I was invited to give the Lenten Retreat at Rosary Parish during the first week of Lent. In an effort to help the people of the archdiocese live the season of Lent well, I shall use my column for the next few weeks to offer a summary of the reflections I shared with the people during the retreat.   

“Introduction
In the Sacramentary (Missal) that we use for Mass, we find the first Lenten Preface. It makes two very important points:

1) The Preface thanks the Father for the gift of Lent;
Reflection: As we begin our Lenten retreat together, our attitude toward the retreat must be proper. According to the Church, Lent is a gift. That significant statement leads to some questions!

Do we see Lent as a gift? Do we accept Lent as a gift? Are we open to the opportunities that Lent provides? Where do we see ourselves in relation to this time last year? As disciples of the Lord, has our relationship with the Lord deepened qualitatively since last year? 

Has the quality of our prayer improved qualitatively since last year?  Has our motivation for surrendering our privacy to the Lord to be free for ministry been purified qualitatively since last year? Or do we have to admit that we are basically in the same place as we were last year?   

2) The Preface reminds us that the Father is bringing the image of his Son to perfection in us.
Reflection: This reminder of the Church is important. Meaning in our lives as believers depends on our being acutely aware that we are called and enabled in the Spirit to present honour and praise and glory to the Father through Christ all the days of our lives.

This dynamic touches every dimension of our lives and, if we cooperate with it and are open to it, the dynamic enriches our lives enormously no matter what our age.

Bringing the image of his Son to perfection in us is a progressive work of the Father in the Spirit. The process is not vague. There are some general signs we can use to judge whether or not the ministry of the Father in the Spirit to perfect the image of Christ in our lives is actually taking root in our lives.

What would be practical examples of these signs? Consider these examples:
1) Our search for God is active;
2) Our desire for holiness is sustained (holiness means living the values of God not just on our own strength but by the grace of God and the enabling power of the Spirit) and
3) The fruits of the Holy Spirit are present and active in our lives.

The list of the fruits of the Holy Spirit found in Galatians 5: 22-23 offers a helpful checklist of whether we have allowed the Holy Spirit to act in our lives. The list of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patient endurance, kindness, generosity, faith, mildness and chastity. Does the list describe our lives as believers? Does the list challenge us to open ourselves more generously to the work of the Spirit?

In this introduction we have been speaking of the ongoing commitment to spiritual growth in our lives. Remember: to choose not to be in an ongoing process of growth or to choose to live our lives in what is called a maintenance mode is to choose to live in a rut.

Life in a rut is boring! Life in ongoing growth is exciting. Are we excited to be Catholic believers who are involved in trying to build the future of the archdiocese together?  

Theme 1: The hunger and thirst for God
The first theme I want to consider on this retreat is our hunger for God, our thirst for God, our recognised need for God. The condition of the world, the condition of the life of the nation, the terrible level of pain and hurtful memories in the lives of so many very nice and gentle people make us conscious of the traditional questions that surface on retreat.

They are questions that will just not go away: Who am I? What is my purpose in life? Where are my roots? Is my present condition in life – good or challenging - all there is to life? Where am I going? What must I do to experience peace?

Contemporary issues

As we look at our recognition of our hunger and thirst for God and our response to those hungers we must face two issues:
1) How can we recapture the sense of wonder and respect for the mystery of God i.e. to appreciate and cherish the unfolding before our eyes of God’s identity, creative power and plan for the world as it inevitably progresses toward its fulfilment?

 “Recapture” is an appropriate word because so many people have been seriously affected by the separation of faith and culture that has resulted from secularisation that they now struggle with making sense out of life. They even struggle with their understanding of God and the place God should have in their lives.

2) People also struggle trying to find light in so much darkness in the world. They ask how is it possible to find the light and to live in the light?
The objective answers to those questions and issues are clear but not so easy to implement. The subjective state of the individual to accept the answers and to be able to respond to them is another question entirely.

The answer to the first question about recapturing a sense of wonder and respect for the mystery of God is to slow down at certain parts of each day and to use the time to contemplate the wonders of the mystery of God in creation especially in people, in Scripture, in the wisdom literature of the Catholic Tradition, in life- giving friendships, in the events of life. Take the time to maintain perspective.

The answer to the second question about finding light and hope in so much darkness is also clear.

The answer is we must feed ourselves with light not darkness. We must protect ourselves in communities of light and not experiment in communities of darkness. We must challenge as soon as possible the shadows that can develop in our lives before they lead us into darkness.

Remember we live in an age when it is possible in the privacy of our homes to listen to, watch and download the works of darkness. The works of darkness will certainly affect our values and eventually change our behaviour. However, we can also choose positive options. We can use the developments in modern communications to listen to, to watch and to download works of light. 

If darkness has already touched us then we must recommit ourselves to beginning again, to the search for a personal relationship with God, for light and truth, for love and forgiveness so we can become whole again. Lent is a very helpful time for that process. Do not become discouraged! Trust in the God who loves you!”

Next week we shall continue the consideration of our hunger and thirst for God from the viewpoints of recognising those hungers, understanding them and responding to them.