Repentance

I have experienced many a Lenten season in my life. But this by far is the season when I really take it for what it is. It is a season of repentance. To throw away as the song says all the past stones, to take the yoke off your shoulders and give it to the one who says that their burden is easy and yoke is light.

Many Catholics (myself included) like to go through the motions- go to Church every Sunday, go to Lenten retreat, do Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and really do nothing to try and change our lives once Easter Sunday comes. Some of us may feel that our sins are so heavy, that our burdens are so great that there is no way they can be alleviated. But as the Bible says for God all things are possible.

In the Gospel of John chapter 11 the Gospel from the 5th Sunday of Lent we hear of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. When Jesus comes to visit Martha and Mary the sisters of Lazarus they both say to him

"Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."

There may be points in our lives when reflect we may think that if only I was closer to God at that time, if only Jesus was truly present in my life such and such a thing would not have happened. I would not have gone down that road.

Therefore we must make a special effort to keep Jesus always present in our lives and much more to always be mindful of His presence. Keeping Jesus near will prevent us from walking down that road of death. 

 However we are only human. Perfection is only of God and yes we do fall. But the difficult part of falling most times is getting up. Sometimes we think we have fallen so far that there can be no happiness for us again that there can be no way we can encounter God like we used to. Talking from experience at times like these we struggle to pray, we struggle to love, we avoid making contact with others, we just want to roll up in a ball and die. Some of us continue to fall believing that that is now your nature and calling to be a failure. But God is all merciful, all powerful.  God does not make junk ! Recognize that all these feelings are incited by the evil one who will try to convince you that life must continue on a path of self destruction which will eventually claim your eternal soul.

Think about it ? How can God put feelings in your heart that would prevent you from praying and showing love for others ? No these feelings of shame and spiritual torment are only incited by the evil one and you must trust in God to overcome them.

Jesus says to Martha "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live."

This says to me that even though you may be spiritually dead once you believe in the One who is the resurrection and the life you can live again ! That's right all is not lost for you who may be burdened by guilt. 


Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."


What great things can be accomplished by Our lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Those of us who may feel dead and buried, laying behind a stone must trust and make the effort to first remove the stone and allow the Lord to do the rest. Everything that He asks of the Father will be done. Pray that he too can raise you up. Once you have risen unbind yourself, remove the cloth from your face and smile. Show no semblance of having laid in that tomb for 4 days but live brand new.

If you are Catholic I highly recommend the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This sacrament allows you to call to mind all the things in your life that you may need to ask forgiveness for and also makes you aware of the things in you life that you need to change. After you have been absolved trust that you are brand new and make a fresh start at life. That doesn't not mean that you will forget your sins, but you do not let them own you or make them define who you are. You are a child of God and so you must now live. 

You may wonder if this is possible that God can just forgive you and remove your demons of the past with you being a brand new person. Jesus removed demons in the Bible in one case described in Luke Chapter 4. It says clearly that Jesus removed the demon from a man and afterward the man was left unharmed.


Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" When the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 


Yes take back your life for sin and evil cannot harm you once you are willing to give your burdens to Jesus and believe in God's mercy. Let Jesus deal with the demons He knows how to handle them leaving you unmarred, still brand new.
Brother, Sister, be strong in your journey. Walking in the world ain't easy but it helps if you walk in His Word.

And remember You cannot die if Jesus is present ! 

This is my first Blog entry and I hope that it has inspired someone and that I am inspired to keep on writing to help us all on our walk in this world. 

God Bless you

Nicole