The Violet Lenten Rose (An Original Poem)

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Roses of faith are violet

Sinful thoughts are blue,

Lent calls us to repentance,

"Make us all anew!"

Break free from the guilt,

Forgive those who hurt,

Wipe away the anger,

Push away the murk,

Which feeds the soul with lies,

Keeps us all imprisoned,

Away from God's love,

Trapped in our own vision....

Of what life is all about,

A slave in our own mind,

How can we change?

So much to leave behind.

Violet engages our eyes,

The color of forgiveness rests,

In the priest's absolution,

No longer in spiritual death.

The Eucharist gives us life,

The Body of Our Lord,

The Crimson reminding us

Of the blood from the sword.

Violet roses bloom,

As Lent passes onward,

Fragrant smell of penance,

Bring us eternal reward.

Pray, fast, and give!

Misgivings and Misunderstandings

As part of my Lenten journey, I've been reflecting a lot on how I've treated people over the past year.  It hasn't always been in the most loving way.  I find that so many times I think, say and even write things I later regret. Then, I have to deal with the consequences.  Very few people push me away forever, especially those who know me very well and understand how I think, but a few do move on.  I've seriously offended them and they just can no longer deal with it.  Friendliness is replaced by cold and silence.  I've burned bridges.

I've prayed to the Lord: "Can you please change my personality so I'm not so prone to misgivings and misunderstandings?  Tame my tongue so I'm not so brutally honest.  Can you help me move away from egotism so I'm not so quick to bark at someone who I misconstrue as a threat to my livelihood? I want to become a positive and more compassionate woman yet I'm naturally drawn into myself and my own troubles.  I forget how my actions affect others."

I find sometimes frequent misunderstandings with a particular person may be a sign to break ties and move on.  We all meet people who serve a purpose in our lives but only for a limited amount of time.  We like them and appreciate them.  They helped us out in an important capacity. However, tensions and misunderstandings form which leave us bitter and confused.  We know in our hearts we much detach and let go.  Maybe the person is a lover, a spouse, a spiritual healer, or even a best friend.  

Letting go and moving on can be incredibly stressful and emotionally gut wrenching.  It's like going through withdrawal symptoms.  Sometimes relationships can become just as addictive as a substance like alcohol and drugs.  We take the leap of courage, telling the person we simply have to cut communication with them just to only go back to him/her, pleading for forgiveness.  We look foolish in the process.  The person may take us back or may decide we are too "difficult" to deal with.  If we had only stuck with our decision and didn't waver!  

For me personally, if I need to break communication with someone who has an emotional and/or physical hold on me the most effective strategy is to let go in silence.  Don't tell him how much my feelings are hurt or what's wrong with him.  Certainly don't lose my cool.  Just quietly and peacefully walk away and disappear for good.  No drama necessary. Quietly go through the mourning period understanding that God and our Holy Mother is there for reassurance.

As I grow older, I've realized how much we as humans think so radically differently.  As a result of these differences, we don't all get along or even understand one another.  The whole "he said/she said" scenerio is a perfect example.

During this Lent, try to forgive and forget.  Try to get past misgivings and misunderstandings.  Turn to Our Lord in prayer asking him for help.  

-J.

Dear Lord, Please Answer My Prayers!

Thursday of the First Week of Lent

(Click Here For Readings)

Book of Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25

Queen Esther 

Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish,

had recourse to the LORD. She lay prostrate upon the ground, together with her handmaids, from morning until evening, and said:“God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you. Help me, who am alone and have no help but you, for I am taking my life in my hand. As a child I used to hear from the books of my forefathers that you, O LORD, always free those who are pleasing to you.Now help me, who am alone and have no one but you, O LORD, my God..."

I highly recommend reading the Book of Esther.  It's a beautiful story of courage in a turbulent time period with women treated as sexual objects and the Jewish people targeted for massacre.  Esther is a beautiful orphan chosen as Queen by the powerful King Ahasuerus. She hides her Jewish faith in order to protect herself, and her cousin Mordecai, from certain death. Esther is considered a heroine of the Jewish people.  I won't go into too much more of the story since it's such a great read!  

Queen Esther petitioned her requests to God, fasting and praying for an answer.  She felt all alone, struggling with her hidden Jewish identity.  Should she proclaim the truth to the King?  How so?  Will God help her?  She did not give up hope that her Jewish people would be saved!  

I think we've all at one time or another prayed to God to hear only dead silence.  We don't quite know what He wants us to do.  We look for signs and clues.  Sometimes they are so subtle and unnoticeable that they don't seem to amount to much.  Other times the silence forces us to wait patiently for an answer.  God is not in a hurry to save the day, and he doesn't necessarily give us what we want.  It's always what we need and at the appropriate time.

I remember in high school I wanted to become a member of the drill team!  I signed up for the Pep Squad my sophomore year.  We had to wear these horrendous blue uniforms to all of the football games. (The "real" drill team wore cute outfits.) I remember one jealous girl calling me "Smurfette" as she sneered and laughed at me.  During that semester, I worked so hard to perfect my high kicks and splits.  At night I often prayed:  "Dear Jesus, please answer my prayers and allow me to make the RLT Drill Team.  I so want to wear the sparkly uniform and white boots!"  

Unfortunately, I didn't make the team.  It was a huge blow to my self-worth.  I was absolutely devastated and angry to boot.  I wasted nearly a year preparing for something totally worthless.  One thing good out of this disappointment was a complete reversal of course.  Because I didn't make the drill team, with first period practice, I was able to take an Advanced Business Computer course which helped me land temporary positions throughout summers of college.  So, in effect Jesus answered my prayers in a totally different way.  He thought it best I become educated instead of popular. No tarting around in a skimpy little uniform but busy learning software!  I could always take dance lessons later but for now learning computers was the plan.

Now that I reflect on the incident years ago, God planted so many "signs" that the drill team wasn't right for me.  I missed mock trials because of my Close-Up trip to Washington D.C.  I probably could have "fixed" some techniques if I'd gone to trials, but I thought the D.C. trip was totally worth it!  Then, toward the end of the semester the Drill team instructor resigned.  I absolutely loved her, so sad to see her go.  Later the new instructor hired turned out to be terrible.  The drill team never looked good afterwards.  Plus, the other girls on the team were snooty and witchy.  One of my best friends made the team that year, and later she told me it was a terrible experience for her.  She said everybody gave her the cold shoulder except for maybe two or three girls.  The cattiness and jealousy was too much for her.

I can't stress enough:  Pray for what you need and what will help you.  Try not to pray for what you want, especially if you know deep inside it may not be good.  It's important to discern what the Lord thinks is best for you and leave it up to Him to provide it for you.

What's so interesting is every time I even THINK about stopping this blog and going on to something else I'm tugged back into my writing ministry.  Lately, I've received quite a number of emails from people how much they enjoy it.  THANK-YOU!  It makes me feel good to be a source of inspiration for others.  I keep each one of my readers in my daily prayers!

St. Lucy, Pray for Us!!

-J.

Infinite Chances At Repentance

Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

(Click Here for Readings)

Book of Jonah 3:1-10

 “Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water. Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; every man shall turn from his evil way and from the violence he has in hand. Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath, so that we shall not perish.”

Broken Lenten promise.  Okay, it's confession time. I bought a bottle of wine and enjoyed two glasses yesterday evening. I planned to give up wine for the entire 40 days of Lent, but I didn't even last one week.  I feel guilty for going against my wine-imbibing fast.  I'm supposed to be changing for the better, right?  Let go of old habits and adopt new ones?  Practice what I preach?! Uh oh....

God could have squeezed me inside an empty wine bottle just like Jonah inside the belly of the whale! Toss me into the sea as my conscience screamed out, "Jen, you should never have bought that bottle of Fetzer sustainably-grown Cabernet!  You'd be safe and sound watching "Titanic" snuggling up with puppy instead of getting sea sick inside this bottle!  What kind of message are you sending to your blog readers?!".....

One thing that is so awesome about God is that he gives us infinite chances at repentance.  He understands we are all broken, easily falling into temptation.  Satan is diabolically vigilant this time of the year, poking his sharp pitchfork into our minds and hearts in hopes that we will totally screw up!  The more times we do "break" our fast, our prayer routine, and our almsgiving the more he laughs at us.  I certainly don't want the likes of Lucifer stinkin' up my Lent.  Do you?

Stinkin' Thinkin'  I came across the phrase "stinking thinking" today in an email meditation. It made me pause for a few moments because I've experienced a lot of stinky thoughts these past few weeks.  Some of these thoughts have been absolutely ridiculous and warped far from truth. It's like good ol' Satan has experienced loads of pre-Lenten fun inflaming my anxiety to a heighten level of negativity. I think others can relate to suffering from a bad case of pessimism.  It's no fun and causes so much useless fatigue.

Certainly, Jonah experienced a bad case of  stinkin' thinkin' when he disobeyed God's request to travel to Nineveh.  He tried to run away, but God forced him to swim around in that whale's belly.  I figure poor Jonah felt a little sorry for himself, wondering how he got stuck inside a blubbery mass in the first place!  Fortunately, Jonah recognized his sin, repented, and then went on to preach to the people at Nineveh.  The story has a happy ending as God decides to forgive the city for their transgressions.  They are all saved from God's blazing wrath.

How many times have we attempted to runaway from our problems?  How many times have said "No" to someone's request for help?  How many times have we pushed people away because we don't like what they do, think or say?

Take a chance!   We are only in the first week of Lent, so we have so many opportunities to change our ways, minds and hearts.  Most of us will "cheat" a little during our Lenten observance, but this is what makes us so viably human.  If conversion was an easy and painless endeavor, we wouldn't fall over and over again, begging for God's forgiveness and mercy.

 Lent is a special time for us to try the best we know how to let go of our sins and habits and realign ourselves more closely with God.  If Jonah can repent, and be forgiven by the Lord, so can we, too!

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for Us!!

-J.

The Power of Prayer

Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

(Click Here for Readings)

Gospel of Matthew 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans,who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him..."

Do you find prayer difficult or are you a prayer warrior?  Are you quick to respond, "I will keep you in my prayers" or rather silent?  I admit prayer is something that doesn't come natural to me.  I have to  schedule prayer time with God  in the early morning and evening hours or I won't do it at all.  I envy people who pray with ease.  It's like their hearts are naturally acclimated to holy dialogue with God.  How are they able to spontaneously communicate with God?  How are they able to quiet their minds and disconnect their hearts from egotism in order to pray for others?

I think pride can interfere with prayer life.  When we focus on ourselves and what we desire, our prayers become fruitless.  God may listen to us, but to his ears we are babbling on and on about stuff he doesn't necessarily think is good for us.  He wants us to pray for His will; leave all control to God!  He wants us to pray for the souls of others we may know or who are strangers to us.   Yes, if we have personal intentions we wish to petition God for, by all means pray for them.  Just be careful not to pray for things that are unnecessary, evil, or downright harmful.  With well formed consciences, we will realize what we pray for may not be for the best.

My parish has focused the Year 2015 on prayer.  I think this is a fantastic initiative.  We can all use advise on how to strengthen our prayer lives.  There are so many ways to pray that can easily fit in anyone's schedule.  There are simple prayers like the Our Father, the Hail Mary, or the Jesus Prayer. Liturgical prayer follows the Mass layout.  The Divine Office/Liturgy of the Hours are formal prayers said at designated times of the day.  Then there is contemplative prayer, Lectio Divina, and the Holy Rosary. Many people are gifted at simple mental prayer.  

The power of prayer is something we should not ignore!  Prayer really does work!  It's heals and saves.  It comforts.  It helps us through discernment.  It relaxes us and keeps us focused on the Lord.  Prayer as the "fruit of silence" helps us live holy and rich lives.  Sometimes we may believe God isn't listening to our prayers.  He's too buy saving others from eternal damnation.  However, God does hear our petitions.  He loves our praises of thanksgiving as well as our petitions for help.  We must learn to be patient with God because he will answer us in due course time.  God is known to give us what we least expect, surprising us with "answers" to our prayers in subtle ways.  We should always be alert and aware.  Even if God doesn't give us exactly what we wish, in the long run things normally work out for the better!  

Pray the "Our Father" sometime during the course of the day and always remember God knows what we need before we even ask!

Blessed  Constantius Servoli of Fabriano, Dominican Friar and Priest, Pray for Us!

-J.

Lenten Haikus - Part II

 

Pray without ceasing:

Stretch the mind - open the heart,

Never give up hope.

Fasting to fullness:

Like dryness in the desert,

Cleansing water for the soul.

Almsgiving changes:

Enriching heart mind and soul

Feeding with mercy.

A Wintry Day Poem 

Wintry mix and frigid chill

Early blossoms spent and ill

Blooming too soon, Nature not through,

Blanketing earth icicles of dew.

Snow and frost stay for now,

Dreary the air, many more clouds.

Darkness of winter, stubbornness of light

Cold seeps through, taking over night.

Where's God's warmth? Where's Christ's fire?

Where's the spark of holy most desire?

All I feel is coldness; All I want is wholeness

All I feel is sadness; All I want is gladness

All I feel is rejection; All I want is admiration

To be loved, to be held, to be cherished, and to Be 

Treated as a precious human being. 

Jesus is the one and only!

-J.

Icy Indifference

Today, the city of Dallas is pretty much shut down.  My business is closed as well as all area school districts.  A nasty winter storm is ravaging the Metroplex.  Since around 6 am this morning, non-stop freezing rain accumulates on the streets.  Outside is dead quiet except for the ice pellets hitting the roof and windows of my house.  Hopefully, everybody is warm inside homes and safe away from the frigid elements.  I pray the homeless have found refuge at a local shelter.

During inclement weather days like today is the best time to write!  One word that penetrates my thoughts, and concerns me a great deal, is indifference.  Pope Francis speaks about the globalization of indifference.  It has become a world wide problem.  I see indifference everywhere I turn from people throwing fast food containers on the streets to people walking past another with their heads down absorbed in their own thoughts.  

I even noticed snippets of indifference at an animal charity event I participated in this past weekend.  Among the artwork, cocktails and music a group of animal lovers displayed subtle chilliness.  Very few looked at me (or my mom) with a smile or responded with a thanks for being here in support of homeless animals. It's hard to describe the atmosphere but it was way different from Catholic charity events I regularly participate in.  Some say animal lovers are not really people persons.  Yes, maybe there is a little truth in this statement . But, I think it's just a result of the overall culture of indifference in society today.  The words Thank-You are a rare utterance!

Humans are so wrapped up in themselves and their own issues that they often fail to notice others around them.  They pass people on the streets without a smile.  They walk around more in tuned to their electronic devices than to their friends, coworkers, or even family members.  They have adapted to the culture of indifference without a care! I sincerely believe this indifference tears us away from God and our call to Christian discipleship. 

Have you ever met a person who could care less about you?  He/she never returns emails, texts, or phone calls.  Conversations are brief and rather superficial.  Perhaps the person is attractive and charming; the "perfect" person to be acquainted with.  Yet, the person could care less about you as a person.  Indifferent people are always too busy; they make up excuses as to why they don't make time for you or anyone else.  Sadly you may die tomorrow and the indifferent person will not even mourn your loss.....

I think showing indifference toward others is even worse than showing emotions like anger and sadness.  No wonder so many marriages break up, businesses fail, and crimes are committed.  Indifference is like a silent plague not easily identifiable.  It doesn't scream out like the Ebola virus.  It doesn't strike people dead in a matter of a short few weeks; however, it leaves a person emotionally and sometimes spiritually dead over the course of a lifetime.

What I find even more unconscionable is when clergymen show indifference toward members of their congregations.  This happens more often than we care to admit.  Our clergy are often overworked and worn down.  The last thing they feel like doing is showing true compassion, empathy, and caring toward someone they find irritating, annoying, or not at their "level" of spirituality.  I'm using pastors as an example because I think many people stray away from the Catholic Church because they feel like their priests simply do not care about them or their existence.  We all strive to be a wanted part of a community!  We all look up to our clergymen with reverence and high respect.  But when we receive thoughtless and indifferent responses in return we drift away, often leaving the Church permanently.

Today's culture has taught us that indifference is somehow okay.  It's a personal choice to be cold as ice or as hot as a roaring fire.  However, from a Christian perspective indifference is NOT okay.  Anyone who has ever encountered the tap of Indifference's icy fingers understands that the chill is not a pleasant experience. It leaves the person feeling hollow and empty inside.  Does anyone love her?  Does anyone care about him?  Are they just invisible individuals left to be alone for all of eternity?

As we all go through our busy lives, let us push away indifference and replace it with compassion and empathy.  Smile at the stranger.  Compliment a coworker.  Say thank-you more often.  Listen to someone who has something to share.  Be present and notice the environment, especially the people in it.  Get out of the self and more "in tune" with our fellow brothers and sisters no matter what!

Please read Pope Francis' Message for Lent:  "Make Your Hearts Firm"

Saint Polycarp, Pray for Us!

-J.

A Rainbow in the Desert

First Sunday of Lent 2015

One afternoon as I commuted home from work, I noticed the biggest and brightest rainbow.  I drove 70 mph straight into the colored prism beam.  What would await at the end?  A leprechaun pot of gold or precious pooches who made it across the rainbow bridge?  No, nothing of that sort.  Just a beautiful reminder of what we read about in Genesis:  God's promise to never destroy the earth again by flooding waters; a bow symbolizes this promise.  By the time I reached home, the rainbow was gone as rain droplets continued to fall from sunlit skies.  Quite a strange phenomenon during this time of the year when rain normally dumps from full black clouds.  I felt like God was smiling from heaven!

Mark's gospel recounts Jesus' temptation and fasting in the desert for forty days and forty nights. The Evangelist leaves out much of the details.  While meditating I wondered:  Did Jesus happen to observe a rainbow during his forty days in the desert?  If so, did the colorful spectrum provide him with the courage necessary to push away Satan's relentless provoking?  

During this period of Lent, we've entered our own desert experience.  We're praying, fasting, and giving alms.  We've made resolutions to give up old habits as we strive to form new ones.  But be warned: Satan is not giving up hope that we will slip, trip, and fall, deciding to give up on changing our lives for the better.  In fact, he enjoys when anxiety and negativity enter our minds:

Uh, I won't ever be able to give up drinking for a seven weeks!....  I can't let go of television for so long of a period of time.....Confession?  It's just not for me!.... Try to be nice to that irritating moron at work who bothers the dickens out of me?....Uh!  Who needs Lent!  What a waste of breathe!

Don't allow Satan to wrap his tentacles around your hearts.  He is trying his darkest to tempt you into bad behavior.  He has a way at picking at your vulnerabilities like an itchy old scab which never heals.  Fortunately, shooing away the Angel of Lies is an easy undertaking, especially during Lent. It just takes faith, hope, love, and charity.  Those four little words are like poisonous venom to the Devil.   The Lord provides us with a vast selection of spiritual weapons.  Power up with frequent holy communion.  Repent through fasting and alms.  Pray the rosary, a Chaplet to a favorite Saint, or a litany of protection to Saint Michael the Archangel.  Pray novenas.  Do whatever it takes to keep Satan away!  If the Lord was able to resist temptation while undergoing the 40 day desert experience we can, too!

-J.

Thaw Out to Perfection

Saturday of the First Week of Lent

Gospel of Matthew 5:43-47

So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

A snow storm blew through the DFW Metroplex yesterday. Many businesses closed early.  A record  2 inches of snow accumulated at the airport, not seen since 1934!  Certainly this has been a crazy winter in North Texas.  I've literally been shut in for two days with cabin fever settling in.  I can tell my dachshund is going a little doggy crazy.  Her barking at everything under the cloudy skies, chiefly out of boredom, causes a nonstop headache.   Puppy needs a nice long walk; I need a couple of Aleve!

I've taken several cat naps,  in and out of viewing episodes of "House of Cards Season 3."  Nothing better than to curl up in front of a good television series when bad weather keeps me stuck inside.  After I read through Morning Prayer and the scripture readings of the day, I took a long and hot aromatherapy bath.  The essence of cinnamon leaf oil, neroli, rosewood, and thyme allowed me to imagine away my current state of boredom. I do some of my best thinking in the bath or shower.  

A question formed in my mind as I listened to water dripping from the roof.  Thaw out at last!

How can I be perfect like God the Father?  

I rustle with the idea of perfection.  Is it truly attainable on this earth, or is perfection waiting for us in heaven?  We can follow God's commandments.  We can learn to love our enemies and serve others.  We can practice virtues instead of vices.  However, we are still imperfect human beings!  We still get in bad moods and make mistakes.  We don't always love as much as we should.  Plus, we can be egotistical at times.  So being perfect like God is perfect appears to be an impossible goal!

Times throughout my life I've tried to be the "perfect" student, employee, writer, friend, and even Catholic.  In my quest for perfection, it only causes stress, and to a certain extent, an elevated ego.  This is so contrary to God's idea of being perfect.  He doesn't lift himself up as morally superior or judge people as if they will never amount to anything.  He accepts people as he creates them, flawed and all, but only asks that we try our best to live a holy life.  When we do make mistakes, repent and ask for forgiveness.  Make it a goal to live a good life; a life loving and serving others. Enemies will always lurk behind the scenes or straight ahead.  Yet, Christ calls us to still love and respect them.  Praying for a conversion of their harden hearts is a great way of demonstrating such love.

Thaw out to perfection.  Let go of the chilliness of hate and replace it with the warmth of love.  Allow the ice cubes of indifference and unfair judgment melt away into potable water.  Life is transformed more perfect when we live a life close to God.

-J.

Lenten Cleansing Effects

Saturday After Ash Wednesday

(Click Here for Readings)

Isaiah 58: 9b-48

Thus says the LORD: If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; If you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; Then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday; Then the LORD will guide you always and give you plenty even on the parched land. He will renew your strength, and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring whose water never fails.

As a baby Lay Dominican candidate (novice) just admitted to the Order of Preachers last December, I find myself a little overwhelmed by the endless amount of reading material on Dominican Spirituality. I'm not quite sure where to start or what to focus on.  Everything piques my interest, to a certain extent.  The more scholarly articles are bookshelfed for a while longer.  I'm starting off with the easier to understand writings.

Recently, I grabbed a bio on Saint Dominic to get a feel for what kind of person he was. Wow, talk about an inspiring man who practiced penance every day of his life and not only during Lent!  He prayed into the wee hours of the night, often forgoing sleep.  He fasted from meat daily, often eating sparse meals.  He regularly gave clothing off of his own back to the poor.  All of the penances he performed with a cheery countenance and not one hint of despair!  This is quite a miracle in itself since most of us are quick to moan and groan, huff and puff when the Church requires us to attend Mass every Sunday and take communion/ confess sins once a year.   This doesn't seem like that difficult of an obligation.  Why only partake in the Church's sacraments once a year and miss out on deep spiritual cleansing?!  I don't want the filth and stench of my sins to linger around too long, rotting away my soul.  I want to bath regularly under Christ's healing shower, staying fresh and clean!

Perhaps a great practice to adopt in Lent 2015 is attending daily mass more often and amping up time in the confessional!  Trust me, priests have heard it all, so no need to be embarrassed if it's been a while since you last confessed mortal sins.   Certainly regular reception of The Eucharist and confession has a tremendous cleansing effect on our souls.

Furthermore, meditating on scripture and praying the Liturgy of the Hours waters our souls daily.  Christ's aqua jug helps our souls grow and bloom.  I know days when I don't have the time to read the mass scripture verses or daily Psalter I feel droopy.  The rose living inside my heart is thirsty and needs just a sprinkle of holy water to revive.

Having maintained this blog for about two years now, I've  noticed the same scripture readings cycle over and over.  It's a challenge to write from a different perspective.  Sometimes scripture doesn't quite speak to me as profoundly as months or years earlier.  As a result, I like to gather ideas from the writings from the Saints, the Popes, and even lay persons.  Moreover, I regularly look at reflections from our Protestant brothers and sisters.  I believe strongly in ecumenical outreach, especially since I originate from a Protestant background, so sometimes I turn to non-Catholic religious sources for inspiration. (Please don't think I'm a bad Catholic for paying attention to what our fellow Christian brothers and sisters of other denominations are preaching!)

I'd like to close today's meditation with words from Rev. Don Underwood, pastor at Christ United Methodist Church in Plano, TX.  He is a phenomenal preacher along with his assistant ministers.  (I'm happy to say the church has women pastors, too!)  I enjoy listening to the church's sermons recorded on their website.  Here are words from Rev. Underwood's recent email message:

"The journey through Lent can be dark and somewhat solitary. That is how it is meant to be. But it comes with its own rewards. It provides the opportunity to set aside the perky little aphorisms about having a great day in return for an even richer experience of being in the presence of the God who creates the day. Of being held by the God who watches over us during the night. Experiencing those moments when we know, without any doubt, that we belong to God." 

Saint Martin de Porres, Pray for Us!

-J.