First Friday of the Lenten Season

There’s no doubt that Fridays are the most solemn days of the week during Lent. On this, the first Friday of the Lenten season, we foreshadow the sorrow to come on Good Friday, the day of our Lord’s passion and death, just as we do each Friday during this penitential season.  Today, we specifically attempt to join in our Lord’s suffering by abstaining from meat.  Why do we do this, though?  What significance does meat have?  Why don’t we abstain from vegetables or bread?  There have been many explanations as to why we do this.

First, abstaining from anything allows us to grow in discipline, both physically and spiritually.  If we can resist something in the physical world, we grow in our concept and practice of discipline, which carries over into our spiritual lives.  Also, in Latin, the word for what we call “meat” is “caro”, which literally translates into “flesh”.  So we actually are abstaining from “flesh”.  Since Christ gave His own flesh on the cross for our sins, we remember Him on Fridays by abstaining from the flesh in our foods.  In addition to Christ’s flesh, what comes to mind when you think of how Saint Paul describes the “flesh” in the New Testament?  St. Paul also might metaphorically suggest sinful desires, when he says "flesh". All of God's creation, in any case, is good--very good.  By abstaining from meat on Fridays, however, we are remembering that we should also abstain from and reject our sinful desires, which Christ gave His own perfect and unblemished flesh for on the cross so that those sins could be forgiven.

To better remember Jesus’s sacrifice and offer our sinful desires to Him on the cross, there are a few things we can do today.  First, wecan pray the Stations of the Cross, which allows us to vividly experience the Passion and be with our Lord as we remember how He gave Himself for us.  Try to pick one Station that speaks to you the most and meditate on that one and what it means to you throughout the week.  Which person struck your attention?  What about that person do you like or dislike?  Does this station apply to your life right now somehow?  What is happening to Jesus?  How does He act?  How can you act more like Him in the situations of your life right now?  The Stations of the Cross will be prayed at St. Matthews today at 11:30am and 5:00pm or you can find them here to pray on your own: http://www.catholic.org/prayers/station.php

Another thing we can do is join in the sorrow of our Blessed Mother Mary by praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the rosary. Take a few moments of silence before you start each decade of “Hail Marys” to meditate on the mystery you just read.  Ask Mary to allow you to share in her sorrow at the cross and be convicted towards Christ all the more.  Ask her to help you lay down your sins and sufferings at the foot of the cross. For instructions on how to pray the rosary and a list of the Sorrowful Mysteries, go here: http://www.catholic.org/prayers/mystery.php?id=2


Other than that, continue to persevere in whatever you are giving up or adding this Lent, and know that you have a community of faithful Catholics here right by your side sacrificing and praying along with you.  

God bless!  - Stephanie Shipley

About the Author

Hello!  I'm Stephanie Shipley, and I am a Junior at Georgia Southern. My major is Biology, Pre-Medicine, and I am hoping to become a Prosthetist one day.  I am originally from Ringgold, GA (basically Chattanooga, TN).
 I am a sinner and don't know where I would be without my Catholic faith, and I can't wait to see what God has in store for my future.  :-)

“The Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected” Lk 9:22

Who wants to be rejected? I feel like in life we do everything we can to not be rejected. We do not want to be rejected from sporting teams, from colleges, from social groups, and most importantly from the opposite sex. There have been times in my life that I have avoided asking someone out because of the rejection that could follow.  Or most importantly I have not stood up for Christ because of the suffering that could follow. But the question remains: Is the suffering and rejection worth it in life? Is my suffering being united to the suffering of my Savior, Jesus Christ.

“Blessed be He, Who came into the world for no other purpose than to suffer.” – St. Theresa of Avila

Jesus came into the world to take on suffering itself. So I just found out a few years ago that in the time of Christ, the Crucifixion was the worst way to die. The Romans would only kill people this way if they were not a Roman citizen. So if you would have mentioned a cross, people would think immediately of pain and suffering and total darkness. But what do you think of if we mention a cross today? Jesus took this symbol and made it the face of Christianity. Wow- the symbol of joy has become the Cross of Christ!

So what I am getting at is… Jesus can take our worst sufferings in life and make them beautiful if we simply give them over to Him. And a great way to begin?! GO TO CONFESSION OFTEN!!!!! Confession is a time when Jesus continually pours His love and mercy out upon us. So my challenge for you this Lenten Season is to go to confession regularly—at least once every two weeks. I promise it will change your life.

There was a man who went to confession every week and after a few years of doing this he said to the priest, “I am tired of coming here each week and confessing the same sins.” The priest replied to him, “What? Do you want new ones”?!

Just remember that in the midst of every suffering, we should always see the light of Easter Sunday.

-Mark Joseph

What if?

What If?

What am I going to do this Lent? Perhaps this is a question we all ponder today as we receive our ashes and set out for our 40 day journey in the desert. But perhaps that is the wrong question to ask. Perhaps the foundational question is, “What does God ask of me this Lent?”

I have been given 48 Lents on my journey. How many do I have left? Have I grown in my life and being as Jesus has desired?

What if:

This were the final Lent God were to give to me?

I focused on one root sin in my life that I know is displeasing to God and sought to root it out?

I brought to a priest or counselor my deepest darkest secret and began to seek the freedom God has for me?

I made a deep and sincere Confession?

I fasted in a way that was challenging and fruitful?

I read three spiritual books?

I read from the Bible every day?

I really tried to attend daily Mass?

I wrote one hand-written letter per day to encourage people I know?

I made a sacrificial gift to the poor?

I really looked at the role of Facebook, texting and social media in my life?

I looked at the music I listened to and the movies I watched to see if they are helping me?

I asked, “Is my deepest consolation friends, food, sleep, entertainment or the love of God?”

I got in the physical shape God wanted me in?

I told my parents how much I appreciated them.

I sought to heal one broken relationship in my life.

I spent time in silence every day listening to the will of God for my life?

I really laid God’s plan for me for next September at His feet?

I had a long conversation with the Blessed Mother?

The first line from our readings on Ash Wednesday tell us, “Even now says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart.”

What if this Lent I gave my whole heart to Jesus?

What if?

-Fr. Tim McKeown

About the Author

Fr. Tim McKeown is a priest of the Diocese of Savannah. He was pastor of St. Matthew in Statesboro and Chaplain of the Catholic Eagles for five years. He currently serves as Vice Rector of the North American College in Rome which is the US Seminary in Rome.