From the Rector’s Desk…

 

This First Sunday of Lent gives us the account of Adam and Eve’s fall from God’s grace and Jesus’ temptation by the devil during his forty day fast in the desert.  Adam and Eve were tempted by Satan to obtain something that they could never truly possess: knowledge of good and evil.  It is not that man could never know what is good or evil.  Rather, this passage means that the prerogative of declaring what is truly good and truly evil belongs to God.  All true laws and all good actions conform to God’s laws, as expressed in Divine Revelation and implanted within our human nature.  Adam and Eve’s grasping of the fruit of this tree was their way of attempting to determine what was good or evil, according to their own desires.  It was a lack of trust that God would give them everything to be happy and prosperous.   We see this lack of trust throughout human history and in the world today: men and women, taking upon themselves the determination of what is good and what is evil rather than trusting in God and his laws.  The result has been the cheapening of human life, the degradation of God’s creation and a loss of communion with God, the source of our life.  But thanks be to God, we have a Savior.  Jesus Christ refused the temptations of Satan, even though he could have had any of those things without the help of Satan.  Jesus shows us that the path to life is obedience to the Father’s commands and trust in the goodness God wishes to give us.   Jesus’ example and his grace allows us to follow the path of life.

Lenten practices

 

The Church offers us three ways of combating temptation, modeled, of course by Jesus. They are prayer, fasting and almsgiving.  Prayer is our necessary communication with God.   Prayer reminds us of our very intimate relationship with God, our creator.  It is a personal relationship in which God speaks to us.  It is not a penance but it does require perseverance and commitment.  There are many ways to pray but above all it requires a complete attention to the Lord without distraction.  Meditating upon Scripture can be away to keep our attention fixed on the Lord.  You may also want to participate in a Holy Hour at the Cathedral on Wednesday evenings from 5 pm to 6 pm.  The Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the monstrance on the altar for our adoration.  Confessions are also heard at this time.  There is also a Holy Hour on Saturday at Holy Cross Church, following the 11:30 am Mass.   Confessions are heard at that time as well.  Additionally, we will have Stations of the Cross following the 12:05 pm Mass throughout Fridays of Lent.  This long-honored devotion of the Church prepares us for the Good Friday liturgy in which we follow Jesus’ path to the cross.  

 

Fasting from food, certain foods and drink, can help us curb our body’s appetites and put our soul in control.  Fasting does not have to be limited to avoiding food.  We can also fast from different forms of entertainment and our over-alliance on the smartphone.  Lent can be an opportunity to give up these forms of escape and replace them with some good spiritual reading or, better still, a more intentional listening to those we interact every day.  

 

Almsgiving reminds us of the monetary resources that we have are ultimately the result of God’s blessings which are meant to be shared, especially with the poor.  It is a way for us to participate in God’s blessing of those less fortunate than we are.   You may want to examine your charitable giving, both to the poor and the Cathedral’s offertory.  As you know, at the Cathedral, we have the Backdoor Ministry which provides food and other resources to the needy who come to our backdoor each day.  The Lord will bless our generosity and gives us greater blessings in return.

 

Have a blessed Lent!

 

Fr. Kitsmiller