered, but emerged victorious in the end.

Notice that Jesus' encounter with Satan took place in the desert and continued for 40 days. A fearsome place where wild beasts were a constant danger (just as in Rome, where Christians were thrown to the beasts for the sake of their faith), the desert was also the place where Israel and God sealed their relationship and where they had come to rely on God for their survival.

Similarly reliant on God and strengthened by the Spirit and the ministrations of the angel messengers, Jesus not only survived the desert experience, he emerged victorious and eagerly intent upon beginning his mission. He would preach the gospel of God!

As Bonnie Bowman Thurston has pointed out, verse 15 offers an excellent summary of Jesus' preaching (Preaching Mark, Fortress Press, Minneapolis: 2002).

It is constructed of two indicatives (the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand) and two imperatives (repent, believe in the gospel). These are the facts (what we believe) and the acts (what we are to do) of Christianity.

To put it another way, the manner in which we live is to be reflective of and in harmony with our faith. Like all of Jesus' subsequent teachings, his inaugural message posed a challenge to his listeners. The reign of God that had become present in him demanded reformation of our lives and authentic, lived faith.

Careful readers will notice the order Mark chose for this challenge - reign, reform, believe - thereby underscoring sinners' repentance and belief as an urgent matter, considering the imminence of God's reign.

Because the reign of God still strains forward to fulfilment, the words of the Marcan Jesus continue to speak with an urgency that may not be ignored or diminished. God is near! How could we not take responsibility for ourselves and our world and repent? How could we not believe?

In a few terse words, the Marcan evangelist has attested to Jesus' own encounter with evil and the fact that he did not struggle alone. With the Spirit to guide and inspire him and with angel messengers to support and strengthen him, Jesus emerged from this sortie with Satan to announce the reign of God, which is to be welcomed in repentance and faith.

Today, we are recruited anew in the struggle against evil. To that end, we acknowledge our responsibility for it and our willingness to work toward its transformation.

That all our beloved dead, especially

Tuesday, Feb. 28

Weekday 8:30 a.m. - † The Faithful Departed

may know the refreshment, rest, and peace of God's heavenly kingdom . . . that all those who grieve may know God's comfort and consolation . . .We pray.

For those who are sick or infirm or elderly . . . those who are confined to home or bed . . . those who cannot come to worship with us . . . those who are lonely and alone . . . We pray.

For the Church, that we may be led by the Spirit to a fuller living of the Gospel and greater freedom of mind and heart . . . We pray.

What is Lent anyway?

What is Lent? Ash Wednesday was a few days ago, and we know that it started the Lenten countdown toward Holy Week and Easter, but maybe some of us are not completely clear as to just why these weeks of preparation are there.

One opinion is that Lent mainly is a time to deprive yourself. You give up candy or desserts or heavy meals or beer or wine . . . choose your favourite.

Such sacrifices are good and they are definitely part of Lenten practice (hopefully they are not like New Year's resolutions, since we usually break those). A more severe version of Lenten deprivation was what gave birth to Mardi Gras, meaning literally Fat Tuesday.

In contrast to tough Lent, which is to follow, eat all the fat you can, parade around in costume, go wild. The public usually does not recall that Mardi Gras has something to do with the quaint old practice of Lent.

But that makes the question even sharper: what is it that they/we have forgotten about Lent and its penance? Try this. What if we described Lent as a Retreat? A Retreat, in Catholic and other religions, is a space of days taken to pray and to be with God. Often one goes to a retreat house for this.

No, no, I do not mean that you should disappear for the five weeks of Lent to the nearest retreat house. But what about taking certain retreat practices and allowing them to become part of our Lenten days?

For instance, what about setting aside a little time daily to let your insides settle down for a while, to create space within you to welcome God. Maybe set up a special place in your house or elsewhere just to pray. How about a picture or crucifix or maybe just a candle? Or just 10 minutes of silence?

And why not take some time to read in advance the Gospel from the upcoming Sunday Mass? Sit down, read it slowly, and let the scene described take place within your mind and heart. This week you could ask Jesus how it felt to have the Spirit drive him into the desert, as described in the Gospel.

The point? Let the Lord's loving deeds be the motivation for giving up things during Lent. You might begin to see that you are giving a gift of gratitude to God, rather than just giving up something you like.

How does such a practice prepare us for Holy Week and for Easter? By doing exactly what Jesus does when he gives himself up to suffering and to death. He is returning a gift of love to the Father. Lent prepares us to witness this reality of our saviour, the same one we take part in at every Mass when we receive Communion.

Maybe we could let ourselves be driven into the desert ourselves, and let the Holy Spirit guide us. That is the meaning of Lent.