Examine of Conscience:
I began my Lenten journey this year with a quote from Flannery O’Connor:
“I do not know You, God, because I am in the way. Please help me to push myself aside.”
How often have I allowed my personal yet temporal desires for success, pleasures, power, or possessions get in the way of what God would make of me?
Prayer: Forgive me Lord, if I selfishly consumed resources intended for all creation, to support my lifestyle at other’s expense.
Forgive me Father, for those times when in my attempts to charter my own course in life, I dismissed what you would have made of me.
Forgive me Lord, for those times when I fed my ego and starved my soul.
Examine of relationships, personal and divine:
A personal Lenten practice of mine, is to contemplate people who God has placed in my life with the intention of building a benevolent symbiotic relationship. Basically, those individuals who either challenge me to grow by their example and/or challenge me to grow as an example. Next, I examine my relationship with the Holy Trinity. Do I recognize when the Holy Spirit is reaching out to me? Am I consistently living as Christ expects me to live, in my thoughts, my words and my actions?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, keep me engaged with all your creation on Earth and in Heaven. For it is through engagement that I mature into the being you expect of me. Please give me the strength and the courage to be the example Jesus was on Earth, in spite of the circumstances.
Examine of suffering:
The crucifixion of Christ didn’t eliminate suffering for humanity, so say nonbelievers. His resurrection however, provided a “way” for believers to transcend it. Jesus accepted his worldly suffering, rather than submitting to the evil nature of his persecutors. He chose the cross over conformity and our church history is filled with people who willingly did the same as Christ.
Prayer: Lord I can’t always prevent suffering in this world but with the power of the Holy Spirit, I can choose my reaction and if it is your will, may I offer an alternative reaction to suffering as so many saints before me.
Gratitude:
“The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy.” Henri Nouwen
“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” Denis Waitley
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the opportunity to experience all of your creation through the lens of this life you have given to me. Thank you for your grace and mercy when I sin against you. Thank you for the peaceful reward of a contemplative soul when I do your will.
De Colores
Frank Viscomi