Reflecting on the 3 F's of Lent

With the Ash Wednesday liturgy today, we begin our solemn, faith - filled 40 day journey of Lent.    During the 8am mass earlier at the EDSA Shrine, the celebrant, Fr. Benjo Fajola, talked about the 3 F's of Lent as shared in Walter J. Burghardt, SJ's book "To Be Just Is To Love: Homilies for a Church Renewing": Forgiveness, Freedom and Festivity.

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 My major takeaways from Fr. Benjo's homily are:

 1) Lent is a time for us to open our hearts, extend forgiveness to those who have hurt us or wronged us in any way and to ask forgiveness from those whom we have hurt or wronged. The Lord is asking us to take the first step, whether in extending forgiveness or asking for forgiveness, even if we find it difficult to do so. We ask the Lord for the grace to be like him, like the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, who ran to his son, and even before his son was able to utter the words "Father, I have sinned against you.", embraces him and celebrates his being found. Taking the first step towards forgiving and being forgiven can be done - if we contemplate long enough on the cross where Jesus was crucified and realize the cost, the extent of His sacrifice, for the forgiveness of our sins.

2) Lent is a time for us to experience freedom from all that is weighing us down and burdening us, not allowing us to live fully in the Lord. As we reflect on the gravity of His sacrifice on the cross, we realize that He has won the victory over death and sin and we, too, must have the grace and strength to overcome such burdens and chains in our lives so that we may live a life of freedom, a life filled with the loving and encompassing Presence of the Lord.

3) Lent is a time to be festive, to celebrate. And what, you may ask, are we supposed to celebrate? Or are we even allowed to celebrate? We look at the cross and come to realize how much the Lord loved us, that He allowed Himself to experience the humiliation of being crucified.  Then, as I experienced earlier during the mass, how else can we respond but with gratitude and joy for the great gift He has bestowed on us: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him may not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) 

As we journey in this blessed season of Lent, I pray that we may choose not to be like the older brother in the Parable of the Prodigal Son and waste the opportunities the Lord will give us to celebrate life, to be freed from sin, and to forgive and to be forgiven. Let us follow the example of God who ran to us and expressed His love for us by washing away our sinfulness through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

He ran to me, He took me in His arms 
Held my head to His chest, said “My son’s come home again” 
Lifted my face, wiped the tears from my eyes 
With forgiveness in His voice He said, “Son”, He called me Son 
He said, “Son do you know I still love you?” 
He ran to me and then I ran to Him 
When God ran
(from the song When God Ran - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-m-PF20bDlI)

The Promise of Reaping with Songs of Joy

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Well, I believe this is really ringing out loud and clear as the direction and disposition I need to take during this particular life episode in response to this question "When you meet disappointment and failure, do you press upon the Lord, like Simon, to hear his word and to receive his command?".

It's such a blessing to be reminded about being built for more and, in response, to give more. 
:-D

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Sowing In Tears
TGIF Today God Is First
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"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy." - Psalm 126:5

Psalm 126 describes an interesting process that goes against our natural tendencies when we are taken into a difficult period in our lives. Whenever we are hurled into a crisis that brings tears, our tendency is to retreat or recoil in fear and hurt. However, there is a better way that God tells us to handle such times of travail.

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. "He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him" (Ps. 126:5-6). God is telling us that if we will do what is unnatural for us in these circumstances, He will make sure that what we sow in tears will return in joy. This is one of the most important lessons I have learned when faced with difficult circumstances. Rather than sit back and allow self-pity and discouragement to consume us, we should plant seed during this time. Reach out to a person who needs a friend. Invest in the life of another. See where you can be a blessing to someone. Give of yourself.

The psalmist acknowledges that we are doing this while we are in our pain. However, during this time we are to sow seed. That seed will return to us in another form. Here is what will happen when we do this. "He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." We will receive joy and fruit from the seed that we plant during this time. Sheaves represent the fruit of a harvest. We will actually get a harvest from this seed.

"You must not let the circumstances destroy you! Too many in the Kingdom are counting on you to come through this because of the calling on your life!" Those were the words spoken to me by a friend one time when I was in the midst of a very difficult business and personal circumstance that was threatening to destroy me emotionally. This person saw what God was doing and the fruit that God wanted to bring from these circumstances. Sometimes we need others around us to push us through the difficult times. If you find yourself in a difficult place today, see where you can sow some seed. Soon you will be reaping songs of joy.