The Seasons: A Poem

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Sunrise over Amazing Grasses Family Farm The mad Artist wields His brush, Painted colors rush, To life and give flush, Before the quiet autumn hush. The life seems to pour, As colors fall to the floor, To be seen no more, Outside the dark, grey door. Brightness from below, Sun upon the snow, High, cold clouds blow, Flakes and ice appear to grow. The man melts with little seen, Underneath, pale, grey green, Hides life in dark unseen, Waits for warmth and to careen. Buds on branches show, Patience starts to grow, Trickles, streams and veins flow, Bringing fruits of melted snow. Sprung to life it springs, Bees, birds, sound rings, Lush green flings, Its gift bounty brings. Green growth gives one last rush, Underneath the Painter's brush. The mad Artist wields His brush, before the quiet autumn hush. More poetry is available from James M. Hahn in  The Last Dragon and Other Poems  available now. My new book of cryptogram puzzles " Secret Messages from the Saints " is avai
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We are not alone

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First Sunday of Lent

Day five of Lent and the battle is raging!

Only day five. Can you go on? Can you make it? Can you keep up your sacrifices? You've done so well for this long, you can skimp a little. You are a good person, there is no need to punish yourself. Lighten up! It's not like giving in once is going to put you in hell, you said your prayers, you meditated today, go ahead, skip the sacrifices this time and start again tomorrow.....

Scripture tells us that Jesus was fasting in the desert for forty days and then the devil comes to tempt Him. I would bet that the temptations were there all along.

We are certainly not alone in this Lenten journey. The "Divider" is constantly at our elbow trying to throw us off course. As Father Hahn says in his excellent homily, "the devil tells us that we are special, we are an exception, and so we have permission to sin." He flatters us by complementing our resolve to stick to our Lenten regimen and then pulls us off course by tempting us to reward ourselves for what we have done.

Lest we despair, today's Gospel also serves as a reminder that we are not alone for God is with us on this journey as well. In fact, we should never think we are alone on the Lenten path. For if we find ourselves alone it is because we have left Our Lord somewhere along the way!

The fact that we can even call God "Our Father" should comfort us on this path. As a child whispers "daddy" in the darkness so we should constantly call upon our Heavenly Father for comfort and support. Though He is in Heaven, He is only a prayer away. He runs to us each time we call upon His Holy Name for help. By crying out "thy will be done" we imitate the two most perfect examples we have in this valley of tears. We imitate Mary and her "fiat" and we imitate her Son who accepted the cup of suffering in that Garden long ago. God's will is done in and through us. It is done perfectly in Heaven. We have the opportunity to bring about the same here on Earth. Our daily fast and sacrifice reminds us too that we are not alone and that we depend on God for everything, our daily bread. The path we trod is one that seeks forgiveness and the crosses that we carry upon the path carry the weight of both sins that we have not confessed and sins that we have not forgiven.

Though we face temptation at every turn in this desert of Lent we are not alone and He will never test us beyond our ability. Angels will not come to keep us from dashing our foot upon a stone but His grace is sufficient.

So, let us each of these forty days pray from the heart this prayer to the Father. Let the father recognize the words of his Son. Let the Son who lives in our hearts be also on our lips. We have him as an advocate for sinners before the Father; when we ask forgiveness for our sins, let us use the words given by our advocate. (Saint Cyprian)

FROM THE SAINTS - "In suggesting that we meditate on these passages of the life of Christ, the Church reminds us that during Lent, when we recognise our sins, our wretchedness and our need for purification, there is also room for our joy. Lent is a time for both bravery and joy; we have to fill ourselves with courage, for the grace of God will not fail us. God will be at our side..." - Saint Josemaria Escriva (Christ is Passing By, 63)

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