Trusting the ‘desert’ through Lent’s challenges
Dear Helias Catholic family,
I was thinking about Lent as I was driving into school this morning, checking in with myself as to how the first few days of Lent have gone for me. One thought that has stayed with me for the past several hours is this: Why do I tend to focus on the hard part of Lent and not on the end goal?
Lent has traditionally felt challenging for me because my focus is on sacrifice, giving something up, my sinfulness and need for redemption, etc. While all of that is familiar and understandable, I typically do not focus much of my energy on the end goal of Lent — to more completely and more intimately be joined to God. It is akin to focusing only on the hard work that goes into a project or preparing for a trip without stopping to recall the why of it all. I have found myself caught up in the details of Lent without also keeping my focus on the reality of what awaits all of us at the end of Lent — Easter Sunday.
My heart’s desire is to ultimately be with God in paradise. Lent is a time to step back from my daily life and to prayerfully reflect on those things that are obstacles in my life as I journey to God. I need to focus on those shortcomings of mine and the many ways I “miss the mark,” i.e., sin. It is important not to lose sight of the end goal, to live with God for all eternity.
Helias Catholic’s campus ministry team this Lent has put together a wonderful program to help each of us grow in our awareness of those areas of our lives where we are struggling and failing to live up to our call to be sons and daughters of God. If you are interested in following along with this year’s program, titled “Trust the Desert,” please visit the Campus Ministry page on the school website or follow Helias Catholic High School on YouTube.
My prayers and the prayers of our community remain with you as you continue to pray and reflect on your relationship with God and others. May we not lose sight of God’s call to holiness and to the promise of one day being with Him in paradise.
Peace!
John Knight
Helias Catholic High School President
Recent posts:
- Trusting the ‘desert’ through Lent’s challenges – Feb. 27, 2023
- Making space to hear God’s voice this Lent – Feb. 21, 2023
- Generosity of many helps keep Catholic education attainable for all – Feb. 8, 2023
- Celebrating the gift of Catholic education – Jan. 31, 2023
- Remembering that we are in the holy presence of God – Jan. 23, 2023
In this blog, Helias Catholic President John Knight and guest writers share updates about ongoing work to advance Helias Catholic High School’s mission to provide excellence in Catholic education and vision to build a community of saints and scholars for Christ. Please send responses, ideas, questions and friendly greetings to Mr. Knight at jknight@heliascatholic.com.