Luke 6: 36-37
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Of all the liturgical seasons that the Roman Catholic Church celebrates. Nothing catches the attention of society more than the season of Lent. However, society tends to completely get the reason of Lent completely wrong. Society portrays Lent as a focus on our sins and our personal penitence, as if we could only restore our relationship with the Father through superfluous personal reparation to a disappointed father. Our heavenly Father is not disappointed or mad at us, He is merciful as today's Gospel states. We focus as a church on penance, almsgiving, and fasting during this season of Lent, not for reparation, but to focus on the one who loves us. To deny ourselves, to un-plug ourselves from distractions, to turn away from sin, or anything in our life that we could turn into a substitute for God, and lead us away from the presence of the Trinity in our lives, this is the meaning of Lent. We could never add anything to the perfect sacrifice of our Lord upon the Cross, but we can move the life-giving cross, the sign of God's love for us, into the center of our hearts this Lent, and live a life with grace on the journey to the heavenly kingdom.
Get to know our seminarians! Today's reflection was written by:
Deacon Joshua Bertrand, Theology IV
Home parish: USF Catholic Student Center / Corpus Christi
Did you know...
I grew up in rural Kissimmee, Florida. I'm currently studying dogmatic theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy. God willing I will be ordained a priest of Jesus Christ for the Roman Catholic diocese of St. Petersburg in May 2020.
Pray with us for the men and women discerning the priesthood and religious life. To pray for our seminarians by name or to find out more about the Diocese of St. Petersburg vocations office, click here.
