Focus on Faith

Q) Lent is right around the corner, and I never seem to know what to do for the season. I’ve tried giving things up, but it always seems a bit hollow. What should I do?

Lent is a time of reparation -- a season of sorrow for sins committed and expressions of a sincere desire to reform our lives. But what does it mean to be sorry? What are the components of real remorse?

Oh, to be a leper in those days. Lepers were considered unclean by the Jewish faithful. They were outcasts. They were accused of being lawbreakers, sinners. Throughout the Gospels, they had a nose for Jesus. And Jesus did not disappoint.

If a man, after prayer and reflection, thinks that God may be calling him to be a deacon, it is time to begin the application process. It is normal to waver. Is God calling me or not? Should I apply now or wait? It is better to apply sooner rather than later because the application process itself is an exercise in discernment.

Many facets mark this week’s Gospel, which might be titled “A Day in the Life of Jesus.”

Q) With the start of every new thing (new year, new season, new stage in life), I find it difficult to stop and consider the previous year, earlier season or earlier stage in life. I find myself doing the same things over and over. There seems to be no end in sight. What do I do?

Our first reading this Sunday gives us an endearing vignette with little Samuel sleeping in the temple. We are told that the voice of the Lord was uncommon or “rare” in the early days of Samuel’s life. God’s revelation, and particularly his voice, is a gift. While proper discernment is needed, sometimes God’s silence can be a way of disciplining leaders whose hearts have grown cold.

The call to be a deacon comes from God. There is no one way that the call comes to a particular person, so it is important to be on the lookout for signs and then subject the signs to discernment.