Lent Reflections

The Crucifixion is not just an image of God’s love, but a mirror reflecting our sin back to us, saying, this is the evil you’re capable of.

Remember the jar of expensive, perfumed oil that Mary pours on Jesus’ feet. We know Mary, Martha and Lazarus weren’t rich, and this oil was expensive. They would have been saving it for a special occasion.

Jesus does not condemn the woman caught in adultery, and he does not condemn us. But he challenges her, and he challenges us, to sin no more. 

The freedom we find in Christ can lead us to act on behalf of the marginalized.

We love being able to claim we’re solely responsible for our successes. But today’s readings remind us that none of us get to where we are on our own, nor should we want to.

It’s a cliché but these two miracles say it well: Jesus is there for us in good times and bad. Jesus celebrates with us; Jesus heals us when we are broken.

Rules are important, but they only exist to safeguard loving relationships. The Catechism is not a penal code, but our guide to a life lived in love. 

What does Jesus do with panicked hearts? He reveals that God’s desire for us exceeds our desire for God!

We must ask ourselves: Is my ambition driven by the desire serve, or do I simply want a better seat at the table?

Our list of sins may be long; but God’s forgiveness is limitless, and in today’s Gospel, he has given us the key to receiving his mercy: “Forgive and you will be forgiven.”