SandalPrints Issue # 161 ... Lent ... 2016 AD Brothers and Sisters of St. Francis of Reconciliation - Palm Springs www.FranciscanCanticle.com

observing Lent or maintained vestiges of the attitude toward that season my friends and I had embraced as children. Some priests, nuns, and parents tend to perpetuate a negative attitude toward Lent unintentionally, of course, by emphasizing that children prepare for Easter by spending the forty days of Lent denying themselves something they truly enjoy. Kids like me who chose to give up things like creamed onions were not considered among the elite of the repentant but were deemed to be shirkers. In a sense, I suppose we were less committed to the lenten spirit they we should have been. Given what I could see of the general attitude of adults at LET YOUR LENT BE JOYFUL the time, the lenten spirit lack spirit.

By Richard Brakefield, J.D., O.SF, KGCHS In my adult years I have come to know that Lent is indeed a period of preparation for Lent is coming! Those words were more an Good Friday and Easter but my attitude about alarm than an announcement to me and my it has evolved a bit. Lent, in my opinion, contemporaries when I was younger.... much, should be a time of joyful anticipation, not much younger. The gleeful days of our artificial deprivation. Those who promote the childhood became darker during Lent, a latter, I think, have missed the point. The period of time that imposed on us a series of Church and its liturgy does not teach disaster deprivations and sacrifices that seemed merely or promote a theory of spiritual elitism but the routine and without much meaning. No good news of God’s infinite grace and wonder that Lent came on with gloom and forgiveness. Not that there is no consequence threat, like a rainy day in the last week of to dying in the state of unforgiven sin. There summer vacation. What made it worse was is certainly that but the message of Easter is that Lent arrived about the same time that a without question the most joyful of any sense of Spring was afoot, ubiquitous banks of throughout time. Easter does not exist for an snow were on the wane and baseball was just elite of the morally upright but for the sinful, around the corner. Lent’s timing was always the abandoned, the needy, the ungodly. It unwelcome. It takes some maturity to celebrates that most sincere sacrifice which appreciate the benefit of self discipline and brings healing to unwell, sets aright moral fasting and to view those practices in a failures, brings forgiveness to sinners, and positive way -- maturity was not abundant stirs the faithful to preach the salvation among us kids. offered to all mankind. The bodily resurrection of the killed Christ is the most As time passed and my schoolmates and I mysterious and terrible of all events in history found our way into young adulthood, we lost yet it is the most joyful as well because by that contact with each other and how other’s death and resurrection we have ben freed. attitude toward the season of Lent evolved, I don’t know. What I did perceive as I grew Lent is an opportunity that should not br older was that far too many adult Catholics I wasted.. Being sinful, weak in faith and dim encountered had either dismissed the notion of in knowledge, we should grasp the time and use it to remind ourselves of our Christian wait sufficiently upon the Lord (Is 30:15), so obligation as Christians to announce the good that his word may flow through the veins of news of forgiveness, salvation, of resurrection. our mind with new insights and through the It is also a time to re-establish our ventricles of our heart with fervent love, a commitment to the continuing correction, strong love enabling our hands to reach reform, and renewal of the Church and its outward to all our many neighbors. work. Each day during Lent the Lord invites us So, give up candy, steak, or television through His prophet: watching if you think it helpful in achieving the goal of preparing for the most joyful event All who are thirsty, of the liturgical year. However you observe come to the water! Lent this year, I hope you will see the joy in You who have no money, the preparation for Easter. Be renewed and come, receive grain and eat; reformed and be joyful! Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk! The purpose of Lent is Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy? not only to make Heed me, and you shall eat well, amends to satisfy the you shall delight in rich fare. Come to me heedfully, Divine Justice, but above listen, that you may have life. . . . all a preparation to rejoice So shall my word be in God’s love. that goes forth from my mouth; Thomas Merton, Trappist It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it. (Is 55:1-3, 11) LENTEN REFLECTION Franciscan , Blesseds and Holy Ones Lent has been an intense spiritual experience February 2016 for followers of Christ throughout the 1. Bl. Veridiana of Castel Fiorentino, IIIOrd. centuries. Christians of ancient Rome early 2. Presentation of the Lord developed impressive Lenten liturgies, 2. Mother Alexia Hoell, III Ord. centering around the stational churches. For 4. St. of Leonissa, I Ord. medieval Europeans Lent was a time of 5. Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel, III Ord. prolonged prayer, severe bodily discipline and 6. St. Peter Baptist, Paul Miki and generous alms giving. Early in this century our companions, martyrs of I & II Ord. grandparents observed Lent with frequent, 7. St. Colette, reformed II Ord. even daily Mass, public devotional practices 10. Ash Wednesday and austere fasting. 11. Our Lady of Lourdes 14. First Sunday of Lent 17. St. Conrad of Piacenza, hermit III Ord. Thirty some years ago the Second Vatican 21. Second Sunday of Lent Council changed the focus of Lent to “a 28. Third Sunday of Lent period of closer attention to the Word of God and more ardent prayer” (Constitution on the Saints often jar us because they challenge our Sacred Liturgy, #109). To meet this need the ideas about what we need for “the good life.” Church proposed a new Lectionary of biblical “I’ll be happy when ...,” we may say, wasting an readings for the Sundays and weekdays of incredible amount of time on the periphery of life. Lent. These carefully balanced selections offer People like St.Joseph of Leonissa challenge us to the Christian assembly a rich source for face life courageously and get to the heart of it: Lenten reflections. life with God. Joseph was a compelling preacher because his life was as convincing as his words. Perhaps at times we find the table of God’s Word too lavish for our tastes. Perhaps we do We have just enough religion to make us not allow ourselves the time to chew and judge and hate but not enough to make us absorb the Scriptures. It may be we do not forgive and love one another. -J. Swift Christ before me, My Lord Christ behind me, Christ in me, It was His will, His choice, His love, Christ beneath me, That made Him lie upon the cross, Christ above me, Open His arms and be nailed down Christ on my right, And lifted up to die that slow, Christ on my left, Painful and agonizing death. Christ when I lie down, Christ when I arise, He could have refused, been rescued Christ in the heart of every person who By His father’s shining angels thinks of me, But His love for us is so great Christ in the mouth of every person who He chose to die, so He could rise speaks of me, And defeat hell and save us all. Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me. We are sinners and we all add Our piece of iron to the nails Website Watching That tore His hands and feet apart, And our thorn to the painful crown Have you stumbled upon a great website That ripped and pierced His head and brow. recently that you’d like to share with the readers of SandalPrints? If so, please email it It was His choice, to save us all to: [email protected] and Oh don’t let it have been in vain. we’ll put it into the next issue under Website Accept His gift and let Him reign. Watching. This issue’s website of interest: Father, help us to be made whole if you’re planning a trip in the near future And to love Him with all our soul. please book your plans through us at: CanticleTravel.com Michelle Sagnimeni, OSF FRIENDS Penitential Prayer of St. of Milan O Lord, who hast mercy upon all, TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING take away from me my sins, THROUGH THE DESERT. and mercifully kindle in me DURING SOME POINT OF THE JOURNEY, THEY HAD AN the fire of thy Holy Spirit. ARGUMENT; AND ONE FRIEND Take away from me the heart of stone, SLAPPED THE OTHER ONE and give me a heart of flesh, IN THE FACE. a heart to love and adore Thee, a heart to delight in Thee, THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED to follow and enjoy Thee, for Christ's sake, Amen WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT St. Ambrose of Milan (AD 339-397) SAYING ANYTHING, WROTE IN THE SAND: Penitential Prayer of St. Augustine TODAY MY BEST FRIEND O Lord, SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE. The house of my soul is narrow; enlarge it that you may enter in. THEY KEPT ON WALKING, It is ruinous, O repair it! UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS, It displeases Your sight. WHERE THEY DECIDED I confess it, I know. TO TAKE A BATH But who shall cleanse it, THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN to whom shall I cry but to you? SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE Cleanse me from my secret faults, O Lord, MIRE ! AND STARTED DROWNING, and spare Your servant from strange sins. BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM. St. (AD 354-430) AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM THE NEAR DROWNING, From the “Breastplate of St. Patrick”: HE WROTE ON A STONE:

Christ shield me this day: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND Christ with me, SAVED MY LIFE ". A brother came to Abba Poemen and said: Abba, a variety of thoughts are THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED coming into my mind and I am in AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND danger. The old man took him out in ASKED HIM, "AFTER I HURT YOU, the air and said: Open your robe and YOU WROTE IN THE SAND AND NOW, YOU WRITE ON A STONE, WHY?" take hold of the wind. And he answered: No, I cannot do it. The old THE FRIEND REPLIED man said: If you cannot do it, neither "WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US can you prevent those thoughts from WE SHOULD WRITE I T DOWN coming in. But what you should do is IN SAND, WHERE WINDS OF to stand firm against them. FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY. BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING GOOD FOR US, Franciscan Canticle, Inc. is a 501-C-3 not-for- WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE profit organization. All contributions (please make WHERE NO WIND checks payable to Franciscan Canticle, Inc.) are CAN EVER ERASE IT." greatly needed and appreciated. Canticle is affiliated with Amazon.com . If you log on LEARN TO WRITE through the icon on the Home page of YOUR HURTS IN FranciscanCanticle.com and purchase an item THE SAND AND TO through our website we receive a commission for CARVE YOUR each item. BENEFITS IN STONE. Franciscan Canticle, Inc. THEY SAY IT TAKES A 611 S. Palm Canyon Dr., # 7 - 572 MINUTE TO FIND A SPECIAL Palm Springs, CA 92264 PERSON, AN HOUR TO APPRECIATE THEM, A DAY SandalPrints TO LOVE THEM, BUT THEN is a monthly spiritual journal published by AN ENTIRE LIFE Franciscan Canticle, Inc. And the Brothers and TO FORGET THEM. Sisters of St. Francis of Reconciliation. It utilizes and appreciates the generous con- tributions of various writers and other gifted "One day you will ask me which is people. more important, you or my life, and I will say my life, and you will walk away not knowing that you are my life." Place your mind before the mirror of eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance of glory! Let us pray for the intentions of those who Place your heart in the figure of the divine asked us to pray for them. substance! And transform your whole being into the image of the Godhead Itself through contemplation! So that you too may feel what His friends feel as they taste the hidden sweetness which God Himself has reserved from the beginning for those who love Him. St.