I only have time for a ten-minute post, so I will try to keep this brief.
The season of Lent is upon us and, personally, it is one of my favorite times of year. In this season, the Church calls us more so than usual, to a life of conversion.
The life of a Catholic is a life of conversion. We are called to constantly strive to make tomorrow better than yesterday and the next day better than that. We are called to constantly look at our lives and then look at our model- Jesus Christ. He is perfect but we are not. We are called to constantly seek the perfection that we claim in using the name Christian.
The beauty of this season is that the entire Church takes a moment to breathe- to step back. We all look at ourselves and realize that none of us are close to reaching the goal. That’s okay though. That’s okay because God, in his infinite mercy, acknowledges that life is not simply about how perfect we are on the last day but the struggle and path we take to get there. Some of us have it easier than others; I have been complaining a lot as of late, but truth be told, the life of a white, male, student of meager means who calls a community like the University Catholic Center home does not have to face nearly the struggles of, for example, people in Africa trying to celebrate their faith as a priest or two is killed every other month for simply being a priest.
Back to the point, God, in his infinite mercy and love, knows that despite our failures we maintain a faith in him. We may forget the feeling of that faith, but it is still there. The season of Lent is the Church’s acknowledgement that, though we are sinners, we strive towards the everlasting life offered to us by Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. The celebration of the offering of Christ’s life and his following resurrection is the culmination of this season of Lent. We are preparing ourselves to stand before God while remembering the most sacred of events. Christ institution of the Eucharist and the Priesthood on the night before he died. His death. His rising to new life. But, while we can never truly understand the mysteries that these events contain, we can not understand on even a merely human level, the mystery of those events without inner conversion and peace.
As we continually convert ourselves from the focus of this world to the focus of the next, we are continually preparing ourselves to experience the mysteries of Christ. Our conversions do not need to be great and grand all the time. While it is laudable and indeed quite a blessing when someone makes a grand conversion from complete darkness to light- someone, for example, who had previously been unchurched now entering into the light of Christianity- our conversions in our daily life are seldom ever going to be such huge events.
We hear in the lives of the Saints of many members of the Church Triumphant who led horrible lives of sin, found a great moment of conversion and then continued life being the greatest of all believers on earth. All of us, those who have had made great conversions and those who have not, are called to seek our sanctity in a much more subtle way. We are called to take each moment of every day and make it a moment of conversion. We fail in this and we are not perfect, but we are called to make forward progress.
The season of Lent is a natural season to remind us of that. The organic nature of Lent and Easter calls us to convert ourselves followed by great jubilation. This relationship, between acknowledging failures and celebrating the grace given by God, is what the Church constantly calls us towards- inside and outside of Lent.
During this holy season, through the grace of God, may we be filled with every strength and blessing so that we can live our lives as a constant conversion towards Christ.

Welcome to the season of Lent! As tradition dictates, this is the time when Catholics all over the world give up various things to help push an inner conversion as we prepare for the Easter mysteries. Since we have sinned and are saved as a community, I want to throw out some of the issues I’m working on this Lent so that any and all of you may be your brother’s keeper. Most of these things are things I’ve been meaning to do for sometime, but “tomorrow” always seemed like a good day. Since tomorrow is always a day away, I never started these things.
I digress. Since no person is an island, I’m asking all of you out there, as most of you probably already do, to encourage everyone else on their Lenten penances. In order for anyone to call me out on any of those, below are some of the things I’m going to try this season…

Fast Food

Both financial and trying to eat better

Cussing

The obvious trying to kick the habit.

Soda

Trying to eat better and water is a lot better too

Wasting Time

This one is obviously harder to quantify; however, I really need to stay on the ball this semester.

Skipping Class

While I say this one at the start of every semester, it’s time to reclaim the student inside that I used to be.

I may amend the list as I remember anything I previously told someone I would try to work on but that’s what I can think of at the moment.
In light of wasting time, back to work. Peace during this holy season!

Girls sued for delivering cookies
Two girls, 17 and 18, of Durango, CO, baked cookies in July, packaged them into little gift sets with cards wishing a good night.
Around 10:30 p.m., they visited a neighbor’s house to deliver the cookies. According to the neighbor, she saw shadowy figures and they “banged” on the door. The neighbor heard no response to her query as to who this mysterious figured could be. The girls left, perhaps delivering the cookies.
The neighbor, scared by these figures, spent the night at his sister’s house followed by a visit to the hospital when she awoke still shaking with an upset stomach.
The girls offered an apology and to pay the neighbor’s medical bills; however, the neighbor refused and opted to sue instead.
The court awarded her $900 to cover the medical bills.
I simply give no comment.

Steve Johnson, pastor of the Family of Faith Church of Nazarene, Waco, starts the House on the 2nd with this prayer: (718 words)

God and Father of us all, we thank you for granting us another day. We praise you for your creative and sustaining energy, for the beauty of all that surrounds us each day, and for the opportunity to be here today.
Father, our chief desire in the hours to come is to live our lives in a manner that is pleasing to you. And we believe that you’ve shown us the right way to live in the life of your son, Jesus Christ. Jesus was a great man, a great teacher, a healer, a miracle worker, a good son, a good brother, and a good friend. But the quality that makes him the best model for us today is the way he led people. He led by serving.
Father, your son, Jesus, gave the greatest seminar on leadership in the history of humanity when he knelt before 12 dusty, sweaty fisherman and washed their feet. He served these men when they should have been serving him. He served them with no expectation of return. He would serve them in an even more dramatic way in the days to come by laying down his life for them.
God, we come to you in need of your help. We ask first of all, that you would remind us of who we are and where we have come from. Some of the brightest and most talented men and women in the country are in this room today. Each of these representatives has distinguished themselves is some manner and made themselves a respected and admired leader. But help us to remember why we are here. We are here because farmers and lawyers, dentists and plumbers, soccer moms and janitors, 5-year-old preschoolers and 80-year-old pastors have asked us to come here and represent them, to put a voice to their dreams and a name to their hopes. God, in the face of this awesome responsibility and privilege, will you give these men and women the gift of a servant’s heart?
Father, there are many important things that must be discussed and decided today and in the days to come. The tasks are large, the expectations are huge, and the problems are daunting. But God, if you empower each of these representatives to truly take upon them the heart and lifestyle of a servant, as modeled by Jesus himself, then nothing will be impossible for them. If you will remind them today that they represent the hopes and dreams of the citizens of the great State of Texas, and that their task here is to represent those hopes and dreams, not to push forward their own personal agenda, then great hopes and dreams will be accomplished indeed.
Lord, as we prepare to serve you and the people of Texas today, we take a moment to ask for you blessings on others who are in need of your strength. We pray for President Bush and his staff as they lead our great nation. Give them wisdom, stamina, and perseverance in the face of all that they must deal with today, and may they share our servant heart as they seek to lead this country. Be with those who have endured much hardship in Indonesia and the surrounding areas. Lay your hand of mercy upon them, and lend strength and courage to those who are giving of themselves in the restoration and recovery efforts there. Finally, be with the men and women of our armed forces who are serving us all over the world today, providing us with freedoms that we take for granted and safety that we can’t live without. Fill them with hope and courage as they give their lives for their country and shield us with their honor and bravery.
Loving Father, one of your servants once said, “Use power to help people. For we are given power not to advance our own purposes nor to make a great show in the world, nor a name. There is but one just use of power, and it is to serve people.” (George Bush, Inspirational Quotes & Insights for Leaders) May we indeed use the power, and the position, and the influence we have today to serve. We pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ, the one who served and saves us. Amen.

Rev. Lisa Greenwood Wolcott of the First United Methodist Church, Commerce led the Senate: (146 words)

O God, as You anointed leaders and called prophets of old, so today You call representatives of Your people, leaders of this age: Men and women who love Your people and can walk with them, who feel their pain and share their joys, who dream their dreams and strive to accompany them to their common goal. Dear God of the ages, inspire the minds and hearts of all the women and men to whom You have committed the responsibility of government and leadership in our great state. Give to them the vision of truth and justice which transcends the barriers we have constructed by human means. Bless the work that is accomplished, the decisions that are made, and the process in the midst of it all; may it always be to a greater glory than our own. In Your holy and gracious name we pray. Amen.

Just about a day later, Rev. Waylon D. Sias, pastor of the Marlin Missionary Baptist Church, leads the House on the 3rd: (240 words)

To our Lord and the God of the universe, we offer this prayer on behalf of our governor and the Texas House of Representatives as they begin their legislative session for the year of 2005. We ask you for guidance, direction, and unity as they make decisions that will improve our schools, city, and state. We ask for and seek your direction and strength to put aside any differences and personal agendas so that the common good for all men might be accomplished.
Lord, take control of their minds and hearts, that they might remember that our children are in need of direction and instruction and all are important from the state house to the poor house. Remember our unemployed, our homeless, the uneducated, the fatherless, the church, the un-churched. The young as well as the old, the rich, the poor, and help us to know that we all have a responsibility to do all we can to help and represent those who cannot help themselves.
Combine us Lord, for a house divided against itself cannot stand. Together we stand, divided we fall. And Lord, as we close this prayer please remember our President and his staff, our troops at home and abroad. We ask for your divine protection as we fight for freedom and peace for all people, and that our great State of Texas may be an example for states and nations to follow. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Finally, Rev. Stephen Warren, First Baptist Church, Buda, leads the Senate on the 3rd: (161 words)

Our heavenly Father, creator and sustainer of us all, we humbly come before You asking that You give to us Your wisdom in everything that we do and try to accomplish in this day and in the days to come. Bless our leaders of our state as they seek to lead our state. We thank You for the love that You continually give to us. Please forgive us when we fail You and forget to acknowledge You. We ask that You be with our men and women who are so gallantly serving in our armed forces and that You keep them safe and out of harm’s way. Please give comfort and peace to the families that are remaining here at home as they wait for their loved ones to come home. Lord, continue to watch over our great state and nation and be with our leaders as they seek to serve us. In Your precious name we ask these things. Amen.

Today, Bishop Vincent Rizzotto of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston lead the House in prayer (313 words):

Good and gracious Lord. At the beginning of this day, we stand before your holy presence and worship you as the source of all grace. We praise and bless you as the God who has been ever faithful to the cries of your people.
We raise up to you these men and women of the house of representatives from the State of Texas. They convene in this place charged with the mission of service to the varied people of this state. Assist them with your inspiration and with your guidance. Give them the vision to see that their office is one to serve all of the people who inhabit this land; the men and the women; the elderly and the young; the people of varied creeds, races, and tongues; and the people from every corner of this state.
As they gather to work and deliberate together, assist them with the grace of hearing so that they may be open to new ideas and learn from each other. Give them the gift of tolerance and civility, so that they may receive the thoughts and proposals of one another and search for that which best serves the people; and finally, encourage them to look for that which builds the common good, not just the good of a few, especially the good of those who have little or no voice.
Amidst the complexities which confront all of us in this modern world, we pray that you will give all of these men and women the grace of inspiration to seek the right thing and the gift of courage to be leaders in establishing your kingdom of peace, justice, and love.
O God, walk with us in our journeys, and let us come to our end knowing that we have done the best that we can. We pray this in faith, in hope, and in love. Amen.

For the Senate, Bishop James Tamayo of the Diocese of Laredo gave the opening prayer (160 words):

Heavenly Father, Your spoken word brought forth the heavens and the Earth. By Your word, man and woman were created in Your most holy image. You spoke and there was beauty and order, unity and peace. And You said, “It is good.” With the beginning of each new day, You call us to be stewards of Your creation. May Your holy wisdom guide the men and women of the 79th Texas Legislature, and in particular this Senate Chamber. May these servant leaders be conscious of the impact their words have in addressing the needs of all people in Texas. Guide the words spoken in committee, the words used in debate on this floor, and the words printed in the Senate bills so that they speak words that uplift and strengthen the spirit of the people of Texas. Then will these legislators hear Your word when at the end of the day You say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Amen.

Catholics led both prayers as today was Catholic Advocacy Day for the State of Texas.