March 16th, 2024
Lent 2023 could have been better. I lasted a day into my sacrifice (it was cursing, sorry to say), and I could not attend a spiritual retreat. I even failed at completing the Hallow app challenge with Liam Neeson, the voice of Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia, doing C.S. Lewis readings!
While everyone else found spiritual nourishment, I felt I was living blasé blah: failure, false promises to myself, and stress usurping my self-confidence. To speak in the parlance of our times: last year, I stunk at Lent.
I resolved to tackle 2024 differently. This year, one of my favorite prayers, the Breastplate of Saint Patrick, has given me strength, “I bind unto myself today, The power of God to hold and lead, His eye to watch, His might to stay, His ear to hearken to my need. The wisdom of my God to teach...”
Thinking about St. Patrick’s story—a man captured at sixteen by Irish pirates, enslaved, escaped, and then, after becoming a cleric, returned to spread Christianity in northern and western Ireland—a thought occurred to me. How fitting that his feast day this year falls on the fifth Sunday of Lent!
In today’s Gospel reading, Jn 7:40-53, Jesus causes divisions. Some had a correct but inadequate view of him: “Certainly the prophet.” Some had a correct but uncommitted view of him: “This is the Christ… [right?]”. And a final few rejected him for a flimsy excuse. Their reasoning: “The Messiah does not come from Galilee. Jesus comes from Galilee. Therefore, Jesus cannot be the Messiah.”
St. Patrick had every reason to hate the Irish pagans who captured, enslaved, and denigrated him. What good could come from Ireland? However, after escaping slavery, he came back to the very place whose people spat upon him. And he brought them the Gospel. He kept the faith and did not count them out.
St. Patrick spoke directly to the Irish spirit he came to know during his captivity and transformed their culture for Christ. And the Irish monks, born from Patrick’s evangelization efforts, brought Christianity back to the rest of Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. The rest is history.
No matter where you are from, it is easy to lose hope, get drowned out by noise, and ignore what St. Patrick calls “...the wisdom of my God to teach.” This Lent, I have strived to be more patient and less judgmental with those around me. This season can be challenging for everyone, especially those struggling with Lenten sacrifices–or beating themselves up over that one chocolate bar. And I hope others extend that same patience and grace to me.
It is easy to count yourself out. But although you may stumble, you can always get back on the horse. Remember St. Paul’s words for encouragement: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)
Something good can come from Galilee. And don’t give up on Ireland.
Josef Luciano is a writer and copy editor who lives in NYC. To read more from Josef or to contact him directly, please visit JosefLuciano.com.