40daysoflent

Spend time with God, as we would with a spouse

By Kevin R. Staley-Joyce

In 1964, the Second Vatican Council came to a close, Pope Paul VI put forth the dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium, in which he developed the Church’s teaching on the clergy, the faithful, and their spiritual duties, and the Church’s place in the world. In its fifth chapter, Pope Paul emphasized the “universal call to holiness” – the duty of all Christians to live an active spiritual life with Jesus’ words in mind: “be you therefore perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

In order to fulfill their paternal duties, priests and religious take a radical path to holiness by making themselves totally available to God and the faithful. Their vocation calls them to a special covenant with God – one that separates them from the world and allows them to seek the highest union with God through the sacraments and spiritual life. Lumen Gentium reminds us that the faithful, too, must be true to their own covenant with God, striving for spiritual perfection through their temporal concerns such as marriage, family life, and work.

As the first Sunday of Lent approaches, the faithful are prompted to consider ways to honor their own special covenant with God. In Sunday’s first reading from Genesis, God makes a covenant with Noah that the flood he endured would never again return to destroy creation. This – along with the many special covenants God makes with Israel in the Old Testament – remind us that the covenants we make with God are not mere ideals.

On the contrary, they are as real as any other contract or obligation, and we must fulfill our side of them by growing in love of God. To this end, we should recall that throughout the Old Testament, God refers to his covenant with Israel as a spousal relationship, demanding of Israel all the duties a husband owes a wife. Just as spouses grow closer by spending more time together, we ought to set time aside during Lent to spend with God, with the same care we would have towards a spouse. We ought to also spend time considering what kind of covenant God is calling us to have with him, and no matter what our vocation, acknowledge that Lent is a time with God.

Kevin R. Staley-Joyce is a senior at Princeton University.

Ash Wednesday

By Jessica Pellegrino

Everyday distractions can interfere with our spiritual lives and lead us down paths that we know are not pleasing to God. In college, this is especially true. Our actions may not always make God the happiest, but we are human and therefore prone to sin. We need to learn from our mistakes and realize when we are hurting ourselves, others, and God, in order to turn to Him asking for forgiveness. If we return to God with our whole hearts each and every time we sin, He is overjoyed because He loves us.

His compassion is more abundant than we realize. Acknowledging our wrongdoings is a huge step on the path to righteousness. When we ask for pardon by confiding in Him, God helps us stay devout by strengthening the special bond we have with our heavenly Father. Whenever we call out to Him, He answers in some form; no one is ever ignored. Even when it feels like no one is listening, He is. And when it seems as though nothing is going as planned, remember that God has a plan. You may not understand at the time, but God does. In the end, you will end up where you are supposed to, with the power and love of God leading you there. He works through us, with us, and in us because He is one with us. We are all living examples of the perfection of His creation.

Lent is a time for finding ourselves through the example of Jesus’ suffering. We are all lost and weak, searching for something. That something is God. Our times of weakness and confusion are the times that we must stay the strongest; this is done with His guidance. We know that Jesus had points of weakness too; but in that He was strong and humble and trusted His Father with every ounce of His being. When we feel abandoned most is when our Father is most present. God’s love pours out into every aspect of our lives if we are willing to accept it. We must let go of all of the things that are troubling us and holding us back in order to make room for God to fill us with His love.

College makes it easy to forget about God, there are so many things standing in the way, but when you learn to incorporate His will into your everyday thoughts and actions, it is impossible to forget how deep His love is and how ever present He is in our college lives. We need Him now more than ever, for it is a time of confusion, learning, and growth. While we are finding ourselves, God is at our sides. How can we do this without Him? We certainly cannot. Make your daily activities a prayer to God. Talk to Him throughout the day so He knows how much you care about and love Him.

Take time during Lent to reflect on what needs improvement in your own life. Try over these next few weeks to offer everything to God. The more you talk to Him, the more He will make His presence known. Asking for help is not selfish; He wants us to seek Him. Do everything with love and act through your heart, where God dwells. With God’s grace, you can do anything. He knows your true heart and loves you. All He asks is that you recognize your sins and turn back to Him and don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you do this, your soul will be renewed and your life changed during this season of Lent. Be open to God and allow Him to work through you. “Your Father…will repay you”.

Jessica Pellegrino is a student at The College of New Jersey

Relationship with Jesus should be paramount

By Bryan Mayer

What makes us Christians? Is it our Baptism? Our Communion? Our Confirmation?

Yes, each of these is extremely important components to our faith, but the true heart of our Christianity, that the sacraments are there to lead us to and support us in, is our relationship with Jesus. The fact that we can have such a close relationship with him is a gift much greater than I will ever hope to understand. Salvation is not a one-shot deal, rather, it comes from a relationship with Jesus on a personal level. And, as with any relationship, it requires attention and growth. This relationship is alive, and just as real as you are. Personal experience has taught me how easy it is for me to fall into a routine and neglect to build upon this relationship, mostly because the world has a tendency to get in the way whenever I try to focus on my task.

But this is the challenge of being a Christian. From the second weare baptized, we are called to be ambassadors for Christ. We are called to share the light that has been kindled in each of our hearts, to shine it in areas that need light; called to give service to those in need. Even something as simple as giving some comfort to a friend who needs it can be a response to the call to service.

This means that I must get on with repairing and strengthening that which connects me to Christ, and there is no better time! Every day I should be striving towards salvation. Every day I should wake up, and recognize all that God has done in my life... recognize the care he has put into my past and future. Recognize exactly who he is, and who I am and why I exist. This is always the time. This is always the day of salvation.

Bryan Mayer is a student at The College of New Jersey