The Hope of Lent: Daily Reflections by Pope
Francis, by Diane Houdek. Franciscan Media, 2017.
In the
Introduction, Houdek writes, "Lent is a time to discover the extraordinary in the ordinary, to be surprised by God's mercy when we least expect it. As the season begins, think about the hopes you have for Lent this year. Think about what changes you want to see in your life, in the world. Let the words of Pope Francis guide you on a journey of bringing those hopes to fulfillment.”
This
book is able to be used any liturgical year. Each day features a listing of the Scripture readings for that day. This is followed by a quote from Pope Francis and a reflection from Houdek that considers both the Scripture reading and the Pope's teaching. Reflection questions and a prayer from Pope Francis end the day's entry.
Pope Francis' very practical life-based theology resonates on
every page of this book. Combined with Houdek's reflections, it offers much food for thought.
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The Lenten season is a time for conversion, but we often wonder how to enter into our own transformation. The insights of Jesuit Bernard Lonergan can help us understand ourselves and how God heals us with our help. These five sessions will explore God's action and our intentional
response.
Saint of the Week
St. David of Wales: (d. 589).
David is the patron saint of Wales and perhaps the most famous of British saints. Ironically, we have little reliable information about him.
It is known that he
became a priest, engaged in missionary work, and founded many monasteries, including his principal abbey in southwestern Wales. Many stories and legends sprang up about David and his Welsh monks. Their austerity was extreme. They worked in silence without the help of animals to till the soil. Their food was limited to bread, vegetables and water.
In about the year 550, David attended a synod where his eloquence impressed his fellow monks to such a degree that he was elected primate of the region. The episcopal see was moved to Mynyw, where he had his monastery, now called St. David’s. He ruled his diocese until he had reached a very old age. His last words to his monks and subjects were: “Be
joyful, brothers and sisters. Keep your faith, and do the little things that you have seen and heard with me.”
Saint David is pictured standing on a mound with a dove on his shoulder. The legend is that once while he was preaching a dove
descended to his shoulder and the earth rose to lift him high above the people so that he could be heard. Over 50 churches in South Wales were dedicated to him in pre-Reformation days.
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The Lutheran position that the union of the human and divine natures in the body of Christ
involves the sharing of the humanity with some aspects of the divine nature.
An elderly woman had just returned to her home from an evening church service when she was startled by an intruder. She caught the burglar red-handed, and yelled,
"Stop! Acts 2:38 (meaning, repent and be baptized...)!"
The burglar stopped dead in his tracks. The woman then calmly called the police and explained what she had done.
As the officer cuffed the burglar, he asked, "Why did you just stand
there? All the old lady did was yell a scripture to you."
"Scripture?" replied the burglar, "I thought she said she had an axe and two 38's!"
