YCP Lent Mini-Retreat
The rock/mountain on which Jesus was tempted — there is a Greek Orthodox monastery built into the cliff face. I met a man suffering from demonic possession there, who asked our group to pray for him.
Why was Jesus baptized? Not for him but for us — he had no sin. He took ours on himself.
Sin is like waking up on daylight savings time day, with an hour less sleep — you can’t get your body to do what you want it to. Grace lets us do these things.
The imagine of Lazarus moves us to compassion/pity. His name means God Helps… but where is God’s help in his life? We see and know him by name and face in the story; he is not anonymous. (Unlike the rich man.) Lent is a favorable season to see one another as a gift.
Interacting with little kids — we don’t take it personally when they hurt us. God loves us so much, He is so selfless, that he will do whatever it takes to love us. If he took our sin personally, would he have carried our sin up to the cross?
In the rich man, we see the corruption of sin — his greed makes him vain. He dresses like a king and acts like a god. Sin often blinds us to the truth.
In you day to day life, look at where God is — are there places you’re not letting Him be Lord over? The rich man made himself god and lord over is own he life. He separated himself from God — that’s what Hell is: separation from God. How many minutes remain of life?
A child’s view of heaven — he saw it without the pain of death. “I look forward to seeing you grow up.” “Yes, but you won’t there, daddy, you’ll be in heaven.”
What are our needs? What are we blind to? What are our gifts? What does the word of God say to us?
Practical tips.
Maybe one of the greatest losses in the modern world is the loss of the sense of sin — that nothing is truly “wrong”.
Remembering would are are creatures made from dust is hard when, technologically, so much is possible. God is Lord over our lives, not us.
How do you give witness in a way that attracts, and doesn’t repel? Wear your faith with joy — joy doesn’t mean happy-go-lucky. Ashes are the sign of our mortality but also of Christ’s victory,
I don’t know too many people except little kids who like going to confession. But there’s something about it — those who have been away longest said the same thing to me: Father, I feel like I don’t know myself anymore. Confession is like a mirror. Christ says to us: “You are worth it. Don’t carry your sins with you — I died for them. And you are worth it. They don’t define you.”
If we forget the last part of the lesson — God making us anew — all we get is guilt about the crucifixion.
Our culture today misses the value of forgiveness and conversion.
What do you see, projecting yourself to be who you would want to be? What would it take to get yourself there? How would you be known by others? By God?