You are the light of the World – Matthew 5:14

A few years back, I felt God really inspire me to text a friend and to let them know I was praying for them – they had been going through a difficult time in their life.  But I wasn’t quite ready for the text I received back from them.  They shared with me, that they had got up that morning and said to God in prayer ‘if you’re out there and you’re with me, show me a sign today’ – she said my text was that sign! 

At this time of ‘giving up’…one of the greatest ‘giving ups’ we can ever make is that of sacrificing our own agendas!  When we start to live less for ourselves and more for others – in the name of divine love - we see the change…not only in our own lives but in the lives of others. Our little acts of kindness (which sometimes demand a great sacrifice on our part) start to eclipse our world as the darkness is scattered.  I once heard a very holy priest say ‘that an outstanding act of kindness done here on earth is almost like a glimpse of heaven on earth’ – like a movie trailer of the main event…what heaven will be like! 

“If you are what you’re meant to be you’ll set the whole world ablaze”

St Catherine of Siena

But in this day and age – sacrificing for others’ needs - has never been more difficult… in generation selfish, in our ‘in it to win it’ culture… as it opposes the way of the World. That’s why it’s been reserved to only the few who have the capacity to light up this world in their charitable and selfless lives,  their our modern day heroes and heroines – or translated into God’s language (through the way he believes in you) – ‘You’re his Saints of the new millennium!!’

“Just as salt gives flavour to food and light illumines the darkness, so too holiness gives full meaning to life and makes it reflect God's glory. How many saints, especially young saints, can we count in the Church's history! In their love for God their heroic virtues shone before the world, and so they became models of life which the Church has held up for imitation by all.”

Pope John Paul II

Frankie Mulgrew, 33,
Seminarian from the Salford Diocese.

"Keep moving forward!"

As I sat realising that we’re already halfway through Lent, I decided to give myself a quick midway review of how I’ve done so far at sticking to my Lenten “promises”. Not so brilliant I could see. I started to feel a little bit disappointed to be honest, as this Lent I thought that I could be really good, do really well and feel great at the end of it, which is rather selfish really. After a little more reflection, I decided to call it quits as it was like opening a can of worms and my list of mistakes, slip ups and failures evidently out-weighed the good.

However, I realised that this wasn’t the aim of Lent. It’s not to focus on our failures of re-indulging into a bar of chocolate or dusting off the box of Benson and Hedges and having a quick cig or giving in to any temptation. Neither is our aim to use Lent as an excuse to take up that diet that we never got round to actually starting in January.

We cannot have prayer without fasting (whether it is fasting of food or fasting of any form) and neither can we have fasting without prayer; you may as well call that one “the Atkins diet”. The aim of Lent is to simply get rid of those things that hinder our relationship with our Creator. Our Lenten disciplines are supposed to ultimately transform our entire person: body, soul, and spirit. Our Lenten disciplines are supposed to help us become more like Christ. Eastern Christians call this process theosis, which St. Athanasius aptly describes as "becoming by grace what God is by nature".

But when we do slip up, does God frown? Does he tut and shake his head? Does he wiggle a finger accusingly in our direction? Is there, on His stairway to heaven, a single step labelled ‘The Naughty Step’ to which he points if we do wrong? As amusing as some of these images of God may seem this couldn’t be any further from the truth! Before we have even committed any form of sin, we’ve been forgiven.

“You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight.
   You know everything I'm going to say
 before I start the first sentence.”

    Psalm 139 (The Message)

As you may’ve read in other posts, God is Love. His love is the Holy Spirit and this Love was made incarnate through the Virgin Mary. Word made flesh, Christ our Lord, Emmanuel.

And this love - It’s endless, unfathomable, incomprehensible, limitless, immeasurable, boundless, ungraspable, and EVERLASTING! And nothing can stop us from having God’s love.

“For I am certain of this: that neither death, nor life, nor angel, nor prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height, or depth, not any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord”

Romans 8: 38-39

Incredible.

I reluctantly watched Disney Pixar’s ‘Meet the Robinsons’ last week and yet the message that I got from that film was truly inspiring.

1. Family supports.

2. Rejoice in failure as it shows areas for improvement next time.

3. ‘KEEP MOVING FORWARD’

So as we continue on our Lenten journeys, our own pilgrimage ups our own personal Calvary, forget the failures, forget your flaws and reflect on the Christ within.

‘One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.’

Philippians 3: 13-14

Fergus Williams-Tanton, 20

Music Co-ordinator Animate Youth Ministries

Archdiocese of Liverpool

"In so far as you share in the sufferings of Christ, be glad..."

Lent for me, as I'm sure it is for all of you, is a time for preparing for Easter. Whether we give up chocolate or cut down on the amount of TV we watch, the fasting we undertake has many benefits -

It encourages us to appreciate what we usually have so easily.It allows us to take a step back and gain perspective. It increases within us patience and virtue, which God so willing gives.It Helps us feel compassion and empathy towards the poor.

All of these things i'm sure you are aware of, but i want to come back to the true meaning of what lent is about....
.... We fast in Lent so that we can share in Christs sufferings, and share in the full joy that Easter morning brings.

With this in mind, i wanted to reflect with you this simple message of Easter, that  every Good Friday has an Easter Sunday. One thing the Church teaches us from these forty days is that in EVERYTHING the message of Easter is present. In all situations, of suffering and sorrow, joy and of sheer jubilation, there is always an element of Good Friday with all Easter Sundays. No matter how much of one there is, the other is there, and henceforth, so is God.

This can be so useful for our own Faith. In dealing with horrific disasters such as the devastating earthquake in Japan we can still see God acting there, in the compassion of relief workers, charity organisations and donations. Suffering is key to our existence, and it is how God revealed to us his true glory.

As we are in the midst of lent i wanted to encourage you to keep going with a scripture which i have always been pointed towards -

'My dear friends, do not be taken aback at the testing by fire which is taking place among you, as though something strange were happening to you; but in so far as you share in the sufferings of Christ, be glad, so that you may enjoy a much greater gladness when his glory is revealed'

Nick Miller
Age 21
Studying at University of Nottingham and member of Sion Community

“Even the King got down off his throne, put on sackcloth and sat in ashes” Jonah 3:6

For me this describes all that Lent is about.  Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity that is the Almighty God, worthy of all honour, glory and worship from ourselves, steps down from his Heavenly throne to live life like we do.  Not only does he humble himself to become human but he fasts and is subjected to temptation, pain and suffering.

 Do you know and believe that you are loved this much?

In today’s psalm we hear the words:

 “Like the deer that yearns
for running streams, so my soul is yearning
for you my God.

My soul is thirsting for God,
the God of my life…”

Psalm 42

I love these words, and usually they create a lovely image in my mind of a deer by a running stream, but this is not what they are really about. They are about thirsting, really thirsting.  While I was reflecting on this I realised that we, in this part of the world, don’t actually know what it feels like to thirst, to live life without a ready supply of clean water, thinking we could die of thirst. 

To thirst is to be in desperate need with the whole of our lives.  I really believe that if we could truly grasp for just a second the extent of this amazing love that God has for each one of us we would be thirsting for God with the whole of our life, nothing else would be worth living for.  In Psalm 8 we hear the words “what is man that you spare a thought for him, mortal man that you keep him in mind? Yet you have made him little less than a god…” I can’t understand or explain this love.

St Catherine of Sienna said “it’s Heaven all the way to Heaven…”  What I am sure of is that to know this love that God has for us is to live Heaven.  I believe that is what God wants for every moment of our lives.  Our prayer, fasting and almsgiving are all opportunities to make space in our lives to come closer to this love we are living Heaven, united with God, which is what we were created to be.




Maria Pleydell,
From Epping, Residing in Wigan,
Trainee RE teacher.

Religion or Relationship?

Good morning, afternoon or evening depending on when you’re reading this.  I hope you have/are having/ had a good day.  I’d like to share with you something I heard yesterday.  I was sat at the back observing a GCSE class when a dynamic Anglican priest came in to give his testimony.  The topic in question was vocation.  I sat there listening attentively, amazed at this man’s calling.  I was transfixed by his openness and honesty, until he uttered the words “Christianity is not a religion”.  At once I snapped out of my reflective moment into a state of panic!  What was he saying?  What on earth are these pupils going to write in their exam?!  However, his next statement rooted me to the spot;

“Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship.” 

This is something so very obvious, yet is often forgotten.

This view of Christianity as a relationship has many guises; however the simple notion of entering into a relationship with the Father through human interaction is not something new.  God himself took on human flesh through Jesus Christ, He worked hard, He literally got his hands dirty with the very things humans do – it is through this interaction we encounter the one true God.  It isn’t simply structured “religious” belief systems that inform our actions as Christians, but the agape of God experienced through our relationships.

So, during lent we are often tested and challenged by giving something up, praying a bit more or giving money to charity, all of which are important.  However, why do we do these things?  Is it because of religion or relationships?  Do we act out of duty and obligation? Or do we act out of love?

These are just my reflections on a thought provoking statement.  It is a challenge which I am grappling with myself and wanted to share it with you.

“Love one another as I have loved you”

John 13:34

Peter Jones, 24

Trainee R.E teacher in Liverpool Archdiocese

St Benedict’s Parish, Warrington.

“You are the light of the world - a city on a hill cannot be hidden”

Matthew 5:14

This is my Bible quote. I am quite sure that everyone has a passage in the bible that they find speaks to them quite specifically, and this is mine.

I think it tells us not to be ashamed of anything about ourselves. A city on a hill cannot pretend it is not there, it is simply there and unavoidably so.

  

In the same way, we as Christians cannot deny being Christians. If we say that we are not, then we aren’t. Saying it is a part of the deal really!

Lent is an opportunity for us and others to grow as Christians. I am sure we have all at some point received a questioning glance from someone when you have turned down a piece of cake, biscuit or whatever. Then a slightly amused look when they hear it is because you have given it up for lent.

Do not be put off by this. God sees our efforts and is happy with us.

In lent we fast because Jesus fasted. We give because Jesus gave. We pray because Jesus taught us to. Therefore, because Jesus was God's son, we also lay our claim to being one of God’s children with our heads held high.

With this is mind, we think about how we can be Christ to others. In the words of my amazing mum “You may be the only gospel some people read”.
This is a perfect example of how actions speak louder than words. Those of our brothers and sisters that might not know God as well as we do, receive the message much more clearly, through us.

So be the example to others that Christ was to us.

Fast

Give

And

PRAY!!

In the words of Florence Welch,

“When food is gone, you are our daily need”.

Mike Burrows

15

St Helens

De La Salle Fifth Year studying rather a lot of things..

“A tree with flowers needs deep roots in the soil” (Mgr Urioste)

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,

     whose hope is in the Lord.

He is like a tree planted beside the waters

     that stretches out its roots to the stream.”

Jeremiah 17

Thirty one years ago today, at 6pm in the afternoon, Archbishop Oscar Romero was celebrating the Eucharist in the chapel of the hospital where he humbly lived when, as his homily came to an end, a shot rang out as a gunman fired at him from the back door of the chapel. The Archbishop fell to the side of the altar. Despite the best efforts of those in the chapel with him, he died within minutes. The gunman was an expert marksman and knew exactly what he was doing.

For years I’ve been inspired by Romero. He was someone whose faith led him to see the injustice within El Salvador, the rich, dominating families keeping people living in poverty so as to keep their power, and stood against it. It wasn’t an easy decision. He was challenging the very fabric of society and even influential members of the Church were against rocking the proverbial boat too much.

Romero gave his voice to the voiceless. In his weekly homilies, broadcast simultaneously over radio (co-funded by CAFOD) throughout El Salvador and beyond, he would carefully reflect on the Word of God in the Scriptures. He would also recount the violations of human rights – the “disappearances”, the torture, the kidnappings and killings that happened in El Salvador that week. He would condemn these abuses, committed both by the military and by those challenging the oppression. Romero would ensure people knew the unbiased reality of their country, and used Scripture to help reflect on their situation.

For giving voice to the truth, the United Nations have named 24 March, Romero’s anniversary, as the “International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims”. It may not be a catchy title, but a sign of real respect for Oscar Romero by the UN. Today, on his visit to El Salvador, President Barack Obama is following in the footsteps of Pope John Paul II and going to pay his respects at the tomb of Romero in San Salvador’s Cathedral.

I am consistently challenged by Romero. How much do I really know about what’s going on in my local and my global community? What is Scripture helping me reflect on in all of this? How much do I shut my eyes to the reality of my brothers and sisters? How much am I doing to help? When Pope Benedict visited the UK in September, he reminded us that “every day we have to choose to love”. It’s a conscious decision. The words of today’s gospel, the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, are ringing in my ears. How do I daily “choose to love”?

Finally, as Lent continues to roll on, the other thing which really struck me about Romero is how spiritual he was. When we spoke with Mgr Ricardo Urioste who was Romero’s secretary, he said that Romero was “a saint man, a pastor, and a martyr. He had a deep contact with God in prayer, and always a deep sense of unity with the Lord”.

He was known to disappear from important meetings, to be found knelt in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Urioste said, “a tree with flowers needs deep roots in the soil. Oscar Romero was a man with so many flowers, and people knew this was because he had such firm foundations in the Lord.” When I read today’s first reading from the prophet Jeremiah I heard these words echoed. As I continue my Lenten journey, I know I need to re-commit today to spending time in silent prayer, listening to God speaking to me, and talking with God in my heart.

Working in Romero House, CAFOD’s main office in London, I walk past the plaque in his honour as I enter the building each day. It’s a reminder of what we are capable of if we really are rooted in God, as well as what the sacrifice may be if we truly live out our calling as a child of God. Each day as I walk in, I say in my heart:

Oscar Romero, Servant of God, pray for us.

Stephen Davies,

Works with CAFOD,

Went on pilgrimage to El Salvador with The Romero Trust in November 2010

"Prayer... an outburst from the heart... a simple glance darted upwards to Heaven... a cry of gratitude"

My faith being so prominent in my life, and having been from a young age, people at school often ask me about it. How I do believe so strongly? And how do I keep my faith when things aren't going well at all, not just in my own life, but all around me? I know that I am truly blessed to have this faith and feel God so strongly in my life, but also, I know that my faith wouldn't be anything like it is today, without

prayer.

I used to struggle to pray and forget to pray. Sometimes I didn't know what to say to God or I'd rush an Our Father before bed, not thinking about the meaning, simply so that I had prayed. Really, I still hadn't spoken to God at all.

I prayed to God, to help me to pray: to not have prayer as a last minute thought before sleeping at night, but to have God there constantly in my mind through out the day. Every morning, I offer up my day to God; everything that I do, say and think. I think that, however small this prayer, it actually helps me to live better every day, as I remember God in all of my actions, words and thoughts.

"Remember the Lord in everything you do and He will show you the right way"

Proverbs 1: 6

However, I am as guilty as anyone for dedicating a lot of my prayer to asking God for things, as opposed to thanking him for the graces I do have in my life. During Lent, i have made it one of my promises (and being the only one I've kept, having eaten chocolate, used my straighteners and been on facebook), to, at the end of each day, thank God for everything in my life which I take for granted. From having a roof over my head, to waking up to a cup of tea before school.

Although this seems something so simple and obvious, reflecting on what I do have, instead of what I don't, has made me realise just how lucky I am. I've always thanked God for the obvious, my family and friends etc, but looking closer into my own life, I now notice just how many small things make up my life; things in which I am blessed to have.

Especially now, with the media showing footage from the earthquake in Japan, we notice how lucky we are. Praying thanks to God, for what I'm blessed to have, helps me further to pray for others who have much less. Our brothers and sisters across the world who have not a fraction of what we have, yet still carry on with their lives daily.

 

St. Therese



"Prayer is, for me, an outburst from the heart; it is a simple glance darted upwards to Heaven; it is a cry of gratitude and of love in the midst of joy! In a word, it is something exalted, supernatural, which dilates the soul and unites it to God. Sometimes when I find myself spiritually in dryness so great that I cannot produce a single good thought, I recite very slowly a Pater or an Ave Maria; these prayers alone console me, they suffice, they nourish my soul."
- St.Therese

 Praying keeps my faith in God strong, and I think it keeps his faith in me: knowing that I try my best to live as good a Catholic life as I can. This Lent, I definitely think that already I've grown to realise how lucky I am, and I can appreciate the smallest things so much more now, which has inspired me, more than ever before, to help the people who have so much less than me for the rest of Lent, and in my life afterwards.

So this Lent, despite the fact I haven't successfully avoided chocolate, and I have spent hours on facebook instead of doing my coursework, I think that I'm learning things much more valuable, which will stay with me for the duration of Lent, and a long time afterwards.

And tonight when you pray, try and count the amount of things you have to be thankful for, that you may have taken for granted, because I know I always loose count!

This quote helps me to keep thankful and happy every day,
"Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life, in union with Christ Jesus"

(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

By Suzy Sankey
Age 16
Studying too much at St.Edmund Arrowsmith RCHS

"I can see your Halo..."

I work as a lay chaplain in a school in Coventry and Lent is always a bit of a funny time for me. Students who have never displayed any religious tendencies before come up to me and proudly inform me that they have given up ham sandwiches for Lent while students I have worked closely with in a chaplaincy team context, tell me that they have given up giving up, and have found it too hard to go without over the 40 days leading up to Easter.

This got me thinking that maybe during Lent there are other ways we can show our devotion to the Lord, other ways we can make an effort and change something to better ourselves.

For me this presentation, made by my good friend Sabina Koscielecki and edited a bit by myself which we used to show in our retreat centre in East London, sums up the attitude I will be trying to have over Lent perfectly.

For me, lent is that journey towards Jesus, towards the ‘light of His halo’ if you will. And everyday of Lent is a new opportunity to learn from yesterday, live for today and hope for tomorrow.

Trying something new and taking that knowledge, that new experience forward with you towards Easter, towards that halo, is my wish for Lent. I tell my students at school that this can be being the first to say sorry in an argument, or taking a breath and not giving their teacher attitude. And if we make a mistake then that’s ok too, because ‘anyone who has not made a mistake has not tried anything new.’

And if we do this then we are really making ourselves new for the Easter season.

Luke Turner, 23,
Lay Chaplain,
Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School & Language College.

Pray Pray Pray

Lent for me has always been trying to give something up and setting time aside for prayer.  It’s strange that I can find time during Lent because this is what I have set myself to do but at other times I struggle! I always seem to find other things more ‘important’ and grab 5-10 minutes here and there, but actually,
what is more important?

Am I looking for distractions?

Is my relationship with God one sided?

At a preparation meeting for the Northern Catholic Conference, I was recommended to read:

‘Preparation for Total Consecration according to St. Louis Marie de Montfort’

St Louis de Montfort tells us that “those who desire to take up this special devotion” (Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary), should spend at least 12 days in emptying themselves of the spirit of the world, which is opposed to the spirit of Jesus. They should spend 3 weeks imbuing themselves with the spirit of Jesus through the most Blessed Virgin”

So preparation began....

Spirit of the World

‘Examination of conscience, pray…..’! In prayer, we face God as we are, not as he wants us to be.

This helps us to have........

Knowledge of Self

We hope for the light to know ourselves and to be truly confident in God's love. We become dependent on God’s mercy.

Knowledge of Mary

‘We must unite ourselves to Jesus through Mary…. Our blessed Mother is perfect – a mold wherein we are able to be molded’

Knowledge of Christ

A desire to get to know the one who knows me through and through.

We are reminded in John 8:12

“I am the light of the world;

anyone who follows me

will not be walking in the dark,

but will have the light of life.

By reflecting on this, it has given me an insight of what I should be committing myself to not just during Lent but afterwards as well.

For me, prayer needs to be planned, meaningful and effective.

Lorraine Leonard

Youth Ministry co ordinator



“There is only one happiness in life… to love and to be loved”

Lent is a time to really recognise just how much God loves each and every one of us.

A time to reflect on our lives. Are we living through Jesus?

A time to realise that God sacrificed his one and only son for me and for you!

And when I think of the love of God I can’t help but think about what the Apostle John says:

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” 

(1 John 4:7-12)

I love that Bible passage! Whenever I hear that quote, I can’t help but smile.

The fact that God IS love brings me so much joy, God’s love for us has no height, width or depth because he IS love…it's endless!

And everything we do in Lent is out of love, fasting; our love for ourselves, alms-giving; our love for other people and prayer; our love for God.

Today is the Solemnity of St Joseph, husband of Mary.

St Joseph was “just a man”, yet God, chose him out of love, just like Mary.

St Joseph was a perfect example of showing love.

St Joseph was caring, compassionate, a man of faith and obedient to God.

St Joseph saved Mary from public disgrace (Matt 1:19) and he loved Jesus greatly, not only did he leave his home to protect Jesus, but upon his return settled in the obscure town of Nazareth out of fear for his life. When Jesus stayed in the Temple we are told Joseph(along with Mary) searched with great anxiety for three days for him (Luke 2:48). We also know that Joseph treated Jesus as his own son for over and over the people of Nazareth say of Jesus, "Is this not the son of Joseph?" (Luke 4:22).

So today we take St Joseph as our example, an example of showing love. We think about not just those people close to us but those who need Gods love, and we are to be that channel of love!

We think about the unconditional love God has for each and every one of us, and this is what we should strive in Lent to show, let us be the face of Christ for many people. Let us show our brothers and sisters uncondtional love.

God changed the world because he loved us so much and let us try to do the same…not just by sacrificing chocolate or alcohol, not just by giving money to charities and praying loads every day…

but acting out The Greatest Commandment…"Love your neighbour"

And finally, let us,

LOVE life

LIVE lent

and

TRANSFORM our world

By Rebecca Ryder

Age: 20

Currently working as the Performing-Arts coordinator at Animate Youth Ministries, the Youth Service for the Archdiocese of Liverpool