The Gospel for the First Tuesday of Lent (Mt 6: 7-15) tells us about Jesus’ introduction of the Lord’s Prayer for all of us. In his reflection for that Gospel, Fr. Victor writes: “St. Paul of the Cross saw prayer always leading to intimacy with God.” I have always felt that way, but it seems Our Father in heaven expects even more from us. 

    I love to approach, through Jesus, that bosom of my Heavenly Father, and just rest in there with Him, like His little baby. However, Jim Yhap, a friend and fellow Passionist Associate, who is studying for the Deaconate, told me his Theology professor says that we cannot relate to the Father in a one-to-one fashion, “my Father”. We must think of Him as “OUR Father.” Only in that matter can we properly approach Him. That’s what I think Jim said; we were in a hurry. All I could reply to him, in a whiny voice, was, “But I call Him Papa!”. How can I become intimate with Him if I have to come with a whole crowd of people at my side? How many people? Seven billion?

    I have always preferred the first part of the Lord’s Prayer, where I enjoy the holiness and heavenliness, the power and the loving will of “Papa’”, more than the second half, where I have to ask not only for myself, but for everyone. It even bothers me a little sometimes when I have to rush through the prayer so I can keep up with he others in the Church. Of course, other times I relish in the company of so many people I love, who share my faith. I am always praying for others, but then I miss that blissful intimacy that fills me when I feel that I am alone with God. It’s O.K. My beloved God, Our beloved God, is constantly working on me!

Here is an example.
    I have written about this 8-year-old granddaughter of mine, and how the crazy love that we have for each other reminds me of my relationship with Our Father. She happens to also have four siblings who have blessed my life in equaly wonderful ways. They are getting older, and therefore more distant, so their grandmother and I end up spending the bulk of the time with the little one.

    Last Friday, my wonderful wife decided to invite all five grandchildren to come have pizza with us at Villa Rustica Restaurant and then go to American Martyrs Parish and participate with us in the Stations of the Cross. Surprisingly, they all said “Yes!” Wow, what a blessed surprise! I thought they would be, as usually, busy.

    On the way there I noticed that my eight year old was not saying a word. While we were waiting to be seated at the restaurant she seemed sullen and detached. So I asked her, “What’s the matter? Are you sad?”

    She answered in a barely audible voice, “I thought I was the only one who was coming with you and abuela (grandma).” 
    So I told her, “I love you, but you know they are also our grandchildren, and we love them too! You know what a treat this is?”
    Anyway, we sat down to eat and had a great time. She smiled and talked and ate all the spaghetti. For my part, I had not heard the teenagers and the 20 year old laugh, enjoy, interact, and say so much in a long time. The pizza tasted better than ever before. This was my best meal so far in 2020.

    Then we went to Church and the graces of God were so powerful! My eight-year-old read along with every prayer and never seemed bored or distracted. All of us felt satisfied  and peaceful. Nobody argued on the way home. 
    My Loving God taught me that lesson I needed. He delights in all of us. We are His family. We are a community of beloved children. Since then, every time I approach Our Creator I remember that Jesus brought me there, in His Spirit, along with the whole of humanity. 
    Dear Readers, I love you all! I do! You are certainly my brothers and sisters. This wonderful Father in Heaven, around us, and (intimately) within each of us wants it so!

Orlando Hernández  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       A Lenten Reflection

     East of Jericho, Palestine, in the Judean Desert, and not far from the Jordan River, there is a Greek Orthodox monastery built into the rock of the steep side of a high hill called the Mount of Temptation. The ancient monastery buildings lead into a number of caves, where it is believed our Lord Jesus Christ found refuge during His forty days in the desert.      

Eight years ago, when I first visited this site, the place was mostly stark, barren desert. When I returned last November, the area beneath the Mount was covered by irrigated farms and groves, even homes and apartment buildings. The city of Jericho had expanded into the area. There seemed to be some sort of resort built right beneath the monastery, with even cable cars going up the mountain. How time changes things. It seemed hard to believe that this place was a desolate, dry wilderness when Jesus spent His forty days there.      

On the First Sunday of Lent, the Gospel remembers this story. (Mt 4: 1-11) In previous years, this Gospel has led me to meditate on different things, like my memory of this place in Palestine, what it is like to survive in a desert, what nuts and edible plants Jesus ate to stay alive all those days, where He located mountain springs to get water, how He found shade, how He felt at different moments. Was He lonely? Did He miss His mother? What kind of mystical experiences was He having with His Heavenly Father? Did He experience spiritual dryness? And of course, those temptations!     

This Lent though, upon reading this passage, what struck me after all these years, were the actual WORDS of my Lord. It seemed as if He was personally talking to me, crystallizing my focus on what this new, long season of Lent can mean to me. Each statement led me to unexpected prayer with Him.    

 He tells me, “One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Mt 4 : 4) I have been “fasting” since Ash Wednesday, at least trying to limit what I eat and trying to feel hungry for long periods of time. Normally I never feel hungry. I go to the Deli, or refrigerator, or the pantry, and satisfy my craving. I tend to overeat often. But lately, I am actually succeeding in getting these unexpected hunger pangs. I close my eyes and see in front of me a fat slice of Wonder Bread with butter, or Italian bread with olive oil, French bread with tuna fish, Indian naan with hummus, Cuban pastries, raisin bagels…..

Stop, please! I see my Lord, the Word of God, smiling before me, ready to fill me with His life-giving self (as if He doesn’t do that already!), and I find myself craving for Him: “Oh God, You are my God—for You I long, for You my body yearns; “ (Ps 63 : 2) I hear His Word: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be satisfied.” (MT 5: 6) Indeed, His Presence within me helps to “set me right.” Thank You Beloved, for reminding me through hunger, to pray with You.     Then He admonishes me : “You shall not put the Lord, your God to the test.” (Mt 4: 7) Yes, I feel so infinitely loved by Him; it is wonderful. I trust Him to forgive me and straighten me out every time, but this does not mean that I am to just forget about His Mercy. This does not mean that I am to engage in reckless behavior, playing with the fire of my sinful instincts, and glibly expect Him to catch me every time I fall, like a little child “testing” the love and patience of his parents. Such Divine Love deserves respect, honor, adoration, and great effort at self-improvement and penance.   

 Finally, He warns me : “The Lord your God, shall you worship and Him alone shall you serve.” (Mt 4: 10) I have been amassing a list of bad habits to give up, along with acts of giving and sacrifice for this Lent. I think I have already come up with about 20-plus items. It’s stacking up to be a little mountain of promises which are hard to keep. My Lord helps me to realize that my primary focus should not be on all these goals and acts, but on Him, the Divine One who enables me to accomplish any of them. Yes, He appreciates my attempts at charity and piety, but I must remember that every act of love, or sacrifice, or kindness is in the end His Grace working through each one of us. If I start giving myself spiritual medals for being such a “good boy” I get dangerously close to idolatry of self, and pride.    

 Frankly, I admit I am really ill-prepared for this season of Lent. Without His loving company and strength I cannot make it through this desert. I surrender to His love and invite Him to walk with me through it all. My hope in Him sprouts, and flowers tentatively, like those gardens and groves that dot the Palestinian desert before the Mount of Temptation. Prayer is always the first step, the most important aspect of Lent, and for that matter, the whole year.      Lord, help us to drink from the fountain of love which is You Holy Spirit. “Jesus, I trust in You.”
Orlando Hernández

Our Lenten weekday readings begin with the final judgment, when “all the nations” appear before Jesus Christ to be judged for the way they have treated “the least” , the hungry, the thirst, the naked, the sick, the prisoner. “Christ in disguise”, to use a term of Mother Teresa.

“When did we see you in them”, those judged ask?  (Monday)

The readings for the days that follow tell us the way to see– by prayer. On the mountain Jesus teaches his followers the Lord’s Prayer, the common prayer of all God’s children. God is our Father. We ask to be given our daily bread. We ask that we all be forgiven and not be tested beyond our strength.

God gives us a gift to pray that our eyes may see and our hearts be open. Like snow and rain, the gift of prayer falls on us all. God give us the gift to pray. (Tuesday)

Prayer is more than prayer for ourselves and our own needs. The story of Jonah points to a world bigger than our own. We’re children of the world and we must pray and work for its good. (Wednesday)

Never lose confidence in prayer and what it makes possible. “Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find. Knock and the door with open” Jesus teaches. (Thursday)

Make sure as you approach the altar to pray that your heart is free from resentment, harsh judgment and anger. Otherwise, your prayer become weak and blind. You cannot see.  (Friday)

We must pray even for our enemies. For our Father causeS the sun to shine on the just and the unjust and the rain to fall on saints and sinners. (Saturday)

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