13/02/2024
A Messy Ministry Message sparked by the gullibility of social media and sharing.
In the past few days, I have been receiving and seeing so many people share and put up the Lent messages from our Leader of the Catholic Church Pope Francis.
I must ask, what have we become?
Are we so gullible that we believe that this message is the writing from Pope Francis or are we just blind and looking for a cop-out or easier Lenten journey?
Are we so influenced by the world's medium of communication, that if we receive something it must be true?. Please verify your source before sharing something. By the time I got up this morning, I had received the message 20 times and can’t recall how many times I have viewed status messages about what this Lenten journey should be about. I woke up this morning and immediately got onto Google, searching for the message of Lent 2024 from Pope Francis. This is not what is been shared. (See links)
Are our views of sacrifice and penance in denying ourselves and praying so old school, that we must make like bees to honey and swam around a message without checking its authenticity.
Are we so afraid to give up luxuries, personal sacrifices, obsessions, things, and persons we daily lust over, desire or want to use that it’s easier to say, this Easter, eat whatever you want, the sacrifice is not in the stomach but in the heart?
This was your first flag! We do not fast at Easter. We fast during Lent. At Easter, we feast and celebrate the Risen Lord. Secondly, The Holy Father would not sign off with emojis. Thirdly…
Are we too afraid to be challenged on our faith? Someone who does not know what this period means for us Catholics must have written this piece. What an easy and simple way to get us distracted from fasting and prayer, abstinence, and sacrifice? Ooooh, the spirit of harm and destruction is so busy, for it knows very well the power of this season as we walk the journey of Jesus in the desert.
The actions we are called to be and do, in the “so-called" message from Pope Francis, which we are all gullible to believe, are actions we should be doing every single day of our lives. Not just during Lent. However, what I read there is that someone is trying to make sure we are not praying and fasting. The devil is roaming and busy. He is doing his best to attack our call to prayer and fasting. Because great and marvellous things happen when you do both.
Yes, eating meat or eating fish is not going to make any of us any better or worse. After all, in Matthew 15:10-11 Jesus said, “It's not what goes into your mouth that defiles you, you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth”. Therefore, what we think, we say, and what we say, we live.
It is in his speech; like gossip, slander, hate and spewing out words that destroy and break down another. It's what's in his heart that comes out that causes him to lash out in anger, despise another, hurt your spouse or children, disregard the sick and destitute, the poor and the suffering. Turning your heart cold to a neighbour in need, who is alone, isolated, or unwell requires your compassion, time, and effort. Looking into your own family mending relationships, and helping that sibling, child, parent, or grandparent that needs your assistance. Not doing all this is what defiles a person, and this is what we are called to do every day.
However, denying oneself the luxuries we used to, whether it's food, drink, status, indulgences, vices, waste, or bad habits will cause us to introspect. It will cause us to walk the journey with Jesus in the desert. It will challenge us to replace all that want with prayer and charity. During Lent by denying ourselves, we are called to think of others, share with others and give of ourselves more generously.
The Pope is calling us to reflect on the exodus out of Egypt into the desert. To stop the complaining of our circumstances, even though we have God present with us daily and enough to eat.
To stop forging idols out of all the things we hold up daily. People, Influencers, Money, Stock market, Shopping, Clothing, social media, television, movie stars, extravagant homes, drugs, alcohol, gambling, s*x additions, always wanting more irrespective of the cost or the cost of the person next to you or the one you don't care to know. So that you have it.
We may not have the actual idol of a golden calf, but we have more than that and because it's packaged differently, we still focus on the idolatry. Blinded by power, greed, and status.
So, please do everything that the phoney message says because there are so many great ideas in there to be more human and humane to others. To be kinder and compassionate every day. A great piece of advice to change our lives and check our attitude.
However, as for Lent 2024, let's remember what the pillars of this season are, and why we are going through this season.
Prayer, fasting, abstinence and almsgiving. Through these pillars of Lent, we journey to develop a closer relationship with God. The 40 days of Lent should be filled with reflection, sacrifice, service, and prayer. Lenten season calls us to more awareness. A collective consciousness. A praying community of focused transformation, penance and renewed life. When we come out of the desert after the 40 days of Lent, we will celebrate, eat and become new people living what we learnt and sharing our new renewed selves with others. We pray we all find a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Jesus. One that makes us more compassionate, more giving, and more aware of others around us, their needs and their plights. Lent is transforming. I pray it reconciles us all to Christ and our daily actions show we are renewed through the refiner's fire.
Change my Heart Oh God.
