Hello brothers and sisters!
Our dear friend and Father, Fr. Remek, will be coming to Emmaus this Thursday to speak on the timely topic of Sacrifice. Why is it important to discipline ourselves through acts of love and sacrifice during the beuatiful season of Lent and throughout the year as a way to grow closer to our Lord? Through discipline and sacrifice we are able to train ourselves, with God's grace, that later, we are better able to resist temptation. Not only do fasting and sacrifice increase our ability to love and have real compassion for the poor, in some small way, we experience their need and the experience is meant to change us if we really live it and pray it. Fasting and sarifice have a way of super charging our prayer, particularly when we make the conscious effort to unite our sufferings to the saving Passion of Christ on the cross. He gives us the great privilege of walking with Him to Calvary and participating to some degree along side him in His Redemptive work, for our good and the good of others. Perhaps your Lenten sacrifices this year will also prepare you to be better disposed to be attentive and aware of God's grace and blessings in your life. An attitude of gratitude can bear fruit in so many ways.
Just in case you are looking for something else to offer our Lord, our love, during this special season, here are a few ideas that can work for all of us:
Give up complaining - focus on gratitude
Give up pessimisism - become an optimist
Give up harsh judgements - think kindly thoughts
Give up worry - trust Divine Providence
Give up discouragement - be full of hope
Give up bitterness - turn to forgiveness
Give up hatred - return good for evil
Give up negativism - be positive
Give up anger - be more patient
Give up pettiness - become more mature
Give up gloom - enjoy the beauty that is all around you
Give up jealousy - pray for trust
Give up gossiping - control your tongue
Give up sin - turn to virtue
Give up giving up - hang in there!
with love in Christ,
Jennifer, Emily, Adam, Sean, & Russ
Our Spiritual Director
Father Ed Murphy (L), Pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish. E-mail: ewmurphy@windstream.net
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