Have A Blessed Lent!

I was reading an online news article the other day. The article mentioned a miracle. In the ensuing internet conversation/comments section below, a person stated, “Wow. Sometimes it’s really hard to comprehend that it’s 2020 and yet educated adults still believe in all the magic and fairy tales.” (As a side note, let me point out once again my disappointment with internet “dialogue”—see here.) The snide remark reminded me of something else I came across recently while reading a book by Gregory Maillet. Maillet expresses the idea that from a Christian perspective/understanding, “theologians and philosophers often claim: there is nothing that is not supernatural, in that God’s intention and even presence is throughout His ‘natural’ creation.” As we know, though, faith is a gift from God. Alas, not everyone accepts the gift He offers and many do not see beyond the material.

This brings me to my post today as Lent is about to begin:

“What will convince the world, and ... what will convince us of the validity of our faith and all the truth she professes is not comfort, not the statement that ‘this will make me happy,’ but the witness of those being happy when they have nothing but their faith. The rich, old, country club preacher saying grace is not much to rally around. But what hope there is in finding out that there is tremendous grace after a day without eating! What affirmation it is to learn that no, we do not believe because we are comfortable, we believe because it is true! To have the grace to praise God in our suffering!”

~Marc Barnes

Here are a few Lenten quotes I have posted previously:

That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.

~Philippians 3:10

“There is one way only of being happy: not to be ignorant of suffering, and not to run away from it; but to accept the transfiguration it brings. Tristitia vestra vertetur in gaudium.¹”

¹ “But your distress shall be turned to joy”, John xvi, 20 (Knox).

~Henri de Lubac

“Lent is the autumn of the spiritual life during which we gather fruit to keep us going for the rest of the year. Enrich yourselves with these treasures, which nobody can take away from you and which cannot be destroyed. I am accustomed to say that we will not spend Lent well unless we are determined to make the most of it. Let us, therefore, spend this Lent as if it were our last, and we will make it well.”

~St. Francis de Sales

Have a blessed Lent!

Kevin