Prepare ourselves to celebrate Easter Sunday with true joy and love

Now that we are about a week and a half into our great penitential season of Lent, it might be good to take a moment to look at what we are actually doing to observe the discipline of Lent. The Church refers to the practices of prayer, mortification and alms giving (works of charity) as a discipline for a very good reason. To faithfully live the Catholic life first received in baptism, requires that we understand that each of us is engaged in spiritual warfare.
 
Every time we go to confession, it should be evident that this spiritual warfare between us and Satan is real, that Satan will not give up and so we should not ever give in to his false promises and persistent temptations. Even when we fail and then return to confession, God forgives us unconditionally and He gives us the actual graces to resist temptations and to strengthen our resolve to be faithful to Him.
 
So, back to my first statement. What are we actually doing to keep the discipline of Lent? Prayer is an absolute necessity for us to save our souls. Ask yourself, am I setting real time aside every day to pray? Am I making an effort to be at Holy Mass every day in Lent to fortify myself with the Holy Eucharist to live better a life imitating Christ? Ask yourself, am I practicing real self-sacrifice in order to rid myself of the things that are an obstacle to my relationship with the Lord, or am I doing this to lose some weight? Ask yourself, what am I doing to be charitable to those in need? Am I giving from what I have extra or am I giving to others from what I need? Do I give but expect to be thanked, or do I give to others simply because they need me?
 
Lent followed by the Easter season are the two longest liturgical seasons in our Church’s year. They are graced opportunities for all of us to return to the Lord with our whole heart and soul, mind and strength and live faithfully the Christ-like life which always sets a good example and gives glory to Almighty God. Let us pray for each other in these beautiful days and prepare ourselves to celebrate with true joy and love the day of our redemption, Easter Sunday!