Today we begin the great season of Lent. It always seems to arrive so quickly after Christmas and this year is no exception. The tree and decorations have been put away and all the parties have come and gone. We may feel like our homes and our souls are a bit barren. And indeed they are.
Lent is a time for simplification, for focusing on the essential, for cleaning our interior homes, so to speak. It is a time of introspection, of growth, of healing, of preparation. Many parishes host Exodus 90 groups for men and Fiat 90 groups for women during this time. They invite us to make sacrifices, to cast off what comforts us for a time, to increase our participation in prayer and the sacraments.
Lent is a time to focus on the essential, to hone in on what is most important in our lives. So, what is most important to you? I would love to say I have my priorities straight and have God first, family second and job third, but is that reflected in how I spend my time and energy? Am I first and foremost a woman of prayer and a missionary disciple? Do I take after our Blessed Mother in my own mothering and in my own marriage? Do I shine the light of Christ in my workplace and give my all during work hours?
Sadly, I often fail miserably. But Lent is a wonderful opportunity to begin again, to start afresh, to make a sincerely profound examination of conscience and choose to choose love, over and over again. Let us be encouraged by today’s readings to “go to your inner room” to “pray to your Father in secret” (see Gospel) and thus “return to [God] with your whole heart” (see first reading).
Hoy comenzamos la gran temporada de Cuaresma. Siempre parece llegar tan rápido después de la Navidad, y este año no es la excepción. El árbol y las decoraciones ya se han guardado y todas las fiestas han pasado. Quizás sintamos que nuestros hogares y nuestras almas están un poco vacíos. Y de hecho lo están.
La Cuaresma es un tiempo para simplificar, para centrarnos en lo esencial, para limpiar nuestro interior, por así decirlo. Es un tiempo de introspección, de crecimiento, de sanación, de preparación. Muchas parroquias organizan grupos de Éxodo 90 para hombres y Fiat 90 para mujeres durante este tiempo. Nos invitan a hacer sacrificios, a dejar de lado lo que nos consuela por un tiempo, a aumentar nuestra participación en la oración y los sacramentos.
La Cuaresma es un tiempo para centrarnos en lo esencial, para enfocarnos en lo más importante de nuestras vidas. Entonces, ¿qué es lo más importante para ti? A mí me encantaría decir que tengo mis prioridades claras y que Dios viene primero, la familia segundo y el trabajo tercero, pero ¿se refleja eso en cómo invierto mi tiempo y mi energía? ¿Soy, ante todo, una mujer de oración y una discípula misionera? ¿Me asemejo a nuestra Santísima Madre en mi maternidad y en mi matrimonio? ¿Brillo con la luz de Cristo en mi trabajo y me entrego por completo durante las horas de trabajo?
Lamentablemente, a menudo fracaso horriblemente. Pero la Cuaresma es una oportunidad maravillosa para empezar de nuevo, para empezar de cero, para hacer un profundo y sincero examen de conciencia y escoger elegir el amor, una y otra vez. Dejémonos animar por las lecturas de hoy a “entra en tu cuarto, cierra la puerta y ora ante tu Padre, que está allí en lo secreto” (ver el Evangelio) y así volver a Dios con todo el corazón (ver primera lectura).
Tami Urcia is a midwestern gal from a large Catholic family. As a young adult she was a missionary in Mexico, where she studied theology and philosophy. After returning stateside bilingual, she gained a variety of work experience, traveled extensively and finished her Bachelor’s Degree at Brescia University. She loves organizing and simplifying things, watching her children play sports, deep conversations with close family and friends and finding unique ways to brighten others’ day with Christ’s love. She works full time at Diocesan in the Software Department and manages the Inspiration Daily reflections. She is also a contributing writer on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net.
Feature Image Credit: Thays Orrico, unsplash.com/photos/a-person-in-a-purple-robe-holding-a-cup-JoCCv4jcoYo
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