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| The Crabby Mystic's Recommendations for Lent |
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by Sr Mary Lea Hill
What
shall I do for Lent? Maybe I’ll give up chocolate…, or maybe not. Maybe
I’ll try to improve my posture or lose some weight. Probably not.
Really what I should aim for is to cut the complaining. But, there is no
end of things worthy of what I’ve come to call “social commentary.”
Most of the time I vent with God.
But,
is complaining a sincere form of prayer? Maybe not a real form of
prayer, but a kind of sub-form. It isn’t adoration, contrition, or
thanksgiving, but definitely a part of supplication. I don’t know about
anyone else, but for me the complaints I utter do somehow morph into
prayer. While I’m voicing my astonishment at what perturbs me, I begin
to feel some compassion and I think of reasons why the other did
whatever. And this is the best part: at the same time I find myself
engaged in acts of adoration, contrition, and thanksgiving.
There
are lots of little threads of prayer in our lives. In fact, everything
about us is meant to cause us to pray. That is because God is present
within and around us to protect us and to engage us with his love. What
exactly are these opportunities for prayer? Regrets, tiredness,
distractions, fears, preoccupations, times of quiet and peace, joy and
sorrow. Every moment contains an invitation to commune with God.
A couple of years ago I wrote a book entitled Prayer and You: Wit and Wisdom from a Crabby Mystic. Do
you ever feel like a crabby mystic caught between nature and grace?
There is who we are and who we know God is calling us to be. And
whatever your thing is, whatever you’re working on, prayer teaches you
how to reconcile the two. The pray-er becomes the prayer.
May you
recognize the opportunities of prayer built into every moment of your
day in this holy season. And may this Lent be a grace-filled time for
you.
Sr. Mary Lea Hill, FSP is the author of Prayer and You: Wit and Wisdom from a Crabby Mystic.
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There
are lots of little threads of prayer in our lives. In fact, everything
about us is meant to cause us to pray. Regrets, tiredness, distractions,
fears, preoccupations, times of quiet and peace, joy and sorrow. Every
moment contains an invitation to commune with God.
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Bone of My Bones, and Flesh of My Flesh
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by Karee Santos
My
grandmother told me she would have given birth to a dozen children, if
she could have. When I asked her why, she responded that twelve seemed
like a nice number. In contrast, my mother deliberately chose to have
two children, spaced eight years apart, so that she could raise them as
“two only children.” My grandmother remarked ruefully, “I never
understood your mother.”
Nowadays, families of more than two
children are as rare as ice cream in the sun. Typical family size has
changed greatly in the space of a few generations. The demographic
change has accompanied a seismic shift in ideas of what it means to be a
family, and what it means to be a man or a woman. Listening to the
stark difference between my mother and grandmother’s stories made me
wonder about my role as a woman in the 21st century.
Pope St.
John Paul II came riding to my rescue with the uplifting philosophy he
articulated in his series of talks nicknamed the Theology of the Body.
In a leisurely exploration of the Biblical story of Adam and Eve, the
late pope revealed the importance of our creation as male and female.
In
the beginning, John Paul II explained, Adam was lonely. At the dawn of
creation, living in unspoiled wonder, Adam sensed that he was alone in
paradise. He reveled in the exquisite blossoming flowers, the luscious
fruits of the garden, and the breathtaking diversity of the animals. But
there was no one to share it with, until God created Eve. Seeing her
for the first time, Adam cried, “This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh” (Gn 2:23
NABRE). Almost everyone has been struck by that cry of the heart upon
finding a person who inspires an upwelling of love and a joyful
recognition that finally we have found someone with whom we belong.
Our masculinity and femininity impel us toward one another, because God gave us these gifts to be shared....
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Discover Theology of the Body for Yourself
Go
at your own pace with this helpful and clear video series, a total of
12 hours of faith formation complete with a downloadable study guide. Introductory offer 40% off till March 8th.
Sign up today and get 40% off with the code TOB4LENT
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