Christ didn’t suffer so that we don’t have to

On February 21, 2024February 21, 2024 By Lee (@disciple96)In Lent, Seasonal, Series, What is Christianity2 Comments

+JMJ+ It’s Lent, the season of suffering, one could say, and it seems like a good time to mention this in our ongoing Catholic Christianity 101 or What is Christianity series. This one is more, perhaps, about how to be a Christian and less about what Christianity is, but I’m going for it anyway. I know it will contradict what a whole lot of people say—people who should know better but have forgotten or never knew—but Christ did not suffer so that we don’t have to. He suffered so that we could learn how to suffer. More, so that we could suffer and unite our suffering to His redemptive suffering. So we could offer our suffering for the benefit of others. That they may be healed physically, well, yes, if the Lord wills that. But mostly so that they, and we, may be united to Him, now, in this life, and in the next.

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Happy feast day of Saint Joseph

On March 20, 2023 By Lee (@disciple96)In Lent, Saints and Blesseds, Spiritual LifeLeave a comment

St Joseph with the Child Jesus, by Murillo

+JMJ+ A blessed feast day of Saint Joseph to you! And happy first day of Spring. Here we in the fourth week of Lent. Hasn’t this Lent flown by? My sister sent me a gift card for Christmas and I’m just now using it. What did I get? One book, so far: The Silent Knight: A History of St. Joseph as Depicted in Art, by my favorite art historian and one of my all-time favorite speakers, period, Dr. Elizabeth Lev. I only bought the book today and I haven’t begun to read it yet, so how can I recommend it to you? Well, first, did I mention it’s by Liz Lev? And I’ve watched some interesting interviews about it (see below), so I am looking forward to digging into it. In keeping with the art of Saint Joseph theme I’m going to include a few of my favorite paintings of him.

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We are not our own best advisers

On March 13, 2023 By Lee (@disciple96)In Lent, Seasonal, Spiritual Life2 Comments

+JMJ+ I’ve mentioned before that my favorite daily meditations, after the Mass readings and the breviary, come from the series In Conversations with God by Francis Fernandez Carvajal. I was reading in it tonight and this passage jumped out at me.

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For the suffering

On March 6, 2023 By Lee (@disciple96)In Lent, Suffering3 Comments

+JMJ+ Greetings! Here we are at the second week of Lent already. I’ve made an extra effort to remember what I’m doing this time, fasting and abstinence. And I’ve managed to mostly keep to it. Mostly. Old habits are hard to break. And I’ve spent the past couple of days dealing with illness. But then I stumbled upon some videos about babies whose mothers are addicted to some serious drugs and their babies go through some awful withdrawal after they’re born. Looking at my suffering after that? No comparison. (These poor little ones really grabbed my attention and my heart this weekend. Be forewarned. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. So here’s tonight’s post.)

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Announcing the winner of the Giveaway Lent 2023

On March 3, 2023 By Lee (@disciple96)In Giveaways, Lent, SeasonalLeave a comment

+JMJ+ And the winner is… Marcia Geraghty! I’ll send out an announcement via email and social media posts, too. Just email me your shipping address, Marcia, and I’ll get your copy of In Conversation with God, Volume 2, sent to you ASAP!

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What will I give up for Lent

On February 22, 2023 By Lee (@disciple96)In Lent, Seasonal2 Comments

+JMJ+ During His forty days in the desert Jesus undid the temptations of the fall: pleasures, possessions and pride* and He did so by resisting the temptation to eat, to rule all the kingdoms of the world (I did giggle when the Devil offered that to Christ the King of the Universe), and to exalt Himself (as if He could exalt Himself anymore than He already was exalted, what with being God and all). Lent gives us a chance to join Him in overcoming our ancient enemy and his tactics, his temptations, and overcoming our weakness. And do we ever come face to face with our own weakness during Lent!

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Ash Wednesday is almost here

On February 21, 2023 By Lee (@disciple96)In Lent, SeasonalLeave a comment

+JMJ+ Yesterday I shared a couple of things about Ash Wednesday and Lent in the Church against the charge that they have pagan roots. Today I want to add more to that, some videos that I think are interesting and helpful. First, a video from Dr. Brant Pitre, then two by Fr. Mike Schmitz, and one by Fr. Chris Alar, three of my favorite Catholic teachers and speakers.

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Ack! Ash Wednesday is, well, Wednesday!

On February 20, 2023February 21, 2023 By Lee (@disciple96)In Lent, SeasonalLeave a comment

+JMJ+ How is it possible? I say I’m going to prepare early for Lent every year and every year Lent begins with me scrambling around at the last minute. We’ve still got a couple of days. Here are some things I’ve found tonight. First up, something that will come in handy for most of us who have non-Catholic friends, family, co-workers, or neighbors: “No, Ash Wednesday/Lent is not pagan,” a post and an audio file. Then some helpful things to help us make this Lent a blessed and spiritual occasion. (Note: I added sort of a part two of this post containing four videos I found helpful.)

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Lent is coming, rambling thoughts on mortification

On February 6, 2023 By Lee (@disciple96)In Lent, SeasonalLeave a comment

+JMJ+ With Lent fast approaching I ask a question: Is mortification still a thing for Catholics? I know it’s still a practice recommended by the Church, and I don’t see how anyone can make any spiritual progress without it, but do people include mortification in their spiritual practice anymore? Do they even have a spiritual practice? I’m asking because whenever I see mortification mentioned, it’s always in a negative sense, as in, “I want to focus on the positive this Lent, not focus on the negative.” I don’t even know what that gobbledygook means, but I do know that it can have serious consequences for a spiritual life.

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Ash Wednesday: Into the desert again

On March 2, 2022February 20, 2023 By Lee (@disciple96)In Lent, Spiritual LifeLeave a comment

+JMJ+ Seems like we’ve been in a spiritual wasteland for a couple of years now but here it is again, Ash Wednesday. Time to head into the desert once more. Yet even in the midst of all the trouble and trials we’ve been going through, we can make this a fruitful Lent and a time to grow deeper in our love of God, even if we haven’t been feeling the love for a while.

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Your Best Catolic Lent Yet

On February 28, 2022February 28, 2022 By Lee (@disciple96)In Lent, Spiritual LifeLeave a comment

+JMJ+ Lent begins on Wednesday. That’s just two days away! At least I don’t have to flail about like I do most years, wondering what to do, what to give up, etc. This year I’m going to do some spiritual exercises from the Sermon on the Mount to make this my best Catholic Lent ever! Join me and make this your best Catholic Lent ever, too. I’ll give a brief overview of these spiritual exercises in this post, but you can read more about them and what they are meant to remedy in the ongoing Catholic Book of the Month series, currently featuring Brant Pitre’s Introduction to the Spiritual Life (scroll down that page for the book’s posts).

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Book of the Month, March 2021 – Part 4

On March 22, 2021March 23, 2021 By Lee (@disciple96)In Book of the Month, Books, Divine Mercy, Lent, Praying with Jesus and Faustina, SeriesLeave a comment

+JMJ+ Welcome to part 4 of our Catholic Book of the Month for March 2021, Praying with Jesus and Faustina During Lent: and in Times of Suffering, by Susan Tassone. I’m also going to include some things from the Marian site of the Divine Mercy to help us get ready for Holy Week. Notes and links are at the end of this post.

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