DURING LENT 2023, WHAT GRACES OF CONVERSION IS GOD PLACING BEFORE ME?

“The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being." Genesis 2: 7 And then. . . .

What is becoming of us and God’s (not “our”) world when we fail to take the plunge into the mysteries that stories like this are asking us to consider? Agreed, this Genesis story is not meant to supply detailed historical accounts of exactly what happened back then at the beginning of human life. Rather, this and other treasured Bible stories are meant to convey profound and much needed insights about our nature as human persons, and about the origin of our abilities to think, act and feel, and where our use of these abilities is taking us. How has humanity progressed from the beginning to now? How have I progressed from the beginning of my life until now? What are we making or undoing for ourselves and for those to come after us? This is still God’s world. We are still God’s creation.

A Recommendation:

Listen (not now - very long! Links to two short clips of it are included below.) to this Bishop Barron Presents video, Bishop Barron Presents – Jason Blakely – The Social Science Revolution, in which Bishop Barron and Dr. Jason Blakely, author and political science professor, discuss this topic found in Dr. Blakely’s new book, “We Built Reality: How Social Science Infiltrated Culture, Politics, and Power,”

Dr. Blakely’s story:

Source: Word On Fire Youtube Channel
Discuss: What are your thoughts on Dr. Blakely’s comments? What about what he says about the place or function of enchantment? What is the difference between enchantment and mysticism?

Dr. Blakely relates what he thinks happens to us and our society when we fail to listen deeply to enchanting stories. He says that we get trapped in a society and ways of thinking that depend solely on knowledge, science, economics and law, with little or no balancing insights from wisdom and wisdom traditions, from religions, especially for most of us, Catholicism. After all, maybe God, whom we say IS LOVE, didn’t exactly “blow into our nostrils the breath of life” but we do see loving as one of our most treasured abilities. God is Love: Why do we say that? Maybe because of the value we place on our being able to love and be loved? Why do we seem drawn to treasure love so much? Was it “breathed” into us? . . . from whom? . . . from where? What’s the meaning of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?

Suggested Lenten Focus: Examine My Choices; Make time for the Mystical.

Blakely on Man as homo machina, sadness and depression:

Source: Word On Fire Youtube Channel

A LENTEN CHALLENGE

Let’s put aside some time to read and ponder these Genesis Bible stories, asking ourselves some really deep but, in another sense, simple questions, like:

What awakens in me today as I ponder the meaning of sacred words like:
• “The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being.” . . .

Can you think of some Lenten Practices that may help you in this area?

Sister Loretta

Let's not think that the Synod on Synodality is, for us, just what we and others around the world said in our beginning Stage of the Synod, or just what is going on in all of these Contniental Stage Assemblies. What happened in our stage was just the beginning for us. Pope Francis is trying to give us a way of listening that opens us to the Spirit working in the person to whom we are listening. It may be a new skill for us, in which case, we need to practice using it. For WE are the ones who, by our continuing the listening for the Spirit as we did in our Synodal Stage, are increasing our ability to listen to the Spirit, the common Spirit, alive, well and longing to burst forth into the world. Let us listen to some videos of the Continental Stage and let us hear the Spirit working there. May it encourage us to continue this deep listening to those we encounter here - our family members, friends, "enemies" (soon, via grace, to be seen-as-God-sees friends), neighbors, fellow parishioners, people of God everywhere, living and deceased.

BRING IT HOME: BE SYNODAL - LISTEN FOR THE SPIRIT OF GOD IN THE HEARTS OF EACH OTHER

Could this be our Best Lent Ever? Could Lent be a season of us, one and all, in our church community – us listening for the Spirit in the other. That would be a real becoming, individually and collectively, a Synodal Church, a Synodal Church of Synodal Families, acknowledging our sins, faults, hurts and failings, accepting God’s forgiveness, each other's forgiveness, and resolving to be “a communion of converted sinners who live by the grace of forgiveness and transmit it ourselves”. Called to Communion, Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), 1996, Ignatius Press, page 149.

From the European Continental Assembly in Prague, February 7-12, 2023

“There is clearly a need to enlarge the space of our tent. The Spirit is heard in the voices of all. The messages go to the very heart of what is needed for our church and in our homes: conversion.”

Source: iCatholic Youtube - of Ireland Catholic icatholic.ie

What are somw of the key areas that this Ireland summary noted as needing changes in order for the Church to be more synodal? What does the report say needs to be encouraged? What needs to be eliminated? What other elements would you add?

This statement probably needs significant exploration.

"We affirm Pope Francis’ commitment to the path of synodality and believe that much abuse could have been prevented had we been truly synodal."

What is it about being a synodal church that might have "helped prevent much abuse"?

EWTN Synod on Synodality Overview:

Source: EWTN

CONTINENTAL STAGE VIDEOS AND OTHER MATRIAL

Asian (Bangkok):

Europeon (Prague): Conclusions: 1:38:45 to 2:06:50

Source: Press CCee, Communication Department of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences

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MOVIE - A HIDDEN LIFE

Ponder this statement from the Ireland Summary, this time in relation to the messages of the Movie A Hidden Life.

"We affirm Pope Francis’ commitment to the path of synodality and believe that much abuse could have been prevented had we been truly synodal."

Had individuals, families, villages, towns, countries and churches been more synodal, would some of the atrocities of the world have been and be avoided? To what lengths will I go to increase a spirit of synodality in ourselves, our families, churches, communities, continents and world?

- - How well do I realize who I am and how critical God made me to my own welfare and development, to that of others and of the world? Can I, if I choose, help create a personal synodal way of life? How beneficial would this be to myself, to others, to my parish, to the Church?

Biography of Franz Jägerstätter

Summary Clip