The Forty Days of LENT

What is the purpose of Lent? The Church teaches that it is a time of reflection and sacrifice to prepare for Holy Week. Reflection. Many of the recent homilies and scripture readings over the past few weeks have been on Holiness. What does that mean? We should reflect on our goal to be Holy like Jesus. We should aspire to be Holy. How do you become Holy? What do you do to move toward Holiness? I gave up yelling for Lent. I have caught myself yelling more in my house over the past week. I was good for the first few weeks of Lent but as my frustration mounted last week with my childrens' behavior I went back to old habits of yelling at my kids to get my point across. It never works especially since they are at the age that they can yell back. It takes me a while to reflect back on these behaviors and realize that yelling does not achieve Holiness. What does achieve Holiness? Reading the Bible, going to Mass, praying for others, taking care of others, doing what is right in all situations, standing for Christianity instead of popular culture norms, being active in spreading God's word. I try to do all of these things and many times I truly fail. God blesses me with another day. Each day He gives me a "do-over". Each day I take it. I don't know if it is God's goal for us to achieve Holiness here on earth, but I will try each day to move forward and not look back. I think of Abraham. He was a Holy man of God, but he did things that were not Holy. God told Abraham he would have a son that would become many nations. Abraham and Sarah speeded up the process by bringing Haggar into the picture. Bad idea, it caused them more problems later on, but God worked His plan around Abraham and Sarah's sidetrack plan. He just moved on with His plan and helped them deal with the issues they created. Abraham continued his trek toward Holiness and God continued to lead him on that trek. I think God does this for all of us. He has plans for us and we get side tracked and He continues on His plan for us and deals with the consequences of the messes we make along the way. I pray that the Lord will continue on with His plan for my life and will give me each day to move toward Holiness. As Holy Week comes I pray that every part of Lent offered me ways to learn, reflect and move toward Holiness.