“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Lent is in full swing. We find ourselves alongside Jesus journeying to Jerusalem and ultimately to the cross. This season of the Church is about repentance and self-denial. As Easter and the gift of reconciliation beckon to us, we examine ourselves. It is easy for us to isolate and shut down when it comes to reflection. Often it brings up insecurities, anxieties, and failures but in this work we are met with grace. God’s grace overwhelms us. We are indeed being made into a new creation. As Apostle Paul wrote, “everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” So do not shy away from the work of Lent. Do not hold back from confessing to God and turning from self back to God. Lent reminds us that the cross means something. The cross impacts our daily lives as we follow Jesus. Know that it is okay if you follow Jesus by crawling or find yourself in stride with Jesus or if you feel like your are running after him or if you are paused on the road. Jesus goes with you. You are not alone to figure out faith and life by yourself. Maybe this month we can acknowledge our need for Christ and our need for community. Have faith! Christ is with us!

“Lent calls each of us to renew our ongoing commitment to the implications of the Resurrection in our own lives, here and now. But that demands both the healing of the soul and the honing of the soul, both penance and faith, both a purging of what is superfluous in our lives and heightening, the intensifying, of what is meaningful.” — Sister Joan Chittister

Pastor Joy