Lent

 

The Latin word for this church season is Quadragesima. This word means forty. It is related to the Latin word quarantine which is a time for the sick to receive what they need to become healthy. This was the time for people to prepare to be baptized. For those already baptized this was the time when you confessed your sins.

 

Well this Lent with our quarantines and social distancing measures we have a great chance for prayer, reflection and study. Usually we say we don’t have enough time… while you might now. Here are some prayers I use and suggest you might “test drive” during this time of heightened anxiety and fear.

 

The first is written by St. Teresa of Avila. It is a wonderful prayer to reflect upon during times of distress. It helps me maintain focus and stay on the right path in following our Lord.

 

            Let nothing disturb you,
            Let nothing frighten you,
            All things are passing away:
            God never changes.
            Patience obtains all things
            Whoever has God lacks nothing;
            God alone suffices.

 

God has this. Yes, I do need to do my part and use good sense. Remember, “He’s got the whole world in His hands.” I just need to cooperate with Him and not let fear get in the way of trusting Him.

 

The second I would suggest, I both love and hate: The Serenity Prayer. When it is my favorite prayer, I am generally on stormy seas hoping to see our Savior walking my way. This prayer was written by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr.

 

The best-known form which I have memorized is: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.

 

The longer form is one I am adding to my Lenten daily experience this year:

 

            God, give me grace to accept with serenity
            the things that cannot be changed,
            Courage to change the things
            which should be changed,
            and the Wisdom to distinguish
            the one from the other.

            Living one day at a time,
            Enjoying one moment at a time,
            Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
            Taking, as Jesus did,
            This sinful world as it is,
            Not as I would have it,
            Trusting that You will make all things right,
            If I surrender to Your will,
            So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
            And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

 

Prayers such as those by St. Teresa and Reinhold Niebuhr I need to sit with, hold in my heart and ponder. These need to be savored like a fine wine, not chugged to get done and get out of the way… because Lent is a time to change the way I react to the circumstances of life.

 

Also, when things are moving more quickly, I use shorter prayers and versions of prayers to help me refocus on who I am and why I am here. Like a quick cup of coffee, they help give me purpose and energy. For example, I use the shorter version of the Serenity Prayer as well as The Glory Be to help me as I prepare to meet or speak with someone. Other prayers which quickly come to my lips… as I pass the statue of our Blessed Mother on the rectory stairway: “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” When I am bowing or genuflecting to the real present of Jesus Christ: “O Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament, I adore you.” And as I am putting on my vestments before mass I pray: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph I give you my heart and my soul. Jesus, Mary and Joseph assist me in my last agony. Jesus, Mary and Joseph may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you. Amen.” Even my cell-phone triggers “Dear Jesus, I love you.” When I going to visit a parishioner, “St. Jerome, pray for us.” St. Paul challenges us to pray always and God gives me opportunities and reasons to pray each and every day. These prayer bursts help me stay on course and help me in being conscious of God’s loving presence.

 

Finally, from our own Archbishop Jose a prayer for the challenges we face with the coronavirus.

 

Holy Virgin of Guadalupe,
Queen of the Angels and Mother of the Americas.
 

We fly to you today as your beloved children.
We ask you to intercede for us with your Son,
as you did at the wedding in Cana.

           

Pray for us, loving Mother,
and gain for our nation and world,
and for all our families and loved ones,
the protection of your holy angels,
that we may be spared the worst of this illness.
 

For those already afflicted,
we ask you to obtain the grace of healing and deliverance.
Hear the cries of those who are vulnerable and fearful,
wipe away their tears and help them to trust.

           

In this time of trial and testing,
teach all of us in the Church to love one another and to be patient and kind.
Help us to bring the peace of Jesus to our land and to our hearts.

           

We come to you with confidence,
knowing that you truly are our compassionate mother,
health of the sick and cause of our joy.
Shelter us under the mantle of your protection,
keep us in the embrace of your arms,
help us always to know the love of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

 

“Be not afraid” for “Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

 

You are in my prayers,

Fr. Bill