First Sunday in Lent
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Mt 11:28-29).
The Lord invites us to find peace and joy in Him this Sabbath as we set aside time to worship and rest.
“Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God.”
Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word “Shabbat”, which literally means “to stop.” Keeping holy the Sabbath is not just a commandment, but an invitation. An invitation from the Lord to stop our work, stop our worrying, stop our striving. An opportunity to fid rest and to be renewed. A chance to refocus on the things that truly matter - the Lord, family, community. In our culture, Sunday has become a day to “catch up” on everything that didn’t get done during the week, and any time left over is often seen as an opportunity just to “get ahead” for next week. But we Christians have a chance now to remember what it means to keep the Sabbath. During this pandemic the Lord is calling us back to Himself, offering us a chance to reclaim the gift of the Sabbath, reminding us again what it means to “keep it holy.”
A basic principle for observing the Sabbath is only to do things that can be considered “rest” or “worship”. Here are a few ideas to consider to begin more to enter into the Sabbath. Maybe pick just one thing to focus on this Sunday, then next Sunday keep that practice in addition to a second one. And then the next Sunday add a third, to slowly over time begin to enter into this great gift of the Sabbath more and more.
Keep the Lord at the center - read the Mass readings ahead of time, participate in Mass, make more time for prayer, spend some extra time in silence focusing on the Lord
Try not to work - resist the urge to check your email, or catch up on a few things, and leave it for Monday
Plan ahead - take care of what needs to be done before Sunday, so plan the rest of your week to make sure you get the laundry done, have gone grocery shopping, etc.so you don’t have to do any of it on Sunday
Spend the day “screen free” - try to stay off social media, internet news, and your phone as much as possible. If you can’t make it the whole day try to go for at least a few hours
Be intentional with others - if you live with others (ie. family, roommates), is there something you can do together like play a game or go on a hike? If you live alone, can you reach out to a good friend and catch up?
Leisure, not entertainment - try to do things that are life giving; binge-watching a favorite show or playing video games for hours rarely leaves anyone with a new zeal for life. Read a good book, go on a long walk, develop a hobby.
PARTICIPATE
“Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). Each Sunday we are called to “keep holy the Sabbath” and although that may look different for right now we will still come together as a St. Ann community through the gift of technology.
MASS READINGS
GIVING
Take a few minutes to give to St. Ann Parish. Please give generously and sacrificially as an act of faith during these difficult times. You can give online:
After giving, offer ways to be generous of your whole self during this trying time for our world.
“Each must do as already determined without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.”
PROCESS
“The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him" (Mk 1:12-13).
At the very beginning of Jesus's public ministry, immediately after his baptism, He is driven by the Spirit out into the desert. In the other Gospels we are told that Jesus fasted and prayed, and we learn in detail of the testing that he underwent during those forty days. But here, in St. Mark's Gospel, where everything is told with such economy and brevity, one word sticks out among the others. During these forty days in the desert, we are told, Jesus was "among wild beasts".
The desert can be a fearsome place, full of strange sounds and shifting visions. It is a solitary place, where one can be so alone with one's thoughts that they start to seem like a companion... or an adversary. In a world so full of noise and the shallow droning of digital distractions, it can be frightening to venture out into a quiet place and be alone with our thoughts, our memory, our personal demons. The "wild beasts" of our past.
Yet for Jesus, the wilderness of the desert is not a place of weakness, but a place of strength. It is the place of intimacy with the Father, not a lonely place but a place of communion, of refreshment, and of life. The Lord of all Creation, the Divine Word through Whom all things exist, strides out into the desert to tame the wild beasts and to recreate it as a paradise for us. He, the new Adam, walks among the wild beasts as their Lord, giving them a new name (Gen 2:19; Rev 2:17), and making them a new creation. For forty days He dwells among wild beasts as did Noah of old, whose ark "prefigured baptism, which saves you now" (1 Pt 2:21).
Christ in the desert invites us to follow Him, here at the beginning of Lent. To be not afraid of wild beasts, or of the silence. To leave behind the noise and seek after Him, purifying our minds and hearts by acts of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. He invites us to seek Him where He may be found, in a place quiet enough that we may hear His voice clearly and understand the loving gravity of His words: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mk 1:15).
Practice
Lent is a perfect time to take a moment and reflect. This week, make a good examination of your conscience. It’s often helpful to have a guide to help you with this; here is a great examination of conscience.
We do not examine our conscience to punish ourselves or dwell on our past mistakes but rather to truly “repent and believe in the Gospel” as Jesus tells us to do. True repentance comes with true humility, and humility is only possible if we live fully grounded reality.
Before you examine your conscience, ask God to help you see your life as He does. While you are reflecting, there is no need to justify yourself nor condemn yourself. The virtue is instead in the middle: an honest reflection of your past life with sorrow for having distanced yourself from God, and also with a hopeful look for the future, promising God to “sin no more and avoid whatever leads me to sin”.
God has established a covenant with us that we cannot break, even by sinning. He wants nothing more than for you to return to Him this Lent. The first step is to approach Him in the sacrament of Reconciliation. We have two parish Reconciliation events this Lent: March 24 and March 31. Let’s start off Lent by thoroughly examining our conscience and firmly intending to keep his covenant.
Discussion Questions
Think about how you can continue to reflect on God’s word to you this week, and how you can invite others into the conversation. You can use the questions below for personal reflection, or to grow with others. Be creative! You could consider gathering with friends and family, or starting a group text, or a group FaceTime, to discuss the questions below.
What stands out to you from the readings this week? What might God be speaking to you at this time?
What relationship did you focus on last week? How did your relationship grow or strengthen?
What does it mean to you that God has made a covenant with you?
The second reading, from St. Peter, calls to mind Holy Saturday when Jesus visits the souls in Sheol. What do you notice about this image of Jesus reaching out to two souls?
Why do you think the Holy Spirit “drove Jesus out into the desert” (Mark 1:12)?
What does it mean to you when Jesus says “The kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15)?
How do you feel about making an examination of conscience? Does it intimidate you or inspire you to grow in holiness?