Today is Laetare Sunday. Meaning Rejoice! The Fourth Sunday of Lent encourages us that the feast of Easter is drawing closer and closer. Let us not be experience the fatigue of our journey at this point, but rejoice knowing that soon Christ will be resurrected for the sake of the whole world!
What a beautiful reflection Fr. Mark Toups offers us for this Fourth Week of Lent. There is much that can be unpacked from this video, so I encourage you to take time and pray with God about whatever spoke to you or called out something within you that you need to take to God. As Father reminded us in last week's video, "nothing surprises God", so you have nothing to fear - all He wants is you to open your heart to Him freely.
Holiness For the Working Day Podcast on Spotify released a beautiful reflection on today's Gospel reading. It is called "Healing the Blind Inside and Out". You can listen to it via this link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/27JNIjILAiufmB5qwQxbbW?si=DFELGFQGRVa1d7wW2bAmng
For the week ahead, with this week's Gospel in mind, here are a few practical guidelines to help you grow spiritually in your Lenten journey:
1. Take time each day to reflect on "why do I believe?" Consider making a list of the reasons and placing it somewhere that you will see each day
2. Through the days as you reflect, be willing to challenge the reasons that strike you as being 'Pharisee-lie" and circle the reasons that are those of a healed "blind man"
- Reflection questions from Sr Anastasia Reeves' "Our Blind Spots" spiritual direction - Archdiocese of Wollongong's 'Grace' Lenten reflection booklet.
God be with you always in heart and mind.