From Maintenance To Mission

Lent arrives this Wednesday – are you ready?

Lent is the season in which we strive our hardest to grow in holiness by choosing to make sacrifices, to pray more, and by generously giving of ourselves to help others. It’s like moving from maintenance to mission on a personal level. To have a good Lent you’ll just need two things. First, a plan. What will you do/not do? Perhaps you’ll give something up, or read a spiritual book, learn a new prayer, or maybe you will take a chance and “pick-a-penance” each week when you come to Mass. Once you have your plan then you’re ready for the other thing you need: help.
The perfect go-to is Mary, our Blessed Mother. She was the first and best disciple, and her role now is to protect us and lead us to her son, Jesus. She never left him, and she will never leave us when we need her. Just as Mary rushed to Jesus as he carried his cross, she will rush to you when you need strength, courage, hope, and love. You can be absolutely certain of this – just ask a pilgrim who has visited the Holy Land.

In the old city of Jerusalem pilgrims today can walk the Way of the Cross – the very same streets that Jesus carried his cross up to Golgotha, the site of the crucifixion. Along the way, the actual

Stations of the Cross are marked on the walls of the city streets. From Station One, where Jesus was condemned to death, to Station Nine, where Jesus fell for the third time, there are alcoves where people step inside to reflect and pray. (Stations Ten through Fourteen are all contained within the Church of the Holy Sepulcher). Perhaps the most moving Station before getting into the church is number Four – where Jesus met his mother. In this candle-lit alcove there is a beautiful statue of Mary with Jesus and his cross, but just down in front of it on the ceramic tile floor there are two footsteps, marking the place of their meeting. To stand in this place is to feel the powerful reality of Mary’s love for her son, and for us. It’s the most heartbreaking and the most comforting place all at the same time, and when you come away from that place you no longer wonder if Mary knows you, or if she really loves you. You just know, and that knowing stays with you.

So, this Lent, make your plan and don’t be afraid to ask our Blessed Mother to help you when you’re feeling weak or tempted. Know that she will come, and she will leave her footsteps in your heart.