Lenten penance is a commitment, sustained by grace, to overcoming our lack of faith and our resistance to following Jesus on the way of the cross./La ascesis cuaresmal es un compromiso, animado siempre por la gracia, para superar nuestras faltas de fe y nuestras resistencias a seguir a Jesús en el camino de la cruz. - Pope Francis, 2023 Lent Message
Lent has begun. In the Ashes to Alleluia activity bags the parish distributed the first reflection card tells us Lent returns each year to remind us of our humanity and to gently push us forward. In Lent we are encouraged to simplify our lives seeing where we have clutter and noise that can be reduced. This made me think back to what I had written about several years back when I bought something that was bigger that turned out to make things roomier.
When I finally bought a new couch it was 3 inches larger than the old one and at first I was worried it would make the room feel cramped. It had the opposite effect. My guess was the clean lines and the softer, solid color compared to the bold flowers and curves the former couch had helped keep the room from feeling larger. Enjoying the roomier feel had an unexpected effect; I wanted to expand this roominess to all the corners of my home. I then went on a serious room by room purging; I’ve never been a clutter queen but there was still numerous things that could go. When done with that I not only had cleaner rooms I had an interior roominess—a roominess of heart. This interior roominess filled me with a resolve to fill the new found roominess with something greater than things, to fill it with God.
At that time of buying the couch I turned to Pope Francis who had just released Rejoice and Be Glad (Gaudete Et Exsulate), a blueprint on holiness. This time I turn to Landon, a wise 8th grader, who recently shared Isaiah 40:31 with me knowing how fitting it is. Reflecting on the Isaiah passage, “They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles’ wings; They will walk and not grow faint,” along with the Lent activity bags can be our can be our blue print to redirect ourselves to God and have a good and happy Lent.
Showcasing SHA talent: You can take off at 7th grade Ethan’s airport to soar with the eagles.
God bless,
Mrs. Alhadef
Campus Minister
4th Grade Aide
Jr. High ELA Aide