Lenten fires.....

There are times when it seems to me like people think Lent is a time of darkness, sorrow and mourning. Lent is not a dark time, it is the beginning of the light growing again in the world. That is at least what nature teaches us in the northern hemisphere, southerners get that going towards Christmas. Both are teaching us one thing, out of the darkness we come into light and life our Resurrection.

In Lent is not a time of sorrow and darkness, it is a time of fire. In lent we rekindle the fire that burns in us from the Sacred hearts of Jesus and Mary, becoming more of a light to the world. We do not sacrifice so that we are praised or recognized in the world. We sacrifice so we are joined with Good Friday each and everyday. On Good Friday lived each day we die to ourselves becoming Christ to the world. We start to live in the world but not of the world. We begin to burn with love and truth because we are becoming more like He who is Love and Truth. The darkness around us starts to dissipate with the light of Christ. It is only through Good Friday that we will come to Easter. With our eyes on Jesus we will go through the cross and grave to the resurrection, the impossible becomes possible when we keep our eyes on Jesus.

Every Sunday we celebrate Easter, everyday of the week we live as pilgrim people travelling from Good Friday to Easter Sunday; this is the mystery of our lives. The mystery is not a sorrow but a joy. A joy that makes life worth living in the light of Christ's love that is shown to us on Good Friday. Out of darkness comes a great Light and we carry that Light into the world. Lent is not sorrow, but is hope and light. A time of fire to be kindled in us on our daily journey from Good Friday to Easter.