I have a real treat for you today. This week, Monday through Wednesday, Fr. Adam MacDonald, SVD (Divine Word Missionary), is doing a Parish retreat here at Sts. Philip and James Parish on Long Island. It has been a wonderful retreat, and a reunion of sorts – I know Fr. Adam from prior vocations work. I thought I would share a few words from his sessions.
He started out with asking the people to spell LENT, and so they did. Then he asked if they knew what each letter meant. Needless to say, we didn’t know! Let me share with you the meaning that Fr. Adam described:
Let’s End Negative Thinking.
Wow! Now I have another thought to add to a course I teach on becoming part of a Complaint Free World. I find it so interesting how Lent can be a time to concentrate on being a more positive person. It definitely fits in with some of what Pope Francis has said about Abstaining during lent. Having done a little work in this area, I know that if the mouth does not speak what the mind is thinking, eventually the mind retools and starts to produce positive thoughts that the mouth is happy to proclaim.
Father also share that lent is time for AAA, and not the roadside assistance group. It is time for our Annual Attitude Adjustment.
It is during the time of Lent and of Advent that we get a chance to perhaps slow down and have some prayer and reflection time, checking in to see where we are on our journey with God.
What needs to change? What needs to improve? What do we need to let go? Aren’t we all so very blessed to have all this help along our life’s journey? These are just two little reminders to help us make this one of our best Lents! Use them wisely.
So where do we go from here?
Well, we are in the middle of the third week of Lent; how have your resolutions been going? Is there a need for your Annual Attitude Adjustment to take hold, or could you be in need of a good long thought on Let’s End Negative Thinking?
We each know ourselves better than anyone else, and we know what needs to be done so that we may continue on our journey. Take that silent time to reflect on where it is you want to be going and who you want to travel with. Perhaps discipline might seem the hardest thing to accomplish, but I know that together, we can do it!
Offer yourself words of encouragement and plan to finish Lent strong as you ready to celebrate the holiest of our Church weeks.
We can do it!
Till next week,
Sister Theresita
