Lent Sacrifices
We are entering into the fifth week of Lent. Thus far I’ve had a good Lent, meaning that I have not broken my promise in what I gave up for this holy season. Each year I struggle with the sacrifices and usually fall from grace the first week of Lent. For thirty or so years the desire of my heart has been to lose weight, at least 20 pounds. So I gave up eating bread and sweets; unfortunately I was never able to succeed.
This year was different; much to my husband Mike’s surprise, I gave up shopping. I shop for myself at least once a week, purchasing clothing, household items or whatever. I’m a regular at Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Nordstrom Rack. These are my favorites; I never spend a lot of money, but it does add up.
Last week I visited my sister Norma in Arizona. She was excited to share that Marshall’s had opened a store just a stone’s throw away from her. As tempting as this sounded, I never gave in. We attended Mass at All Saints Church in Mesa, Arizona instead. I was surprised by seeing all the parishioners. These people are faithful in their attendance because Norma sees them here on a regular basis. In spite of the social distancing, the church was pretty packed for a weekday Mass.
I have discovered a new way to shop. I’ve been shopping online by placing items into a virtual bag and waiting for Lent to end so that I can make the purchase. Now this technique is not working out so well because most of the time I receive a notification that the items are no longer available. This saddens me for a few seconds, but then I remember the purpose for this sacrifice.
Sacrifice
If the Lord can sacrifice His life on the Cross for us, how hard can it be for me to follow this simple oblation? I want to be used by the Lord so this is a perfect lesson on obedience. I liken it to a test of spiritual growth by trusting that God will see me through this. If you have failed in your Lenten sacrifices, it’s not too late to start anew. Remember we serve a merciful God.
Drawing Water From the Well
The Samaritans lived in a region north of Jerusalem. They are an ancient, ethnoreligious group descendant from Jews who had not been taken into captivity and deported but who remained in Samaria. They intermarried with the Assyrians who had been brought into the land after the Assyrians conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 721 B.C. The Samaritans accepted only the first five books of the Hebrew Bible as their biblical canon. They rejected the writings of the prophets and all the Jewish traditions because they considered Judaism as an altered religion brought back with the return of the Jews from the Babylonian exile in 539 B.C. (after the conquest of Judah, the Southern Kingdom by Babylon in 597 B.C.) They worshiped at the temple on Mount Gerazim, instead of the temple of Mount Moriah in Jerusalem because they considered it the original holy place where Abraham almost sacrificed his son Isaac. They were so despised by the Jews that the Jews would cross over the river Jordan and take a longer route to avoid going through Samaria. The Samaritans also harbored animosity toward the Jews.
The fourth chapter of the Gospel of John speaks of the Woman of Samaria. The story of the woman at the well depicts Jesus breaking with tradition by conversing with a woman in public and sharing a drink with a Samaritan. In other words He was associating with a woman who was racially despised, a half-Jew/a half-gentile whose religious beliefs were considered heresy.
John 4:13-14 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; 14 but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Jesus offered the Samaritan woman living water. With this water we will never thirst again. A human being can survive three to five days without water, but this living water represents eternal salvation. We should all desire the living water, especially during Lent.
Isaiah 12:3 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
from the fountains of salvation,
Jesus knew all of the sins of this Samaritan woman, as He called them out, she perceived Him to be a prophet. This same Jesus sees all of our sins and, just as He was eager to forgive this Samaritan woman, we, too, can be forgiven.
Our Garden of Gethsemane
When Jesus went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, He asked His disciples to pray so that they would not enter into temptation. Jesus was in deep agony and prayer, so much so that His sweat turned into blood. When Jesus rose from prayer, He found His disciples sleeping. Again Jesus tells them to rise and pray that they may not enter into temptation. Three times Jesus asked His disciples to pray, but they gave in to the temptation because of their weaked spirit.
When we go into deep, contemplative prayer, we become one with God. Prayer keeps us from making irrational decisions; it helps us to choose our words and, most importantly, it keeps us from temptation. I cannot tell you how many times I want to say something mean and hurtful but when I open my mouth, it is as if God has placed a filter over it; so when I speak I’m surprised at the kind words that come forth.
If I am asked to pray for someone, it is my duty before God to intercede on their behalf. The Lord will always give me a signal as to when to cease with this prayer. During the height of COVID-19, our prayer group offered prayers of intercession and supplication on behalf of many suffering from this virus and other serious illnesses. Every night we’d meet at 8 p.m. via group FaceTime. We prayed for more than two months. What great joy we shared when receiving text messages of praise reports of healings! Thank you Helen, Marianela, and Sarah. Great is your reward!
My Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You with thanksgiving and praise. Thank You for all that You have bestowed upon our hearts to know You and to be used for Your Kingdom. Lord, allow us special time in our Garden of Gethsemane; meet us there and help us through all of our trials. When we feel alone, gently touch us so that we can feel Your Holy Presence. Lord, may we never forget the pain You endured while carrying Your Cross. May we be so gracious as we carry our own crosses. Be with us in our time of mourning and bring comfort to our hearts, knowing those whom we have lost will be in Your loving arms. Amen.
The Art of Suffering
Many of us are familiar with the Book of Job. Job was highly favored of God; his life exemplified a hallowed commitment to God. He was tested to the point of death, but Job had a secret weapon: he knew the God he served. Though through his testing he wanted to die and cursed the day of his birth, he never blasphemed God. Satan was well aware of all of Job’s blessings and wanted an opportunity to bring Job down to prove that without his blessings Job would curse God. The Devil needed God’s permission to torment Job. Because God truly knew the heart of His servant, He allowed Satan to afflict him
Job had three friends; Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. When Job’s friends heard of his terrible, unfortunate plight, they came to his side. These men were from the region of Edom, an area renowned for its wise men.
Job 2:12-13
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
12 But when, at a distance, they lifted up their eyes and did not recognize him, they began to weep aloud; they tore their cloaks and threw dust into the air over their heads. 13 Then they sat down upon the ground with him seven days and seven nights, but none of them spoke a word to him; for they saw how great was his suffering.
The best medicine for supporting someone who is in deep emotional pain is to be there for them in person. All of Job’s friends knew that he had lost everything, including all of his children. An act of love is listening and supporting in prayer when it is needed most. For seven days and seven nights, Job’s friends did not open their mouths.
The number seven has a great spiritual significance; it is used in the Bible about 600 times. Seven is the number of perfection and completeness; God completed the earth in seven days. This is the reason we rest on the seventh day and honor God by attending church.
Job’s story takes many wild twists and turns; his own wife blasphemed God and tells Job to, “Curse God and die.”
Job 2:9-10 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
9 Then his wife said to him, “Are you still holding to your innocence? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as foolish women do. We accept good things from God; should we not accept evil?” Through all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
These are truly the words of someone sold out to God. We should all be so blessed to have Job’s reverent attitude in the midst of our greatest trials.
Blessed Mother Mary
Life was never easy for the Mother of God. During her pregnancy Joseph, her husband, had to take her and flee to Egypt. The Lord picked Joseph to be Jesus’ foster father because God knew that Joseph would protect the Holy Family. Mary always allowed her Son to take His rightful role in life, because she understood who He was. Mary was the elect of God from her Mother’s womb. She is the mother of us all.
For many years I portrayed the Blessed Mother on Good Friday on the Via Dolorosa (“the way of suffering”) in Jerusalem. Nothing can be more painful than a mother seeing her child suffer and being unable to help. A mother’s pain can only be described as not being able to breathe because of a crushed heart. Mary, meeting her Son Jesus at the Fourth Station of the Cross, and knowing that she could do nothing to save Him from His Crucifixion felt the pain of deepest wound a mother can experience. Her entire life was that of a loving, nurturing mother, but now she must see her only Son as he is beaten to the point of death. This particular Station of the Cross is symbolic of the suffering a mother goes through with her own children. The bond of a mother and child is powerful, and the agony that a mother feels for her child is the absolute description of love. I had never acted in my life, but each time I met Jesus at the Fourth Station of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa my heart swelled with pain and the re-enactment brings tears of sorrowful emotions that I can not control.
Imagine seeing your son go through such agony! Mary was there when the Roman soldiers pounded the nails into His feet and hands. She was there when they pierced His side. Our sorrowful Mother Mary was at the foot of the Cross; she never abandoned Jesus. From His birth to the Cross, she suffered His every pain. That is the true heart of a mother. The Romans were savages when it came to Jesus’ Crucifixion. The Jewish law permitted only 39 lashes because it believed that the 40th lash would kill the man before his crucifixion. To both the Jews and the Romans this was a morbid celebration; they hated Jesus and felt that He was a great threat. What the Romans did to our Lord still brings me to my knees.
AFP PHOTO/AHMAD GHARABLI (Photo credit should read AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)Via Dolorosa on Good Friday stock photo
The Crucifix
One of my favorite churches to visit in the Holy Land is the Church of Flagellation. This small chapel is located in the Muslim Quarters in the Old City of Jerusalem. As you gaze up to the dome, the crown of thorns is embedded into the design of the mosaic golden dome. I love to sit there and pray.
Catholics have a special devotion to the Passion of Christ because we need to be reminded of the pain that He endured for us. We feel the fullness of what Jesus did for us; we are connected with Jesus through His suffering. How else can we truly comprehend His agony?
My Prayer:
Dear Lord, we ask for the prayers of Your Blessed Mother Mary to intercede on behalf of all mothers going through trials with their children. These mothers cry out to You, Lord, for the physical and emotional crosses that their children must bear. Look down on them with great mercy, and deliver them from the snares of the Devil. Just as Your beautiful Mother met You at the foot of the Cross, meet these families who have heavy crosses to bear. Lighten their loads, and help them carry their crosses with Your beautiful, nail-scarred hands. Amen.
Black History Matters
Celebrating Black History gives us clearer insight into the legacy left by many great African American men and women. We need this more than ever. I wanted to hear about Christian Black men who are positive role models, but they were overlooked by the news media’s coverage.
Lemuel Haynes is a wonderful example for teaching us how to operate in grace. Lemuel was born to a white mother and black father in 1753. As an infant he was abandoned by both parents and was taken into the household of Deacon David Rose of Granville, Massachusetts. There he served as an indentured servant until his 21st birthday. Because Lemuel had an appetite for the Word of God, he studied Scripture and wrote sermons.
Patriot and Preacher
Lemuel Haynes was a patriot who enlisted with the local farmer’s militia, the Minutemen. He was among the first of three African American men assigned to Ethan Allen’s famous Green Mountain Boys.
He was the first Black preacher to ever preach at an all-white church. Lemuel Haynes was anointed to preach, and was chosen in this time of great divide. After his involvement in the American Revolutionary War, Lemuel continued with his training in theology; he also studied Latin and Greek. He used the pulpit to denounce slavery; he referred to it as sin. He never held back from speaking the words that the Lord put in his mouth to speak. I can imagine the impact he had on some of the white congregation; they were either in shock or perhaps felt great conviction. Lemuel’s sermons stressed interracial fellowship, liberty, natural rights and justice. His prolific writings made him the first African American to be internationally published. He was the first Black man to receive an honorary Master of Arts degree from Middlebury College. Do you think that the public schools are going to teach the life and history of this great Black man? No! Lemuel Haynes would not be considered a role model today because his life’s journey was led by God.
Dr. Ben Carson
Dr. Ben Carson was eight-years-old when his parents divorced. He and his brother were raised by their mother, who encouraged her two young sons to become better students by giving them reading and writing assignments in addition to their regular school assignments. Ben Carson earned a scholarship to Yale University an earned a bachelor’s degree in 1973 in psychology. He went on to receive a medical degree from the University of Michigan. His accolades and contributions to the medical field are many, including director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at John Hopkins. He was one of the youngest doctors in the United States to earn this title. In 1987 the then thirty-five-year old neurosurgeon received international acclaimed for separating two German twins born joined at the head.
Along with his wife Candy, they have collaborated on writing several books: America the Beautiful in 2014: Rediscovering What Makes This Nation Great and , A More Perfect Union in 2015.
Ben Carson served as the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for President Trump. Dr. Carson is a conservative who has expressed his opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage. He has stated his belief that homosexuality is a choice. You will not hear about him during Black History Month either.
Black Lives Matter
This nefarious organization has perverted everything educational and beneficial about Black History Month. They have hijacked the observance in public schools by inserting false narratives to indoctrinate our students about how racist our country has become. They have carefully woven their beliefs on transgender identity to make them sound reasonable and creditable. These are the new powerful leaders who will set the standard for Social Studies in American Public Schools.
The New Black Leaders
Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi are all trained Marxists. The media would never describe them this way; they would rather omit that word to make them appear anti-racist. All three of these women praise JoAnne Chesimard, who is now known as Assata Shakur. She is a fugitive convicted of first degree murder of State Trooper Werner Foerster during a shootout on the New Jersey turnpike in 1973. She escaped prison and has been given asylum in communist Cuba. Shakur has been on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist list since 2013.
The following is part of their agenda:
We make space for transgender brothers and sisters to participate and lead. … We are self-reflexive and do the work required to dismantle cisgender privilege and uplift Black trans folk, especially Black trans women who continue to be disproportionately impacted by trans-antagonistic violence. …
We build a space that affirms Black women and is free from sexism, misogyny, and environments in which men are centered.
So many organizations have given credence to the propaganda about how effective Black Lives Matter has become. They either join with them or get canceled for not believing as they do.
America’s history of slavery is real, and the impact it has on Blacks is profound and continues today. If you are not Black you can never completely understand their plight. Not until Alex Haley’s Roots did the atrocity of slavery become real to me. We need to fix racial discord in America, but it must be done with love, not hate. History will never change, but revealing the truth can help us understand why we are so divided. Black Lives Matter manifestos are not the answer. The real solution must come from within each of us. We cannot allow the mindset of Black Lives Matter to bulldoze our minds into believing a false ideology that is not true. We can’t continue with anger because of all the support BLM is receiving. Whether we agree with them or not, they have, and continue to received funding from major corporations to keep them going. Their interpretation of reality is hitting the classrooms the hardest. This troubles me because I cannot ignore the propaganda that our grandchildren will receive. I pray that one day soon their agenda will be exposed and truth and justice will prevail. Both Lemuel Haynes and Ben Carson overcame and excelled because of their belief in God. We cannot move forward without God. In the meantime I have made it my mission in life to accept all human beings as children of God.
My Prayer:
Dear Lord, help us to become more aware of why You are allowing us to go through this division in our country. Give us all a heart to love, and teach us to accept all races as one. You are the Father of us all, You love us all the same. Touch the hearts of the BLM leaders and remove hatred and anger from all of us. Allow us to see the hurting hearts of men so that we can walk in Your direction. Amen.