A crucifix and Bible are pictured during Lent at Jesus the Good Shepherd Church in Dunkirk, Md., April 7, 2022. (CNS photo/Bob Roller, Reuters)
EMBRACING FAMILY
Many parents ask us questions, and we share faith-based parenting advice, based on Love and Logic and the Preventive System of St. John Bosco (Reason, Religion, Loving Kindness). We’d like to share some of these with you.
We’re always preparing. We prepare food, work, laundry, dishes, the house for company.
Now, it is time to prepare through prayer, fasting and almsgiving for the resurrection of the Lord during Lent, the season of preparation.
If we have Christ’s passion present in our mind, it is easy to raise our thoughts up in prayers of gratitude. When someone we love is suffering, our love knows no boundaries. We want to do all that we can to let them know we are thinking of them and praying for them. We eagerly want to do all that we can to help. We truly do not lament the sacrifices we need to make because we are focusing on alleviating their suffering; we are not focusing on our loss.
What are we willing to do to express sorrow for our sins and gratitude for Christ’s willingness to suffer and die on the cross for us? Are our resolutions of prayer, fasting and almsgiving eager expressions of our love? Or maybe they are meager expressions of our love.
Might we want to consider putting up crucifixes or images of the suffering Christ in our homes, especially during Lent as a reminder of how much Jesus loves us? If we already have a crucifix, we might want to consider putting it in a different or more prominent location so that it is noticed. We could invite family members to create a prayer to say when they see the crucifix or image. For example, “Jesus, because you loved me enough to die on the cross for me, I want to thank you by (add in your own Lenten resolution of prayer, fasting, and/or almsgiving).”
As we deepen our understanding of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection during this Lenten season, let’s let go of our defenses, excuses and rationalizations for why we do not live our faith as we are called to do. Instead, let’s open our hearts to his love, a love that knew no limits so that he was willing to die for us. Yes, Jesus loves us that much! Imagine how transformed our lives would be if we allowed his love to truly fill our hearts.
We all know how a loving home can transform the life of a child. Our lives can be transformed if we open our hearts to receive Christ’s love, which knows no limits. Let’s prepare during Lent with our prayer, fasting and almsgiving as a sign of gratitude for his suffering, death and resurrection. Let’s open our hearts to be filled with his love and marvel at watching him transform our lives such that we increasingly seek to be his voice of hope, his hands of service and his heart of compassion in a world that longs to meet him.
Here is some feedback from a parent in response to the Q&A from “How exactly am I supposed to prepare for the coming of Jesus at Christmas?!”
“I never really thought about preparing my own heart for Jesus’ coming at Christmas. I somehow thought that since I was busy buying presents, getting kids ready for winter concerts and performances, and inviting relatives over for Christmas dinner, that this meant I was preparing for Christmas. All I was doing was preparing for Christmas activities and events, but I wasn’t taking time to prepare for Christmas, the birth of Jesus.”
Questions? Please email Sarah and David at Success@EmbraceFamilyLearning.com. We would be honored to lift you up in prayer and respond, as well!
