My first post: Triduum

For some time now I have felt a call to post on this blog. Rebecca started this thing to be a blog that both she and I would share. So now I am taking advantage of this and posting my first blog ever (I think).

Anyway, as I write this I just came back from The Mass of The Lord's Supper at Saint Luke. Now that Lent is over and we are ready to "celebrate" our Lord's crucifiction and death I feel a need to reflect on my journey through Lent this year.

When Lent began I wasn't really sure what to do this year. I was overwhelmed at work and so my usual commitment to go to Mass every day just wasn't going to happen. So instead, I decided that I would prayer the Litany of Humility every day and the keep a journal.

So far so good, at least I had something to do for Lent. But the first couple of weeks just didn't go well at all. I wasn't growing any closer to our Lord and I just felt like I was in a rut. Somehow I decided that the problem must have been that I was not working hard enough. I figured that the issue was that I was too lazy. So I poured myself even more into my work...things got worse.

Finally, I decided that I was lost and I needed some help. So I got back out the book I read a couple years ago by Dave Durand entitled Perpetual Motivation. That finally got me started again. The main point I took away from the book is that life is about balance. Due to problems I was experiencing at work, my life was no longer balanced. I was not putting in the effort any longer at home or at DTS. So I started to change. Instead of working harder at my job, I started working harder as a husband and father and youth leader...things got better.

Enter Father Larry Richards. Last year around this time, I read his book Be a Man. I even got a copy for Marc, the young man whom I sponsored for Confirmation. I heard on the radio that he would be at Christ the King Cathedral for a retreat. God moment anyone? So I took some initiative, at the prodding of my wonder wife, and called up Marc to invite him to go with me. He agreed. The talk was great. It was all about sin and how much we need Christ in our lives. The main point I took away from this talk was that Christ always tries to help us focus on him and our future, while the devil wants to keep us focused on ourselves and the past. Light bulb!!!

Suddenly I realized that for like the past year or two I had been completely absorbed in myself. Every conversation I had was all about me. I would try to focus everyone and all the stuff going on in my life and I was wouldn't listen when folks would talk to me about their lives and their problems. All this from a man who has, "The greatest among you must be your servant." (Matthew 23:11), on all his out going emails!

And so goes God's mercy. After all this time that I have turned by back on him. I have focused my gaze not on the one who loves me more than His own life, but rather squarely on myself and what's in it for me. Still He gives up His very life for me. Still He invites me to His table to receive his Precious Body and Precious Blood. Still He gives me more than I deserve. Still He loves me!

Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for loving me so much that you would rather die than spend eternity with out me. May I keep my gaze always on you. May I serve you in all that I do.

So I am not sure why I just wrote all this. I guess in some way I hope that it will encourage each of you. I hope that you have had an even more uplifting Lenten journey than I have. May God be with you through Triduum, Easter, and beyond.

Andy