Lent is the Time for Daily Conversion
a Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

When we turn to God and live in gratitude for His Mercy, our life ceases to be one of self-indulgence. As St. Francis demonstrated, we draw to Jesus in the Cross, and we love Him in the knowledge that he hangs there for us. Our desire is to share His sufferings.

Jesus taught us: "If a man wishes to come after me, he must deny his very self, take up his cross and follow me." (Mt. 16:24) There is no doubt that we are living in a very difficult time. A time that offers all sorts of distractions. We are weighed down by poverty, infirmity, sickness, and other hardships that bind us to Christ, who suffers for the salvation of sinners. It would do well to remember, in examining the question before us, to remember our roots. We Franciscans are the sisters and brothers of Penance, and we should live accordingly. Penance, or daily conversion, is the primary attitude of all Franciscans. Sufferings and pain, and all sorts of humiliations in life are opportunities to share an intimacy with Jesus in his mission of salvation.

The season of Lent is a good time for daily conversion. Daily conversion should be happening all the time, but Lent is a good place to begin. For inner conversion to be a daily practice, it is necessary for us to set some priorities in our lives. One of those priorities is to cut down on self-indulgence and pride (often one and the same), but there are other components of this issue that should be examined further.

For a human being to love his God, it is necessary for us to examine our daily practices and our attitude toward God and to our sister and brother. The greatest commandment is that we are to love God and our neighbor as ourselves, so what does this entail? Love is a gift of God to us, so when we love other people, we live as God wishes us to live, in His way, and not our way. There are many people who have no concept of God, and who live quite apart from God. Where this is the case, there tends to be a lack of empathy for others, a lack of compassion with the needs of other people. Of course, there are exceptions, but I'm painting with broad strokes here. Most of my writing is directed to people who follow Jesus Christ, but if people who are unsure of their direction in life read this writing, and you are touched by it in one way or another, it is my hope to at least spread the notion that God loves everyone, (Let me repeat: GOD LOVES EVERYONE), and that He wishes for us to spend eternity with Him. God can give us eternity, but He wishes for us to acknowledge the Gift of Grace that He gives us, along with the means to make a positive decision (he has given us fine brains, it is, however, too bad that not everyone makes full use of this great gift!) in His honor. So if you wish to follow Jesus, deny yourself, stop being self-indulgent, take up your cross (the challenges of each life) and just follow Him.

Those who follow God the Father, and/or Jesus Christ make a conscious effort to give up sin. Sin is an affront to God because it interrupts our flow of love between us and Him. On the other hand, His love for us does not stop. Such a breakdown can be avoided when we make the effort to pray, to lift our minds and thoughts to God, every day or at least often. This development is the beginning of an "inner life," a life between God and us, that is completely private to each of us. It is not necessary to reveal our thinking to anyone, and this interaction is between us and our God. This is a daily struggle but one worth having.

Following my own life, there was a period of seeking identity, a period of keeping God out of the picture because in many people's lives there are periods that we just cannot pray, and we could fall away from the Faith. God helps us through those difficult times. He always gives us time and the means to recover. If our relationship with Him was strong to begin with, we have nothing to fear, but if we are experiencing a tough time with this inner life, and somehow, we cannot keep it intact, then additional prayer and guidance is necessary.

The season of Lent, which begins on March 2, 2022, is a good time to bring this together, with special Parish programs, a lot of Liturgical activity, it is always easier to find handholds along the path of life. And if things get tough, you can get in touch with friends, priests, other people in your Churches. Some churches have programs such as discipleship groups, prayer groups, or even an occasional retreat might help. In his public life, Jesus helped the people of his time. He healed the sick, made the lame walk, allowed the blind to see, and He will help us too. We need but ask. Consider asking Him:

Dear Father in Heaven,
In my confusion, please steer me clear of the pitfalls of sin.
Instead, please lay your helping hand on my shoulders and install in me the power of the Holy Spirit.
Please keep me from falling, and allow me to get up again, when I stumble.
During the rest of this Lenten season, may I enclose my tiny bit of suffering with your suffering,
that I may help my sisters and brothers now and forever. Amen

Examine, periodically, how can I help others through prayer, volunteering to help in parishes, churches, at social affairs, my neighbor down the street, the community, and at my Franciscan fraternity, etc., giving an hour of my time here and there, maybe counselling someone who is looking for help, or just being friendly to those around you? That all helps. It helps others who are going through difficult times right now, and it helps you by setting up a steady pattern of being of service to the community. Then, when Lent is all done, these new means toward Grace can be incorporated into your ongoing schedule.

The goal is to make daily conversion a daily practice. Be consciously aware of the needs of yourself as well as the needs of others. Be a part of a church, a community, a group or civic organization or some other entity that benefits other people. Most of all, be part of a people of God!

May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Fred Schaeffer, OFS
February 7, 2022

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Take and Eat, all of you.
A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

    "Truly I say to you, unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you." Jn. 6:53.

    "Behold, the Lamb of God." Jn. 1:29.