Collect for First Sunday Lent

 

COLLECT SERIES

 

The Mass: Collect Series icon.

COLLECT

 

The Collect for First Sunday of Lent Year C reads as follows:

Grant, Almighty God,

through the yearly observances of holy Lent,

 that we may grow in understanding of the riches hidden in Christ

and by worthy conduct pursue their effects.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever.

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. Review my past observances of Lent.  How have they been?

2. From my review of past observances of Lent, how is my observance of this past week been? What has improved and what needs tweaking at this point.

3. What are the riches hidden in Christ?

4. What areas in my faith need to grow in understanding? How will I pursue my faith journey this coming week?

5. What are the temptations in my life, sins/faults, weakness that I need to bring to Christ for healing in the sacrament of Reconciliation?

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION

Today’s Gospel is from Lk4:1-13.  It is the Gospel account of the Temptations of Christ. We might wonder why Jesus was tempted by Satan. What does this Gospel tell us at this point in the Lenten journey considering that the Church provides this Gospel account each year for the First Sunday of Lent.

Jesus did not need to be tempted by Satan. The temptations are one of power, fame and fortune/wealth.  All of these temptations can be very enticing. We can even justify them to ourselves.  However, Jesus did not need to be tempted in this way for Himself, since He is sinless.  Jesus wanted to show us that He was willing to undergo this humiliation to give us an example and to show us His priceless infinite love.  This gospel is there to help us understand that  the value Jesus places on our eternal salvation.  We need to remember throughout Lent that Jesus came to earth and was born to be like us in every way (except sin) so that we can strive to become like Him and be renewed in our true identity as a son/daughter of God.

 

This gospel account invites us to consider our own weakness, flaws, sins, temptations and even areas in our hearts where the doors have been firmly shut.   It invites us to turn away from whatever holds us back from Him and to turn towards our Loving God who wants to wash us clean and redeem us in His love. Jesus provides us with many opportunities to come back Him with all our heart especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

 

If we have not received the Sacrament of Reconciliation for a while, then do not let that stand in your way.  I recently received the Sacrament after squandering many opportunities to come back to Him fully and being restored in God’s image and likeness.  It was indeed a very powerful experience.  On a practical matter, I found it better to ring this priest first, make an appointment and let him know of my situation. This gave him the opportunity to give me enough time to confess fully. It also helps the priest to prepare/pray beforehand as well.  However, if you are a regular penitent, then continue to grow in the love of God and on the road to holiness.

 

May you have a blessed week during this Lent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 WHAT IS REPENTANCE ?

Ash Wednesday.

What is Repentance?
 

When receiving the Ashes on Ash Wednesday the priest signs with

·         “Remember that you are dust and unto dust you will return’ or

·         Repent and believe the Good news.

As I received the ashes today at Mass, the priest said to me ‘Repent and Believe the Good news’.  As there quite a number of people including school children receiving the Ashes, I had some time to think and reflect.  I asked myself what really is Repentance.   I had some thoughts obviously, but later in the afternoon, I decided to delve deeper into the word and its implications for myself.  These are some thoughts which emerged from my reflection and research. 

What is Repentance.

 

There are a number of aspects to Repentance.

1.Repentance is to recognise our own wrong doing and humbly denying oneself to turn around and face the One we have wronged.  It is regretting our sins and acknowledging them before God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

2. Repentance is to rearrange our entire way of thinking, feeling and being in order to forsake that which is wrong.

3.Repentance means more than saying sorry.  It means to show transformation by returning to what is right and pure and returning to innocence. It means returning to our baptismal right as a son/daughter of God. We must have faith to want to return to God and know that God will see our move, however tiny it might be and be there to meet us where we are at.  Through the Sacrament, we will be restored.

4.Repentance means to return to the plan of God- that is, to live with Him, consult with Him, fellowship with Him and obeying Him, In other words we put God first in our lives and have a deep intimate relationship with Him.

 

5. Repentance involves showing remorse for what we have done and saying sorry but if we are to be sincere in that act of contrition, then we also need to commit to a new path in order to take the path of correct to receive true freedom.

 

During the Lenten season the church provides us with the opportunity to review our lives, our sinfulness, our need for God to be first place and encourages us to make that turn back to God and walk a new path of transformation. We have 40 days to be serious about our desire to change and walk the path of holiness.

Of course we can walk this path the whole year every day.  However Lent provides us with the opportunity to be focused on this transformation.

 

Will we choose to walk a new path, to claim again your inheritance of being a son/daughter of God and to Repent and believe the Good News.