Lenten Reflection and Resources

This is the reflection that the Daily Gospel Online chose for today's readings:

Commentary of the day : Pope Benedict XVI

General audience of 21/02/07 (©Libreria editrice Vaticana)

Lent, a way to true freedom

From the outset Lent was lived as the season of immediate preparation for Baptism, to be solemnly administered during the Easter Vigil. The whole of Lent was a journey towards this important encounter with Christ, this immersion in Christ, this renewal of life. We have already been baptized but Baptism is often not very effective in our daily life. Therefore, Lent is a renewed "catechumenate" for us too, in which once again we approach our Baptism to rediscover and relive it in depth, to return to being truly Christian. Lent is thus an opportunity to "become" Christian "anew", through a constant process of inner change and progress in the knowledge and love of Christ.

Conversion is never once and for all but is a process, an interior journey through the whole of life. This process of evangelical conversion cannot, of course, be restricted to a specific period of the year: it is a daily journey that must embrace the entire span of existence, every day of our life… What does "to be converted" actually mean? It means seeking God, moving with God, docilely following the teachings of his Son, Jesus Christ; to be converted is not a work for self-fulfilment because the human being is not the architect of his own eternal destiny. We did not make ourselves. Therefore, self-fulfilment is a contradiction and is also too little for us. We have a loftier destination. We might say that conversion consists precisely in not considering ourselves as our own "creators" and thereby discovering the truth, for we are not the authors of ourselves. Conversion consists in freely and lovingly accepting to depend in all things on God, our true Creator, to depend on love. This is not dependence but freedom.

If you don't frequent the Soccer Mom site (which has links in a special section on the Liturgy on the sidebar), you can click here to go to the Catholic Culture site, which gives an excellent explanation of Ash Wednesday and the meaning of the ashes we wear today.

If you're looking for a kid-friendly activity, you can try making pretzels for Lent.

Also remember that if you pray the Rosary, Lent is when we focus solely on the Sorrowful Mysteries.

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