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MACC

We Are an Easter People

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Fr. Edward Owens, OSST, PhD  

People tend to associate Lent with sacrifice and self-denial. Practices such as fasting, the Stations of the Cross, and Lenten reconciliation services come to mind. Amid a myriad of practices, Lent ultimately points to the solemnity of Easter and its season. In Christ, we are as St. Augustine proclaimed: “An Easter people and alleluia is our song.”

Lent invites us to embrace the past, present, and future in our observance. A spirit of remembrance connects us to the people and events in salvation history and in our own life. The call to remember is well stated in Deuteronomy: “Remember the long way the Lord your God has led you . . . testing you to know what was in your heart . . . feeding you with manna . . . to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (8:2-3). During Lent let us take time to recall the persons who have modeled God’s love to us and how their presence still burns in our hearts: a special family member, a nurturing teacher, or an old friend we often think about. Fond memories help foster our better selves and hold on amid dark nights of the soul.

Remembrance engenders gratitude in the present. Studies show that a sense of gratitude fosters physical health, reduces toxic emotions, and even makes people sleep better. Grateful people enjoy better relationships. Gratitude reminds us that we are not the sole authors of the good in our lives. During Lent take moments to reflect on someone or something for which you are grateful. Thank God for giving you such small treasures often taken for granted.

Lent calls us to consider the future, those who will come after us. Native American wisdom holds the “7th Generation” principle: our decisions must consider how they will affect our children seven generations ahead, and the Lakota deem just one generation as 100 years! Our children observe how we love the Earth, practice our faith, and treat the needy. Again, Deuteronomy speaks to the point: “Forget not the things your eyes have seen . . . make them known to your children and your children’s children” (4:9).

The prayer “Prophets of a Future Not Our Own” speak to Lent: “We are workers, not master builders . . . We are prophets of a future not our own.” Through this holy season may our good remembrances warm us, our gratitude impact how we treat others, and the world we leave our children be kept in mind. Let us be that Easter people!

Somos un pueblo de pascua

La gente tiende a asociar la Cuaresma con sacrificio y abnegación. Las prácticas del ayuno, el Vía Crucis y los servicios de reconciliación cuaresmal vienen a mi mente. Entre una miríada de prácticas, la Cuaresma apunta finalmente a la solemnidad de la Pascua y su tiempo. En Cristo, somos como lo proclamó San Agustín: “Un pueblo de Pascua y aleluya es nuestra canción”.

La cuaresma nos invita a abrazar el pasado, el presente y el futuro en  nuestra observancia. El espíritu de recuerdo nos conecta a las personas y acontecimientos de la historia de la salvación y de nuestra propia vida. El llamado a recordar está bien expresado en Deuteronomio: “Recuerda el largo camino al que el Señor tu Dios te ha guiado . . . probándote  para saber lo que había en tu corazón . . . alimentándote con el maná . . . para hacerte comprender que no solo de pan vive el hombre, sino de toda palabra que sale de la boca del Señor” (8:2-3). Durante la cuaresma tomemos un tiempo para recordar a las personas que han modelado el amor de Dios hacia nosotros y cómo su presencia todavía arde en nuestros corazones: un miembro especial de la familia, un profesor edificante, o un viejo amigo en el que a menudo pensamos. Los recuerdos agradables ayudan a fomentar lo mejor de nosotros y se aferran en medio de las noches oscuras del alma.

El recuerdo engendra gratitud en el presente. Algunos estudios muestran que el sentido de gratitud fomenta la salud física, reduce las emociones tóxicas, e incluso hace que las personas duerman mejor. Las personas agradecidas disfrutan de mejores relaciones. La gratitud nos recuerda que no somos los únicos autores de lo bueno en nuestras vidas. Durante la Cuaresma toma unos momentos para reflexionar en alguien o algo por los que estás agradecido. Agradece a Dios por darte tesoros tan pequeños que a menudo se dan por sentados.

La Cuaresma nos llama a considerar el futuro, a aquellos que vendrán después de nosotros. La sabiduría de los nativos americanos tiene el principio “la Séptima Generación”: nuestras decisiones deben considerar la forma en que ellas afectarán a nuestros hijos en las siete generaciones siguientes, y los Lakota consideran que una generación ¡tiene 100 años! Nuestros hijos observan la forma en que amamos la Tierra, practicamos nuestra fe y tratamos a los  necesitados. Otra vez, el Deuteronomio habla sobre el punto: “No olvides las cosas que han visto tus ojos . . . dalas a conocer a tus hijos, y a los hijos de tus hijos” (4:9).

La oración “Profetas de un Futuro Que No Es Nuestro” habla de la Cuaresma: “Somos obreros, no maestros de obra . . . Somos profetas de un futuro que no es nuestro”. A través de este tiempo santo que nuestros buenos recuerdos nos calienten, nuestra gratitud impacte la forma en que tratamos a los demás, y que el mundo que dejemos a nuestros hijos se tenga presente. ¡Seamos la gente de la Pascua!

Posted in Faculty, SOMOS MACC NEWSLETTER, Winter 2019 NewsletterTagged lent, living the gospel, newsletter, reflection, theology

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